Adobe CS4 is the newest version of an old developer favorite. Is this version worth the upgrade cost? Can a newbie learn how to design animation with ease?
Introduction
Adobe has long been a part of the web development resource community. With the introduction of their Adobe CS (Creative Suite) 4, the newbie web developer will have the resources to design his or her very own niche on the web with ease and an entirely new approach to animation.
The Brass Facts
The cost of the Abobe CS4 remained the same as the Flash CS3 version. For first time buyers, the software will cost about $699.00 with an upgrade cost of $199 for owners of previous CS version of Adobe.
When first starting the software, the user will notice the elegance of the workspace. A far improvement from the CS3 version of Adobe, the added design tools make the creation of intricate works of digital art a breeze.
Versus CS3
In previous version of Adobe, the user was forced to create a symbol and then manually apply keyframes and tweens. CS4 offers an integrated symbol definition software that defines the symbols for the user. This helps to decrease the time needed to design with the software. Add that to the Create Motion Tween, an automatic time span creativity tool and the software truly becomes functional for the most novice of users.
Functionality has been increased as well with the new Adobe CS4 release. The user is able to choose between various tabs to utilize more than one creation at a time and the integration of a drop down menu allows the user to move between workspaces with ease. Pulled from Photoshop and After Effects, hot text editing is included with the CS4 version of Adobe.
Streaming and More
Adobe also addressed the need for faster streaming with the integration of the Adobe Media Encoder. The encoder allows the user to create H.264 content. This content streams quickly even with a slower Internet connection.
Another much appreciated inclusion in the software is the Adobe AIR. The AIR software allows web developers to create applications for the Web without ever leaving their desktop. AIR even allows the user to create transparent background applications.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Adobe has impressed web designers yet again. This version is perfect for the newbie to the world of Adobe design. However, if the user decides to begin their web development and design journey with CS4, it is advised they purchase a user guide to learn the basic of Adobe before jumping into the animation software.
New designing tools include 3D Translation, 3D Rotation, Bones (inverse kinematics animation) and Deco (repetitive animation).