One addenum to that - in theory you can access the same
component
architecture in the Flash 9 preview as you can in Flex - from your
AS3
code. Outside of pure code though, there's no drag 'n
drop
functionality in the F9 preview like we have in Flex...but I
think
that's just a preview issue; even the help/doc files are empty in
the
preview. It certainly is MUCH easier coding AS3 in Flex 2 than
the
preview, hopefully that gap will lessen with the release version.
Anyway you can also write your AS3 code from within Flex2 and then
make
use of those AS files from F9 preview...
--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com,
"greg h" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]..> wrote:
>
> Kirk,
>
> I am going to reply in this one email to your two earlier
posts.
>
> You started off your first post with "we're looking to
move our
> ASP.NET<http://asp.net/>based application suite to
Flash".
> So I assume that your team has no deep competency with either
Flex or
> Flash. Is this correct?
>
> For developing RIAs, I
suggest you make Flex 2 your default choice
with a
> side investigation
of how to use Flash 9 (or for now Flash 8 Pro
with the Flash
> Pro 9
ActionScript 3.0
> Preview<http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flash9as3preview/>
>
).
>
> There are a number of points of comparison between Flex and
Flash. When
> developing RIAs one that is very relevant is the choice
between
using the
> prebuilt component framework in Flex 2 vs building
your own
components in
> Flash 8 or 9.
>
> Also, the whole
development process is very different. Will you be
having
> your
ASP.NET <http://asp.net/> developers cross
training? If so Flex 2
> likely will prove to be more familiar and easier
for them to come up to
> speed on quickly. Flash authoring, on the other
hand, uses
paradigms that
> likely are unfamiliar to more traditional
developers such as is
taught in
> university computer science programs.
For a quick sense of how Flash
> development may look to traditional
coders, in this following
article see the
> section under the heading:
"We Call This 'The Timeline.' No, Wait, Come
> Back!"
>
www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/flash_perspective.html
>
> Regarding "video-heavy applications" I see no inherent advantage
of
Flash
> over Flex (or vice versa).
>
> One potential
disadvantage of Flex 2 is that it is ActionScript 3
only. But
> this is
only a disadvantage if you have existing Flash ActionScript 2
>
components, because as Robert hinted in his post at run time AS3 and AS2
>
components are limited in their ability to talk to each other.
Aside
from
> that, however, the advantages of AS3 over AS2 are enormous.
>
> Regarding the specific issue you stated that "we couldn't mix
Flex
running
> AS3 with scripted movies with AS2", that is only partly
true. As of
Flash
> Player 9 (FP9), there are two Actionscript Virtual
Machines (AVM). AS3
> pcode runs in FP9's new AVM2, and the pcode from AS2
and earlier run in
> AVM1. At runtime, code can be running in both AVM1
and AVM2 at the same
> time, but they can not pass values directly between
the AVMs.
Though they
> can pass values through external APIs (in his
post Robert mentioned
> localconnection). So, though you CAN "mix
Flex running AS3 with
scripted
> movies with AS2", there are
limitations. Thus this is one case
where shops
> with legacy AVM1 code
may have an incentive to convert their legacy
code to
> AS3. For a
great walkthrough of what is new with FP9, AS3 and the AVM2
> check out
this presentation by Gary Grossman, lead developer on the
Flash
>
Player team and an Adobe Senior Scientist.
> http://seminars.breezecentral.com/p64058844/
>
> On another issue, your posts are the first I have heard anyone
raising
> concerns about "one of the issues brought up to me was how to
get
the nice
> cinematic feel w/ scripted animations, etc. in Flex."
Whether you
author in
> Flash or Flex it all compiles down to the same
pcode. It really is just
> dependent on the skills of your developers.
Furthermore, as Nick
said in
> his reply, "You should use both." And
"it's not an either/or
situation." I
> actually would love it if you
could have your source on this concern
post
> back on this thread with
more details. The broad community of "Flash
> Platform" developers
continue to grapple with how get the most out
of the
> vast and amazing
tools that Adobe has given us :-)
>
> Should you want to solicit
comments that may favor Flash more over
Flex,
> you might also want to
put your post up over on the Flashcoders list:
> http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders
>
> Should you want to solicit comments from Flash/Flex
video
specialists, you
> might also want to put your post up over on
the FlashMedia list:
>
http://www.flashcomguru.com/flashmedialist/<http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders>
>
> And by the way, can you spare 3 days later this month? If so
you
really
> should come to
MAX<http://www.adobe.com/events/max/agenda/by_track.html#rias>!
>
It will be the ideal forum for you to hammer out a definitive plan of
>
action. The Flex 2 team will be there in force. The Flash team will be
>
there in force. And a large part of the community developing in
both
will
> be there too.
>
> Just to give you a flavor, here are
4 sessions that seem pretty on
point to
> your requirement:
>
> - Flex for Flash Designers: How Flex and Flash Work
>
Together<http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/cd208w.html>.
>
A variation of this session is already available streaming on the
net
here:
>
www2.sys-con.com/webinararchive.cfm?registered=on&pid=wc_rwf6_s06warden
>
> With the presenter's notes here:
>
www.jessewarden.com/archives/2006/09/flex_seminar_pr.html
>
- Best Practices for Developing Flash
> Applications<http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/wd211w.html>by
>
the author of the Flash MX 2004 V2 MediaPlayback component. Three
>
months
> ago the presenter published an article on Guidelines for
Flash
> application
development<http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/ria_dev_guidelines.html>
>
- Mixing Web Video with Live Broadcast TV: Flex and Flash
Media
Server
> Teamed up for the Ultimate Engaging Experience
>
<http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/vs110w.html>
>
- Leveraging Flex 2 and Flash Player 9 for Truly
Cinematic
Experiences
> <http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/ri210w.html>
>
>
> Regardless what you decide, please do post back to this list
and let
us know
> what you decided (and maybe even why :-)
>
> hth,
>
> g
>
>
> On 10/4/06, Kirk
Marple <kirk-public@...> wrote:
> >
> >
interesting... one of the issues brought up to me was how to get
the
> > nice cinematic feel w/ scripted animations, etc. in
Flex.
> >
> > i was told that only simple looping animations
were possible
because we
> > couldn't mix Flex running AS3 with
scripted movies with AS2.
> >
> > maybe the new AS3 preview
will solve that, since we could script
> > animations using AS3 in
regular Flash 8 Professional.
> >
> > am i totally off-base
here in what i've been told?
> >
> > thanks,
> >
Kirk
> >
> > ------------------------------
>
> *From:* [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com]
*On
> > Behalf Of *Nick Collins
> > *Sent:* Wednesday, October
04, 2006 1:58 PM
> > *To:* [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com
>
> *Subject:* Re: [flexcoders] Re: Flex 2 limitations vs. raw Flash
8
Prof?
> >
> > The fact of the matter is that it's not an
either/or situation. You
> > should use both. For the logic and coding
you definitely want to
be using
> > Flex with SVN for obvious
reasons, and for building the skins of
the UI
> > components to
create the "cinematic experience" you want to be
using Flash.
>
>
> > On 10/4/06, Renaun Erickson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> >
> > > A big one for me is Developer workflow. Try sharing
FLA's
between a
> > > couple of developers. Using MXML and AS
with CVS/SVN you can get
tons
> > > of work done with out working
about who has the latest file. Granted
> > > you could do this with
Flash 8 professional and external AS
files but
> > > that is also
messy in its own right.
> > >
> > > Renaun
> >
>
> > > --- In [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com
<flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>,
"Kirk
> > > Marple" <kirk-public@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > > > we're looking to move our ASP.NET based
application suite to
Flash,
> > > and have
> > > >
been investigating the use of Flex 2 vs. just straight Flash 8
Pro.
>
> > >
> > > > can anyone provide any feedback on what
limitations you've
seen when
> > > > developing an RIA in Flex
2 vs. just straight Flash 8?
> > > >
> > > > we're
trying to evaluate the pros/cons on going one way vs
another.
> >
> >
> > > > specifically, we like the Flex 2 layout
capabilities and the
ability
> > > to
> > > >
easily deal with XML and REST web services, but we seem to be
> > >
constrained by
> > > > the lack of scripted animations (from what
i've heard) and ability
> > > to have a
> > > >
"cinematic" look/feel compared to Flash 8. also, it's video-heavy
> >
> > application and need the ability to do dynamic video assembly
and
> > > playback.
> > > >
> > > >
thanks for any input!
> > > > Kirk
> > > >
>
> > >
-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
> >
> > Kirk Marple
> > > > Chief Software Architect, VP of
Engineering
> > > > Agnostic Media, Inc.
> > > >
e: kirk@
> > > > w: www.agnostic-media.com < http://www.agnostic-media.com/>
>
> >
> >
>
