Recommendation on 3D packages

[Cadfael]

Hello all,

I am curious what you guy think about the various 3D packages available for Flash. I would like to create more 3D elements in the flash work I am doing.

 

We had an outside agency use papervision in a project they brought us. But when I did research I found papervision seemed to be stale and not too many new entries in Google. So I started looking at Away3d. I have not been happy with the documentation at all. The current code base is 4x and non of the examples work becuase the are all writtten for 3.x.

 

Then I saw an app called Swift3D which sounded like ti had promise. And I downloaded the trial. It was a simple enough interface and looked like it had promise, but the trial version doesnt let you create the object to import into flash, and it looks like the only way to import it is with Papervision.

 

 

So I guess it boils down to these questions:

 

Is there a relatively simple program for creating 3D models that has a way to import them into flash?

 

I know greensock code saved projects I had that were horid memory vacuumes using native adobe calls. and I recall Jack mentioning some pitfalls in the 3D design in flash. Assuming they cant write code to avoid memory leaks in loading files at adobe getting 3D to be efficient may be too much to ask, but it would still make my life easier if 3D was an option.

 

Any help appreciated.

 

 

Cadfael

[Carl]

Hi Cadfael,

 

I'm not all that equipped to answer your question based on experience with any of the tools that are out there. I'm not aware of options in Flash to import 3D models. There programs that allow you to create 3D models and export them as swfs. So the best I think you are going to get are pre-rendered sequences to import into Flash. I don't believe you are going to manipulate 3D objects in the Flash IDE.

 

check out http://www.flare3d.com/

 

and some other frameworks here: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplayer/stage3d.html