Content creators who don’t want to dabble in iPad development because it doesn’t support Flash video have something enticing them to come over to the other side.
Adobe, which is the company behind the universally accepted Flash video format, is the one bringing an easy solution to the table. Thanks to a newly released piece of software called Wallaby, users can now create something in Flash and then easily convert it into HTML5, the format that iPads and other mobile electronics use as a replacement for Flash.
While HTML5 is a direct competitor for Adobe, the company is now embracing an “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” mentality. The iPad is too big a device to just brush off, and since it will probably never receive the ability to play Flash content, Adobe wants people who create something for the platform to still go through its software.
The idea is people will still create their videos and content in Flash, thereby supporting Adobe, so they can reach the millions of people and devices where Flash is still the de facto online standard. But then when the time comes to make it iPad-friendly, you still go through Adobe, making it possible for the company to take a piece of the pie even though it has actually been systematically shut out of the iPad world.
Streaming sound, embedded text, and ActionScript, as well as some 3D effects, cannot be converted to HTML5 with the tool. However, all the basic features like layers, font embedding, scenes, images, and FrameSets are all easily converted from one format to the other.
Adobe recommends using Wallaby with iOS version 4.2 or later to prevent stability issues. It says earlier versions of the OS have bugs that prevent Wallaby-created videos from displaying properly.
