Stairwellblog

FC. Is that a new Adobe icon we should all get used to appearing on our computer dock? 

Adobe recently unveiled take two of Thermo at Adobe MAX 2008, this time under the official release name of Flash Catalyst. There’s a video here (on Abobe labs) for those of you who have yet to see it. 

If nothing else, Adobe Flash Catalyst looks like a promising bridge for designers who have limited to mid-level knowledge / experience working with Actionscript. As I continue to work through AS3, I think one of the big challenges for many flash designer developers (those who both design and code their sites) has been the transition from a somewhat loose AS2 language to a more strict OOP AS3. It’s not a huge leap but one that takes time to master. In instances where Flash would let you get away with some spotty syntax in AS2, it can hammer you with output errors in AS3. I think this may be where Adobe Catylst is looking to fill the void. That’s not to say Catalyst won’t be a valuable tool for all designers and developers alike but from first glance, that seems to be my best guess pre-launch as to who Adobe is really trying to cater to. 

Like anything else that strives to cut down on back and forth, or help serve as a programming assistant, a few questions will probably serve as the initial litmus test to determine how effective Catalyst may be (across the board). Surely it will have it’s niche market but will every designer and developer be signing it’s praises?  

1.) How efficient will it be? File size will always matter. 

The main hang-up on using many of Adobe’s components / generated code is the “having to buy a cow when you only want the milk” approach. Ultimately, a designer or developer may only be interested in one aspect of a component but they get strapped with all the extras that are packaged in with it. The end result is stomaching some dead weight in the final product. While an extra 15-20K doesn’t seem like a lot, when you start throwing in multipliers (more components),  it does add up as you build a site or program. I’m not here to bash components, so please keep reading, I’m just pointing out that there always seem to be trade offs in using a third party application. If Adobe can continually soften that blow as new releases hit the market, programs like Catalyst certainly will become worth their weight in gold. The amount of time and effort a program like Catalyst could ultimately save, if done correctly, will surely have the collective design world rushing to become Catalyst experts.

2.) How does the code output and formatting compare to a programmer of equal /comparable skill? 

Will Catalyst output consistent, concise code? Or will it be a jumbled mess that has to be tabbed and organized? Is commenting built in? To allow a designer to explicitly state (to a developer) what needs modified in an existing project? In an exact location (i.e. a designer telling a developer, in a code comment, what happens when a button is pushed)? Programming is an art. Maybe some people don’t see it as such but organizational flow (or lack thereof) can really tip the longevity of a project in one direction or another. Any developer who has worked on a previously created project knows how important it is to have an organized output.  Being able to easily read and edit the outputted code is vital to Catalyst’s long term reach.

3.) Graphics Conversion. 

As someone who both designs and develops, there’s nothing more frustrating then having to build something twice. Building something in illustrator, getting the art work approved and then having to re-build it in flash to meet client expectation (because of subtle differences during conversion) is incredibly discouraging. Throughout the releases of Adobe’s Creative Suite, the compatibility of programs has drastically improved. Will Catalyst build on that?

4.) Interactive Flexibility.

Another drawback to having a program do something for you is the creative limitations of the program itself. For example,  how big is the rollover library for button effects and how involved can the interaction be? Can the timing be adjusted for both states? Or do you have to select a given transition (i.e strong fade out) for both.  Are page transitions limited to a fade in / fade out? Or can the program produce the more organic animations that a custom class / function can? If it can’t, how streamlined is the integration of such a class? All questions I’m sure Adobe addressed throughout the development of Catalyst. 

With all that said, I’m excited to see more of what the program can do (and how well it can do it). The first and second glimpses have looked intriguing. Surely the positives of such a program will vastly outweigh the negatives in my opinion. Some questions may get answered and others may spring up but in the end, if Adobe Catalyst can help bring designers and developers closer together, that’s a positive for everyone…..creatives, developers and clients alike.

For more on Adobe Flash Catalyst, check out the Catalyst Team Blog. Thanks for your time! Have a great week.

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