Flash CS4 Actions Panel FAQ
Those of you who have watched my CS4 tour video may have noticed that I didn’t mention the Actions panel at all. Unfortunately this was not omitted in order to save some surprises for later. The reality is that there isn’t much new to report on this front. Here are some FAQs about the panel we love to hate.
Are there any enhancements to the Actions panel is CS4?
As far as I know there was only one feature added in CS4 and that was case-insensitive code hinting. This was something that Keith Peters and others had requested and I’m happy that we could include it. I know it’s small, but hey it’s something.
What about that blog post where you asked for our feedback?
All of that feedback was sent to the Flash team and it will definitely be used to guide future developments to the panel. The problem was just a matter of timing. I came on board at Adobe a little too late in the CS4 timeline and most all of the resources were already committed to other features.
Why didn’t Adobe make more enhancements to the panel in CS4?
There are a many things that factor into deciding on new features for Flash. One of the complaints we heard a lot with Flash CS3 was the lack of new stuff for designers. The amazing new features that I demonstrated in the video are things that the Flash community has been asking for, for a long time. The reality is that we don’t hear that many complaints from customers about the code editor. In my opinion this is because people have given up on it and moved on to other options like Flex Builder, Flash Develop, or FDT.
So what should I use to write ActionScript for Flash?
There are many options available to you. First off, I don’t think the Actions panel in Flash is as bad as everyone makes it out to be. I still use it for most stuff and, while I do miss custom class code hinting, I have just learned to live without it. If you are doing heavy OOP then you will want to use a professional editor like Flex Builder, Flash Develop, or FDT. If you’re a minimalist then you can use a bare-bones editor like TextMate.
Is there anything that can be done to improve the editor?
Absolutely. Make sure you bring it up every time you see someone from Adobe. I will be lobbying internally for improvements but it definitely helps when the community raises a fuss about stuff like this.
While there may not be much good news about the Actions panel, I think you’ll agree that this is the most feature-packed version of Flash ever.
Lee
“I think you’ll agree that this is the most feature-packed version of Flash ever”
I don’t want to pick on you by any means, but I hear that statement every time a company, any company, releases a new version of a product : )
Actually, you have to wait a release cycle for companies to acknowledge their errors and bugs. When a new version comes out they feel released from marketing obligations (towards the old version, of course).
And about the AS panel, can’t give much opinion because I gave up on it long time ago as you say. But I have to admit that last time I tried (CS3) it was rather disappointing because it looked to me pretty much the same as in Flash MX.
Cheers!
Juan
This is so cool! i really like the bones effect!
IMHO I think they should just leave it as it is, maybe with a few little improvements, but there are many much better editors out there, and most people are pretty happy using those, so why bother working on the actions panel?
Why not work on stuff for flash that is completely new, and different?
I am perfectly happy with Flash Develop, and even if the panel was made better, I still wouldn’t bother to change, and I think it would be the same for most people? There’s really not much point in putting alot of developer time and effort into it when there are much more important things to be done?
Harry.
I’m very pleased with this new designer release! The new animation model is fantastic… Most coders use fdt anyway, and the last release was a 100% coder release, so please don’t cry, you’ll get it next time. Also the gap between aftereffects and Flash has become smaller. I’m a bit dissapointed with the new 3d thing… I was hoping for a 3d space, so you would be able to move the whole stage(like a camera) and not just 3d rotations on single objects…
Bones is cool, but it’s going to be all over the place now…
It would be nice if they made some changes to the actionscript editor but It wouldn’t really matter that much. Even if they make it as good as Flex Builder 3 they would still need a good framework like flex so they better just evolve the flex builder. I will probably never go back to adobe flash for the programming.
It’s really a shame that the editor is the same for several years now…
But as you say, serious flash developers don’t use it and only a serious reinvention will make them change!
I hate to razz you on this one, but you sound like my mom trying to convince me to take my cousin to the prom after I couldn’t find a date. Sure she’s beautiful, but we all know this isn’t going anywhere. They could have thrown us a bone, how hard would it have been to add some extra features. It’s a text editor. Still, I appreciate the effort you make to lobby on our behalf.
Hi, Lee.
I can only sit and nod in silence. This panel is overlooked. I think the developers got tired, when the public forced them to put in script assist again, just to see that nobody really didn’t use it (AFAIK)
The project panel has grown up to be a big boy now, and that may take some of the preassure out of class creation, but there is much more to be done.
Maybe small improvements in a dot release. Otherwise, we’ll just have to wait. It was the designers round, this time.
BTW: To all offended developers, not seeing that many new features. Everytime, the designer get’s a feature: filters, text engine, Inverse Kinematic or 3D. You’ll get an Class library, kicking the possibilities even further out in space. Just wait and see
/ockley
Thanks for posting this and for all the other useful items – I’m definately in the camp that agrees that animation improvements were much more needed than things on the ActionScript side. CS3 brought so much to the code – I’m excited to see animation tools start to catch up.
[...] now, this is the sort of stuff that really bugs me about the Flash IDE [...]
Did they make any additions to the AS3 api? Specifically did they add any calls to go along with the IK features on the design side?
Thanks
While I don’t “hate” the Actions panel, I have had to look to other sources to fulfill my coding needs. I commonly use the Actions panel for projects, but have found other editors (all the ones you linked), to be a better alternative than the basic Actions panel. I was just hoping that CS4 would bring in some of those basic elements from other editors that make me step out on my one true love.
Thanks for the update Lee.
I would like to say thanks for the HUGE improvements to the IDE that we are seeing. Its going to help our team build prototypes faster than ever. Now we just have to convince the creatives that the products not done when they see these amazing prototypes.
Flex is for Flex, Actions Panel is for Flash. I use both, but it’s to complicated to code my flash site in Flex Builder. Flex with Eclipse is a music for me. Please, do something with actions panel, I feel physical pain when it comes to use it
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Still, can’t wait to grab my new CS4
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I have TOTALLY given up on the AS panel. Not a huge thing and not something I’m bitter about. Limited resources? I’m sure that’s true… and sure, we live in a world of limits but when you make an otherwise great product that is not exactly a low budget item… it sort of sounds lame. Sure, you probably can’t out do those other IDEs… but, really, it’s SO bad. It’s not even that I want a ton of new stuff–I just want the stuff that’s there to work–and, sorry, it doesn’t.
No doubt you saw my vid: http://tinyurl.com/tree-branch
Having railed on this… I think I agree with your premise (that CS4 rocks).
You probably know all these…(and for all I know they’re all fixed in CS4) though, maybe fixing these would have meant you all would have had to leave out IK or the motion editor or, at least, that lovely logo redesign:
1. When the AS panel loses focus there’s no way to tell. Not only that, you’ll often get the little I-beam insert point to appear making you think you can start typing.
2. Use the default Monaco font on Mac and you’ll get some trippy kerning that makes it impossible to read.
3. Code hints only appear on at seemingly random instances. Shift-spacebar works only sometimes.
4. Select code, press F1, requires that you have all upper/lower case correct. Okay, so AS is case sensitive–but if I’m looking for help it’d be nice if it could still search. (The help search itself is case insensitive, but not when you select-F1 from the AS panel.)
5. Opening .as files along with .fla files is unwieldy. I don’t have a great suggestion here, but it’s a major reason why I don’t bother.
I can list more if you want.
Regarding the Actions Panel. I don’t think it’s terrible, just not what most coders are used to, it’s basically like using an older code editor, like the early 90’s Borland development studios.
I personally wish that SEPY was still ongoing though it seems like it has been dropped. Is it possible to build a plugin that would be more accomodating for developers? I personally would love to see Flash Develop or a like interface built “into” Flash by the community… Hey all you developers if you have time on your hands, maybe we should get together and create a project to remedy this issue ourselves, it could be the next project that Adobe picks up and adds to the next release or a “dot” update. I am game if anyone else is interested in working of this project or if it is even something that Flash would allow (the integration as an extension that is)…
I think the easiest fix would be an application preference to specify which application to edit .as files in. Leave the current editor as-is for all code that exists on the timeline, but all external .as files will open in your application of choice (or default to built in Flash editor). Flash will never have the editor that everyone wants because we all have our preferences on what we like and don’t like, so might as well make it easy for us to use what we want.
Thanks for all the feedback. Trust me it really helps to guide future feature decisions. Also, to those who think I’m being a corporate drone by saying that this is the best release of Flash in a long time, all I can say is download the trial when it’s available and see for yourself. I’m the type of person who is not going BS anyone about our products. If I think a product of ours sucks (yes we have a few), I simply won’t say anything at all. Of course I would never say “product x really blows”
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This is slightly OT, but somewhat related. I cannot find any information about the JSFL documentation for CS4. I’m certain there are new API methods, especially considering the revised Project panel and the new timeline style. Any clues where this documentation can be found? PDF preferred, but I’ll take livedocs in the meantime… ^_^
I’d be ok with this as long as Dreamweaver could pick up the slack and at least have solid code hinting for AS and a simple key command to compile in the Flash IDE (like Flash Develop, which is PC only).
Why is Dreamweaver not the solution?
@Steven Here you go http://help.adobe.com/en_US/Flash/10.0_ExtendingFlash/index.html.
You’re image at the top of the blog makes me very sad for the AS Panel. I wanna say “I like you AS Panel!”
*hugs ASPanel*
-a
Yeah, I found it, and then I found that the project panel has no API (as far as I can tell). Where can I find the API for the new project panel?
The times I really hate the AS panel are when I’m teaching. I can’t tell the students to whip out their copy of Flash Develop or Flex or FDT. Maybe if I was teaching more serious programmers I’d take the effort to get the schools to invest in it. And, actually, the free version of Flex for students might be enough to warrant this. I guess I’m stuck in an in-between place where the AS panel isn’t good enough but getting into still another tool isn’t worth it either–so I guess I’ll just complain.
@Steven I am looking into this right now.
No custom class hinting at all in Flash CS4? Awww man….I don’t use the actions panel for coding, I use .as tabs. I guess I’ll just be happy if on a mac, I don’t have to click a tab 4 times before it actually responds, receives focus, and moves to that tab….
>>> I think the easiest fix would be an application preference to specify which application to edit .as files in. <<<
I agree with this 100%. If, when Flash generates an error message, I could just double click it and be transported to that line of code in MY editor (FDT), I’d have everything I want.
Even if Adobe improves the Actions Panel, this would still be a good option. FlashDevelop and FDT are both great, but I want to work in FDT and others want to work in FlashDevelop (or TextMate or whatever). Let people choose.
By the way, I don’t know much about JSFL. But would it be possible to use it to rig up an “editor of choice” solution?
The other possibility (I’m sure Adobe has discussed this, but I’ll mention it anyway) is acquiring an editor. Adobe could purchase (or license FDT or FlashDevelop and then loosely couple it with Flash.
“The reality is that we don’t hear that many complaints from customers about the code editor.”
MAYBE FLEX CUSTOMERS ?
OMG – You actually said “learn to live without it…” for code completion. Usually i love this blog, but that’s pathetic.
IMHO, adobe needs to either enhance the AS window, or put Flex into the Web Premium package.
Its just not premium without a decent IDE.
(Disclosure, I use the Flash Develop. Its free and works for Flash IDE projects and Flex projects)
We can understand that there was problem of timing, thats why Adobe Team couldn’t enhance AS panel of Flash.
Ok… No problem…
But, We can’t wait till the release of CS5 for this issue to be carefully considered. I have an idea, why not Adobe releases an extension for better AS panel? like AIR extension was released for Flash CS3.
I think we are all sick of talking about it honestly. It has been the same request from developers for at least the last 3 versions. Why Adobe still does not update the actionscript panel is beyond my understanding.
That being said. 3d support, bones and the new tweeing options are the bomb.
[...] Flash CS4 Actions Panel FAQ [...]
The guys at Adobe should buy another company that already has a good editor (Like Textmate) and then replace poor CS3 editor with some other thing…seriously, anything would be better!!!
No biggie. I’ll never go back from using Flex with an Actionscript project setup for handling my AS editing needs. Works great and serious AS coders should learn how to set it up.
Instead of reinventing the actions panel, maybe the Flash team could shoot for an easier way to edit AS in the Flash IDE using Flex. Like a “Flex Lite” version that easily integrates with Flash CS4 for “devigners”, if you will.
I want a new actionscript panel too! there are so many junior developers that may grow with it.
If a user start to approach Flash for the first time, in particular Actionscript, I think that they prefer a better way to write down code.
Also Senior devs to make little changes or anything else, they’d like to have a better Actionscript panel.
Please Adobe give us a NEW ACTIONSCRIPT PANEL!
No real Flash developers I know actually use the IDE code panel. FlashDevelop (for PC) and Eclipse + FDT (for Mac or PC) are by far the best option. I am a recent convert to Eclipse + FDT on mac.
I use FlashDevelop on OSX via Parallels. It works great!
Lee, any chance we’ll see some way of excluding class from compiling. We seemed to have lost that feature in CS3. Please please either bring back _exclude.xml or give us another way to avoid compiling classes.
[...] I’m being cautious about not doing anything that is Flex Builder exclusive… all the examples will still be 100% usable in Flash CS3 & CS4. But I can’t deny that, for applications development, Flex Builder is a more robust environment. And, as far as Adobe’s product strategy goes, the discrepancy will only get wider from here. [...]
Here is something that absolutely needs to be fixed, and for the life of me, I can’t even begin to understand why it hasn’t been.
When you’re doing a search in the actions panel, why, why, why, why do you have to close the search box in order to edit code? No text editor I’ve ever worked with functions this way. This seems like it would be a relatively easy fix.
That code is going to give you errors when you try and compile…
This is OT, but I think it must be said. After playing around with the new CS4 project panel I have gone from impressed to disgusted. The project panel is good in concept, but the execution is horrible.
1. It is a Flash applet. Clunky, clumsy and doesn’t feel like it is part of the same application.
2. It doesn’t respond to the scroll wheel.
3. It resets itself (closes all folders) every time I refresh or create a new class.
4. Sometimes when I open a folder it triplicates the entire project structure.
I think it was a mistake to implement the project panel this way. Although it is an improvement over the last iteration it is still sloppy and not something I would expect from a multi-billion dollar company such as Adobe.
My biggest gripe is the fact that F1 help now opens up in my web browser vs. using the local help files. Sooooooo much slower and harder to find what I’m looking for. Why, oh why??!!!
2 David M. >> There is a solution. Btw i’ve read ’bout it. It’s all ’bout editing a *.txt file, which redirects Fl CS4 2 external uri. I’ll post it 2day.
As i promised. How to make Flash CS4 help panel use LOCAL help files:
Delete or move this file: C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Help\en_US\Flash\10.0_ExtendingFlash\helpmapBaseUrl.txt
and this one:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Help\en_US\AS3LCR\Flash_10.0\helpmapBaseUrl.txt
And relaunch the Flash CS4 and voila. Now u have local-help panel.
Cheers. ^_^
Hi folks. We hear your pain and are working on solutions to improve the situation. In the meantime:
If you’re connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens the product Help and Support page by default. This page is a portal to all of the Community Help content for the product. If you want to consult or search online product Help only, you can access it by clicking the product Help link in the upper-right corner of the Help and Support page. Once inside the Adobe Help for the product, be sure to select the This Help System Only option before you do your search. Otherwise, Adobe content and Community content will be returned in the search results.
If you’re not connected to the Internet, the Help menu within the product opens local Help, which is a subset of the content available in online product Help. Because local Help is not as complete or up-to-date as online product Help, Adobe recommends that you use the PDF version of product Help if you want to stay off-line.
A downloadable PDF of complete product Help is available from two places:
- The product’s Help and Support page (upper-right corner of the page)
- Local Help and web Help (top of the Help interface)
If you are working in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Fireworks, or Dreamweaver, and you want to turn off Community Help so that local Help opens by default, do the following:
1. Open the Connections panel (Window > Extensions > Connections).
2. From the Connections panel menu , select Offline Options.
3. Select Keep Me Offline and click OK.
Seriously, removal of the integrated Flash panel is a stunning choice for Adobe to have made. As an active Flash dev shop, who prefer to construct our projects primarily in Actionscript, having to opt to an external application to peruse the Flash class definitions seems to be an unnecessary and silly roadblock.
We, and I think many of the developers using the Adobe products, are running OSX and take advantage of Spaces / Expose to compliment our workflows. This tends to have Flash assigned to its own workspace, separate from the browser. Launching the help outside of flash causes a desktop transition that was previously unnecessary. Sure there are ways to address this, but it just seems silly to have to come up with a way to rework something that wasnt broken to begin with.
Coupled with the relative paucity of code hinting / completion of the actionScript panel vs. that available in the Flex environment, the Help panel becomes an even more regular point of reference for developing ActionScript based sites.
Further the performance of the online documentation vs. that of the CS3 panel applet appears significant.
Jay, your suggestion re: disabling Connections globally, seems to be hitting the problem with a hammer, as it disables the opportunity to utilize web connected services such as the Kuler panel.
Apologies for the rancor on this, but being a production studio that often has to develop around opinions voiced during board meetings, you get a feeling for the design by committee process. This one wafts in the stench of breaking a design because one too many people had to justify their place at the table by having something say.
-Koof
I also agree that the removal of the help PANEL in flash is significant. In fact, it removes what I consider one of flash’s greatest advantages over the competition (speaking of the IDE only). It was so nice to be able to have the API to reference right in my work flow, without switching applications. I use multiple monitors, and often have the help floating on top, or in small areas (depending on the workspace), and now all of that is DESTROYED by this insane decision. Lee, would it be possible to get some feedback as to why this decision was made? Sure it may not have had all of the updated comments or what not, but I am quite satisfied with the version that was bundled in the app. if I needed something newer, I would go online myself. Or, if adobe is really desperate to have the help online, why not have the panel pull it, rather than making me use a browser. This really kills my workflow. Seriously.
completely think the same
agree with CaptainCode, easy access to the AS API reference in the help panel is incredibly important. bring it back please!
Hi all, I’m a passer-by browsing on the net for solutions to open the local help panel on my test version Flash CS4. As a action script programmer myself, dealing with AS since Flash 5, losing a fast and convenient way to access this panel can be catastrophic to my daily coding progress. Hope staffs in Adobe can read this comment.
I’ve written an open letter to adobe about it. You can read it here: http://codinandboatin.blogspot.com/2009/01/open-letter-to-adobe.html
I like this panel.
Well, the panel is quite good.
But I would really love if the panel where much more like FlashDevelop. Alot more codehinting.
for example, I would love if there came a dropdown with a list over all my API’s if I where to write “import “.
And I would also love it if it could show a external as-file, at the same time as I am working at the design. Would make it so much easier.
Cheers!
Here is what I would do about the help panel. First get MDM Zinc, download Simple Internet Browser from the File Exchange page. Change the address in the fla to C:/ blabla… Help/en_US/AS3LCR/Flash_10.0/index.html###url
Next make a new project in Zinc set the exe to always be on top. Than make an new file in flash that well open the exe with the click of a button. Save the swf in WindowSWF folder close flash, and reopen, and navigate to window / other panel open up your new help pannel.
It’s not perfect, but it would work I think.
I haven’t tested this idea yet, but it’s better than nothing.
Ok it works here is my first test run http://flashcadabra.com/new_idea.jpg tell me what you think.
It’s not just a matter of adding features to the Actionscript panel.
It simply needs to function properly out of the box. It is so frickin buggy now, it is totally useless! Clicking auto format actually removes parenthesis and curly braces which leads you to debugging a host of bugs that crop up because it removed them! GRR!
Lame.
Yeah, Elliot Geno has a point. Good thing tho!
Why is this happening AGAIN?
A few years ago the developers tried getting rid of the Actions Panel and there were so many complaints it was re-installed in Flash 8. And many Flash users sighed with relief. But, here we go again.
There is no good reason to delete such a useful aspect of Flash. Okay, so some people didn’t use it, and many developers probably don’t see the need for it, because they are PROGRAMERS.
But, I notice that Flash still uses a Property Panel. Why not get rid of that too and make everyone code properties directly? Not only that, but a new Motion Panel has been added. Why? If it is so much better to code directly, why add a new panel for motion? So, Flash is not really against using panels — just an Actions Panel.
Why would that be? The only reason I can surmise is that someone decided to force Flash designers into buying and learning an additional software (Flex) so that Adobe could make more money. If this is not the case, then please return the Actions Panel to the next version. Flash uses panel for other things, so why not actions too? The reasons given for deleting the Actions Panel are totally spurious.
I have used Flash to create animation for video, animation for web, interactive web sites, interactive desktop applications, and much more. And, I could combine all of those possibilities in almost any way within one Flash software — all without knowing (or caring) how to write code, thanks to the Actions Panel. The fact that I may now have to buy and learn additional software (Flex) just to do the same thing I used to do is insulting and frustrating.
PS — I know that there is still an Actions Panel in Flash CS4. I should have clarified that my concern is with the loss of Menus in the Actions Panel to facilitate ease of use.