Why did THEY do THAT? 1

[hohriver]

After over a month of quiet deliberation, I finally summoned the courage ( or stupidity?) to install Flash 5.0 on my laptop. I am aware of numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and glitches, but confusing the issue, also aware of many others who report no problems whatsoever....? So, I decided that maybe it was platform-dependent, and I would take a shot at it.
So imagine my surprise when after installing 5.0 I discover that BASIC steps and actions elemental to Flash 4.0 have been radically transfigured! Why did THEY do THAT? For example, motion tweens no longer are added with a right click between keyframes, and what happened to the auto, clockwise, counterclockwise rotation settings? And shape tweens, my gawd man, you've got to drill down a drop down menu three levels to get another lame inspector-like box that allows you to select shape tween, but it is not intuitive which keyframe to be on. And I haven't even LOOKED for the alpha or tint settings...have no idea where they vanished too! Even the insertion of the F6 keyframe seems to have been somewhat altered. Why fix it if it isn't broken, and why add to the already demanding new learning curve by altering these tried and true elements?
Can anyone explain this or defend this for Macromedia?

I had no idea I would basically have to learn Flash over from the ground up....I thought, like any reasonable new upgrade, there would merely be some new features to become familiar with. This is bad. They don't even mention these basic and fundamental revisions under 'new features'. Guess they just like to surprise ( or torture? ) their users. I'm going back to Flash 4.0.

Anyone else feel this way?

 

[JackBowden]

most of those features you were talking about are still there, just in a different place...once you start using it properly and get used to all the new stuff (the new actionscripting's much better i think..much more flexible) it's a really good upgrade, you just need to give it a chance....yeh, it is a bit of a b*tch you need to learn so much new stuff but hey...hopefully they've got most of that out of the way now so upgrades from now on won't be so drastic

 

[Lizzie]

It is quite strange at first getting to grips with all the windows invading your work area but once you get used to it it is a much better way of working. Jck is right. All the things that you couldn't find are there , but in floating windows and yes the action script is much better.
My only gripe, is that I have just made a movie in Flash 5 and it doesn't work with the Flash 4 plugin. That is very annoying indeed, as the site isn't that complicated. There is only load movies and tell target functions.
Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[Guest_imported]

I'm with HOHRIVER,Upgrading to Flash 5 is one of the biggest mistakes I have made.Why is it SO freakin difficult to name and target a movie clip? This should be a right click option.Why all the pop up windows? If I visited a website with that many pop ups I would NEVER return.Ever tried to "bend" a straight line...try it.Took for ever.
Just wanted a simple "smile" motion tween..sound easy? NOT
To be honest,as a budding web designer Im seriously dissappointed.As a Macromedia stock holder this explains much.
Good luck to all!
Paul

 

[hohriver]

To all who have responded to my frustrated freakout over the changes in the Flash 5 UI, thank you. And to Lizzie in particular: I figured out where those features were I couldn't find at first, and after about four hours....I even figured out how the shape tweens were implemented, so I kinda got up to speed in about a day.

The thing is, though, what I struggled with on the shape tween could have been explained in the online Help, or the accompanying manual, in a 3 to 5 step sequence.
This would have saved me a lot of exasperation. Instead, Macromedia just rolled out their same old 'samples' and 'lessons' and manual "instructions" that they used for Flash 4. This was not helpful.

As a professional developer who is focused on creating web deliverable learning tutorials for investment management software products, I know that Macromedia falls down when it comes to clarifying and instructing in the use of their software. You know what? I don't think they care about that. Anymore than they want to provide technical support which reduces the bottomline for the stockholders. Seems to be the name of the game.

Meanwhile, Flash 5 is working for me now, and I'm done ranting. Oh, Lizzie, to answer your query: you need the Flash 5 plugin to browse a Flash 5 movie. It won't play in Flash 4. You probably have figured that out by now.

Again, thanks to everyone who replied. See you on the Flash side....

 

[Lizzie]

Hohriver,
Yes I know you need the Flash 5 plugin but you are supposed to be able to publish it as a Flash 4 movie and it should work, but it doesn't. I am quite annoyed with it actually because it means that I must force people download the Flash 5 plugin.

In reply to your comments on the support from macromedia, I agree completely. If you come from a design background the action script can be pretty daunting at first. There is hardly any help that Macromedia have given for the likes of non-techies. I mean look at the actionscript book that comes with Flash 5! It wouldn't have been much of a hassle to write a few extra words in to help us understand. Thats why the likes of Tek-Tips is so useful. Sites like this have helped me with Flash and I'm not sure I would have progressed so far without them.

 

[actions]

i find flash 5 much more interface friendly than 4. Macromedia has redesigned the interface to resemble much of the industry graphics software out there. this new design has increased my flow of work 1005 because i no longer have to find things, so much is on the screen already. The new face also is remeniscint of many adobe softwares, and what graphics person doesn't know that face like the back of there hands. i suggest spending about 2 or 3 hours just exploring the software, and you will find it is probably the best upgrade flash has made.

oh yeah, what about the new mp3 compression option, that has to be my favorite!

do't get discouraged, get inspired.
peace

 

[Guest_imported]

Hello,

I am having great trouble getting the lessons under the HELP menu in Flash 5 for Windows to work. Usually when I am done with one, and then load in the other, Flash crashes. Also, Flash seems to crash when I want to use sound. After this Flash seems to crash no matter what I do.

Can anyone help me out to get Flash 5 to work on my Windows 98 PC?

- iBot774
Mike

 

[davdesign]

hi

I'm working off the same platform on one computer, with the slowest processor imaginable, and it still works okay (if slowly on that one).

My best suggestion is to reinstall, maybe even clear some hard drive space if this looks like it casuing the problem. Also, how's your RAM situation?

dD davdesign@hotmail.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[Guest_imported]

Hi,

I've reinstalled a couple of times now, including one time in safe mode with the installation CD copied and ran from my desktop. I still get crashes. I have plently of HD space and 192MB of RAM. I'm noting Flash runs sluggishly now too and I have a PII 350mhz system.

Any further help appreciated! Boy am I in a fix.

- Mike

 

[davdesign]

soory ibot

Unless, there's a problem with your sound card, which I doubt, I'm all out of ideas.

dD davdesign@hotmail.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[theEclipse]

to all of you that refuse to upgrade -

just remember that, in the future, with Flash 6, the same revisions that came with Flash 5 AND more will come. This continues on for Flash 7,8 ...

just my point of view tho theEclipse
eclipse_web@hotmail.com
**\\||It was recently discovered that research causes cancer in rats||//**

 

[Guest_imported]

Darn,

No one seems to be able to help me to get Flash 5 working right.

Do any people out there know what other programs or system files might cause Flash 5 to move sluggishly and crash often?

I'm running Windows 98 with service pack 1

- Mike

 

[hohriver]

ibot774:
you might find some clues to your particular problem(s) with Flash 5 in the discussion threads at Flashkit.com.
There are some pretty involved threads there that drill down on the bugs and glitches, as well as some very informed and helpful replies by Macromedia developers.

If you already knew this, sorry for repeating the obvious.
Good luck.
p.s. I run Flash 4.0 and Flash 5.0 on three different computer platforms, and I don't experience 'bugs' with any of them. I do manage to confuse myself quite easily with the new features in 5.0, though! Unfortunately, I have to focus on using 4.0 until the preponderance of users "out there" have installed 5.0 plug-ins.

 

[Guest_imported]

Flashkit.com?

No I haven't heard of this site yet. Thanks! I'll check into it.

- Mike