Adobe Flash CS3 Professional

FAQ

Product information

What is Adobe Flash CS3 Professional?

Adobe® Flash® CS3 Professional software is the industry-standard tool for creating interactive content. Whether you are creating interactive websites, advertising, games, or mobile content, Flash CS3 Professional provides the tools you need to deliver an engaging user experience.

What are the key new features and benefits of Adobe Flash CS3 Professional?

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional delivers tight integration with Adobe's leading creative professional applications, timesaving drawing and programming tools, and an enhanced user interface, making your design and development work flow fast. New features include:

Native Adobe Photoshop® and Illustrator® import
Ability to convert animation to ActionScript™ 3.0 language
Common Adobe Creative Suite® 3 user interface
ActionScript 3.0 development with advanced debugger
Adobe Device Central CS3
New drawing tools
New optimized and easily skinned UI components for ActionScript 3.0
Advanced QuickTime export
Sophisticated video encoding
Timesaving programming tools

Who should use Adobe Flash CS3 Professional?

Flash CS3 Professional is designed for interactive content creators working on either Windows® or Macintosh systems. Whether designing interactive web experiences and advertising for a global marketing campaign, creating training content for first responders in the field, or engaging children with educational games, Flash CS3 Professional is the tool of choice for creating interactive content.

How does Adobe Flash CS3 Professional integrate with other Adobe products?

Adobe Flash CS3 is integrated throughout Adobe Creative Suite 3 to provide efficient workflows for design, development, video, web, and mobile projects. Key points of integration include:

Import Photoshop and Illustrator files into Flash CS3 Professional

The Paste dialog box makes it possible to preserve functionality and structure when simply copying and pasting from Photoshop or Illustrator into Flash. For an even higher level of functionality, you can import native Photoshop (PSD) and Illustrator (AI) files directly into your Flash CS3 projects. The Import dialog box lists each layer so you can specify how each one will be handled within Flash. For example, you can specify the text to remain editable, convert layers to movie clips, and even specify publish settings. What's more, Layer Effects applied in Photoshop are preserved with complete fidelity.

Integrate with video workflows

Use Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium software to encode video and audio for Flash projects and web playback with direct export to FLV. Export markers from Adobe After Effects® software as cue points recognized in Adobe Flash CS3 Professional. Ensure your content reaches the largest Internet audience with content viewable by more than 96% of Internet-enabled desktops through the Adobe Flash Player.

Deliver SWF files from Encore DVD

Export your DVD and Blu-ray Disc projects to SWF from Adobe Encore® DVD software. Deliver DVD-style menus, interactivity, and content for playback on more than 700 million computers and devices through Adobe Flash Player.

Easily work between After Effects CS3 and Flash CS3 Professional

Enhance the interactive potential of the animations you create. Export cue points from After Effects CS3 software for integration into Flash projects. Generate cue points from keyframes, and import those into Flash CS3 projects. FLV files can be batch-rendered and even created simultaneously with other types of output, thanks to the ability to add multiple Output Modules. These files can also contain alpha channels, so that color keying or other transparency data that you generate in After Effects can be put to full use in Flash. After Effects also allows you to continuously rasterize vector shapes and to preserve alpha channels from Flash, just as you would with Photoshop and Illustrator files — a huge boon to character animators who work in both applications.

Integrate Adobe Bridge CS3 assets into Flash CS3

Adobe Bridge CS3 can now be launched from the File > Browse menu, and assets can be dragged directly from Bridge into Flash. Preview your FLV and SWF files directly in Adobe Bridge CS3 before adding them to your project. Flash CS3 Professional also adds ExtendScript and BridgeTalk support for cross-application scripting. Bridge Home, a new destination in Adobe Bridge CS3, provides up-to-date information on your components in one convenient location. Visit Bridge Home to watch the latest video tutorials, listen to podcast interviews with leading designers, or learn about the next training event in your community. Discover the tips and resources that will help you work faster and smarter, making the most of your Adobe products.

Easily work between common Creative Suite 3 applications

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional now features the same enhanced interface as that in Illustrator CS3 and Photoshop CS3. Common tools, familiar icons, and customizable workspaces enable you to move smoothly between Flash and other Adobe software you use. Even if you're new to Flash, you already know how to use numerous Flash tools, including most of the tools in the Flash toolbar, as well as the Layers, Swatches, Align, Library, Info panels, and more.

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional integrates Adobe Device Central CS3

Preview and test your mobile designs, including sophisticated Adobe Flash Lite™ emulation, using device profiles of dozens of mobile and consumer devices.

What is the relationship between Flash CS3 Professional and Apollo?

Apollo is the code name for a cross-operating system application runtime that allows web developers to leverage their existing skills in HTML, JavaScript, and Ajax, as well as Adobe Flash and Adobe Flex™ software, to build and deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) on the desktop. The Apollo SDK can be used with Flash CS3 to build applications targeting the Apollo runtime.

Like the Flash Player browser plug-in and Flash Projectors, Apollo provides Flash developers with both a way to deploy applications and an engine for running the applications. Apollo applications are downloaded and installed like other desktop applications. In addition to all the Flash Player capabilities, the Apollo runtime provides an HTML engine and PDF support, along with enhanced desktop integration through features like file access, drag-and-drop, and support for offline use.

What is the difference between Adobe Flash CS3 Professional and Adobe Flash Player 9?

Adobe Flash CS3 Professional software is the industry's most advanced authoring environment for creating interactive websites, digital experiences, and mobile content. It is the industry's choice for designing and developing advanced interactive content, rich with animation, graphics, text, video, and audio.

Adobe Flash Player 9 is the ubiquitous rich client runtime that enables users to play Flash content. Adobe Flash Player interprets Flash CS3 instructions and executes them at runtime, ensuring the highest quality content is delivered at the smallest file size possible. The Adobe Flash Player is installed on more than 700 million devices and more than 96% of the world's Internet-connected desktops. For more information on Adobe Flash Player, visit the Flash Player website.

Where can I get more information about Flash for mobile devices?

You can find more information on Flash for mobile devices and Flash Lite at the Flash and Mobile site.

How can I learn more about creating content for mobile devices?

To get the most out of Adobe Device Central CS3 and to connect with the mobile community, visit the Mobile Authoring web page. You can also visit the Adobe Mobile and Devices Developer Center, which provides extensive online resources and information on Flash Lite mobile development, tips and tricks, and samples. Adobe offers a free Mobile Developer Program with information and resources on Adobe mobile technologies and solutions, newsletters, events, advance notification of device profile updates, discussion forums, and technical support (for an annual fee).

What is Flash Lite?

Flash Lite is the Flash technology specifically developed for mobile phones and consumer electronics devices. Flash Lite dramatically accelerates the delivery of rich content and browsing, and customized user interfaces. Designers and developers now have a new level of expressiveness, efficiency, and interactivity for content creation.

What versions of Flash does Flash Lite support?

Flash Lite 3 supports most Flash 8 content.

Which operators does Adobe work with?

We are working with many operators worldwide to provide Flash enabled phones and services.

Learn more

Pricing and availability

How much does Adobe Flash CS3 Professional cost?

The estimated street price for Adobe Flash CS3 Professional is US$699, excluding applicable taxes and shipping. You can purchase Flash CS3 Professional directly from Adobe or from an Adobe authorized reseller. To order directly from Adobe, visit the Adobe Store online or call 800-585-0774.

What previous versions of Macromedia Flash are eligible to upgrade, and how much does it cost?

You can upgrade to Adobe Flash CS3 Professional for an estimated street price of US$199 from any of these previous versions: Flash MX, Flash MX 2004, Flash MX Professional 2004, Flash Basic 8, and Flash Professional 8. Upgrade versions are available directly from Adobe or from an Adobe authorized reseller. To order directly from Adobe, visit the Adobe Store online or call 800-585-0774.

Do I need to prove that I qualify for upgrade pricing?

No, you can simply purchase your upgrade; you will verify that you have the qualifying older product during the installation process. If it's installed on your computer, the Adobe installer will either find it or prompt you to help it find the software for verification. If it's not installed, you will be prompted to enter the qualifying serial number for the older version.

I recently purchased an Adobe creative product, and then you announced Adobe Creative Suite 3. Do I have to pay full price for the new version?

It depends on when you purchased the product. If you purchased after the announcement and you have proof of purchase, contact Adobe Customer Service in your region for further assistance in obtaining a post announce upgrade. This is a limited-time offer, and restrictions apply. For contact information, visit your country or regional site and click Contact.

I bought an individual CS3 product and now wish I had a full edition of Adobe Creative Suite 3. What are my options?

You are eligible to move from your standalone Creative Suite 3 product to certain editions of Adobe Creative Suite 3 for the upgrade price. For example, if you purchased Flash CS3 Professional but now wish you had Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium, you can purchase it for the upgrade price of US$1,399 from an eligible standalone product. Which editions you're eligible to purchase depend on which standalone product you have. For details, see the pricing questions in this FAQ.

I purchased Adobe Creative Suite 2.3, which includes Adobe Acrobat® 8 Professional, when it came out. Do you have any special upgrade pricing for me?

Yes. If you own Adobe Creative Suite 2.3, you can get credit for the US$159 upgrade price you paid for it. For example, if you now want to upgrade to Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium, you pay only US$340 instead of the US$499 upgrade price that owners of older versions of Creative Suite would pay. This special upgrade pricing is available only directly from Adobe or through licensing. To get this pricing, visit the Adobe Store online or call 800-585-0774.

Do you offer volume licensing?

Yes. Adobe provides flexible volume software licensing plans through Adobe Open Options, offered through Adobe license centers and resellers. For detailed information about the plans available, visit the Adobe Open Options web page.

Which Adobe Creative Suite 3 products are available at special prices for educational customers?

All new Adobe Creative Suite 3 offerings have Adobe Education pricing. To learn more about Creative Suite 3 offerings for education, including products and pricing, visit the Adobe Creative Suite 3 for education website.

What does it cost to move from an edition of Adobe Creative Suite 3 — for example, Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Web Standard, or Production Premium — to the Master Collection?

You can purchase an edition of Adobe Creative Suite 3 — including Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Web Standard, or Production Premium — and then move to the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection for the difference in price. For example, if you paid the full estimated street price for Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, you can upgrade to Master Collection for only US$700 — the difference between the estimated street price (ESP) for Master Collection and the ESP for Design Premium. Or, if you upgraded to Web Premium for US$499 and now want to move to Master Collection, you would pay only US$1500, which is the comparable ugprade price minus the upgrade price you originally paid for Web Premium.

To be eligible for this upgrade to Master Collection (and contrary to Section 5 of the End-User License Agreement for Master Collection), you must surrender all rights to and the license for the original edition of Adobe Creative Suite 3 and uninstall that software. This offer is available directly from Adobe, or through Adobe Authorized Resellers and License Centers if you are a volume license customer. You should contact Customer Support in your region for details.

Can I switch platforms when I upgrade my software to an Adobe Creative Suite 3 version?

No, you are eligible to upgrade only to a version that runs on the same platform. For example, if you own Adobe Creative Suite 2 for Windows, you are eligible to upgrade only to a Windows version of Adobe Creative Suite 3.

Am I eligible for a free upgrade to Adobe Creative Suite 3 if I recently purchased an older version of Adobe creative software, such as Creative Suite 2, Adobe Web Bundle, Macromedia Studio 8, or Adobe Production Studio?

If you purchase a prior version of Adobe's creative software — such as Adobe Creative Suite 2, Studio 8, Adobe Production Studio, or an individual application — after Adobe's worldwide announcement of Adobe Creative Suite 3 on March 27, 2007 (or the announcement on May 8, 2007, in Japan), you are eligible for a free upgrade.

You may upgrade for free to any version of Adobe Creative Suite 3 that your recent purchase qualifies for. To check your upgrade eligibility, visit the product area on the Adobe website for the product you are interested in and navigate to the Upgrade Eligibility tab. To obtain your free upgrade, contact Customer Service in your region and provide a dated proof of purchase.

The eligibility period for the free upgrade varies depending on the products and language versions:

To upgrade for free to:	In this language:	The eligibility period is:
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Design editions	Universal English	March 27–June 25, 2007
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web editions
Adobe InDesign® CS3
Adobe Illustrator CS3
Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended
Adobe Dreamweaver® CS3
Adobe Flash CS3 Professional
Adobe Fireworks® CS3	Japanese	May 8–August 6, 2007
Adobe Contribute® CS3	French and German	March 27–July 25, 2007
Adobe InCopy® CS3	All other supported languages	March 27–August 24, 2007
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium	All available languages	March 27–August 28, 2007
Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection
Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional
Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3 with Encore CS3

What is the difference between the version of Flash I buy separately and the one in the Creative Suite Web and Design editions?

When you purchase Flash CS3 Professional as part of any of the Creative Suite 3 editions — Web Standard and Premium, Design Premium, or Production Premium — you will receive access to additional suite features such as Adobe Stock Photos, Adobe Bridge CS3, and Adobe VersionCue CS3.

Support information

In what languages will Adobe Flash CS3 Professional be available?

In addition to Universal English, Adobe Flash CS3 Professional will be available in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and Swedish. The Windows version of Flash CS3 will be available in Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, and Korean.

WinSoft is also expected to release Czech, Polish, Russian, and Turkish versions of Illustrator CS3. For more details, visit the WinSoft website.

What is product activation?

Product activation is an interactive interpretation of the licensing agreement that has always existed between Adobe and its customers. The activation process authenticates licensed users without hindering their ability to use the software the way they have always done. It requires a series of simple, quick, anonymous steps upon product installation or within the grace period set by Adobe. Just as creative professionals use watermarks to protect their intellectual property, Adobe is using activation as a way to curtail unlicensed copying of its products.

Adobe’s activation process is required on both Mac OS and Windows systems for all editions of Adobe Creative Suite 3 and related standalone products. For more information about activation, visit the Adobe software activation web page.

Do Creative Suite 3 applications support Mac OS X Leopard (v10.5)?

Yes, Creative Suite 3 applications support Mac OS X Leopard. Some CS3 applications require free updates for full compatibility, while others are compatible without updating. Learn more about compatibility between CS3 applications and Leopard here.

Do Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications run on Intel based Mac computers?

Yes, every edition of Adobe Creative Suite 3 — including Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Web Standard, Production Premium, and Master Collection — and all the standalone Creative Suite 3 applications fully support the new Intel® based Mac computers. For complete system requirements, visit the homepage for the product you are interested in.

Do Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications still run on legacy PowerPC based Mac computers?

Many of the Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications are universal binary versions, which means that they fully support both legacy PowerPC® based computers, as well as the new Intel based Mac computers. However, we are introducing three applications on the Mac platform — Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, Encore CS3, and Soundbooth™ CS3 — that will run only on the new Intel based Mac computers. Adobe Premiere Pro and Encore were previously only available on Windows, and Soundbooth is a brand-new offering. In bringing these applications to the Mac, and considering the hardware needs of most video professionals, it did not make sense to continue supporting an older computer architecture that Apple no longer sells or supports. This means that Creative Suite 3 Production Premium and Master Collection — both of which integrate Adobe Premiere Pro CS3, Encore CS3, and Soundbooth CS3 — claim support for only Intel based Mac computers, even though components of each are universal binary applications.

Do Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications fully support the new Windows Vista operating system?

Yes, every edition of Adobe Creative Suite 3 and all of the individual applications, such as Adobe Illustrator CS3, After Effects CS3 Professional, and Dreamweaver CS3, fully support the Windows Vista™ operating system. They are designed to run on four editions of Windows Vista: Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise (certified for 32-bit editions).

Why don't Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications support the Starter and Home Basic editions of Windows Vista?

The Starter and Home Basic editions of Windows Vista are entry-level operating systems for the casual user. They do not offer the level of support that Adobe's professional creative products require. However, some Adobe products designed for the more casual user, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0, do run on Windows Vista Starter and Home Basic editions.

Do Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications run on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista?

While Adobe Creative Suite 3 software is natively 32 bit, these applications will run on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. For an in-depth overview of 64-bit computing and its value, see this blog from Scott Byer, Adobe Photoshop software architect.