In the F9 preview, if you open the components window, whatever is ther
e
is grayed out - so there is no way to utilize prebuilt components in
F9
except via code. The help window/documentation window is
completely
empty. Basically the F9 preview is the F8 shell, with
support for AS3 code.
On the up side, they were helpful enough to
have the compiler in F9 display
warnings particular to AS2 -> AS3
conversion issues. I would caution
against building an entire RIA in
F9 preview; better to stick with flex and
use F9 for visually
building individual components that require use of the
timeline - you
can then utilize the compiled swf's in Flex. There is also no
such
thing as MXML in F9.
In Flex 2 you can drag and drop components
from a component window,
you can create them in mxml or you could instatiate
them via AS3.
Keep in mind also that all the components in Flex can be
skinned, so
look & feel should not be an issue. You can also easily
create new
components or extend existing ones.
You mentioned that your
developer is from a Flash MX background. I
found that most of the Flex
developers seem to be former Java
programmers; developing in Flex is a
totally different paradigm than
in Flash. I also haven't met a Java
programmer yet that didn't find
the Flash IDE to be "opaque" to them. Don't
dismay, though - I also
came from a Flash environment and had no trouble
jumping into a
massive flex project...but there was a bit of ramp up time. If
your
developer is strong in OOP he should have no problem in Flex.
You
might also consider the Total Training video on Flex 2, it's
darn
cheap and I never saw a TT video (including the one on Flex)
that
wasn't extremely comprehensive, and frankly I think their material
is
beyond compare.
-fuad
--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com,
"Kirk Marple" <kirk-public@...> wrote:
>
> hi
Fuad,
>
> can you dive more into your comment about "Outside of
pure code though,
> there's no drag 'n drop
> functionality in the
F9 preview like we have in Flex..."?
>
> i'm curious what the
limitation is there that you're describing.
>
> we have a definite
need for drag/drop functionality, so i'm worried that
> this might affect
us.
>
> thanks,
> Kirk
>
> _____
>
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com]
On
> Behalf Of fuad_kamal
> Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 11:16
AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]ups.com
>
Subject: [flexcoders] Re: Flex 2 limitations vs. raw Flash 8 Prof?
>
>
>
> 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]
<mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>
ups.com,
> "greg
h" <flexsavvy@> 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.
> <http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flash9as3preview/>
>
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. <http://seminars.breezecentral.com/p64058844/>
>
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.
> <http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders>
>
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.flashcom
<http://www.flashcomguru.com/flashmedialist/>
>
guru.com/flashmedialist/<http://chattyfig.
> <http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders>
>
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.
> <http://www.adobe.com/events/max/agenda/by_track.html#rias>
>
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.
> <http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/cd208w.html>
>
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.
> <http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/wd211w.html>
>
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.
> <http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/ria_dev_guidelines.html>
>
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.
<http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/vs110w.html>
>
com/events/max/sessions/vs110w.html>
> > - Leveraging Flex
2 and Flash Player 9 for Truly Cinematic
> Experiences
> > <http://www.adobe.
<http://www.adobe.com/events/max/sessions/ri210w.html>
>
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]
<mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>
> ups.com
>
[mailto:flexcoders@yahoogro
<mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>
ups.com]
>
*On
> > > Behalf Of *Nick Collins
> > > *Sent:*
Wednesday, October 04, 2006 1:58 PM
> > > *To:* [EMAIL PROTECTED]
<mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>
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
<renaun@> 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]
<mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com>
> 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
> <http://www.agnostic-media.com/>
-media.com/>
> > > >
> > >
>
>
>
