Developing with Flash Frameworks
Building websites in flash can be repetitive. Every project is different, yet, all retain common elements that can be used over and over again (deeplinking capabilities, asset loaders, preloaders etc...) these common elements must all be in place and working before you can really start getting into the nitty gritty of actually building the site, this can really eat into development time and cause untold heart ache if not done correctly. Thankfully, there is a truly remarkable AS3 framework which does all this grunt work for you (and does it extremely well), and in less than 10 minutes! It even generates the html that the swfs are embedded into along with the xml which feeds in the dynamic content. Its name is Gaia, and it’s a revolution for flash devs.
Some of its many features include:
- Simple API for Navigation, Transitions, Preloading, Asset Management makes development a snap!
- Deep Linking achieved through seamless integration with SWFAddress
- SEO Scaffolding makes Search Engine Optimization as easy as pressing a button
Generally, the majority of Flash frameworks out there are geared toward the backend, or require extensive actionscript knowledge to use. Gaia’s difference is it focuses more on the front end. Gaia’s learning curve is easy enough for novice Flash developers or designers, but still retains enough power to satisfy the more experienced Actionscript developers among us. It’s a massive step forward for flash frameworks, and we wait with baited breath for the next version upgrade.
