Video and Actions like in the old days

[Halogenbarn]

I think the function that allows you to import an video directly to the timeline should be brought back.

I had so much fun working with video that way. You could mask video, draw on top of it, put it into movie clips, rotate and reflect it.

I know the whole web scene has changed but i feel that Animate should support this function.

And another thing:

Make scripting simple again -- Please!

Simple scripting, for making button / timeline navigation available to non coders. (Animaters aren't coders right!?!)

The way it used to work was simple and intuitive for non coders. Adobe always used to say .. "No coding required" cause they knew

that their users weren't coderes.

Back me up people

/ Poul

[kglad]

you can still import video to the timeline (file>import>import video) and you can use code snippets (windows>code snippets) if you know no coding.

[Halogenbarn]

Thanks for the reply.

BUT..

Html canvas, don't support the import video method.

AS3

When importing MOV, animate wants to convert it to FLV, but it will not take the file to the media encoder.

If i try to add an MP4 file it gets imported but it can't even play back the file. (inside Animate)

When you try to preview the file in Animate following error is shown. (Export Preview)

Please let me know if this release is just buggy as hell or I am doing something wrong?

Br. PoulG

[Colin Holgate · Accepted solution]

As kglad suggests, in "the old days", there was no HTML5 Canvas, so comparing old AS3's abilities against new HTML5 Canvas isn't a fair test, there are lots of things Canvas can't do that AS3 can.

If you want to make an HTML5 Canvas activity that has video playing within the scene, just use a Video component from the Components panel. You connect that to the source MP4 (no need to convert to FLV), and it will play well in a browser.

The reason in AS3 to import H.264 into the timeline is so that you can rotoscope draw on top of the video, and when you export you don't get the video, you just get your animation, and you would take that onto a video editor program, Premiere or After Effects perhaps, and put the animation back on top of the original high quality video.

The reason to import FLV into an AS3 FLA timeline is to make it easy to have frame accurate sync between animation and the video, or because you want the file to be self contained for the user. If it doesn't have to be frame accurate sync, and you're just playing video, the FLV may as well be external. If it's external, it may as well be H.264 MP4, and not FLV at all.

So, for animation rotoscoping of video, do all of your work in an AS3 FLA. For external video that has to play in HTML5 Canvas, use the video component.

[PG79]

Thanks for the lengthy response, appreciate it!

You are properly right that comparing the old days to the html canvas was wrong.

I just miss being able to just place video and work with it frame by frame, and not via streaming / external loading.

It gets a bit confusing when the starting format you choose have different possibilities.

As ClayUUID says I might just go all the way back to CS6. Even though working in such old software properly gives me a whole bunch of new problems.

I do miss the possibility to design motion driven websites that combines video and graphics and audio. Like it was possible in the day.

I might do it in CS6 anyway, even though I will properly never get a visit he he.

Thanks for the help, sorry that I posted wrong.

/ Poul

[Colin Holgate]

I'll set up a demo sometime that shows what can be done with video in HTML5 Canvas. It can do amazing things.

[GoryGreg]

It would be cool to be able to embed a video (YouTube for example) and display it in Animate for HTML5 projects. Is there reasons why this can't be done (or maybe it has changed) besides messing with the HTML code generated? Or maybe it is obvious and I'm missing something?

[kglad]

youtube doesn't allow that any more.

[GoryGreg]

Ah right. YouTube still gives the embed code or do you mean they don't allow it within Animate (Flash) projects? What about Vimeo etc?

[kglad]

you can link to youtube, but they don't want their videos playing outside their control.

they removed the as3 api almost 3 years ago and offer YouTube Data API Overview  |  YouTube Data API  |  Google Developers

[GoryGreg]

Ah right, cheers kglad.

Yeah I just link to YouTube etc and say it will either open in a new tab or new window (whatever the client prefers).

I'm assuming Vimeo etc followed YouTube's lead?

[kglad]

i don't know anything about vimeo and would google it if i needed that info.

[GoryGreg]

No worries.

[kglad]

you still misunderstand, or are misspeaking.

returning to cs6 isn't going to help you more easily create a html5/canvas project.

and if you meant you're thinking of returning to as3/swf, there's no reason to return to flash cs6.  it was not easier to use than than the current animate cc.

[Halogenbarn]

I know of the code snippets, but to be honest AS3 is not designer friendly.

I think a tool for building code in a more visual way is needed.

A tool automatically creates the code in a much more visual way.

Im thinking Flash 5/6 Action panel style.

I know this is only an minority of people who would properly need such a tool, but man i wish Adobe would think of the minority.

[kglad]

you failed to mention html5/canvas and you posted in the as3 forum.  even your last message mentions as3 so you're misleading responders.

[moved from Adobe Creative Cloud to Deployment for Creative Cloud for Team, Enterprise, & CS]

[ClayUUID]

And if you want things exactly like the old days, just download CS6 and develop AS2 documents. They still work perfectly well in current versions of Flash Player.