Posts Tagged ‘Flash’
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Flash CS4 and the annoying tweens
Friday, January 7th, 2011This post doesn’t have anything to do with people of a specific age range or singers with floppy hair. The tweens I’m referring to are the traditional animation settings of Motion Tweening and Shape Tweening that have been part of Flash forever. Motion Tweening is what you would use to move objects around, possibly change their color, or make them fade in and out. Shape Tweening is what you would use to have some thing morph into another. It could also be used for color changes or moving things around. Each one had its place. Starting in CS4 they added a new one. This was actually a very good thing, however it still caused me to scream in frustration. Here’s why…
Many people who know what I do, have worked with me, or taken my classes, know that I have a deep and abiding love for Adobe Software. Teaching Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and others is one of the best jobs I can think of. Like any long-term relationship however, there are times when you want to shout “You have GOT to be kidding! Did you take a tall, refreshing glass of ‘freakin’ moron’ this morning?!”. Flash CS4 did this to me. We now have Flash CS5 but I was teaching CS4 today and was thinking about this on the way home – hence the post.
One of the assumptions that Adobe (and most software companies) seem to make it that users will look at the new features before getting a new version and playing with it. In truth, it’s often that people get new software installed at work or when they get a new computer that they begin playing with the software. Plenty of people will download trial copies, but not all of them will look at videos, posts, and websites before they start trying to do things. It’s often only weirdos like me that do that.
So here’s the problem… If you were using Flash 8 or CS2, or any version before CS4, you had Motion Tweening and Shape Tweening. In CS4 you have Motion Tweening, Shape Tweening, and Classic Tweening. Which one is new? Motion Tweening [insert sound of slapping forehead here]. What we used to call Motion Tweening is now Classic and the thing NOW called Motion Tweening is new and behaves just differently enough to make things really confusing the first few times.
The new Motion Tweens are powerful and in many ways easier to do, but… (you knew there was a ‘but” coming).. it was not a lot of fun when CS4 first came out having some users get frustrated and confused. Adobe is hardly the only company that does this. I’ve been teaching Office 2007 or 2010 New Features classes to lots of people who were never told that many, many things had changed – some of them only found out what was new by having the software installed by IT and trying to get work done (only to get really lost).
So my take-away advice tonight would be “If you install new software and feel lost – it’s not you. Just google the “New Features” of whatever it is and take whatever time you can spare to read up before beating your head against the wall. Software can be fun but it’s rarely intuitive.”
The most evil cookie
Thursday, August 5th, 2010I am not usually bothered by cookies and will delete them as I need to but the “special” flash cookies that are hidden from regular cookie control windows are really bugging me.
As fate would have it the lovely and talented Woody from Windows Secrets highlighted just this issue in his latest newsletter.
Here is the link – http://windowssecrets.com/2010/08/05/02-Eliminate-Flash-spawned-zombie-cookies
Old Quote – New Love
Thursday, May 13th, 2010I came across an old quote by Jared Spool of User Interface Engineering.
it reads as follows..
“When we have clients who are thinking about Flash
splash pages, we tell them to go to their local supermarket and
bring a mime with them. Have the mime stand in front of the
supermarket, and, as each customer tries to enter, do a little
show that lasts two minutes, welcoming them to the supermarket
and trying to explain the bread is on aisle six and milk is on
sale today.
“Then stand back and count how many people watch the mime, how
many people get past the mime as quickly as possible, and how
many people punch the mime out.
“That should give you a good idea as to how well their splash
page will be received. That’s the crux of it.”
Now I have no hate on for Flash. I enjoy both using and teaching it – BUT… I am NOT a fan of any “jump through this hoop” feature on a website, and splash pages have been a big one in this category.
This quote is perfect! I have a new geek crush (sorry Deke!).
My new favorite ActionScript/Flash book
Sunday, April 4th, 2010If you had asked me last week what the best book for Actionscript 3.0 was, I would have said “Learning ActionScript 3.0″ from O’Reilly press.
I have totally changed my mind on that. I recently picked up “Foundation Flash CS4 for Designers” from friends of Ed press.
It is a fantastic book for Flash CS4 and Actionscript 3. It is not a beginning book but quite a good book for intermediate/advanced users. It’s comprehensive for all basic skills, which makes it a thick book. If you want a project-based book to work through for a few weeks – this is it!
From the Blog
- Photoshop compositing and the never ending road
Sunday, November 6th, 2011 - What is rule one?
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 - AdobeMAX!
Tuesday, October 18th, 2011