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I've been playing with Macromedia Flash MX 2004 long time ago. Then I lost my interest in Flash and now I want to reincarnate my knowledge. There are lots of books, but I do not know with which technology I should start.
Could someone explain me whats the "big" difference betweeen those products ?
V-Light
Posted 2010-08-29T15:34:49.213
Reputation: 410
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You'll want Flash Professional CS5. Flash Builder is a part of Flash, while Catalyst has actually little to do with what you're looking for as it's a Flex development tool. The following is quoted directly from the Adobe-website:
Flash Builder
Use Adobe Flash Builder™ software as your primary ActionScript editor for Flash Professional projects. Streamline your workflow by testing, debugging, and publishing content in Flash Professional while editing code in Flash Builder.
Flash Catalyst
Adobe® Flash® Builder™ 4 (formerly Adobe Flex® Builder™) software is designed to help software developers rapidly develop cross-platform rich Internet applications (RIAs) and content using the open source Flex framework. It includes support for intelligent coding, debugging, and visual design and features powerful testing tools that speed up development and lead to higher performing applications.
David M
Posted 2010-08-29T15:34:49.213
Reputation: 298
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Flash Professional is the software series what continued the Macromedia Flash line of apps. It is used to make interactive Flash content that is based on the timeline. The timeline makes it easy to use for animation and other linear content. With ActionScript programming, though, you can jump in the timeline and, if you wish, stay in one frame. It has extensive set of tools to create, edit and import media and use it in the project. You can do a lot without coding and you can also do a lot with just coding. The code editor itself isn't as feature rich as...
... Flash Builder (formerly known as Flex Builder) is, which is Adobe's modified Eclipse IDE made specially for Flex development. Its main focus is to create code, especially in XML-based Flex. Flash Builder is designed for programmers and has the bells and whistles that Eclipse has. This is also better tool to write ActionScript than Flash Professional's script editor, but its main focus is in Flex. There is no timeline as such, and products are usually rich internet applications (RIA) or Adobe AIR -desktop apps. Despite the lack of timeline, you can animate elements.
Flash Catalyst is a tool that I haven't used as much. It is intended to be used as a Flex interface designer software, and it can transform Photoshop, Illustrator and Fireworks designs to interactive interfaces without writing code. You can import Flash content created with Flash Professional. You can extend Flash Catalyst projects' functionality with Flash Builder. My impressions are that this is best to be used as a prototyping tool between the graphical mockup and the "first alpha version".
Summary
Quick glance at prices and in which Creative Suite editions they are in can be seen in Adobe's Creative Suite comparison page. Product pages are also good sources for more information.
Jari Keinänen
Posted 2010-08-29T15:34:49.213
Reputation: 396
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Flash Builder is for programmers. Its an IDE. Its formerly known as Flex Builder.
Flash Professional is a design tool for graphic artists, used in game development etc. Its a mix of designing and coding. But for robust code only stuffs, its Flash Builder.
Flash Catalyst is for designers who want to rapidly create small applications without coding. Its also for flex developers for prototyping UI and such though its mainly used by designers.
No. As you yourself quoted: Flash Builder is Flex development tool (formerly known as Flex Builder). Flash Catalyst is designed to be used as a "code free" designer application to transform Photoshop, Illustrator and Fireworks artwork to an interactive Flash based prototype or such. Adobe Flash Professional is the most what Macromedia Flash programs were. – Jari Keinänen – 2010-12-14T09:57:30.960