Proposal to Adobe for a Core Animation Library
Go calls for a common AS3 animation library. But take another step back and it’s apparent that there’s no common thread at the product level either. Flash, Flex and After Effects all support ECMA-based motion-scripting capabilities, with nary a stripe of animation code in common.
Diagram: Current Situation
I am proposing very simply that Adobe create a Core Animation Library that is portable between all of their products, and perhaps JavaScript. It wouldn’t define specifics like Flex’s MXML Effects syntax, but instead provide a set of common building blocks used by all animation systems (in many cases redundantly today).
Diagram: Proposed Core Library
For the record, I understand that this sort of proposal is a bit of a tall order to fill — Besides creating the new code base, it involves multiple product departments and some remodeling of existing libraries. However, one could argue that now would be the least painful, and most practical time to implement such a strategy as the Adobe suite continues to evolve.
Link: How does this proposal differ from the Go initiative?
Question: Would you be happy if Adobe provided such a system?
Drop a comment and voice your opinion!
Filed under: Go by mosesoak
40 Responses to “Proposal to Adobe for a Core Animation Library”
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It would be KILLER if I could apply my motion programming code to AE. All third-party packages for Flash have their issues/bugs. I’ve also seen and had to work on several projects that had as many as three different animation packages (in one FLA!). There’s been a need for core package for awhile. And if it extended across the CS suite, that would make life much easier.
I agree that this would be complex for Adobe to orchestrate, but the concept is a no brainer. Anyone who has had to work with multiple animation packages within the same project understands the issues that arise. To unify this into a core that could eliminate these conflicts would be a huge step in the right direction.
In regards to Adobe implementing this throughout CS. Animation packages represent a language for expressing motion in our interactive worlds. Within the Flash community we have had to learn many dialects. Creating a unified core throughout CS could enable a common dialect to evolve that could allow those that work in the various forms of motion graphics to speak the same language. This could lead to improved work flow and reduced development times. I’m all for it.
Thanks for putting this out there!
After working on Kuler and looking at various AS3 animation libraries some unification would be great. Thought it might be better to combine open source libraries that adobe could host as part of the corelib.
Thanks Graeme! (I would clarify too that this proposal is not intended to define any sort of unified syntax – just to provide all the building blocks currently coded in scads of similar ways across many different systems.)
definitely a great idea that should be implemented. let’s hope adobe listens.
yes, cross pollination as you describe it would be brilliant and hold untold benefits for coders who could leverage their skills in more places. Motion coding for AE is awkward at best.
Fantastic idea and desperately needed as the CS developing environment continues leverage so many different yet similar technologies. Plus it should go without saying that a core animation library could further inspire/enable more Flash developers to jump onboard with Flex and AIR. And wow, the idea of a common animation core between AE expressions and actionscript… just imagine how much slicker the convergence between broadcast and interactive could be!
I assumed (hoped) that Adobe was already working on improving their Tween classes since they hired Robert Penner and have really been outgunned by the available open source solutions.
What you’re suggesting sounds akin to mcTween and the JS Motion tween. I don’t know if Adobe could trump the current offerings of script.aculo.us, although having a common library would be great.
In addition to ease of workflow across all platforms, the excitement for me comes with the possibility of opening up the system to creative contribution. With a framework that spans all products, all of the platforms under that framework will benefit enormously. Designers might feel more inclined to dabble with script based code, advanced developers can enjoy creative contributions with a modular framework, and everyday users can code quickly and efficiently. The possibility alone of this reinvigorating the Exchange (aside from all the obvious points everyone has made above), is reason for Adobe to get behind this.
Moses, you should add Hydra to that diagram as well:)
You should also add Flash Lite as well.
At a Flash Coders meeting a couple of weeks back, an AE specialist (sorry forgot his name) came in and gave us a demo on reading AE metadata with Flash to have better control with video . Though still at it’s very infancy it was impressive and made absolute sense. My point being if this is a direction Adobe is willing to explore then it makes sense to build a library of common tools like animation bravo!
Yeh I agree common systems and syntax especially make for easier transitions. Such as Tweener AS2/AS3 it is pretty much the same for Flash versions which really helps in training and skillsets. But you are right going to Flex, AFterEffects, Javascript (although thtere is a Javascript Tweener JSTweener) etc all different animation systems.
I imagine it is quite hard to keep a level platform among different evolutions of the products but from what I can tell Flex and Flash animation is going more like Silverlight animation where there is no longer one timeline, but many timelines. There are no longer anmiatoins applied to objects directly there are containers that have animation properties that you associate with the objects/movieclips that can be associated to many objects.
Flash 10 also is goign to have IK bones and they did demo the tool but I have not see the video out there yet of it. Aral talked about this: http://aralbalkan.com/1072 But I do not see the video. Flash 10 ‘Astro’ is supposed to update the Tweening system, add bones, possibly make it native for faster inclusion and no downloading of extra kits.
But here is the problem… We can’t expect Adobe to do this but hopefully influence them that this is a great way to go and for their own benefit making a common base of tools to build off of like Go would be very cool included in the tools. Would Adobe to this right? Isn’t their Tween (FL) and Animator (FX) some of the slowest animation kits out there? Granted these are not native like other kits but in most comparisons I see them being dogs compared to the open source community. I agree we can influence them to change the core to include some of this such as basic tween equations, bones, filters, and a basic syntax but it needs to be pluggable so it can still flourish and grow.
I believe Adobe was a little influenced by Silverlight’s animation ‘Transitions’ that can be applied to ‘Storyboards’ that have no base timeline. What I did see of it was in Flex and it was very similar. IN any case I think bringing this stuff up does not hurt at all.
[...] Moses, the maker of FuseKit, is hoping to influence Adobe product lines to include a common base for…. Currently the AS3 world is very alive and is inspiring developers like myself to build lots of toolkits and really creating reusable code and kits that can make things very easy from going to Flash to Flex. But wouldn’t it be nice if a part of these kits that have to be downloaded every time you have an application use them be part of the native Adobe applications, or a core animation kit that partially standardizes animation basics to build upon further? Are we just asking for trouble or is this a good idea? I don’t’ think it can hurt to bring this to the surface. I know that common syntax and familiar kits can really help the developers and designers move from Flash to Flex to After Effects to Javascript, it could also help Adobe with usage and usefulness of their entire suite of products. Or further this could be a standard that allows Silverlight to also build upon (open standard) and may the best platform win. [...]
I am looking at this from two perspectives: as a developer, and as an instructor. From both sides, what Moses is proposing here would be a godsend. As others have already mentioned, it would also facilitate some unification between the various third-parties that are developing AS animation packages.
Absolutely brilliant idea… I really hope that Adobe listens!
I think it’s a great idea! although I only use Flash for the moment, if one day I’d need to code in Expressions or Flex, it would be incredible to find the same library/standards in those languages for everything related to animations.
I wholeheartedly support this proposal. It not only makes sense, but would encourage individual developers to leverage their skills in multiple Adobe products, which in the end means more sales for Adobe.
Thank you Moses, you’re always looking out for Flash Developer community.
A core animation framework would be awesome, I cant tell you the amount of time spent in both AE and in Flex/Flash. In a perfect world the tools would be very similar, and given the nature of how close AE and Flash are already this would only further push adoption of both packages.
Hey Moses, you’re really onto something here. I think cross-product integration is always something that Adobe can improve on any many areas.
Give us a call when you’re famous! Oh wait, you kind of are already
It’s an obvious thing to do, even with the projected trouble and effort in revising certain core elements of each package, it would almost guarantee adobe market leadership for decades!
I must admit the idea of a truly synchronized scripting language that moved between my Flash and After Effects files is something really worth getting one’s knickers in a twist for…
Listen to Moses Adobe!
I support this idea. I hate having to do through the intarweb to find a solution everytime I want to make things move pretty.
would be sweet yeah
i would love to see this. the Flex animation components really don’t do it for me, especially when i’m writing mainly AS3, and while there are open-source solutions available, each has pros and cons and each could use improvement.
this seems like adobe’s chance to really nail it, and the proposal for bringing said library inline with ECMA, for use across apps, is really great. imagine being able to develop animations in After Effects, and export them into an AS3 project! that would be truly incredible (even if only part of the feature set was supported).
You know I like the “One Ring” approach especially when I don’t have time to figure out other people’s systems. If this was embraced by Adobe it would make my life much easier. Coding did not get easier with AS 3.0 event though it is cleaner and more powerful. Flex is really not that “flexible” It would be nice to have a standard. Hopefully someone will listen.
-brian
brickabracka.com
Thanks everyone for your comments. I cannot clarify enough though, that what i have proposed is exactly the opposite of the “One Ring” solution you mention Brian. I am proposing a base library that does not define any syntax at all, it is only made up of building blocks.
For example, if there was a Core Animation Library that Flex could leverage, it would not change the way Effects works or its MXML syntax. For the end user everything would be just the same. All that would change is that the underlying code within Effects would be based on some common elements that were shared with other libraries, so that if you chose to use Paste Motion as XML, some of the internal classes that handle transforms and maybe a few other items like the event API would be shared.
I don’t know exactly how to make that point any clearer. There should of course always be absolute freedom to create or use whatever animation system suits your project needs the best. If a Core Animation Library limited that freedom it would be a complete failure.
So, nothing in my proposal means that exactly the same motion syntax would suddenly work in both After Effects and Flash. However, it’s a lot more feasible that some system could be ported to After Effects if the base library works in both programs.
I’m in.
This, along with something like Hyrda wrapped in, seems like a step in a very good direction.
This would be immensely useful for us. the idea of knowing I have one lightweight package to implement as many or as little components as needed to manipulate properties, push around 3D objects or implement physics would be dream. Let us know how we can help to make it a dream come true!
It’s simple. It’s clean. We need it!
It’s an excellent idea and actually a necessity. I’ll spend 3 days smiling when it does happen, but the sooner the better Adobe.
I agree I think its more of a necessity. Doing web development requires knowledge of working with several applications. Now that Adobe acquired Macromedia, pretty much all of my programs are part of the Adobe suite. Having something like this [Core Animation Library] would definitely knock down the learning curves between applications as well as increase collaboration efficiency.
I would echo the statement of others, it would be fantastic to use and a welcome improvement. I would imagine that there has to be persons within Adobe that are also working really hard towards a similar goal.
I have also spent enough time harassing really smart folks within Adobe about similar things to be able to guess what one of the first questions you will get in response to such a request: This is no small request, we are talking about considerable changes to a half dozen established applications, as paying users, is having a new “Core Animation Library” important enough to accept that it can’t be simply replaced in one release, that it may take several. How would you feel if the core engine was in place but you could no longer script half of the effects/tools you could in the previous releases?
Personally i love the idea, and i would be willing to accept a potentially large hit in scripting capabilities for a release cycle (which can be like 20 months), if i knew a rock solid Core Animation Library was being implemented. It better be really good tho, like candy.
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excellent idea moses!!! i definitely dig this approach!
looks like the vision of a bright future for all creatives…
really would be a dream coming true; let’s hope adobe is listening.
[...] proposal to Adobe for a Core Animation Library and after reading it I must say that I agree with it to it’s full extent. So be sure to check it [...]
I think you’ve got a really good point, the lack of unified methodology is outrageous.
Almog Kurtser.
In regards to Adobe implementing this throughout CS. Animation packages represent a language for expressing motion in our interactive worlds. Within the Flash community we have had to learn many dialects.
[...] should a CS4 user need to know so many syntaxes to make things dance around or produce transitions? Moses supposes propsed this over a year ago, and no movement has taken place on this AFAIK. Dont’ think its a big [...]
[...] should a CS4 user need to know so many syntaxes to make things dance around or produce transitions? Moses supposes propsed this over a year ago, and no movement has taken place on this AFAIK. Dont’ think its a big [...]
[...] should a CS4 user need to know so many syntaxes to make things dance around or produce transitions? Moses supposes propsed this over a year ago, and no movement has taken place on this AFAIK. Dont’ think its a big [...]