Additionally, they’ve introduced the new FlashType text engine in Flash Player 8 to give you a much higher quality text, especially with small font sizes. (Which further assists for content output to portable devices.) Other improvements were made to the Preferences, Library panel, and the Publishing features of Flash, which make using more logical and intuitive. This is still a professional software package, so a beginner is still going to find that it has a steep learning curve…but these additions do help. To further assist with this, they’ve added a Script Assist feature to help when you’re ActionScripting your Flash buttons and multimedia behaviors. (ActionScript in Flash works much like JavaScript in HTML, giving additional programming-based features and abilities that would be impossible without it. For Flash, they are necessary to combat the linearity it suffers from due to its timeline based design.) While this isn’t like having a Script Construction Set or anything so intuitive, it does block out certain actions that you can’t do and helps you not be overwhelmed by a bunch of possibilities that don’t apply to the current script you’re writing. This is a welcome feature, though I would like to see an intuitive Script Construction program added in the future.
For folks who missed the 'Object-Level Undo' command, which was replaced by the 'Document-Level Undo' command in Flash 7, they now allow you to choose which you would like in the ‘Edit>Preferences’ menu, which is a very nice touch.
Performance
Speed wise, things feel a bit faster in Studio 8 than they were in Studio MX 2004. And, if you had a few issues with the stability in either Studio MX or MX 2004, you’re going to notice that Studio 8 is much more stable. (Plus, ‘Studio 8’ is a lot easier name and numbering system to remember!)
For a quirky speed comparison, I went to a machine with an old version Dreamweaver 3 on it and I noticed that Dreamweaver 3 booted up a little faster than Dreamweaver 8. (Which I expected, because Dreamweaver 3 is not nearly as complex as Dreamweaver 8.) However, the interesting thing was, as I used Dreamweaver 8 more, it seemed to learn my system and perform more rapidly. After a few weeks of using it, it was lightening fast. While I didn’t have that old a version of Flash to compare the new Flash with, I did notice that it seemed to get a lot faster with use as well.
Value
Although $999 is a bit hefty for a web design package, the cost of buying Studio 8 does represent a $100 cost savings from buying the $399 Dreamweaver 8 and the $699 Flash Pro 8 separately, not even considering the cost Fireworks. (If you currently own an older version of Studio, you can upgrade for $399.)
For the future of this package, now that the acquisition of Macromedia is finally complete, I would really like to see more of the Adobe stamp in upcoming releases. For example, rather than including the feature-light, photo-vector-hybrid, Fireworks, it would seem logical to include Photoshop and Illustrator to go along with Dreamweaver and Flash, especially in light of all the other massive Adobe bundles that they’ve got out now. Speaking of which, I would love to see Flash and Dreamweaver bundled with the current Adobe Production Studio Premium (perhaps under the name: Adobe Production Suite Ultimate) for a post production to web total solution for $1899 or $1999. (They currently have Adobe Video Bundle, which has the Adobe Production Suite Premium with Flash Professional 8 add-on for $2099, which is a $200 discount off buying Flash through this bundle . Unfortunately, this doesn’t include Dreamweaver 8 nor is it at the same level of discount of the Adobe products found in APSP.)
Final Comments
While it has a bit high of a learning curve for newcomers, Studio 8 is the best and most economical way to get Dreamweaver 8 and Flash Professional 8, the standards for online design and animation. Learning to use these programs well will allow you to create a site that will separate your film from a lot of films on the web and help you get noticed. And, in my book, that makes it a good investment.
