Adobe Flash Catalyst (formerly known by its codename Thermo) is a designers' tool for creating the
user interface for
rich web application
A rich web application (originally called a rich Internet application, or RIA or installable Internet application) is a web application that has many of the characteristics of desktop application software. The concept is closely related to a sing ...
s (formerly known as Rich Internet Applications).
Development and sales of Adobe Flash Catalyst ended on April 23, 2012.
Features
With Flash Catalyst,
user interface architects can create the user interface for
Adobe Flex (now
Adobe Flash Builder 4) applications using Adobe graphics software. Then developers can use the result to build the rest of the application in Flex.
Flash Catalyst can import
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe Inc. for Microsoft Windows, Windows and macOS. It was originally created in 1988 by Thomas Knoll, Thomas and John Knoll. Since then, the software has become the indu ...
,
Adobe Illustrator,
Adobe Fireworks, or Flash XML Graphics (
FXG Flash XML Graphics (FXG) is a specification for an XML-based graphics file format for describing two-dimensional vector graphics developed by Adobe Systems. FXG was planned as a graphics interchange format for cross-application file support, to b ...
) files keeping all their features. The converted artwork can then be used as functional UI components (creating Flex component skins). After importing, users use simple
WYSIWYG techniques to create and edit behaviors (mouse event handling, etc.) without writing code and create animated transitions. Flash Catalyst can also use design-time data placeholders when marking up an application, testing interactivity, and choreographing motion. These placeholders can then be replaced at production-time with final artwork. This same method can be used to create UIs to handle dynamic data without having access to the actual data source.
Imported objects are maintained as linked files, so behaviors created in Flash Catalyst are still maintained even after the original file is edited in its originating program (e.g., Photoshop or Illustrator). Flash Catalyst is also compatible with
Adobe Flash Builder (formerly called "Flex Builder"), using the same project format.
In addition to its primary function of being a
GUI composer for Adobe Flex components, Flash Catalyst also features a basic code workspace, which consists of a subset of Adobe Flash Builder's panels. Both tools being based on
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ce ...
, the code editor, project navigator and problems view are basically the same in both products.
See also
*
Criticism of Creative Cloud
External links
*
Adobe Catalyst Usergroup UK
{{Adobe Flash
Flash Catalyst
Adobe Flash Catalyst (formerly known by its codename Thermo) is a designers' tool for creating the user interface for rich web applications (formerly known as Rich Internet Applications).
Development and sales of Adobe Flash Catalyst ended on Ap ...
Flash Catalyst
Adobe Flash Catalyst (formerly known by its codename Thermo) is a designers' tool for creating the user interface for rich web applications (formerly known as Rich Internet Applications).
Development and sales of Adobe Flash Catalyst ended on Ap ...