My Most Fond Software 🥰

Look what I picked up in 2025. It will take it's rightful place of inspiration on our office shelf.

#Pleasant Surprise

Recently I ran across a youtube channel for an animation studio and was happily shocked to see that they were still using Macromedia Flash MX as their tool of choice. Exit73Studios Youtube Flash MX Streams

That’s right… Macromedia.. this is before the Adobe takeover which eventually re-rolled the software into what we know today as Adobe Animate. Those of you who used the former and latter know who’s boss… and those who didn’t… it’s MX.. MX is boss.

#Down History Lane

I wanted to take a moment to write about my personal connection with Macromedia Flash MX. It was the first software I ever purchased and if my memory serves correct it was also the first item I ever purchased on Amazon. We’re talking about the year 2002 or something like that, so about 22 years ago. I purchased the entire studio package that time, Macromedia Studio MX. It came with a few software packages like Firework MX and Dreamweaver MX. During those days I aspired to get into web development so Dreamweaver and Fireworks were the intended apps of use with whatever this Flash MX thing was to be left collecting dust….. but boy did it go the other way.

It was the teenage age of the internet, where things were pretty wild but not as toxic and serious as the current state. There were plenty of website instead the few giant social media platforms and people were paving their way and leaving their own individual mark with their creativity and Flash MX turned out to be the perfect vehicle.

One of my first freelance gigs was to create a dynamic menu for Metallica’s website. To note, I was not hired directly by the group but by their webdev at the time… and maybe hired is not the proper word because I realized that I knew nothing of Flash and would not be able to complete the project in time, so I had to swallow my at-the-time young adult pride and exit the project. This failed attempt was pivotal as it was my introduction to Flash.

I would one day like to talk about the many projects I undertook in Flash as each one inched me from the technical side to a more artistic one. I will probably make a dedicated blog post about it soon as it culminating in the decision to become a character animator which shaped my life as I know it today. Had it not been for Flash MX so many things would be different for me and for you as well. The internet of yesterday thrived on it, maybe too much so as it was used for everything and it’s eventual lack of security features marked it’s demise. But dead it is not! It functions great on both Windows and Mac (via wine: windows emulator) A handful of years ago Adobe made the serial numbers to Flash MX available online to people who purchased it in the past (a google search away), thus allowing the legacy to continue although in a now somewhat of a niche community. I’m proud to be a member of this community and have even recently re-purchased a rare unopened copy of Macromedia Flash MX to take on the mantle of "nostalgic motivator" on our office shelf.