If you want to take advantage of the new features in AIR 1.5 – Flash Player 10, encrypted databases, etc. – then you’ll have to update your Flex Projects, or create new ones, to work with the new framework. Here are the steps that I went through. Actually, these are the abbreviated steps that don’t include all of the wrong ways that I did it first. :)

I have already updated to Flex Builder 3.0.2 and the Flex SDK 3.2 so that’s where I’m starting here. If you haven’t yet updated then you may need to backtrack and take care of that first. Here are a few useful links to take care of that:

• Introducing Flex SDK 3.2 and Flex Builder 3.0.2, by Matt Chotin
• Sim Bateman has a screencast for setting up Flex Builder to create Gumbo apps which is pretty much what you need for going to AIR 1.5.

Create/Update a project
Right-click on your project and select properties -> Flex Compiler. Make sure you are using the 3.2 SDK.

Line 2 of you’re Adobe AIR Application Descriptor File Template – usually appName-app.xml – should read:

<application xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/air/application/1.5">

That should cover it.

Quick 3D test
If you would like to take it for a quick test drive then try something simple like transforming a component in 3D like such:

// runs on creationComplete
private function init():void {
var m3D:Matrix3D = new Matrix3D();
m3D.appendRotation( -10, Vector3D.Z_AXIS );
m3D.appendRotation( 15, Vector3D.Y_AXIS );
panel.transform.matrix3D = m3D; // ID of some 'panel' you created
}

AIR 1.5 specific
If you would like to try out one of the new AIR 1.5 specific features then try H. Paul Robertson’s Working with the encrypted local SQLite database. All you have to do is copy/paste his code – and don’t forget to add the EncryptionKeyGenerator.as file. His example won’t work without AIR 1.5. If you try it in AIR 1.0 you’ll get an error: Incorrect number of arguments.  Expected no more than 5. line 55.