Adobe Community: Are Flash 8 FLA files fully compatible with CS6?

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1. Steinbockbockbock,

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Sep 18, 2012 8:00 PM in reply to gdmch

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You'll get most thing are upgradable with no bad effect. However, some ActionScript API changes are sure to have been made and some obsoleted if only for security reasons.

What is sure, you'd better save those backups of files because once you open them in CS6 you will be be able to open them again in Flash 8.

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2. adninjastrator,

Sep 19, 2012 5:06 AM in reply to gdmch

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As a longtime Flash developer, I hate to say this but building a "Flash" website in this day and age of so many non-Flash devices.... is like aiming at a moving target that has already moved way out of range. You can shoot at it, but you'll never get a good clean shot. Your site will never be as successful as if you had use a more modern, Web friendly base, like just HTML and CSS.

That being said, you won't be able to directly open Flash 8 files in CS6. You might try changing the file extension to .zip and see if you can open them that way but I wouldn't count on it.

You can however download a trial version of CS6 and test it for yourself, that's the way for you to know for sure.

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=flash&loc=en_us

Best wishes,

Adninjastrator

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3. gdmch,

Sep 20, 2012 2:09 PM in reply to adninjastrator

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Thanks for the replies guys. Much appreciated.

@Adninjastrator: Downloaded the the trial of CS6 as you wisely advised and you were absoletly right - no joy! I'm trying to imagine a similar state of affairs with the likes of, say, Microsoft Word. Imagine buying the latest version and finding its not only incompatible with earlier Word documents - but that it actually chews them up! It's ridiculous imho. How do these guys get away with crap like that?

I guess they have locked me into learning the obsolete Flash 8 then (nice one Adobe - you've just forced me NOT to buy CS6) as I'm not prepared to trash the expense and work to date on my existing flash site (http://www.wave432.com ) and start over from the ground up with CS6. Not at all happy about being forced into that. However, I think I can for the most part make it work. Apart from the major fact I have no idea how to implement streaming YouTube videos directly into my Flash 8 site. Not embedding them directly into the site - or storing the videos on my site server and loading them from there - but streaming them directly from the YouTube servers. Not even sure at this stage if that's possible in Flash 8 (still trawling Google in hope though). I think that if I can crack that bit of it (being a flash newbie there are of course a few others bits too, lol) I think I can make it work in the ancient Flash 8 - as per the original vision for the site .

Thanks again Adninjastrator. If you have any ideas on that YouTube streaming problem I'd very much like to hear them.

Great forum by the way!

Onwards and upwards (i hope lol).

Gordon

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4. adninjastrator,

Sep 21, 2012 8:25 AM in reply to gdmch

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Displaying YouTube videos directly inside "Flash" Web site is a little tough, especially with an older version like Flash 8. But, there is more than one way to skin a cat!

Actually there is no such thing as a "Flash" Web site.... only HTML, PHP, ASP Web sites that may or may not have some Flash content. And you can use that to your advantage to enhance your Flash content.

Here is how:

Lay out your Flash content as though it has the YouTube video in it... but instead of the YouTube player, leave a blank spot in the display, a black rectangle for example, in the exact location and of the exact dimensions that you would like to display the YouTube vid player. Then on the Web page, you can layer an html container (called a div) exactly over that space left in the Flash content. That div will hold the vid player and it will look like the vid player is part of the Flash.

Yes, this takes a little HTML and CSS, but it works just great. I've done this a number of times....here's an example. The Vimeo player is layered over the top of the background... which is just one big Flash .swf.

http://www.worldbarefootcenter.com/

I'd suggest you start very small and take small steps with each part before applying all the methods to your actual Web site.

Learn how to "stack" html content using positioning and z-indexing here:

http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/pr_pos_z-index.asp

http://coding.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/15/the-z-index-css-property -a-comprehensive-look/

If you want the vid player to display on some parts of your Flash content but not be visible on others, you may need to "hide" the content. Use javascript hide/show to do this. Info here:

http://www.cssnewbie.com/showhide-content-css-javascript/

http://www.cssnewbie.com/example/showhide-content/

Flash can communicate with javascript using getURL or ExternalInterface:

http://www.jr.pl/www.quirksmode.org/js/flash_call.html

http://csl.sublevel3.org/howto/javascript_flash_callbacks/

Here is a quick example of using Flash (the big blue button) to communicate with javascript and open a video player:

http://www.hiesequim.com/education_center_test.html

Using javascript to hide/show the video player.... click the button to toggle visibility of player on/off.

This is the simple actionscript (AS2) used to communicate with the javascript and trigger the "ReverseDisplay" function (in the <head> of the HTML Web page):

stop();
show_hide.onRelease = function(){
ns.close();
getURL ("javascript:ReverseDisplay('mediaspace2')");

}

So yes, you CAN display YouTube videos on your (so called) "Flash" site, but you'll need to use a little HTML and CSS to do it.

Take each step as one building block...

First learn to stack one <div> on top of another. You will eventually stack the vid player <div> on the Flash <div>.

If needed, learn to show hide a <div>. Practice with the example show or Google for more.

Then do a simple practice of communication between Flash and javascript.

Only AFTER you can do each separate step... as small practice items, would I suggest that you actually attempt it on your real Flash project.

Best of luck!

Adninjastrator

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5. gdmch,

Sep 22, 2012 8:29 AM in reply to adninjastrator

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Thank you Adninjastrator! Very much! The quality and comprehensiveness of your kind response it outstanding imho, and I am very appreciative of it. I am going to work my way through everthing you have so kindly provided for me (being a flash newbie probably several times over). The "stacking" part in particular has kinda excited me - hope that's not too kinky for the forum lol. So, now I know it can done I will keep banging away at your advice until I crack it. Then I'll implement the fruits of that in my flash project. When its all up and going great I'll come back here to let you know. Thanks again mate for exceeding all my expectations of help. If the Universe doesn't award you a healthy bunch of good karma points for that then it's not doing its job properly . Live long and prosper! Namaste.

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6. adninjastrator,

Sep 22, 2012 11:35 AM in reply to gdmch

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You are most welcome!

I have already received much good from others and I'm just passing that on.

You can always post back if you have more issues in your project.

Best wishes,

Adninjastrator

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Are Flash 8 FLA files fully compatible with CS6?

Sep 18, 2012 7:46 PM

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