Yesterday, I purchased and installed FlashBuilder 4.7, 64 bit windows version.
With it, I built my project for ios, and installed an export release (air3.4 for ios) on my IPad 1 for testing.
Two "unforgivable" problems showed up:
1. Most of the artwork looks utterly spoiled, as if entirely different filter coefficients
were being applied to the bitmaps.
(note: builds with FlashPro 5.5, FlashPro 6.0 and FlashBuilder 4.6 / air3.1 for ios (32 bit) of
the same code all show consistent and proper results instead)
2. The application runs much slower than when it was exported for release from FlashBuilder 4.6.
Is there any way to deal with these problems?
(apart from applying for a refund)
Thanks in advance
PS: Tests on the desktop (using the air simulator) using FB 4.7 show the same filter problem.
More concretely, below you can find a screenshot of my app, built with FlashBuilder 4.6 (and
would be same when built with FlashPro5.5, 6.0 ), which uses
filtered vector art images, which are subsequently converted to bitmapdata.
At the bottom of it, you can find the same screenshot, but this time the same code
was built with FlashBuilder 4.7.
Any ideas or suggestions? Anyone?
Same page, but now built with FlashBuilder 4.7:
Digging a bit further, it appears that at least the gradient glow and the gradient bevel
bitmap filters are disfunctioning when build with FlashBuilder 4.7.
Upgrade from Air3.4 to Air 3.5 did not yield a change.
Building with air 3.5 using FlashBuilder 4.6 shows proper results. (and FlashPro cs5.5, cs6.0).
So I guess the problem is in the compiler of FlashBuilder 4.7.
To FlashBuilder Team of Adobe: Is this problem ackknowledged?
If no, please let me know what I should do.
If yes, has a bugfix been scheduled? For when?
Thanks in advance
Sure, I guess to this post I can only attach an image or video, so here's a link:
http://www.kidscalculate.com/FB47_FilterTest.zip
The nice thing about this problem is its reproducability: the problem is always there,
wether the build targets mobile as3 for ios, flashplayer or air, 3.4 or 3.5.
The TestButton.fla (created with Flash CS6.0) has created the .swc next to it.
It contains the filtered graphics. (ignore SwcBuild.fla - just a copy).
The FB4_7 project targets flashplayer 11.5. It imports said swc in its project settings,
and its 5 line .as code simply puts the MovieClip instance on stage.
Thanks in advance
Thanks Sinious,
I tried to file the bug at the link that you provided, but it does not accept a post without
specifying product details from drop down lists.
However, there's only a handful of products in the list, and FlashBuilder 4.7 is not among them.
Any advice on that?
Thanks in advance
I followed your suggestion, and filed it as FlashPlayer 11.5 bug w. workaround. In retrospect, I regret the last, as the bug
was positioned as only as "priority 3rd high" - presumably because of the existence of the theoretical workaround.
For me, the work around is not realistic, because I use these filters at hundreds of places. Finding, then removing them,
and adding them programmatically would be an adminstrative nightmare, and I'd loose the WYSIWYG advantage of Flash Pro completely.
Summarized - until fixed, I cannot use FB4.7. to continue the development of my app in.
Anyway, I'll keep my fingers crossed that the "FlashPlayer bug" will make it to the FlasBuilder team (in some coorperations I've worked,
there'd be high chances such "ill-filled in form" would be ignored) - and that they'll give it high priority, which I think it deserves.
Thank you for your prompt help.
I wish it was more prompt but I lost power and net for days in that US blizzard over the weekend. Whew, happy to be back.
Please post your bug report ID here so we can vote on the issue. The number of people voting on it is what largely controls the speed it is fixed. Also go in the Flash Builder forum and post the bug link there.
As for the workaround, their nature is definitely to be annoying. They're not ideal. FB "just working" is the best solution by far but a known workaround for someone else who doesn't have thousands of filters might make or break their deadline. It also gives valuable clues to the patching team on where the problem may lie. I'd always include a workaround if you find one.
https://bugbase.adobe.com/index.cfm?event=bug&id=3499140
People can vote/verify in the bottom right. Thanks for reporting, I'm sure it will help someone!
Mmm.. looks like bureaucracy prevents the bug to be considered (see bugbase link above).
Zhe Wang, a Lead Manager of Adobe seems to have rejected the bug-report, because
"it should be filed as an FB bug instead of a FlashPlayer Bug".
Apparently, there's no way to report a bug to the FB team. I can't hide that its
very frustrating and annoying.
I voted on your bug but I agree the right place to file a Flash Builder bug is rather confusing.
You might try here: https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/FLEX
I see some Flash Builder tickets in there and if you go here:
https://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/FB
That is what they suggest to use at the top.
Well, I spent my effort to file the bug - in spite of the lacking of a "proper place" to file it.
You can add your vote as well:
https://bugbase.adobe.com/index.cfm?event=bug&id=3499140
A customer friendly Adobe affiliate, called Sinious on these forums, has been willing to look
into it and has confirmed that it looks like a FB 4.7 compiler bug.
Yet as you can see from the link above, it looks like the bug report is not taken seriously - the
responsible adobe manager Zhe Wang is wining that it should be posted on a forum, and
to me it looks like nothing shows that any action will be taken.
Apart from programmatic filtering, you could redesign the filters of your artwork.
From my short research, it looked like the main problems were caused by use of the filters
that use color-gradients. (gradient bevel, gradient glow).
You could replace them by non-gradient bevel and non-gradient glow filters, and thus retain the
WYSIWYG advantage.
(you can mimic the behaviour of a multi-color gradient glow by stacking multiple
single color gradient glows, for instance).
For me, it would still mean that switching to FB4.7 would cost way too much work.
I'm still waiting for an update with the fix.
Hi Marius, I am not sure if this is working for sure or not but you might try the following:
Instantiate a library item in a SWC by extending it to another Class.
eg: if the item is SomeClip
use: var mc:SomeClipExt = new SomeClipExt();
and in SomeClipExt do this:
public class mc:SomeClipExt extends mc:SomeClip{
}
At least one of my Library items is retaining the bevel filter I applied to it in Flash Pro.
Sorry I do not have time now to test this further.
Hi DachFlach,
Thank you for hinting this other potential workaround. I'll see if I can reproduce.
This workaround would mean that each of the exported main classes in flash pro would need to be dissected hard-coded into sub-classes in the code, at least for each sub-class (movieclip) that uses such a filter - hard code an extended class for these classes, and then rebuild an analogon of the original main class at runtime that uses these extended classes to in a similar hierarchical buildup.
That is, even if the workaround would work, it'd still cost tons of work for me
to convert everything - WYSIWYG objects in flash pro (complete menus, sceneries, etc)
generally consist of loads of hierarchy of sub-objects, and I've used these filters on hundreds of places.
Apart from that, because of the hard-coded solutions, the result is badly maintainable: Editing (changing hierarchical structure)
of MovieClip internals in flash pro may make them out of sync with the hard-coded solutions.
Anyway, thanks.
Hi Marius,
I was wrong. It was not the extending of the class that made the filters work. For whatever reason, now all filters I add to a MovieClip in Flash Pro and export to a SWC are working.
Including gardient glow.
Here is a libnk to a SWC that has a button call btnPink that has a bevel and a gradient glow and is working for me when used in FB 4.7.
http://vermillion.ca/filtertest/FilterTest.swc
Maybe I am missing what the problem is now?
By the way, in the link above:
https://bugbase.adobe.com/index.cfm?event=bug&id=3499140
There's "Test.zip", which contains a fla swc and test program that I created to test.
Perhaps you could check if the test works properly for your system as well?
Many thanks in advance
http://vermillion.ca/filtertest/FilterTest.fla
I have not tried in FlashDevelop but it works in FB 4.7 for me.
My FLA that is.. I have not tried yours yet.
Interesting.
When I tried to open your fla, my flash pro remarked that it was based on air 3.6,
while 3.5 is the highest I have installed. I agreed with the suggestion to convert the input to air 3.5.
Then I build the swc.
Using the button from that swc in FlashDevelop, it shows identical to the button shown in flash pro (as always), as it should:
Howver, using the button from that swc in FB47, it no longer shows the pink:
.. but resuming your last remark - let me check:
you tested my TestButton, and in FB4.7, it shows identical results as in flash pro?
.. if that's true, I guess I either need to upgrade to air3.6 to make it work with
FB 4.7 (at the time, 3.5 was the latest) and/or re-download and install FB 4.7...
That's bizarre - and hope giving at the same time.
I've just installed air3.7 and the air 3.7 sdk - (with compiler) in FB47.
Build targeted air 3.7 - still same problem. - with your button - the pink is gone.
Build again, targeting air 3.5 - still same problem.
As you can see at the top of this thread, I've been testing this on several systems with 32bit as well as 64 bit version of FB4.7,
with all kinds of air versions. The problem is consistent for FB4.7, while absent for FB4.6.
The only thing I can think of now, is that the problem has been silently fixed for FB47, and you downloaded
the fixed version. I'll try uninstalling it and re-download and reinstall it. Or would there be another kind of smart course of action?
I should note that initially the filters were not working for me. Which is why I found this thread.
You might want to try adding a Flash Button in your SWC and see if you get any results.
I do not have one in the SWC I sent to you but I previously imported a SWC which did.
That said, it works fine in FB without any SWC with a button or other component in it but maybe something triggered in FB from the time I did have one in there. Shot in the dark.
Eh yes.. I just uninstalled FB.4.7, downloaded, reinstalled - nothing changed
So you suspect something may have triggered things into working by adding a Flash Button.
I tried creating new a new Flash Button in Flash Pro, in the swc with the pink button (did you mean something like that).
Unfortunately, no magic bug healing on my system.
If at any moment you think of another thing that may have done it, please don't hesitate to mention it.
Are you building a Flex Project or ActionScript Project?
Mine is Flex using both MX & Spark.
• I am declaring it as a WindowedApplication.
• I am adding my ActionScript components to a visual element:
<s:SpriteVisualElement id="theRoot" addedToStage="theRoot_addedToStageHandler(event)" />
protected function theRoot_addedToStageHandler(event:Event):void {
var main:Main = new Main();
theRoot.addChild(main);
}
Main is my main AS Class in which I add the button from the SWC to.
• I am also waiting for the added_to_stage event to fire before adding the button.
addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE,Init);
I've been building as3 projects, without use of flex or mx, waiting for ADDED_TO_STAGE event before
starting the application.
I can't open TestButton2.fxp, both Flash Catalist CS5 and CS6 come up with next dialog when I try to open it:
I've just created a new Project, using Flex with MX & Spark, and including the swc with the button.
The one and only source (mxml-) file now contains:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:WindowedApplication xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx">
<fx:Declarations>
<!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->
</fx:Declarations>
</s:WindowedApplication>
I don't know how to deal with flex/mx/spark/ mxml-files.
Could you paste the full content of the mxml file that you use to test the button, such that
I can copy it and try for myself as well?
Ah, I see - that works indeed. Learned another thing :-).
Indeed, your project, using flex/mx/spark does show the pink of the button that is contained in the swc properly.
That's good. On the first sight, it looks like FB47 can be used using these addons. Many thanks.
(I'll need to figure out how to if it does not come at the price of additional memory usage, and if subsequential builds for
ios and android are without problems. - yet if the answers of these questions are positive - you surely have
saved me - anyway - many thanks!!)
Retrying as as3 project still does not work.
From our exchange above, I'm not 100% certain: Have you succesfully tested with normal as3 projects as well?
(The question is, if something triggered a "fix" at your system, or that that did not happen, or and our results are
in sync now)
Same code, same button, but built as normal as3 project:
http://www.kidscalculate.x10.mx/sharing/FilterTest/FB47_FilterTest.fxp
Hi Marius,
Your fxp did not show the filter.
I'll note, for whatever reason, it took a long time build to the debugger..?
I have not successfully set up an actionscript project to use filters.
I need to use a Flex Project so I can use some of the components available.
Which is too bad as I am having a helluva time getting SWC items ( made in Fl Pro ) to be handled by Classes in FB.
Glad to hear you have a potential solution for your project.
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