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Passing webcam data into WebGL via Flash

Note: To view the demos, you will need to have a WebGL capable browser plus the latest Flash Player (with webcam enabled in your Flash settings). I advise people to download Firefox 4.0 beta, enter “about:config” in the address bar, and change “webgl.enabled_for_all_sites” to true.

I tend to stay away from the HTML5 vs Flash “debate”, principally because I think it’s inane. Both platforms offer certain advantages over the other and some interesting results can be achieved by utilizing their strengths. Case in point, Flash’s built-in webcam support and WebGL’s hardware-accelerated 3D graphics are features that only exist in their respective platforms (for now). Bridging the technologies produces something unattainable by only using one, as the following quick examples illustrate.

Simple interactive cube.

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Alchemy 3D metaball early preview

Check it out! (note: requires FP 10.0.22)

I thought I’d give an early demo of a 3D metaball system that I’ve been working on in the lab for the last week. As fate has it, Frank Reitberger also posted a fantastic metaball experiment today with great results. Where our systems differ, is that I’ve written mine entirely in C++ through Alchemy with the intention of eventually tying it directly to my particle emitter, ensuring the least amount of data marshaling possible.

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Thanks for the can opener!

I won the FITC Best Canadian Developer Website award this week, and I wanted to thank everyone involved with the conference as well as the awesome people I work with. It was great see old friends and meet new peers. Can’t wait for next year!