About the History of Flash Animation
Flash has become a ubiquitous tool used to liven up web pages with sharp animation and interactive elements. Its ease of use has made it popular for animating amateur videos and games, while its speed and universal use have made it standard for professional web designers.
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Background
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Flash's creator, Jonathan Gay, began programming in high school after rethinking his dream of becoming an architect. Early on, he created a graphics editing program that impressed the judges at his high school science fair. At a Microsoft Users Group meeting, Gay's father boasted about his son's talent to the group's organizer, who asked Gay to join a software company he was starting. Gay was able to pay for his college education with the money he made from programming games.
Precursors
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After college, Gay began devoting his time to developing new drawing software, including SuperPaint II and Intellidraw. He started his own company called FutureWave and created SmartSketch, a program that took advantage of new technology that allowed users to draw directly on the screen with an electronic pen. When GO, the company marketing this technology, failed, FutureWave needed to find a new use for their software.
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World Wide Web
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By 1995, the Internet attracted Gay's attention, and FutureWave began thinking about ways to unite their software with Java's ability to render online animation. They produced the FutureSplash Animator, a slow early version of Flash.
Early Success
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Despite a failed attempt to sell their software to Adobe, FutureSplash Animator had some initial success. Microsoft used the program to create MSN Online, and Disney used it to power part of their website.
Ownership
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In 1996, Macromedia purchased FutureWave and rebranded the FutureSplash Animator as Flash. Macromedia Flash went through eight versions until Adobe Systems bought Macromedia in 2005 and released Flash as part of its Creative Suite Three package two years later. Adobe Flash CS5 was released in April 2010.
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References
- Photo Credit computer image by blaine stiger from Fotolia.com
