Prepress
Adobe Releases Flash Platform Media and Text Frameworks as Open Source
Tuesday 21. July 2009 - Core Open Source Flash Technologies Now Available for Media Player Creation and Text Layout
Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced two new Adobe Flash Platform open source initiatives for developers, media companies and publishers. Open Source Media Framework (OSMF), part of the project previously code named Strobe, enables developers to quickly and easily build more robust, feature-rich media players optimized for the Adobe Flash Platform. The Text Layout Framework (TLF) will help developers bring sophisticated typography capabilities to Web applications. Both OSMF and TLF are now freely available as open source software, helping content owners extend their online media efforts as they look to create new business opportunities and monetization strategies for publishing on the Web.
Establishing an Open Industry Standard for Media Player Development
OSMF is the open source part of the Strobe project that enables easy-to-build media players optimized for the Adobe Flash Platform.
The flexible OSMF architecture enables developers to easily create unique playback experiences that can leverage plug-ins for advertising, reporting metrics and content delivery along with standard video player features such as playback controls, video navigation, buffering and Dynamic Streaming. OSMF provides standard functionality along with plug-ins from third parties so content providers have the flexibility to adapt monetization strategies to specific content and the needs of their audiences.
OSMF includes an API for partners to build plug-ins for value-add services. OSMF will enable more innovation around media experiences on the Web by allowing partners to easily experiment with new services for content providers, which spans content delivery, presentation and monetization.
OSMF source code and pluggable software components are available immediately under the Mozilla Public License and available.
Adobe and Akamai Collaborate on Open Video Player
Akamai has joined Adobe to advance the industry toward a widely adopted, cohesive standard for media players that support Adobe Flash Platform technologies. Akamai and Adobe are collaborating on the Open Video Player initiative, previously founded by Akamai, and the release of OSMF technologies. The goal is to ensure a consistent framework for media player development that enables developers, publishers, content owners, corporations and others to more quickly and easily build new video players that create and sustain profitable new business models. By providing all the components for media player development, the combined efforts will help strengthen the industry shift towards open standards.
Text Layout Framework Leverages Adobes Legendary Publishing Expertise
TLF goes beyond what is possible for Web text layout using HTML and CSS technologies today, with support for complex languages, bidirectional text, multi-columns and other advanced typographical features and controls. TLF is an extensible ActionScript library built on top of the text engine in Adobe Flash Player 10 and Adobe AIR 1.5 software. Source code and component library for TLF are available as open source at no charge under the Mozilla Public License
Examples of TLF in action:
The New York Times TimesReader 2.0 and The Boston Globes GlobeReader Powered by Adobe AIR, TimesReader 2.0 and GlobeReader leverage the text reflow capabilities, multiple columns and top-notch typography features of TLF.
Acrobat.com Presentations A new service from Adobe that provides people with a better way to create, edit and share presentations together online. Built on the Adobe Flash Platform, Acrobat.com Presentations looks and behaves like a desktop presentation application but operates inside a Web browser. The open source TLF is used for all the text objects in the slides.
makebook makebook makes extensive use of TLF for functionality such as multi-column text flows and automatic text wrapping around inline images to deliver an online, creative authoring network that makes it easy for users to write, share work with family and friends and then publish online worldwide.
Quotes
Dave McAllister, director of standards and open source, Adobe Systems
“Adobe is committed to providing core Flash Platform technologies to the community as open source,” said Dave McAllister, director of standards and open source at Adobe. “By releasing OSMF and TLF as open source, we are helping facilitate the creation and sharing of best practices for media players and rich text-based Web application development. We believe these efforts will strengthen the industry and lead to the next generation of Web applications, content and video experiences.”
Tim Napoleon, Chief Strategist, Digital Media, Akamai
“Open Source Media Framework complements and solidifies Akamais Open Video Player initiative,” said Tim Napoleon, chief strategist, of digital media at Akamai. “OSMF leverages code from Akamais Open Video Player and Adobe’s expertise and resources to assist media companies and publishers in redefining the benchmarks for online video experiences that are powered by standards based workflows.”
Mark Stanley, founder of makebook
“APIs that are standard in the open source Text Layout Framework from Adobe gave us a jumpstart as we leveraged the high-end components for makebook.com,” said Mark Stanley, founder of makebook. “With TLF we can more easily provide our customers with quality typography features and the text layout control they require for their self-publishing projects.”