flash is infuriating sometimes

[cjoe]

the drawing tools in flash are soooooooooooo crap. Why do objects weld together when i dont want them to? I like to layer on a logical basis, not a layer for every different object! Why is the outline separate from the fill so that i have to double click the shape to keep everything together?

will we see better tools now that adobe is sailing the ship? or maybe even close integration with illy?

[keith1]

i hear ya, i thought the same thing when i first used it and was so used to illy. It does make making certain shapes easier though. It's like having the illy pathfinder tool on automatic.

[benjo]

Yea once you group your image it acts like illustrator again. But it's no big deal man.

[clicky2]

I've always used Freehand to layout and storyboard then import the vecotrs into Flash. Just a natural part of my workflow I guess.

I tend to think of Flash more like InDesign or Quark than I do some all inclusive design/development tool. When was the last time you tried to create some sort of complex vector illustration in one of those programs? Proabably never ... but if you did, and actually managed to pull it off, I applaud you.

[cjoe]

When was the last time you tried to create some sort of complex vector illustration in one of those programs? Proabably never ... but if you did, and actually managed to pull it off, I applaud you.

Never. I originally imported SVG (god knows why) but i discovered DRAW has a swf export (by discovered i mean broacher told me). so now most of the art is done in DRAW or illy (im multitalented ;) )
and imported. Still its annoying when you cant be effd to do somthing that should take relatively no time at all with the drawing tools at hand.

[reuber1]

This may sound odd, but I actually started to use Flash in my senior year of high school and didn't touch an illustrator program until my senior year of college, and I found/find it a huge pain in the ass to draw with an illustrator program. One of the logo designs I have in my portfolio, and one of my favorites, was done in Flash. I tried re-creating it in Freehand but only wound up pissed off at the end of the day. I guess I'm just used to the welding of objects.

I guess it depends on what you have experience with first; I'd probably be saying the opposite of the above if I hadn't used Flash first.

[cbscreative]

It may help to realize that Flash is an animation program more than a drawing program. Macromedia has done well in optimizing their products for web application whereas Corel and Adobe cover web and graphics. Trying to use Macromedia for print will leave you frustrated. Now that Adobe has acquired Macromedia, who knows what is coming next. I thought they were doing well by leaning toward web, it gave them an advantage that anything before MX did not have. Before MX, I hated Macromedia and it served no useful purpose, at least not to me.

Storyboards in Freehand are a good approach. Creating in Corel is also a good approach. One thing to keep in mind though, creating your vector graphics in Flash is the best way to minimize file sizes. Any bitmaps and imported graphics will defeat the purpose of the file size advantages offered by Flash. When used correctly, Flash will make better use of screen space with smaller files than you can achieve with other methods. All too often though, Flash is used to put on a show with no real useful purpose; a use that invites well deserved criticism.

[BlackBox]

I too can't get used to that way of drawing. I was raised on Illustrator. I have a friend though that started illustrating in flash and now does everything in it..even print stuff, he then exports to soemthing else...crazy huh

[cbscreative]

I was raised on Illustrator. I have a friend though that started illustrating in flash and now does everything in it..even print stuff, he then exports to soemthing else

No doubt the RGB vs CMYK has caused some snags on occasion.