Adobe Flash CS3 Impressions

Resurrection - Common

Allow me to tell you beforehand that I'm no expert of Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash; I've only started using this application three days ago, so I don't claim my experiences as basis for facts. Also, if you don't know what Flash is, please google/wiki it up.

People wondering why Flash's name has changed from Macromedia to Adobe, here's what happened: On December 2005, Adobe acquired Macromedia, therefore the rename; also, every Macromedia products are now included in the latest Creative Suite (currently CS3).

I've worked with Flash 8 and Flash CS3, and as expected, I saw a few significant changes, some good, some bad. Take the interface. I don't know if this is a result of the merger, but most of the tools in the Flash now appear in the same way as those from other Adobe softwares (such as Photoshop or Illustrator). The new look is clearly done to streamline all CS3's applications, but it may confuse those who's become very efficient with the previous interfaces (although I imagine that there are ways of switching to classic views, so it's probably just a matter of personal idiosyncrasies/preferences).

I'm most happy with the changes done to Flash's pen tool. There's no other way of saying this, but the pen tool from Flash 8 sucks. Basically, pen tool is used to create Bezier curves. The problem is that Flash 8's pen tool is ONLY capable of creating curves, so that pretty much discards conventional wisdom of what a real pen does. Speaking for myself, I like using Illustrator's/Photoshop's pen tool to create digital vector arts. But given the limited capabilities, I can only create irregular curves with Flash 8's pen; I cannot create irregular shapes with unpredictable changes in contours.

Now for the good news: Flash's CS3's pen tool has been modified to work the same way as Illustrator's, and that greatly eases drawing of irregular shapes. This is quite hard to explain without visual aids, but imagine this: I want to draw a number "2". In the previous version, I can't do that with the pen tool alone: I have to draw a reversed "S", then adjust the base into a horizontal line by using the subselection tool (a very complicated process, if I may add). With Flash CS3, by adjusting the two magnetic points (they're points that force curves, which can be modified or removed with CS3's pen) irregular shapes can be done easily with just the pen. While it may not be quite as efficient as Photoshop's pen tool (i.e. the line is immediately drawn, unlike in Photoshop where the pen only makes a path and what's done with it is exactly up to the user), the upgrade saves a lot of time and trouble. As someone who loves to draw vector arts* , it's a blessing.

In fact, with the help of the new pen tool, I have drawn a vector art of Lucy Van Pelt: 

*I've drawn Van Gogh's Starry Night with just the pen tool.