Flash CS4 came out with some pretty good new features, but there is always room for improvement. This is a list of features I would like to see, either in Flash CS5 or the next couple of versions.
- Crisper 3D graphics
- Authortime Pixel Bender filters (imported to Library and available in Filters Panel)
- Diffusion curves
- MIDI support (including MIDI events in ActionScript)
- Illustrator’s Glyph Panel
- Independent X, Y, Z keyframes (behaving like every other property curve)
- Ability to parent one MovieClip to another (instance-based, author-time, like parenting in After Effects)
- 3D depth sorting
- Abilty to toggle “Layer” blending independent of blending mode or filter
- Motion Tweens and Classic Tweens on the same layer
- Ability to import WMA and WMV files
- Polystar Tool options inside Properties Panel
- Polystar Primitive (with Corner Radius, Inner Radius, etc.)
- Better embedded video (treat like a normal Graphic symbol, large range of file types)
- Faster IK bone rendering
- Ability to sync MovieClips to the timeline (through some checkbox option)
- Ability to change Graphic symbols’ Play/Loop/Frame settings mid-tween (maybe even keyframed in Motion Editor)
- Mutiple eases per property per tween span
- Better AS3 IK bone access
- Smoother DisplacementMap filtering (similar to problem with 3D graphics and pre-“stage corps” filter rendering)
- Easier quadratic curves in Motion Editor
- Ability to exceed 100% in the “Advanced” Color Effect (left column)
- Custom easing for Shape Tweens
- Better color picker (like Photoshop’s)
- Anti-aliased Dynamic Text
- Ability to toggle between constraining proportions and constraining values themselves in the Transform Panel’s “scale” property (the latter was the behavior in older versions)
- Bring back “Bold” and “Italic” properties for all fonts inside Properties panel (though can be listed as “Faux Bold” and “Faux Italic”)
- Better skewing of text
- Make selecting Tween Spans the same as selecting other frames by default (frame-based)
- Access of Shape properties in ActionScript (an inverse to the Drawing API)
- More hardware-acceleration… stuff
- Muting of individual sounds and/or layers with sound
- Better component skinning
- “Angle” setting for blur (to make it bi-directional)
- For loops in Pixel Bender. I mean, seriously…
- Special blurs for different properties (rotation, skew, scale, etc.) to simulate motion blur
- More realistic smoothing on the Paintbrush tool
- Illustrator's symbolism tools (shifter, scruncher, sizer, spinner, stainer, and screener)
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