2018 Roadmap?

[dogofpavlov]

So last year around this time, there was a post asking for an update or a roadmap from Adobe about AIR. https://forums.adobe.com/message/9389104#9389104 Chris Campbell commented saying "We're working on our 2017 and beyond roadmap" and "I'll post back to the thread with our thoughts". Seeing as its now 2018, can we finally get that roadmap, or the thoughts?

[Colin Holgate]

Awesome post. I emailed Chris to pester him.

[rewb0rn]

Yes, please.

[dogofpavlov]

Hi Colin. Any chance you can email Chris again? As of this morning I noticed Flash Builder 4.7 and Scout are no longer available to be downloaded from the Creative Cloud nor are they anywhere online to download. I can understand FB4.7, but Scout is a big tell for me.   This is honestly freaking me out right now. Is Adobe about to announce EOL for AIR or something?

[Colin Holgate]

I could wait for the 1st anniversary of his post!

I haven't heard anything about AIR's future, but I'm on the Animate prerelease, and I know it has ongoing commitment. Hopefully AIR is the same.

Preran​ could you see if you have a way to find out if there will ever be another roadmap for AIR?

[Preran]

Hi Colin,

I am checking with the team. Will get back as soon as I have a response.

Thanks,

Preran

[Preran]

I checked with the team, and they have no recent announcement that has been updated, or have to make.

Thanks,

Preran

[dogofpavlov]

So the official word from Adobe is there is no announcement about the Road Map? Not sure what to make of that

[Preran]

What it usually means is that the team is sticking to their previous roadmap. I am not sure if there is anything else other than that.

[dogofpavlov]

I'm sorry maybe I'm confused. The link I posted when I created this thread shows Chris Campbell saying "We're working on our 2017 and beyond roadmap".... I interpreted that as literally "we are working on it".... aka "its coming soon".

SO... I'm at a loss for words when you say they are "sticking to the previous roadmap"... are you refering the ONLY roadmap? this one: roadmap   the one that was published 3 years ago with a last update about AIR 20? we are now on AIR 29....

[el111]

dogofpavlov​

Perhaps they mean this one that was posted like 6 months ago.

https://forum.starling-framework.org/topic/air-roadmap-update​

Many of the things on the list have been in recent versions of AIR and there looks to be some still left to come.

I don't get the need for constant reassurance.

[dogofpavlov]

You don't get the need for people to want some assurance in AIR? Hell, more times than not when I  see any cross-platform discussion on any news blog, they don't even MENTION AIR, regardless of how great I personally know it to be.  You know 100% what i'm talking if I were to say "the world hates flash"... there is a stigma against it, no matter how great I think it is, people are looking for it to die. My need for reassurance stems Adobes own admitted failure in marketing their products. Did you notice Flash Builder 4.7 and Scout are now listed  under "older apps" in the creative cloud app and are hidden by default?

There are TONS of people like me who would really really REALLY appreciate some sort of official update ( I guess you could call a post from Chris Campbel in the Starling Forum official), but even he mentioned they "hope to have our official Flash Runtime roadmap updated soon".... and as you noted that was 6 months ago.

I really do appreciate all the work Adobe has done with their AIR updates, I use them all the time. I guess I just want them to follow up on what they said they would do. Right now if someone is looking for the "AIR roadmap"... unless they can find that burried starling post they are going to wind up here: roadmap

[dogofpavlov]

I happened to also find a post here as well from Chris 6 months ago: AIR Roadmap Update  but he again mentioned they are working on the official one.

[ASWC]

FYI, Adobe staff silence or lack of straight answers and other users that don't get "the need for reassurance" sounds extremely familiar and is exactly what we could hear after the death of ASNext years ago when people like me were saying "Adobe just killed flash". For some reasons if it quacks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it looks like a duck, we can still find people that still don't think it is a duck .... Literally ALL THE SIGNS are here, AIR expiration date has already been set by Adobe, there will be no miracles.

[zwetan_uk]

el111  wrote

dogofpavlov

Perhaps they mean this one that was posted like 6 months ago.

https://forum.starling-framework.org/topic/air-roadmap-update

Many of the things on the list have been in recent versions of AIR and there looks to be some still left to come.

I don't get the need for constant reassurance.

Same I don't get the pestering and the need for reassurance

the roadmap is clear

https://forum.starling-framework.org/topic/air-roadmap-update

Many of you have asked for a roadmap update. We hope to have our official Flash Runtime roadmap updated soon, but until then I wanted to share some of the features we'd like to accomplish in our upcoming releases. As always, this list may change as we receive feedback from the community.

Support for 64-bit AIR – Windows Captive Only
AIR SDK installer on Windows
Desktop async texture upload
DirectX11 support for AIR desktop
Increase the GPU memory texture limit
Improved monitor and resolution settings for AIR Desktop
GPU render mode for AIR Desktop
Support for the latest SDK on iOS 11 and Android O
ASTC Support for mobile
VR/AR support for AIR apps
ANE support for Swift on iOS
METAL bindings for Stage3D
Motion detection for Android devices

When I read

Re: Adobe AIR 2017 Roadmap
Hi guys,

We're working on our 2017 and beyond roadmap, using the Starling thread that Daniel created and refreshed this year for inspiration.  I'll post back to the thread with our thoughts, but encourage those that haven't visited to take a look and see if any of the recent suggestions are appealing or provide feedback for items that haven't been posted.

and then

What it usually means is that the team is sticking to their previous roadmap. I am not sure if there is anything else other than that.

I understand that the roadmap did not change and that they keep working on it
eg. the roadmap is considered "2017 and beyond"
many features have already been implemented in the AIR SDK

or are in the current AIR SDK BETA, or will come to the next AIR SDK versions

People don't really need a new roadmap every year
look the AIR SDK is  updated quarterly: March, June, September, December
and so for many years now Flash Player and Adobe AIR feature list | Adobe Developer Connection

No need to raise FUD and other conspiracy theory about an AIR death.

[Leo Kanel]

some of the features we'd like to accomplish in our upcoming releases.

This is not a roadmap. A roadmap contains information about new releases and what work is going to happen for the next year.

Check unity: Unity - Roadmap  or maybe the even smaller team at game maker: https://help.yoyogames.com/hc/en-us/articles/231719448-RoadMap 

It is very clear what they are working on, when it will be released and it is also easy to get an answer from their communication team.

Literally all the technologies I work with, have already posted their roadmap for 2018 when AIRs official roadmap goes up to 2016 lol.

Don't get me wrong, I love AIR and I don't want to see it crash and burn, but I hate how they are treating it and us as devs. Making the whole thing feel like it is coming to an end.

Posting a damn roadmap will not cost a dime, it will make air devs a bit more confident about the sdk and they don't even have to stick to it. No one does. So that says a lot about how much time they want to spend on it.

[ASWC]

No conspiracy here, AIR is being handled by Adobe the same way Flash was. I agree there's no need for any roadmap because it has been the same for many years: maintenance.

[zwetan_uk]

It's not maintenance when new features are introduced on a quarterly basis

[ASWC]

I really don't see what new features that would be. Keeping current with new OS/platform requirements/capabilities is maintenance to me, while it can be called "new feature" by others I consider if it keeps the technology from becoming irrelevant it's no more than maintenance.

Eg. 64Bits, great, is it new feature or maintenance? Can AIR expect to stay relevant without 64bits? If yes then it is new feature, if no then it is maintenance.

[phonefusionryan]

I understand and I do appreciate Adobe's work and all the new AIR versions they release. I'm just simply asking for them to do what they said they would do. Literally in the post you quoted from he also says "We hope to have our official Flash Runtime roadmap updated soon".... so wouldn't it nice to see that? no? with the history of the Flash and stigma behind it it's seems pretty reasonable to me for people to be curious to its future besides a forum post.

[Colin Holgate]

For anyone not reading both topics, Flash Builder and Scout are still options in the Creative Cloud apps list, even if the online links are hard to find.

[RandomReado]

Both the apps are still there, you just need to enable the option "show older apps" within Preferences > Creative Cloud > Apps > Settings.

[dogofpavlov]

Wow thanks for pointing this out... It at least makes me feel better they are still listed here.

[dogofpavlov]

Ok so I finally found the place online to download Flash Builder 4.7 and Scout. Download Creative Cloud apps

Yes I think the issue is that the download links are not in the places most people would expect to find it.... and even after various google searches, its still very hard to find. I bet a lot of people will (like me), notice they have randomly disappeared from the Creative Cloud app and start assuming the worse, and have no idea Adobe secretly hide them away on 1 random download page. I've had Flash Builder installed for a few years and I 100% can remember multiple times download it from the Creative Cloud app.

Here is what someone may go through right now:

Realize Adobe randomly removed FB & Scout from the Creative Cloud App, go online to the Adobe Product Search where it clearly says "ALL PRODUCTS", "Search all products": Adobe products: desktop, web, and mobile applications | Adobe  type in "Flash Builder"  notice no results return

Notice the main product page for Adobe Flash Builder 4.7 for both the Standard and Premium has no download link anywhere... Adobe Flash Builder 4.7 Standard    Develop games and applications | Adobe Flash Builder 4.7 Premium   ... start a slight panic

Do a google search for "download Adobe Flash Builder 4.7" and be given a link to download the "Trail" of Flash Builder 4.7 here: downloads  ... panic a lil more.

Keep scrolling down the google search results and find another link which goes to the place I linked at the top of this post.... Panic subsides.

[Leo Kanel]

Preran's answer is more confirmation that nothing good is coming 😕 As a company we love and use AIR all the time but we are already working on a backup plan. All my team is going through training for unity and native development for the rainy days to come.

So sad that once again roadmap looks like it is dropped..