Adobe has announced the first public preview release of Adobe Edge, a new HTML5 web motion and interaction design tool that allows web designers to bring animation, similar to that created in Flash Professional, to websites using standards likes HTML, JavaScript and CSS.

Because of rapid changes around HTML5, the company is adopting an open development methodology for Adobe Edge and is releasing the software on the Adobe Labs site much earlier than normal in the development process -- before it even reaches beta -- in order to allow user feedback to help shape the final product, according to Paul Gubbay, vice president of Design and Web Engineering, Adobe. While in public preview, Adobe Edge will be a no-charge download that web designers are encouraged to explore and provide feedback on, to help shape future preview releases.

To download the software, visit http://www.labs.adobe.com . Adobe Edge, first shown at Adobe MAX 2010, is targeted to designers who want a way to leverage Web standards like HTML to create Web content with motion and transitions. Adobe Edge is being designed as a fast and lightweight professional-grade tool that complements Adobe’s existing Web tools, such as Adobe Dreamweaver CS5.5, Adobe Flash Professional CS5.5 and Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 software.

The Adobe Edge preview works natively with HTML. It enables users to add motion to existing HTML documents without hampering design integrity of CSS-based layouts, and it also enables users to easily create visually rich content from scratch, using familiar drawing tools that produce HTML elements styled with CSS3, says Gubbay. 

Users can import standard Web graphics assets such as SVG, PNG, JPG and GIF files and style them using CSS3. The design stage utilizes WebKit to enable design, preview and manipulation of content with incredible fidelity, says Gubbay. The timeline feature is both familiar for creative professionals and breaks new ground in animation productivity to enable users to define and customize motion applied to HTML elements with extreme precision, he adds.

Content created with Edge is designed to work on modern browsers including those on iOS, Android, BlackBerry Playbook, iOS , HP webOS and other smartphone mobile devices, as well as Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 9.