If you're still deciding whether to upgrade or not, or just perversely curious: A list of major new features in Flash CS4. Keep in mind the Flash CS4 is the first version of Flash to be retooled under the Adobe umbrealla. (Flash CS3 was released as an Adobe product but was designed at Macromedia.) In my opinion it represents the most significant change in Flash since it was released. For many people the first three features listed below will be reason enough to upgrade.
Inverse kinematics with the Bones tool
Perhaps the coolest new feature in Flash: Create chain-like animation effects with a series of linked objects, or quickly link a single vector shape into interconnected "bones" that swivel and move using the new Bones tool. This is a boon for creating all kinds of animations from "character" animations (think cartoons) to scientific simulations. Here's an example: http://www.onemotion.com/flash/spider/ Be sure to click on the spider and drag him around.
Motion editor
Allows you to precisely control numerous parameters of an animated object including rotation, size, scale, position, filters, and more. Refine easing control with graphical displays. Again another major improvement for designer and animators as Flash begins to add some sophisticated animated controls a la After Effects.
Motion presets
Allow you to jump-start tart your project with sophisticated prebuilt animations that can be applied to any object. Essentially Motion Presets are a a library of various animated effects you can apply to an object (symbol) to animate it. Even if you don't use it on a regular basis it can safely stimulate your own creative animation juices. Select from dozens of presets or create and save your own animated effects that you may have created or tweaked with the Motion Editor as presets. These are easy to use and you can also share presets with others.
Object-based animation
This is the new way to tween (animate various properties of an object): applies tweens directly to objects (symbols) instead of to keyframes. Automatically generates an animation path and allows you to modify the path. This is the new look of “tweening” in Flash, quicker then the previous version; automatically changes the object into a Movie Clip symbol and extends the timeline 24 frames; it also automatically produces the second keyframe for you. Cool new feature, and if you want to revert to the "classic style" of tweening, you can.
3D transformation
Animate 2D objects through 3D space with new 3D translation and rotation tools, which allow you to animate along the x, y, and z axes. Apply local or global transformation to any object.
Authoring for Adobe AIR (Adobe Integrated RunTime)
Deliver interactive experiences to the desktop with new integrated capability to publish to the Adobe® AIR™ runtime. http://www.adobe.com/products/air/
If you use Twitter, you probably know TweetDeck, and TweetDeck is an Adobe Air application. Flash CS4 allows you to create AIR applications as does Adobe Flex. More on Tweetdeck: http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/
XFL support
No, Flash is not supporting some renegade offshoot of the National Football League. XFL support however is aiding and abetting incestuous relations among the Adobe clan (gasp!) allowing you to take content from Adobe InDesign, or After Effects, save it as an .xfl file and import it in Flash and retain "file integrity". Will try to come up with some examples of this and will post more info...later. In the meantime: http://help.adobe.com/en_US/InDesign/6.0/WS2DECDF40-B6DA-40b6-804F-2703D6C6A460.html
Procedural modeling with Deco and Spray Brush new
Turn symbols into instant design tools. Apply symbols in a variety of ways: Quickly create kaleidoscope-like effects and apply fills using the Deco tool, or randomly spray symbols across any defined area using the Spray Brush. This is beefs up the designer tool chest in Flash, similar in functionality to the symbol sprayer tool in Adobe Illustrator.
Metadata (XMP) support
Add metadata to SWF files using the new XMP panel. Quickly assign tags for enhanced collaboration and better mobile experiences. (XMP is an RDF-based framework of Adobe Systems Incorporated that supports the embedding of metadata in application files.
More information on XMP is available here: http://www.adobe.com/products/xmp/overview.html
H.264 support
Flash now allows you to create and playback High Definition video, in addition to the other video formats previously supported.This is a big deal if you're a video geek, and with the cost of HD camcorders dropping we'll all soon be video geeks.
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