FLAX3D

Description

Flax3d enables Flash programmers to quickly and easily add X3D scenes to their Flash movies.
Simply drag the Flax3d component onto the stage and you've created a high-performance, 3d window. See a demo movie here (5Mb)

Once you load an X3D scene through the component you have all the control and scripting capabilites you associate with Flash, but in a much faster, 3D hardware accelerated rendering engine. You can access all the objects in your 3D scene, change their scale, position, rotation and materials. Not only that, you can create objects dynamically in Flash and add them to the 3D scene in realtime, control navigation, recieve feedback from interactions in the 3D scene, etc. See Flash demo NOTE: The Flax3d component uses the Flux Player from MediaMachines for X3D rendering. This plugin is required to view Flax3d projects.

FAQ

How does it work?

The Flax3d component creates an instance of the Flux Player and forges a javascript bridge between the X3D scene and the host Flash movie. All interactions with the component instance in Flash are converted into javascript/X3D commands.

Does it work on all platforms and browsers?

The Flux Player is currently only available for Windows. It runs in Internet Explorer and FireFox. The javascript on these pages is only tested in IE, but will be ported to FireFox in the near future. It should be possible to port the component to Mac when a suitable X3D plugin is availble (and I get a Mac to test on :O).

When will Flax3d be available?

The component is in a pre-alpha stage and is expected to be available summer 2007.
(the alpha version is available for download below)

Why not just use Flash 9?

They've been some very impressive Flash 9 demos including 3D. The Flash 9 player only offers software rendering, seriously limiting the number of polygons that can be rendered, and the performance of the 3D scene. Creating 3D content for Flash is also something of a challenge. Content for Flax3d can be created in the free (for personal use) Flux Studio available from MediaMachines

To do

Detect Flux Player and give instructions for download.
100% Firefox compatibility
100% scene access, including lights, cameras, materials, etc.
Ability to load gzipped X3D.
Procedural textures created in Flash
Procedural geometry created in Flash

Download

Alpha 0.0.1
http://www.opensourcery.net/flax3d/fx.zip

Installation

Download and unzip the file.
Use the Flash Extension Manager to install the mxp file.
Copy Flax3d.html to the HTML folder of Flash (Flash8>en>First Run>HTML)
(the installer *should* install a HTML template in Flash, though this dosn't seem to function correctly in this first build).
Drag the component onto the stage (Components Panel> X3D>Flax3d)
In the Publish Settings > HTML choose "Flash with X3D" from the template menu.
Copy flax3d.js to the folder where you will be previewing your Flash files. The flax3d.js must also be published to the internet in the same folder as the HTML unless you alter the path.

NOTE: The Flax3d component relies on the Browser to create the X3D window and therefore you will not see the X3D file when viewing in the Flash preview/debugger

Support

The alpha version of the component comes without support, though I will help if and when possible. Post issues/feedback here http://forums.ajax3d.org/viewtopic.php?t=130