To view the demo in its own window, click here.

1. Open the following files:
a) /install_dir/sdks/3.5.0/bin/jvm.config
b) /install_dir/sdks/4.0.0/bin/jvm.config

2. Locate the following line found under # Arguments to VM:

java.args=-Xmx384m -Dsun.io.useCanonCaches=false

3. Increase the memory size to a larger value like the following example:

java.args=-Xmx512m -Dsun.io.useCanonCaches=false

The max you set this value to is determined by your available memory along with some workflow considerations but this should alleviate your heap issues and smooth out Flash Builder compilations considerably…

Some GIF, JS and PNG files also had the wrong extension. Once I realized that was the issue, I made use of this handy little tool, Renamer, to allow me to run a batch rename on the contents of the HTML folder which holds all the template files.

After the file names were fixed, it was just a matter of adding the images that were missing from the default theme and the generated docs were finally legible. Next step, create a custom theme using the default as a base and make these docs a little prettier

We work on a lot of cool and interesting projects and our office is located in one of the best places in the world, Venice Beach. If you want to learn more about the job offering, click here.

1. an 8GB memory upgrade kit
2. Official D-I-Y Instructions
3. Open work area
4. Screwdriver (the Husky HD-74501 works perfectly)

With all the necessities acquired, you can prep your MBP for surgery…

Once the bottom lid is removed, it’s time to remove the old memory…

With the memory slots clear, there’s nothing left standing in the way of the max out. Installation is super easy and should go without a hitch. But, if like me, your hand slips on insertion of the final upgrade chip (top) and you push the chip too quickly and it becomes wedged, don’t panic.

Just remove the little black pressure stabilization post which is likely what the chip is wedged against. Once you’ve done that, the chip should be easily removable. Click the thumbnail for a closeup view.

Once you have both chips firmly seated, you can replace the cover and reconnect all your cabling. Reboot and you should be greeted with the following after selecting About This Mac

1. For Eclipse, go to Eclipse -> Preferences -> Java -> Installed JRE
2. For Flash Builder, go to Flash Builder -> Preferences -> Java -> Installed JREs

Then, edit the selected Java VM, adding the following value for the Default VM Arguments field
-d32

This just forces the JVM to default to the 32-bit version. Once that’s been done, that error message should be no more…

The interface is dead simple. You basically have a split view. On the left is your library, filled with a variety of different actions that can be performed. On the right, is your workflow designer. You drag your desired actions from left to right to add them to your workflow. Drag/drop allows you to reorganize them in whatever order you choose. You can test the workflow via automator or you can compile an executable application.

Here’s the workflow I use to backup my the content from my trusty friend, Journler. Journler is a great application and although it’s no longer in production, the latest version is still downloadable and will continue to be supported.

If you want to customize the icon of your compiled application, do the following:
1. Right-click the application in Finder and choose Show Package Contents
2. Navigate to Content/Resources in the Finder window that pops up
3. If you don’t already have a *.icns version of your icon, use a free service like iConvert to create one.
4. Rename your desired icon to AutomatorApplet.icns
5. Replace the AutomatorApplet.icns in Content/Resources with your custom version

NOTE: If you ever need to make changes to your workflow, you’ll have to repeat the icon replacement process since your custom icon will be overwritten.

Whether you’re upgrading because you’re using BETA versions that change rather frequently or upgrading to the next major release, you don’t want to lose all your hard work invested in configuring your setup. Here’s how I handle it and hopefully it’s useful to you. If you have other cool ways to persist workflows between upgrades, please share them.

Workspaces

I’ve created a workspaces folder in a custom directory on my HD where I store all the workspaces I like to use with Eclipse-based IDEs. I separate them by IDE and then by purpose. So for Flash Builder, my workspace hierarchy is like this:

/workspaces
  /_fb4
    /air
    /as
    /flash
    /flex

This is where all of my IDE preferences and workbench layout settings are stored. Centralizing them here allows me greater flexibility when upgrading since I never have to worry about any changes to installation procedures overwriting my custom settings. Nevertheless, I backup my workspaces prior to upgrading and since their small text files it only takes a second to archive.

Documents Directory

On OSX, the Flash Builder installer creates an Adobe Flash Builder 4 directory in your Documents directory. The installation instructions advise you to uninstall any previous versions of Flash Builder before installing the new version. Following this advice will delete this folder if it already exists. So, be sure to back this up prior to uninstalling your current version. That way you can cherry pick anything you need after installing the new version.

Applications Directory

You should also backup up your program installation in your Applications directory for the same reasons as with the folder in your Documents directory. If you’ve heavily modified your install with additional plugins, etc., this is vital!

Plugin Restoration

Where are all my cool plugins? They got wiped during the upgrade process but if you followed my advice and backed everything up, you’ll be back up and running in a minute or two. There are generally (2) locations where plugin info is stored for Flash Builder. If you pull the data from your backups and place them in the following locations, you should have full access to all your plugins post-upgrade (provided they still work with the latest release)

#1 – /Documents/Adobe Flash Builder 4/.metadata/.plugins
#2 – /Applications/Adobe Flash Builder 4/plugins

Although this post is slanted more towards upgrading on OSX, it should be similar for other operating systems. Any issues, let me know…

First, this will be a rather lengthy pictorial of the last few days here in Amsterdam. For those that have never been, I’ll also share my insights and tips on visiting the city since I’m a seasoned pro now, LOL (4th time).

The City

Amsterdam is a really cool city. It hasn’t changed that much since my last visit about a decade ago. It has a good mixture of rustic Old European charm and 20th century modernism. It’s almost as vibrant as New York City but tends to slow down during the week around 2am

The locals are generally friendly and often find amusement in the confused faces of the American tourists. This is also definitely a bike-friendly city with a lot of the population opting for beach cruisers and mopeds over cars.

The city is filled with quaint little coffee shops, bars and restaurants where one can enjoy an evening of good conversation and more with friends.

Having traveled abroad during an era when technology wasn’t as prevalent, it’s always amazing to see how it has become so deeply integrated into the fabric of life. On that note, if you have an iPhone, (2) useful apps to have are ATM Hunter and Amsterdam GPS Guide. Both are free and can save you a considerable amount of time. ATM Hunter helps you to locate the nearest Geldautomaat so you can gain access to some local currency. Amsterdam GPS Guide provides offline maps for you to use to scour the city. These free apps will have you motoring about like a local in no time.

Here’s a list of some places, in no particular order, worth checking out when in Amsterdam:
- Kadinsky’s (several locations)
- Abraxas
- Supper Club
- Chipsy King
- Renee’s Croissants
- The Greenhouse
- Coffee Shop Reefer

Amsterdam also has its dark side so enjoy but be wary of your surroundings always. While you’re busy watching the sites, someone is always watching you. Should you feel drawn to de Wallen (RLD), try visiting first during the day then return after 10p when it comes to life. DO NOT take pictures of the girls in the windows and if a local approaches you talking about a “party”, politely tell him no thanks and keep moving (either dealer or thief).

Now, these are just a few of the things I’ve come to learn about the city over the past 2 decades of visits. Hopefully they’ll be helpful to 1st timers or those who have visited previously but a lot of time has passed since their last visit. If you think I’ve got it twisted, let me know.

The Conference

FITC was filled with many amazing presentations and workshops. Everything from audio to video to 3d to converting images into sound and even workflows for building iPhone apps with the forthcoming Flash CS5. While the general consensus was that the entire conference was outstanding, the talks by Mario Klingermann, Jared Tarbell and Ralph Hauwert seemed to rank high as the crowd favorites. Additional talks that peeked my interest were Joa Ebart’s overview of his open source project and Sam Agesilas’ preview of the forthcoming Orchid open source framework.

The Fellowship

This alone is worth the price of admission + trip. Being able to hang out with industry geniuses after all the tension of putting on a successful conference has passed is priceless. The post-conference wind down is often just a continuation of the past days’ events but in a much more relaxed and social environment.

Here we’re at the Hotel Ambasade participating in a linkup w/Flash Brighton hosted by Seb Lee-Delisle (a/k/a “Awesome”). Pictured from left to right are Jim Corbett, Grant Skinner and Sam Agesilas discussing the mobile platform.

Later on, Ralph Hauwert chimes in on a response to a question from the Flash Brighton group.

Stacy Mulcahy and Masakazu (Mash) Ohtsuka patiently awaiting their turns to share in the discussion.

Influxis co-founder, Richard Blakely, and Seb discussing Rich Media.

Adobe’s Lee Brimelow and Mike Chambers arrive on the scene to share in the festivities.

The evening was definitely off to a good start. Later that night, in a dark, subterranean and smoke filled room, the leaders of the Flash community gathered to pontificate further on the future of the Flash platform. Sorry, can’t show those pictures as I’m under an NSTPA…;)