Re: FLASH: FH9 vs AI9 (was: Curved text)

[J. Lutes (pixelTwiddler)]

[inserts tongue into cheek]


>Yes, the "Release to Layers" in FreeHand, that has now been adopted by

>Illustrator


Hmmm, I remember an Aldus product just a few short years ago that had some

neat features which have now been adopted by a line of new Macromedia

products.  Now, what was that software called again?  [strokes chin

pensively]  Boy, those were the kinder, gentler days!


>Gradient-recognition is tricky... if you've ever imported a

>PostScript-style gradient as an .AI file you've seen how it's actually a

>type of blend. When exporting to SWF, some tools will replace a

>PostScript-style blend with an actual SWF-style blend... it's a difference

>between storing tiny mathematical instructions, and larger descriptions of

>each step in the gradient.


Its true.  Some companies have a hard time with this, even taking a

perfectly good SWF-style blend and making an unnecessary PostScript-style

blend out of it, for no apparent reason.  Can you believe it?  A good

example of this:  Export a Freehand file as Adobe Illustrator 7, then

import it into Flash, breaking it apart.  Voila!  A manifestation of the

inherent trickiness in proper gradient translation.


Just for kicks, save an AI 7 (or AI 6) file from Illustrator, import it

into Flash and break it apart.  What did you get?  Something cool, I would

bet.


It is too bad for designers that Macromedia has persisted in clinging to

legacy Future Splash technology for color and gradient handling, even in

version 4 of Flash.  Otherwise, we might be able to re-color a gradient

without having to re-fill the object, or get more accurate color

translations for imported artwork.  [sigh]  Hasten Flash 5 and an end to

excuses...


>Sorry, I don't remember the text options in the FlashWriter Export Plugin

>for Illustrator 8, and I don't have ILL9 to test its options myself. In

>FreeHand's SWF export you can have text retained in an editable block, or

>have it automatically converted to curves, or have text ignored

>altogether... a few options.


The editable text output feature is unnecessary fluff for most people,

until the day it can be transferred as editable text along a path, instead

of just in blocks.  Anyone can cut and paste a chunk of electronic text

into Flash as a block, from virtually anywhere, and very quickly.

Macromedia products have had this ability for some time, and, of course, it

has now been adopted by operating systems and computer graphics software

everywhere.



-

J A S O N   L U T E S

ICQ: pixelTwiddler (#18046724)

E-mail:

jasongrafikimagism [dot] com

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