In moderately complex Catalyst projects it can be quite challenging to find the skin definition you want to edit by drilling down using the main "design" pane and the HUD.

It would be a nice feature if you could locate the skin class (imho very misleadingly called a "component" in Catalyst) in the Library by name and then use some gesture to take you directly to the skin in "isolation mode" in the "design" pane. (Flash Pro works a bit like this for editing "symbols"). 

Currently "Convert Artwork to Component.../Custom Component..." (in CS5 and Panini) creates a new component with all the artwork built into the component itself.

This seems to :-

a) be inconsistent with the way "Convert Artwork to Component.../Button" works (which creates a new skin, not a new component) and

b) betray the separation of concerns concept (where the component hosts the logic and skin hosts the visual design) that is so central to the spark skinning architecture.

Wouldn't it be better if "Convert Artwork to Component.../Custom Component..." were to create a dummy SkinnableComponent and a skin with all the artwork in?

That approach would make for less work when the FXG hits the development team and would also seem to be much a more extensible base for future enhancements to Catalyst. Adding support for the origination of skinnable custom components (and the specification of skin parts) from within Catalyst (without requiring a skinnable component to have been previously dev

In Catalyst CS5 (and Panini) support for 3D tranisitons is limited to an odd "Rotate 3D" transition which seems to have been implemented in way that's inconsistent with other transitions such as move.

The "move" transition is inferred from the different x and y propoerties of the object in different skin states.

As of Flash 10 the DisplayObject has z, rotationX and rotationY properties but in the current version of Catalyst you can't set these properties of a DisplayObject in the properties panel.

Hence a true 3D transform can't be automatically generated.

Catalyst can be pretty misleading on the subject of component skinning.

"Convert Artwork to Component" kinda implies that it's gonna convert your artwork to a component. Looking at the code reveals that's exactly what it doesn't do. In fact what it does is convert the artwork to a "spark" skin class. As far as I can tell the only way in Catalyst CS5 to actually create a component is when you "Convert Artwork" to a "Custom/Generic Component". In this case it converts the artwork to a stateful component (and doesn't create a skin). All very misleading.

Catalyst can be pretty misleading on the subject of component skinning.

"Convert Artwork to Component" kinda implies that it's gonna convert your artwork to a component. Looking at the code reveals that's exactly what it doesn't do. In fact what it does is convert the artwork to a "spark" skin class. As far as I can tell the only way in Catalyst CS5 to actually create a component is when you "Convert Artwork" to a "Custom/Generic Component". In this case it converts the artwork to a stateful component (and doesn't create a skin). All very misleading.

I am working on a project in Catalyst CS5 and am at a stage that I would like to inject a small AS3 code to see if I can get it working without going into Builder. Example - wireframes a clock in my work. Now I have the actionscript for a real clock and want to put it in, however I can't do that in cat. However I am not ready to take it to Builder yet. So if I could inject some complete AS3 code from Flash into a symbol, that would be AWESOME!

When working with designer, it is hard to make the color scheme unified and organized. Say, the color scheme created in AI cannot be "imported" to either FC, FB, FL nor FW. I think color is an essential issue for Developer/Designer collaboration.

It will be an ideal situation when designer creates a color scheme in AI, and developer can access the color hex codes directly within FC/FB environment.

At first this one is fantastic program. I as a graphic designer don't know any script codes, action codes or something else. But with Catalyst I can create incredible, awesome, interactive projects. It's fantastic!!! 
So, what in my opinion must be added to next Catalyst version 
1) Gallery. Cause now I create my own portfolio site, ant there is no function for comfortable gallery. It will be very good, if in next version we will have a some gallery's templates.
2) More than 20 pages. Cause if you want to create some interesting interactive project, 20 pages is too small... 
3) Button function. When you put (with no push) your cursor on button it automatically slide to side (up, down, left, right - on witch button you put your cursor).

4) Timeline functions. It will be good if in timeline we can chose FADE IN or FADE OUT, not automatically chose.

5) Zoom function. Like in PS AI ID, wheel+alt=zoom. Because its not comfortable to push ctrl+/ctrl- or chose a zoom tool.

6) Version for

I have tried Catalyst already and it's a great tool....

But i wanted my rollovers to be more Life-like...

We could animated the slices in Imageready back in Stone age and the rollovers on the buttons could be made to look like shining or gradual color change or whatever we liked.. Could we please get that freedom to animated buttons too apart form being able to get an instance change? I mean I love the Buttons and they are the little things that add a bit of life to the sites/applications.. right?

In the export of Fc there should be an option, that allows you to view Fc-generated-SWF's in FlashPlayer-versions lower then 10.1.