With release of a new authoring software and Web page content tool, two companies aim to give graphic artists more expedient ways to add some Flash.This week saw the release of two Flash tools focused on giving Web editors and designers easier and more economical alternatives to create and generate Flash for their Web pages.
Tivity Software LLC, a Birmingham, Ala.-based Web applications company, announced the release of Xtivity, a new Macromedia Flash (SWF) authoring application which gives less experienced developers and Web designers a quick way to add Flash to their Web sites.
John Barnes, Senior Technical Writer and Tivity Software spokesperson, said Xtivity enables users to create interactive media experiences visually as opposed to dealing with the coding involved in creating projects in Flash.
"In Xtivity, all of the back-end work is done for you, allowing you to focus on the design and interactivity of the project instead of the coding to make it work," Barnes said.
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"The tool gives users who have the creative aptitude but not the Flash experience a way to present their work in ways they could not before."
Xtivity provides users a visual layout environment where they can create and define Flash for content for their site. Using the layout style environment, users draw boxes, place content in the boxes, add actions to the boxes, and define what triggers the actions to start and stop, according to the release.
Xtivity comes with a broad Help System with several SWF examples for users, and step-by-step tutorials. The software also comes with a library of free graphics, masks, transitions, and other predesigned graphic elements.
Xtivity exports its projects as fully compatible SWF files, and once exported the files are no different than an SWF file exported from Flash. Users can also import SWF files rendered in Flash and have them load in as a movie in Xtivity, Barnes said.
Xtivity is available for a free 30-day trial download and can also be purchased at the company Web store and is priced at $399.
In other Flash news, Scotts Valley, Calif.-based e frontier America Inc. released MotionArtist 2.0, a Web-based content tool designed to enable users at all levels to add Flash animations, interactive buttons, banners and menus to their Web sites.
MotionArtist 2.0 comes with some built-in animation effects and over 800 pieces of ready-to-use content, according to the company.
Daryl Wise, spokesperson for e frontier said the software was originally written in Japanese, and this is the first English version. Wise also said the 2.0 release comes with added navigation tools and quick keys.
MotionArtist 2.0 features include: sound synchronization, drawing tools, and a content library with drag-and-drop capabilities. Wise said the release also gives users easier navigation through an enhanced user interface.
He also said that MotionArtist gives users the ability to import MP3 files, and then see them on a timeline in a waveform display for improved composition and synchronization.
MotionArtist 2.0 is priced at $49.99 and available for purchase only at the e frontier Web site. There is also a free demo available at this site.
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