Some Random Dude

Well, Flash Player 9 patched up a security hole for Bitmap.draw() on NetStream video… Yes, I know, this is a good thing, but it broke my code for this, this, this and this. I have managed to partially fix a couple of them, but this is really my fault as well since the code I wrote for these presentations lacked, um, long term thinking… OK, the code was a mess.

You can read the details of the subject here. I hope to have these presentations fixed next week.

After all the hype and excitement, another big benchmark has been achieved for the open source 3d Actionscript library, Papervision 3d. Papervision is now in public beta and it is well worth playing with this library if you have not yet done so.

I have done some work with the library months ago, however it was understandably hard to work with from time to time. I cannot think of a more ambitious Actionscript project around - this project’s potential knows no ceiling. There are still some very pragmatic issues that cause concern such as performance and initialization times. Still, used correctly, this library literally opens up a whole new dimension for Actionscripters.

Unfortunately, I cannot show the Papervision work that I have previously done due to privacy agreements. However, I plan to get my hands dirty with this code again in the near future - I will no doubt post my results.

Wow, that did not take much time at all… Adobe reports over 83% penetration for Flash Player 9 in mature markets and 84% even in the US. Of course, Flash 9 penetration is significantly more important than prior releases as the latest release is the only player that is compatible with apps built in Actionscript 3. I have briefly glossed over a couple of the important features Actionscript 3 brings to users which could open up completely new doors for interaction. I knew Flash 9 would be adopted quickly, I just had no idea it would be this fast.

Via Flash Obscura

For the few people out there still questioning the validity of Flash video as the best, if not only, solution for the web, you have to watch this. Make sure to click the ‘Maximize’ button in the top-left corner in order to see what I mean. Flash applications built in Actionscript 3 allow for a fullscreen mode - allowing things such as video to be viewed in a much more traditional, theatrical manner. Surprisingly high-quality video can now be easily viewed over the web with no server-side streaming software - allowing anyone with ample bandwidth to provide video to its audience.

This ability for rich media experiences to be delivered on the cheap is one more reason that: 1) Flash (or perhaps another future rich media delivery system) is going to become an even more integral part of the web/browser experience, and, 2) The TV, in its current form, is becoming more obsolete by the day. We all saw this coming, I am just utterly blown away at the pace that it is occurring. If you thought the public liked web video before, just wait until the next batch of video players to hit the scene that take advantage of all the features Flash 9/Actionscript 3 have to offer. It will make the current phenomenon look pitiful in comparison.

Via Flex RIA

I have been seen quite a bit of interesting work done with isometry in Flash and I finally got the chance to play around with it myself. I frankly was amazed at how easy putting an isometric grid was - the math is very basic. What is so cool is that after the basics are laid down, some really interesting things can be done with an isometric scene. While the motion treatment below is extremely simple, I really do enjoy it.

The swf is a little processor intensive, so you may not want to keep your browser on this page for too long unless you enjoy slow-cooking your computer. As always, your thoughts and comments are greatly welcome and appreciated.

Download the FLA