Key Features
Object-based animation
Gain complete control over individual animation attributes
with object-based animation, which applies tweens directly
to objects instead of to keyframes. Easily make changes
to motion paths with Bezier handles.
Motion paths
Experience granular control over object animation paths — Adobe® Flash® CS4
Professional now automatically generates motion paths that
can be easily modified using familiar Bezier handles.
Powerful shape drawing
Manipulate vector shapes with powerful shape drawing tools.
Easily bend, erase, distort, skew, and combine vector
shapes in a natural and intuitive way.
Shape primitives
Easily create pie wedges, round off rectangle corners,
define an inner circle radius, and do much more. Visually
adjust shape properties on the stage, and create custom
shapes with the included JavaScript API.
Motion presets
Jump-start your project with prebuilt animations that can
be applied to any object. Select from dozens of presets
or create and save your own. Share presets with others
to save animation time.
Motion editor
Experience detailed control over keyframe parameters, including
rotation, size, scale, position, filters, and more, using
the new motion editor. Refine easing control with complete
graphical displays similar to those in Adobe After Effects® software.
Pen tool
Create precise vector illustrations with the Pen tool inspired
by Adobe Illustrator® software, and then manipulate
Bezier control points using Illustrator keyboard shortcuts.
Shapes as objects
Toggle the object drawing mode to draw shapes as objects
for easy visualization, the same way you would in Illustrator.
Improved project panel
Work with multifile projects more easily with the new project
panel. Apply property changes to multiple files, save
symbols to a designated file folder when created, and
more.
Improved library
Work with assets more easily, thanks to an improved library
that includes search capability and prioritization.
New Adobe Creative Suite interface
Boost your efficiency with intuitive panel docking and
spring-loaded behaviors that streamline your interaction
with tools throughout the Adobe Creative Suite® editions.
Vertical Property inspector
Take better advantage of wider displays and gain screen
space with the new vertically displayed Property inspector.
Customizable workspaces
Easily create and save customized workspaces, including
panel and toolbar settings, to work the way you want
every time you launch.
Adobe Pixel Bender
Easily apply custom filters and effects at runtime for
real-time creative expression. Use the Adobe Pixel Bender™ Toolkit,
included with Flash, to create unique filters, blends,
and fills to produce compelling, on-demand visual effects
for the Flash Player runtime. Your visual effects are
now portable to multiple applications with Adobe Pixel
Bender.
Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator import
Import Adobe Photoshop® PSD and Illustrator AI files,
while preserving layers and structure, and then edit them
in Flash CS4 Professional. Optimize and customize the files
during import with advanced options.
Animation conversion to ActionScript
Instantly convert timeline animations to ActionScript® 3.0
code that can be easily edited, reused, and leveraged by
developers. Even copy animations from one object to another.
Animation copy and paste
Copy an animation that is applied to an object and paste
it into any other timeline object, dramatically reducing
time spent on animation development.
Selective layer export
Experiment with different versions of the same file, manage
complex layouts, and save time by exposing only the layers
you want to export and hiding the rest.
Undo/redo options
Switch between Object-level Undo and Document-level Undo
modes.
Metadata (XMP) support
Add metadata to SWF files using the new XMP panel. Quickly
assign tags for enhanced collaboration and better mobile
experiences.
Collaboration with Adobe Flex developers
Edit code in Adobe Flex® and then bring it into Flash
CS4 Professional for finishing and production. Import code-only
ActionScript 3.0 SWC components developed in Adobe Flex
Builder™ software.
Code collapse
Hide code from view by selection or tag so you can focus
more easily on the code you are developing.
Comment tags
Use easy menu commands to apply comment/uncomment tags
to entire lines or any section of code. This Script Editor
feature remains consistent across both Adobe Flash CS4
Professional and Dreamweaver® CS4 software.
Code error navigation
View a list of code errors in a separate panel that is
automatically generated when performing tasks such as
check syntax, test movie, test project, debug movie,
or publish. Click an error in the list to jump directly
to that section of code in the Code view.
3D transformation
Animate 2D objects through 3D space with exciting new 3D
translation and rotation tools, which allow you to animate
along the x, y, and z axes. Apply local or global transformation
to any object.
Inverse kinematics with the Bones tool
Create chain-like animation effects with a series of linked
objects, or quickly distort a single shape using the
new Bones tool.
Procedural modeling with Deco and Spray Brush
Turn symbols into instant design tools. Apply symbols in
a variety of ways: Quickly create kaleidoscope-like effects
and apply fills using the Deco tool, or randomly spray
symbols across any defined area using the Spray Brush.
Bitmap caching
Avoid unnecessary rerendering of vector objects with bitmap
caching. Flag an object as a bitmap at runtime so it
gets cached as a bitmap; vector data is maintained, so
it can be converted back to a vector at any time.
Sophisticated video tools
Experience advanced video capabilities including embedded
cue points, alpha channel support, and high-quality video
codecs. Use the optimized video component, featuring
closed-captioning and support for streaming and progressively
downloaded video files.
MP3 audio support
Integrate audio into your projects by importing MP3 files.
Integration with Adobe Soundbooth® software makes
it easy to edit files as needed, without requiring audio
production experience.
Alpha channel support
Overlay FLV and On2 VP6 video composited with a transparent
or semitransparent alpha channel with other content at
runtime. Create unique effects using compositing tools
such as Adobe After Effects® software, and import
them into Flash CS4 Professional with transparency preserved.
High-quality video codecs
Produce video quality that rivals today's best video codecs
while maintaining small file size with the advanced video
codecs in Flash Player, On2 VP6, On2 VP6-S, and H.264.
Embedded cue points
Embed cue points directly into an FLV file to trigger events
during playback and coordinate the playback of accompanying
graphics and animations.
Video import workflow
Easily integrate a variety of video formats into your video
experiences with the video import wizard, which guides
you through the import process.
Skinnable video player
Take advantage of the most popular video format on the
web today by integrating video into your site. The video
player component is easily customized to match the look
and feel of any site. It includes support for closed-captioning
and multiple languages, as well as streaming video or
progressively downloaded video.
Adobe Media Encoder with H.264 support
Maximize productivity with Adobe Media Encoder, now a separate
software component included with Flash CS4 Professional.
Continue creative work while files encode in the background.
Set up multiple items for encoding, manage priorities,
and control advanced settings for each item individually.
Flash CS4 Professional uses Adobe Media Encoder to deliver
higher quality results with greater control. |
