TechNote (Archived)

Flash 2.0 release notes

Introduction

In this document, we've included contact information and late-breaking news to supplement the manual and Flash Help.

What's New

For detailed information on new features in Flash 2, refer to Overview > What's New in Flash Help.

For examples of the kinds of images and movies you can create with Flash 2, see the Leading Edge Gallery at www.macromedia.com/software/flash.

System Requirements

For system requirements, refer to the Getting Started chapter of your Using Flash manual.

Opening FutureSplash Animator and FutureSplash Player Files

FutureSplash and Flash 1.0 SPA files are upwardly compatible with Flash 2 and open without the need for conversion. If you edit a SPA file in Flash 2 and save it without changing its extension, the file is incompatible with FutureSplash and Flash 1.0. Use File> Save As to save your file in the new FLA format.

Compatibility Between Windows and Macintosh Versions of Flash Files

On Macintosh computers, you can read Flash files created on Windows computers by changing the File > Open List Files of Type pop-up from the default All Formats to All Files.

To ensure that Flash movies created on Macintosh computers open on Windows computers, add the FLA extension to the end of the file name.

Shockwave Flash Player

The Shockwave Flash players for Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer are available for free download from www.macromedia.com. For information on licensing the players for redistribution on your web site, intranet, or CD-ROM, send an e-mail to swlicensing@macromedia.com.

General Information

Sounds that start in the first frame of a movie begin playing before the movie in the standalone player.
If you try to import an unrecognized file type in Windows (such as AU files), Flash assigns its file type to the bottom of the File> Import pop-up so you can import that file type later. To remove this file type, edit your preferences in the Registry in Windows 95 and restart.
Symbols and objects scale differently. Groups are scaled from the point opposite the scaling handle and are scaled non-proportionally. Symbols are scaled from the center and scaledproportionally.
Frames are always inserted after frame 1. To add a key frame before frame 1, press COMMAND (Macintosh) or CONTROL (Windows) and drag the frame marker at frame 1. A blank key frame is inserted before frame 1.
Netscape Navigator 2.02 has a bug that causes a crash when a plug-in is placed within an HTML table. Do not place SWF movies in HTML tables in web pages that might be played in Netscape 2.02.
The Dropper tool can't be used on groups and symbols unless the group or symbol is in edit mode. Double-click a symbol or group to quickly enter edit mode.
Flash imports RGB JPEG images only; it doesn't support import of gray scale JPEG images.
Flash supports a limited set of DXF files; specifically, Flash supports AutoCAD Release 10 ASCII DXF files.
Colors in Adobe Illustrator files that are saved as CMYK images are converted to RGB colors when you import the files into Flash. This conversion is approximate so colors might look different.
Buttons don't function if they are grouped.
A small rectangle is left in any scene with links to a button or symbol that is deleted from the Library. In the scene where it appears, marquee-select the rectangle with the Arrow tool and press Delete to remove it.
If, in a tweened animation, the image jumps to its ending position in the final key frame, check your tweening process for one of these possible causes:
- You can't tween multiple ungrouped elements.
- You can't modify or ungroup tweened elements after they have been tweened.
- The elements in the first key frame must be the same as the elements in the last frame.
- To predictably tween scales and rotations of elements,
  convert the elements to symbols before tweening.

Documentation and Help System Corrections

The topic named Button Properties (Library command) should be Link Properties: Button (Modify > Element). The topic named Element properties (Library command) should be Link Properties: Symbol (Modify > Element).