By Casandra Calo
Adobe Edge Animate is a part of the Adobe Edge Suite of HTML5 development tools that was released in September of 2012. The API is built on the Webkit rendering engine and works natively with standards-compliant HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript for the creation of animated content that will run seamlessly on desktops, tablets and mobile devices (including iOS), without the need for external browser plugins like Flash Player to play the content. It is aimed at non-programming and hybrid front-end designers who want to create interactive and/or animated web content for mobile and tablet devices that now no longer support the Flash Player. The interface is similar to Flash in that it offers a stage and a similar host of panels — tools, properties, timeline, elements, and library, and thus will feel very familiar to flash users.
“Adobe Edge Classroom in a Book, The official training workbook from Adobe Systems,” takes a step-by-step approach to training, with chapters in creating graphics and importing art, designing animation, refining animation and adding complexity, adding basic interactivity, embedding media and advanced interactivity, and publishing and responsive design. There are seven chapters, each with a guided, step-by-step lesson to give the student hands-on-experience in creating animated content with the material covered in the chapter. The pieces created include — an advertisement, an animated banner ad, an animated intro for a website for a tv series, an interactive photo gallery, an interactive music festival guide, and a responsive website. The instructions are all clear and concise, and, although HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and jQuery are briefly defined, I would prefer a bit more detail, as well as explanations aimed at people who are comfortable with hand-coding. There also could be more information about browser differences in regards to which HTML5 and CSS3 elements are supported along with the work-arounds for non-browser supported elements. The book is a good intro and good for creating a few interactive pieces, but you have to look elsewhere for more detailed explanations of the material covered.
