TechNote (Archived)

Common questions about Macromedia Flash Professional 8 and Flash Basic 8

Introduction

The newest releases of Macromedia Flash Professional 8 and Flash Basic 8 bring many new and exciting features. This document describes some of the more common technical questions Flash developers may have when considering purchasing Flash Professional 8 or Flash Basic 8. For frequently asked general questions about Flash and it's features, please refer to the Flash Frequently Asked Questions.

The best source of complete information on any feature is the Help system inside Flash. For any additional information on features mentioned in this document, please check the Help to learn more.

General FAQ

Does Macromedia Flash work with files created in products like Adobe Illustrator and AutoCAD?
Is Macromedia Flash compatible with other web products like Adobe GoLive, Microsoft Frontpage, and NetObjects Fusion?
Can Macromedia Flash and Microsoft PowerPoint files be used together?
Does Macromedia Flash support video and MP3 files?
What platforms are supported for Macromedia Flash authoring and playback?
How can I get information on developing with the Macromedia Flash Player ActiveX control?
How can I get information on developing with the Macromedia Flash SWF file format and the Macromedia Flash Player?
Where can I send feedback and/or feature requests regarding Macromedia Flash?
Where can I find information about Macromedia Flash Player penetration, and what platforms/browsers come with the Macromedia Flash Player preinstalled?
How can I get support for Macromedia Flash Player?
Where can I get information about licensing the Macromedia Flash Player for distribution?
How can I get help for Macromedia Flash besides contacting Technical Support?

Developers' Upgrade FAQ

Deciding between Flash Basic 8 and Flash Professional 8
Unicode Support in Flash Professional 8 and Flash Basic 8
What effect does Actionscript 2.0 have on my code and projects?
Using Components from Flash MX
Combining Components from Flash MX with Components from Flash MX 2004 or Flash Professional 8/Flash Basic 8

General FAQ

Does Macromedia Flash work with files created in products like Adobe Illustrator and AutoCAD?

Flash can import Adobe Illustrator files in version 6 or later, EPS files in any version, and PDF files in version 1.4 or earlier. Flash supports the AutoCAD DXF format in the release 10 version. Many applications such as Illustrator also export SWF files, which can be imported into Flash (this is recommended for best results).

If you are working with a graphic program and want to import your art into Macromedia Flash, consult the Help menu within Macromedia Flash for a list of file types that Macromedia Flash can import. Check to see if your graphics program can export one of the file types listed.

Is Macromedia Flash compatible with other web products like Adobe GoLive, Microsoft Frontpage, and NetObjects Fusion?

Macromedia Flash SWF files require the proper HTML files to display correctly in web browsers. Macromedia Dreamweaver is the best solution for integrating Macromedia Flash movies into web pages. Macromedia Flash will also generate an HTML page to display the Flash SWF file, which can then be imported into other applications. If you are working with another HTML editor, it is important for that product to be able to insert the correct code for the Flash SWF. If you have questions about how to insert a Flash SWF into one of these products, consult their documentation and technical support for information. For more details on using HTML editors with Macromedia Flash SWF files, refer to Using Flash with an HTML editor (TechNote tn_14769).

Can Macromedia Flash and Microsoft PowerPoint files be used together?

Macromedia Flash does not support directly importing a Microsoft PowerPoint file, nor can a Flash SWF be directly imported into PowerPoint. But, in certain circumstances, there are ways to use the two products together. For more details, see Using Flash movies in PowerPoint 2000 (TechNote tn_14235).

Does Macromedia Flash support video and MP3s?

Macromedia Flash MX and later can import any standard video file supported by QuickTime and the Windows Media Player, including MPEG, DV, MOV and AVI files. Macromedia Flash MX and later can incorporate this video into your SWF files. Playback of any SWF file containing video requires Macromedia Flash Player 6 or later. With Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Professional and Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Professional, you can link to and play back external FLV files dynamically. Macromedia Flash MX and later can directly import MP3 files as well as link to external MP3 files dynamically using ActionScript.

What platforms are supported for Macromedia Flash authoring and playback?

For authoring and playback requirements, please refer to the Flash system requirements page.

How can I get information on developing with the Macromedia Flash Player ActiveX control?

Please refer to How can I use Macromedia's ActiveX components in my programs? (TechNote tn_12062) for information on Macromedia's support policies for ActiveX developers using the Macromedia Flash Player ActiveX control. More information on scripting with the ActiveX control can be found in Scripting with Flash or by searching the Flash Support Center for the words "scripting" and/or "ActiveX".

How can I get information on developing with the Macromedia Flash SWF file format and the Macromedia Flash Player?

Macromedia has a program for developers who are interested in using the Macromedia Flash SWF file format in their application, detailed in the Macromedia Flash Player FAQ. Support for developers who need more information is available in the Open SWF newsgroup.

Where can I send feedback and/or feature requests regarding Macromedia Flash?

If you have specific requests for future versions of Flash, please submit the information using the Feature Request form. Make sure to consult the Flash documentation and TechNotes first, to see if the requested functionality already exists in the program.

Where can I find information about Macromedia Flash Player penetration, and what platforms/browsers come with the Macromedia Flash Player preinstalled?

To learn more about Macromedia Flash Player penetration, see the latest Player statistics.

How can I get support for Macromedia Flash Player?

For technical support on the installation and use of the Macromedia Flash Player, refer to the Flash Player support page.

Where can I get information about licensing the Macromedia Flash Player for distribution?

For information on licensing and distributing Macromedia Flash Player, please refer to Macromedia Flash Player Licensing.

How can I get help for Flash besides contacting Technical Support?

There are Macromedia Online Forums devoted to Flash developers. For information on how to use them, see Flash Discussion Groups (TechNote tn_4149). Also see Flash Mailing Lists (TechNote tn_4148) and Web sites devoted to Flash and Flash developers (TechNote tn_12046).

Developers' Upgrade FAQ

Deciding between Flash Basic 8 and Flash Professional 8

Now that we offer a "Professional" version, some developers have asked about the differences between Flash Basic 8 and Flash Professional 8.

Flash Professional 8 is the industrys most advanced authoring environment for creating interactive websites, digital experiences and mobile content.

Flash Basic 8 is a subset of Flash Professional 8 and includes all the core functionality needed to design simple motion graphics and interactivity for delivery to the Flash Player.

A detailed feature comparison can be found at Macromedia Flash Basic. Macromedia Technical Support recommends you focus on the feature sets, try out the trial versions of both, and base your decision on whether you need the specific features unique to Macromedia Flash Professional 8.

Unicode Support in Flash Professional 8 and Flash Basic 8

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 was the first release of Flash to include unicode support in the authoring tool. It enabled users to enter characters from different languages directly onto the stage within the application. Previously unicode support was only included in the Macromedia Flash Player, which enabled you to display unicode characters dynamically at runtime. However, you could not easily enter and view them during authoring or while creating Static Text. This is a significant change, and most documentation describing language support for MX and earlier versions will no longer apply. Those methods will still work to display text dynamically in the Flash Player, but this addition of support in the authoring tool offers much more flexibility and ease of use.

What effect does Actionscript 2.0 have on my code and projects?

Actionscript 2.0 was introduced with the release of Flash MX 2004. It is made up of mostly (about 98%) Actionscript 1.0, but with some new additions. Key new elements introduced were strict typing of variables, case sensitivity and class inheritance. These changes allowed Actionscript 2.0 to meet the ECMAScript 4 standard.

In most cases, you can choose to publish your existing Flash projects as either Actionscript 1.0 or Actionscript 2.0 and your code will run as before. In fact, almost all Actionscript 1.0 and 2.0 can be published for, and played back successfully in, Macromedia Flash Player 6 or later. You should only run into problems if you did not match case, or use capitalization, in your code. Please refer to Errors when publishing for Macromedia Flash Player 7 (TechNote tn_18870) for more information on specific errors. Of course, if you add other new Flash 8 content, you must target Flash Player 8. For information on updating your Flash Player Detection scheme for Flash Player 8, see the Flash Player Detection section of the Macromedia Developer Center.

Using Components from Flash MX

Macromedia Flash MX components are supported in Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and Macromedia Flash Professional 8/Flash Basic 8, but only when publishing a version 6 SWF file, using Actionscript 1.0. If MX components are published as version 7 SWFs (or higher) or using Actionscript 2.0, they may either not work at all, or specific functionality will not work correctly. There is an updated Flash MX components set available on the Flash Exchange which works with Flash MX 2004 and Flash Player 7. These components are supported on Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and Flash 8. These components allow you to migrate your Flash MX projects to Flash MX 2004/Flash 8 and Flash Player 7/8. The components are written in ActionScript 1.0 and updated to comply with the case sensitivity and reserved words of Flash Player 7/8. They are direct ports of the original components in Flash MX using all the same interfaces. You can download the extension from the Flash Exchange. If working with existing Flash MX projects in Flash MX 2004 or later, Macromedia Technical Support recommends publishing as version 6. It will still play correctly in Flash Player 7. If you want to include new content that requires Flash Player 7 or 8, please note that this is not a supported configuration. You may consider recreating a new project using all Flash MX 2004 or later components, taking advantage of what the new components have to offer. Find out more by referring to the Help system information on Components.

Combining Components from Flash MX with Components from Flash MX 2004 or Flash Professional 8/Flash Basic 8

Flash MX 2004 and Flash Professional/Flash Basic 8 components are written in Actionscript 2.0, and have different architecture than Flash MX components. All the components released with Flash MX 2004 or later can be published for Flash Player 6.79 and later. You can combine the two versions of components and target Flash Player 6.79, using Actionscript 2.0. Much of the automated infrastructure provided by the MX 2004 and Flash 8 components set may not work, therefore Macromedia does not recommend mixing MX and later version components in the same FLA file.