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Migrating from Flash 8 to Flash CS3 Professional

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Jen deHaan

Jen deHaan

Flash Authoring QE
Adobe
Jen deHaan's blog
flashthusiast.com
webvideoblogger.com

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Updated Flash workspace and workflow
  3. New features and functionality in the Flash workspace
  4. File import and product integration improvements
  5. New drawing tools in Flash
  6. Enhancements to using video in Flash
  7. New ActionScript 3.0 components
  8. ActionScript and code editor changes
Created:
16 April 2007
User Level:
Beginner, Intermediate
Products:
Flash

Adobe® Flash® CS3 Professional introduces many new and changed elements in the workspace that improve the way you work with Flash. It also features new tools you can use to create exciting new applications, or integrate with other components of Adobe Creative Suite 3.

This article discusses the new features in Flash CS3 Professional and how they compare to similar features in Flash 8, or how they have changed. Therefore, it's written with the assumption that you're already somewhat familiar with Flash. If you are a Flashthusiast ready to update to Flash CS3, read on. You will learn about the changes you need to know about when starting out with the latest version of Flash, whether you want to draw with the enhanced Pen tool or write ActionScript™ 3.0 code. Specifically, this article covers:

  • Changes made to the Flash workspace, such as new ways to manipulate panels and great new interface features. You also learn how to optimize your workspace to make working with Flash easier.
  • New features in the Flash authoring tool, such as control over the color of your bounding boxes, new copy-and-paste functionality, and changes to 9-slice scaling.
  • Improvements made to file import, such as support for PSD and AI files. You also learn about new ways to integrate products, such as the enhanced workflow between Flash and Adobe® Device Central CS3.
  • Improvements to the drawing tools in Flash, such as enhancements to the Pen tool, and the brand new primitive drawing tools that let you create shapes easier.
  • Improvements to the video components and cue points in Flash and Flash Video Encoder.
  • The new ActionScript 3.0 components, including how they compare to the V2 Components found in Flash 8. You will also see a side-by-side comparison of how to create the same components application in ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0.
  • Improvements to the debugger and coding tools in Flash, and changes to ActionScript. You will find a side-by-side comparison of ActionScript 2.0 code and ActionScript 3.0 code. You'll also learn about, and how to use, a document class in an ActionScript 3.0 application.

 

Requirements

To follow along with this article, you will need the following software:

Flash CS3 Professional

Source files:

flashcs3_migration.zip (ZIP, 659K)

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About the author

Jen deHaan was raised by wolves in the deep woods of the Canadian north. Canada's chief exports include motor vehicles (or their parts), lumber, newsprint, nonmetal materials, and wheat. One overcast day in 2004, Jen left her life as a Flash deseloper (designer/developer) in Canada to write Flash documentation and samples at Macromedia in San Francisco. Aside from her ongoing work at Adobe as an instructional designer for web and video products, Jen runs several community sites for fun, and maintains a blog at www.webvideoblogger.com and weblogs.macromedia.com/dehaan. She believes that _root tends to be evil and misses Tim Horton's coffee.