Hacks #35-41
Flash Player is somewhat underpowered in
terms of computational and animation speed. Therefore,
processor-intensive applications, such as 3D, are problematic in
Flash.
Flash doesn't include
any native 3D ActionScript commands or 3D hardware support, unlike
Macromedia Director (which supports the Shockwave 3D format).
However, good design is all about knowing the system, working within
its limits, and hacking around the obstacles with a bit of lateral
thinking or by simplifying the problem. Regardless, while being able
to rotate and zoom a 3D model of a wristwatch before you buy it is
cool, most customers are more impressed by good 2D photography and
proper graphic design in the product presentation.
You can best use 3D as a part of other applications, rather than as
the entire application. For example, you can mix
3D animation with traditional animation
that relies on the drawing ability of the animator to imply 3D. For a
good example of mixing 3D and 2D animation, see the Flash cartoon
"HitchHiker Part Two" at Bitey
Castle (http://www.oohbitey.com/hh2Window.html). The
car animation was authored with Swift 3D (http://www.swift3d.com), then superimposed on
the 2D background animation.
Most modern operating systems include faux 3D effects in their GUIs,
and you can create faux 3D windows and buttons in Flash. Sites like
layerbit (http://www.layerbit.com) take 3D effects to
the extreme. The Volkswagen UK site promoting The Phaeton
(http://www.thephaeton.co.uk/universe),
however, is a more subdued example of scripted 3D that pushes the
limits of what Flash can produce in real time without exceeding them.
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