Director MX 2004 ships

Macromedia today began shipping , the latest version of its multimedia authoring tool. It adds support for JavaScript, Macromedia Flash MX 2004 content, DVD-Video playback, and the ability to create projector files for both Mac and Windows platforms in one simple step. New versions are $1,200 while upgrades are $400 from v8.5 or MX. It runs on Mac OS X 10.2.6 or later. It is available immediately for download, while French, German, and Japanese versions are expected to ship in March.

"Macromedia Director MX 2004 furthers the product's rich legacy by adding
features that directly address developer requests to work more efficiently
and utilize the latest technologies available," said Miriam Geller, director
of product management, Macromedia. "Director MX 2004 greatly eases
development and enables users to create richer content through a seamless
workflow with other MX 2004 products and support for standards like
JavaScript and DVD-Video."



Macromedia Director MX 2004 can deliver content to CD, DVD, intranets, kiosks, or the Internet, offering support for most major video, audio, bitmap, 3D, and vector formats. It also incorporates extensive video capabilities, which allow developers to incorporate video files in DVD-Video, Windows Media, RealMedia, QuickTime, and Flash Video formats. The DVD-Video functionality will enable developers to embed, control, and playback DVD-Video content within multimedia projects. This version also supports Director's Xtras plug-in architecture that enables developers to extend both the application and playback to add nearly limitless functionality.



Director MX 2004 also features tighter integration with other products and servers in the Macromedia MX family. In addition to adding support for Flash
MX 2004, Director also has the ability to launch and edit both Flash and
Fireworks as well as supports the Flash MX 2004 component architecture--with a a subset of the Flash MX 2004 components available for use in Director. Flash content can be integrated into Director projects. Macromedia also said thta Flash performance within Director projects has been dramatically improved over previous versions. Like other MX 2004 products, the workspace is entirely customizable and Director now lets users customize both the stage and the movie-in-a-window docks for better workspace management.



The company also added new functions for improved productivity: interactivity within projects can now be scripted using JavaScript, Lingo, or a combination of both. The ability to name sprites and channels allows content producers to more easily track content within a project. Director MX 2004 also supports direct publishing to both Mac and Windows, and online,
across different platforms in one simple step.

by MacNN Staff