What is the difference between Animate CC and Edge Animate CC?

[Chuck Braman]

What are the similarities and differences between these two products now? In what specific contexts, for what specific reasons, would one choose one over the other? Would one have a need to learn, and use, both? Is Edge Animate going to be phased out, or does it still have something unique to offer that Animate CC lacks?

[ClayUUID · Accepted solution]

This is somewhat like asking what the difference is between Java and JavaScript. They are completely different programs that happen to have similar uses.

Edge Animate is no longer being developed: Update about Edge Tools and Services «  Adobe Edge Animate Team Blog

Edge works by moving individual HTML entities around the screen.

Animate CC is the next version of Flash CC, with a very confusing and poorly-considered name change applied. Flash/Animate CC works (in Canvas mode) by rendering to a bitmap canvas object.

[rezun8]

Edge Animate has been/ is now un-supported by Adobe. Most all features can now be found within Animate CC (formerly Flash)

[Chuck Braman]

Thanks, both are correct, informative answers.

By the way, I hate it when Adobe does this kind of stuff. I took the time a few years ago to focus on Edge assuming it would be a modern replacement for Flash. Now going forward, I'll have to relearn Flash and recreate the assets I created in Edge.

[Ian Rossenrode]

My thoughts precisely - sent myself and my team on an Edge Animate course a few months ago, after 'giving up' on Flash previously.... to now find myself telling the team we have to 're-learn' Flash (or should I say 'Animate CC.....)

[Colin Holgate]

Ian, this is a 21 month old conversation. But the important part to know is that Edge Animate is a CSS animator app, and you can continue to use it, or use competitors like Hype. As of now, Adobe Animate is a Canvas animation program (in addition to all the other platforms it does). It would be nice if one day that Adobe Animate also published to CSS animation. For now there will still be times with Edge Animate is a better choice.

[marjantrajkovski]

It is difference like between Raster Based Photoshop vs Vector Based Illustrator, DOM Based Edge Animate vs Canvas Based Animate.

There are similiarity, but there are difference. Both have merits and demerits. Merits of one is demerits of other, e.g. with Animate you can easy work and export vectors, with Edge Animate you can easy work and export HTML DOM elements like live text, fonts, forms... With Edge Animate will produce true HTML/CSS/JS file like standard HTML page, With Animate will produce, more closed canvas file which is based on HTML/CSS/JS. I dont know, they must or keeping alive Edge Animate or implement DOM manipulations in Animate. Yes, we can handcoding DOM things in canvas file but who want to handcode, if I want to handcode I will use full handcoding GSAP.

[Paul Whitehead]

So this program is replacing flash?  Is flash now unsupported?  Please explain, thanks.

[Colin Holgate]

It's just a name change, it still can make SWFs that will play in Flash Player.

[Paul Whitehead]

So if flash dead?

[Colin Holgate]

By 'flash', do you mean Flash Professional? If so, no, it's not dead, it just had a name change.

[Paul Whitehead]

Would you say Flash CC is in the same category as fireworks now?  LoL thats the best way I can think of it now, haha...

[Colin Holgate]

No, but Edge Animate is like Fireworks, no new developments for the Edge products.

[ClayUUID]

Flash was Cheryl now it's Carol.

[marjantrajkovski]

Adobe Animate CC FAQ  > How does Adobe Animate CC relate to Edge Animate CC? Is it a replacement?

At their core, Adobe Animate CC and Edge Animate CC are both timeline-based, 2D animation tools. Adobe Animate CC is ideal for cinematic cartoons and programmatic animations that can be published to a variety of formats. Edge Animate CC uses a document object model (DOM) that is better suited for integrating animations into your website’s HTML structure.