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Adobe Demos Flash to HTML5 Conversion Tool

38 points by cosgroveb 16y ago

alanh 16y ago
It appears that it is specifically converting to SVG (+ javascript animation), given the speaker’s comments about how high-res (not PNG or <video>) and not computationally expensive (not <canvas>) the exported graphics are.
- cosgroveb 16y ago
  Yeah. I originally put "HTML5" in scare-quotes in the submission title for this reason. It seems like anything sweet we can make our browsers these days inevitably gets labeled "HTML5" even if it's not!
  - seanalltogether 16y ago
    Same thing happened when "AJAX" came to mean any kind of dynamic webpages. People like having these big bucket reference points in technology.
sosuke 16y ago
I know many folks saw this and the Adobe Edge tools as something Adobe would be creating in the future but it is really nice to see them in action already and I can't wait to get my hands on the first release build to take a look at just what they are kicking out code wise.
deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
- jasonlotito 16y ago
  Strange? Adobe, and Macromedia before that, has a long history of supporting standards. Does no one remember WaSP and the Dreamweaver Task Force[1]? Their was a LOT of support put into Dreamweaver (and other applications) for standards based code a long time ago, and they've constantly improved. Is it really just a case of people forgetting (or never knowing)? Maybe all the Flash controversy made people forget the fact that Adobe isn't just about Flash. 1. http://www.webstandards.org/press/releases/2008-03-10/ http://www.webstandards.org/press/releases/2008-03-10/
random42 16y ago
Its heartening to know how adobe is trying to co-exist with HTML5. Their revenue model historically based upon flash content tools, and not flash as technology. and Now they are focusing their energies to make better tools for HTML5, not fighting it.
- jasonlotito 16y ago
  Now they are making tools for HTML5, not fighting it? They've been doing this for a long time (Macromedia before that with Dreamweaver and WaSP with the DW Task Force). I mean, anyone who knows the history of the company saw this coming. And no, I don't imagine their revenue model being based on Flash content tools. Adobe is much more than just Flash.
  - random42 16y ago
    Yeah they are. My comment meant for "their revenue model wrt flash".
    - jasonlotito 16y ago
      Ahh, gotcha. That makes more sense. =) But even still, I think they have a big leg up here. Imagine being a Flash developer, and Flash suddenly supporting HTML5. You can take what you've learned and leverage it against new tech. Instead of Flash authoring tools just authoring for Flash, now they can support all these cool open standards. If anything, that's a great justification for using Adobe products.
cmelbye 16y ago
Historical fun fact: Flash Professional used to export Java, as that was the relevant runtime of the day. Tools evolve to meet viewer demands. Anyone else notice that "fun fact"? Sounds more like Adobe's way of implying that HTML5 might just be a "fad".
- jasonlotito 16y ago
  No. I think it's their way of reminding the population that Adobe creates tools that other people can use to create what they want. People seem to think that Adobe is against standards, when the truth is they've been working a long time to support standards in their products. That doesn't mean they only support standards. Of course, I don't know anyone who does.
neovive 16y ago
Prior to the purchase of Macromedia, Adobe was actually a large proponent of SVG. See http://www.adobe.com/svg http://www.adobe.com/svg. Adobe tried to compete directly with Flash with products such as LiveMotion and the SVG exporter for Illustrator. After the Macromedia purchase, Adobe's SVG investments clearly dwindled. However, in light of new competition, SVG may once again prove its worth.
willheim 16y ago
I don't see any interactivity with it. That's the problem I see. Otherwise it's a scrolling animated movie. When I see an interactive RIA so easily converted to HTML5 then I will be impressed.
sil3ntmac 16y ago
Ah, this might be bad news for http://smokescreen.us http://smokescreen.us I've been watching them hopefully for a couple months, and it's been looking pretty good (see the demo of Strongbad in js here: http://smokescreen.us/demos/sb45demo.html http://smokescreen.us/demos/sb45demo.html ), but unless they end up with a better product than the code Adobe rolls out, their program will probably get little use. If it wasn't supposed to be open source, I could suggest he sell it to people with noncurrent versions of CS who didn't want to upgrade, but just wanted the HTML5 export feature.

38 points by cosgroveb 16y ago

alanh 16y ago

It appears that it is specifically converting to SVG (+ javascript animation), given the speaker’s comments about how high-res (not PNG or <video>) and not computationally expensive (not <canvas>) the exported graphics are.

cosgroveb 16y ago
Yeah. I originally put "HTML5" in scare-quotes in the submission title for this reason. It seems like anything sweet we can make our browsers these days inevitably gets labeled "HTML5" even if it's not!
- seanalltogether 16y ago
  Same thing happened when "AJAX" came to mean any kind of dynamic webpages. People like having these big bucket reference points in technology.

sosuke 16y ago

I know many folks saw this and the Adobe Edge tools as something Adobe would be creating in the future but it is really nice to see them in action already and I can't wait to get my hands on the first release build to take a look at just what they are kicking out code wise.

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

jasonlotito 16y ago
Strange? Adobe, and Macromedia before that, has a long history of supporting standards. Does no one remember WaSP and the Dreamweaver Task Force[1]? Their was a LOT of support put into Dreamweaver (and other applications) for standards based code a long time ago, and they've constantly improved. Is it really just a case of people forgetting (or never knowing)? Maybe all the Flash controversy made people forget the fact that Adobe isn't just about Flash. 1. http://www.webstandards.org/press/releases/2008-03-10/ http://www.webstandards.org/press/releases/2008-03-10/

random42 16y ago

Its heartening to know how adobe is trying to co-exist with HTML5. Their revenue model historically based upon flash content tools, and not flash as technology. and Now they are focusing their energies to make better tools for HTML5, not fighting it.

jasonlotito 16y ago
Now they are making tools for HTML5, not fighting it? They've been doing this for a long time (Macromedia before that with Dreamweaver and WaSP with the DW Task Force). I mean, anyone who knows the history of the company saw this coming. And no, I don't imagine their revenue model being based on Flash content tools. Adobe is much more than just Flash.
- random42 16y ago
  Yeah they are. My comment meant for "their revenue model wrt flash".
  - jasonlotito 16y ago
    Ahh, gotcha. That makes more sense. =) But even still, I think they have a big leg up here. Imagine being a Flash developer, and Flash suddenly supporting HTML5. You can take what you've learned and leverage it against new tech. Instead of Flash authoring tools just authoring for Flash, now they can support all these cool open standards. If anything, that's a great justification for using Adobe products.

cmelbye 16y ago

Historical fun fact: Flash Professional used to export Java, as that was the relevant runtime of the day. Tools evolve to meet viewer demands. Anyone else notice that "fun fact"? Sounds more like Adobe's way of implying that HTML5 might just be a "fad".

jasonlotito 16y ago
No. I think it's their way of reminding the population that Adobe creates tools that other people can use to create what they want. People seem to think that Adobe is against standards, when the truth is they've been working a long time to support standards in their products. That doesn't mean they only support standards. Of course, I don't know anyone who does.

neovive 16y ago

Prior to the purchase of Macromedia, Adobe was actually a large proponent of SVG. See http://www.adobe.com/svg http://www.adobe.com/svg. Adobe tried to compete directly with Flash with products such as LiveMotion and the SVG exporter for Illustrator. After the Macromedia purchase, Adobe's SVG investments clearly dwindled. However, in light of new competition, SVG may once again prove its worth.

willheim 16y ago

I don't see any interactivity with it. That's the problem I see. Otherwise it's a scrolling animated movie. When I see an interactive RIA so easily converted to HTML5 then I will be impressed.

sil3ntmac 16y ago

Ah, this might be bad news for http://smokescreen.us http://smokescreen.us I've been watching them hopefully for a couple months, and it's been looking pretty good (see the demo of Strongbad in js here: http://smokescreen.us/demos/sb45demo.html http://smokescreen.us/demos/sb45demo.html ), but unless they end up with a better product than the code Adobe rolls out, their program will probably get little use. If it wasn't supposed to be open source, I could suggest he sell it to people with noncurrent versions of CS who didn't want to upgrade, but just wanted the HTML5 export feature.