Flash Programming

[scottnj]

Does anybody know of any legal way to create Flash videos, games, and web apps without spending hundreds of bucks for the software.

In other words, is there a way to code it using notepad and then compile it?

[natsuki]

if you can get to know how a flash file is made then you can make your own flash files.

[epoclaen]

...is there a way to code it using notepad and then compile it?

The short answer is "no".

Adobe Flash is owned by Adobe and so there's no free and legal way to create flash content.

That said, there are one or two ways to create flash-like content but none that I see offer Flash's ActionScript programming for stuff like games. Buttons, simple animations, transitions and such only although Ididn't research this too far.

One is http://www.synfig.org/Main_Page.

http://www.effectgenerator.com/ seems to be a free online alternative for really simple stuff like banners and buttons.

[Sohail]

There's are some programs but you still have to pay a bit anyway, Flash is a very advanced program and I would say it's worth the price...

[port5900]

en...well yes you can. You will have to wright it in the Flex,(the open version). AS3 is wraped in the Flex programing language and is all free and Open Source
Link here:
http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/dis...6BE765B40D3B02

The problem is all the configuration and so forth might not be worth it. In the end you might jest be better of getting Flash.

If you live in the US or Canada you might be able to get the Student copy for $99
Link here:
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/open...tml?sdid=DQCSP

[sunils]

Thanks for the information port5900

[Laurimann]

Hey,

this problem has been around in my company also: the lisence is so expencive that we have to move the few lisenced versions from computer to computer and because we're a business there's really no way around...

[epoclaen]

Gah! I'm so stupid sometimes. Alright - most of the time.

The current version for creating Flash content is owned by Adobe but it was first owned and developed by Macromedia. As such, you can go to http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=flash to get a fairly old and less-developed (yet very functional) version for free.

If memory serves, Macromedia only took it as far as ActionScript 1.0 so it won't be quite as developed for programming but it's certainly going to give you 95% of the capabilities that you're looking for.