FutureSplash Animator

FutureSplash Animator was a software product for creating vector-based animations, the predecessor of Flash. It was developed by FutureWave Software, a small software company whose first product, SmartSketch, was a vector-based drawing program for pen-based computers. In 1995, the company decided that they should add animation capabilities to their product and deploy it over the burgeoning World Wide Web. The only way to create such animations on the web at the time was through the use of Java, but this was quickly replaced with the debut of Netscape's plug-in architecture. The product was released as FutureSplash Animator in May 1996.

The technology was used on several big-name websites such as Microsoft's MSN, Fox's official "The Simpsons" website and Disney's Disney Daily Blast. At this point, the company consisted of six people. As Disney also used Macromedia's Shockwave player, this provided a connection to Macromedia, which approached FutureSplash about working together. In December 1996 Macromedia bought FutureWave, and FutureSplash Animator became Macromedia Flash 1.0.

Macromedia Flash later (2005) became Adobe Flash -- see the Adobe Flash article for further history and information.

The file format was SPL and FutureSplash animations can be viewed with new versions of Adobe Flash Player.

External links

* [http://www.adobe.com/macromedia/events/john_gay/ The History of Flash] by Jonathan Gay
* [http://flash-ascript.blogspot.com/2007/06/first-steps-of-flash-futuresplash.html Download] FutureSplash Animator
* [http://www.4dm.com/files/tech/blue.htm Demo from FutureSplash]

See also

* Adobe Flash
* Flash animation