Flash MX

For those of you who are slightly behind Macromedia has just launched their newest version of their flash authering sodtware Flash 6 or as they are calling it MX. But after fiddling round with it I've noticed that it has a template option :(

IMHO Flash is one of the best web-design tools because of the stunning results you can achieve along with the high level of user interaction. Plus due to the natiure of the prog every site was as different as the people who had spent time creating them! It used to take weeks of hard work getting your site to look just the way you wanted - carefully writing the action script for the different functions and making every graphic look just right.

But I'm afraid that with the introduction of these templates that soon we will see a flood of flash sites all of which look the same :( Any one will be able to produce their own flash site without having to put the effort oin to learn how to use the prog properly.....

I know these sites will never look as good as ones made by proper flash designers but I can imagine these templetes catching on like geocities geobuilder and the like....

What do the rest of you think??? templetes a good or bad idea??

v_Ln

Templates are a great idea to help people like me who are absolutely useless at using tools like flash (I can't draw, design or animate to save my life!). However, like the Frontpage templates, they cause a rash of sites to appear that all look the same.

Hopefully people will use the templates until they find their feet and then go off and create something new and exciting, as there could be lots of untapped talent out there that doesn't get the spark it needs to set it going because people are afraid of tools like Flash because they look so complicated.

Perhaps a time limit should be imposed on templates so they stop working after 30 days? :D

heh good idea - just make the templates only available in the trial/evaluation copy of flash which lasts 30days - that way peps will buy it thinking "yeah easy way to make a flashsite" then when they get the full version no templates - they'll be forced to learn how to use it and might actually make original and intresting sites that will be a pleasure to surf ||insert evil laugh here||

v_Ln

knowing flash and action script i think its a great idea if u c a site u like the look of and they have a template grab it and modify it for your self but for lazy ppl we will be seeing a rash of flash sites looking the same? i have 4 flash books behind me so its not the easiest thing to master but when u do its well worth it
RiOtEr

Quote:

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not the easiest thing to master but when u do its well worth it

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yeah as far as I'm concerned flash has to be the best web-development tool out there - its so diverse and with alot of time/hard work and a good helping of skill you can make some truely fantastic looking sites.........it was only limited in the past by slow download times but now with people getting faster connections all the time this is no longer such a prob :)

I just don't want to see such a good software product being over-run by a bunch of kiddies who all churn out the same rubbish time after time......

v_Ln

I have noticed the increase in flash "items" since developing in Flash became popular. It used to be only the web 31|73 could use and actually produce such works... :stupid templates: that is why I hate Front Page so damn much... It is for stupid people who whine when someone tells them to actually LEARN the language...