If you haven’t already heard, earlier this year Adobe officially announced the beta release of two new applications for the Flash Platform; Flash Builder, and Flash Catalyst. Adobe took Flash Builder and Flash Catalyst on tour showcasing what advances have been made with their new creations and developing the next wave of RIA applications.
I was lucky enough to attend the Madison AdobeOn tour event that featured Zack Stepek, who presented at C2′s Creative Transitions Conference last August, representing Adobe and talking about the two new applications. Zack has spent the last 6 months authoring Flash Catalyst book.
I want to cover what these applications offer in regards to creative services since most of you are not developers.
Flash Builder
Let me start off with Flash Builder, which is actually a name change from the previous application, Flex Builder. Flash Builder really is the same as the previous version of Flex Builder with the addition of new Flex 4 API (Application Program Instructions) and other enhancements for developers.
So then what’s with the name change? The name change captures the breadth of the Flash Platform tool set, as to not confuse users to think that Flex is not a part of the Flash Technology. I know that while working with Flex, it may take people a while to understand how the Flex technology works within the Flash Player with no additional installation needed.
Now, if you’re working closely with Flex developers or designing Flex-based applications, it’s good to know a thing or two about what type of layout and functionality is available to you, so that you can design around it. I would recommend at least getting your feet wet and finding out what API are available. Go to Adobe Labs
Flash Catalyst
Flash Catalyst (FC) by far has been one of the biggest steps taken by Adobe in bridging the gap between the designer/developer workflow. What is FC, you ask? Good question. Adobe states it is an “interaction design tool for rapidly creating user interfaces without coding.” Flash Catalyst will allow you to do the following.
1. Import artwork from Photoshop, Illustrator or Fireworks to build working user interfaces.
Flash Catalyst actually contains headless versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fireworks to properly import the file type. You can also round-trip between your design file and Catalyst which will update your FC project file for you.
2. Create working user interface from your art work.
Flash Catalyst allows you to take your art work and either create custom components or a predefined component by selecting parts of your art file and assigning them to objects like buttons, a slider, etc. You can also assign certain functionality to interact with those objects. I though this feature was really cool, I was able to select a comped text box from a photoshop file and assign it as a TextBox component and have FC make it work like a text box.
3. Create IA (Information Architecture) and UX (User Experience) wireframes.
Flash Catalyst has UI (User Interface) controls that look like wireframe functionality but still allow you to create interactions with them just like you would with the imported artwork. I thought this feature was huge for AI and UX folks because it allows them to create working wireframes that can export right to Flash Builder creating a complete work flow.
4. Flash Catalyst projects work with Flash Builder
Once a designer completes their interaction design using the Flash Catalyst, they can hand off the Flash Catalyst project to a developer for them to consume into the project. This really closes the gap between designer and developer, allowing them to consume changes in a way that they can use.
There are a few things that are still in beta and are not working in Flash Catalyst but if you want to find out more check out Adobe Labs.
Now as exciting as this is, Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder are in the first beta release, meaning they’re not necessarily ready for production work. It’s a good idea to start understanding what direction Adobe is going with the Flash Platform and tinker with the tools they are creating before you buy them. I encourage you to download the betas and check them out for yourself.
Romke de Haan
Romke de Haan is the Technology Principal at Thud, a digital production shop focusing on Presentation Layer Technologies specifically the Flash Platform. He is also working on creating the sister organization that will train at-risk and incarcerated young adults in those technologies. (romke.dehaan ‘at’ thudigital ‘dot’ com or twitter.com/romke)
