We present the next project, created using the Alternativa3D 8 engine - MMO-game “Bitva” (for now only in Russian).

This is turn-based MMORPG with 3D-graphics in post-apocalyptic setting with elements of fantasy. Developed by Dudez a Russian company using the technology Stage 3D.

Video tutorial by Tom Krha describes how to create a simple 3D shooter in Alternativa3D 8. Learn more about how to build the next generation of action games with new the Flash Stage 3D API. This session will cover the key steps required to create an advanced first-person shooter gameplay, such as creating a scene and adding a person, movement, shooting, camera following, animations, and more, all in the context of 3D.

Today on December the 20th of 2011 we successfully released the first public build of AlternativaPhysics engine. The technology is provided as SWC-library. You can use it free of charge even in commercial projects, but it is required to put a link to alternativaplatform.com in your project.

AlternativaPhysics is a library for simulation of physics interaction of different bodies. It allows you to work with different geometric shapes and it is integrated with Alternativa3D for easy and convenient usage.

AlternativaPhysics features

Improved stability
Stability of different complex structures (stack, pyramid and others).

Constraints
Maximum distance
Fixed distance
Ball-in-socket joint
Hinge joint

A wide variety of geometric shapes
Triangle, rectangle
Box, sphere
Cone, frustum, cylinder
Convex polyhedron
Hierarchical primitive
Triangular mesh

High performance
The engine is optimized for AS3.

Integration with Alternativa3D
Integration of graphical and physical representations in one object. Automatic updating of the physical scenes and images.

Native event system

Try AlternativaPhysics and tell what you think!

Launch demo
Download AlternativaPhysics
Read documentation
Check tutorials
Discuss AlternativaPhysics in official forum

Colleagues, from today our online model viewer, formerly known under the working title editor.alternativaplatform.com, is officially called AlternativaPlayer. It is available at a3dplayer.com.
The viewer lets you not only view 3D-models, but also publish them in blogs and websites.

Read more in previous news and in official forum.

Alternativa3D got on the cover of the digital magazine Flash & Flex Developer’s Magazine!
One of the central themes of the December issue became our engine. In an article entitled “What is Alternativa3D” the training center consultant Yuri Maltsev talked about Alternativa3D and how to get started with our technology.

Read the December issue of Flash & Flex Developer’s Magazine in PDF-format

Interface creating library AlternativaGUI updated to version 5.17.0.
In this version we realized classes RadioButton and CheckBox and fixed bugs in classes List and Tree. Also we made other changes and fixes.

Additions

• Added a class Logo.
• Added RadioButton class.
• Added class CheckBox.
• List: Appeared property scrollBarSpace - the gap between content and scrollbar.

Fixes

• List: Fixed search by letter.
• List, Tree: Fixed a bug with the work of cursor control keys from the keyboard.
• Tree: when you click on a folder the item is now selected.
• CheckBox: Fixed a problem with the size during creation.
• ScrollPane: Fixed a bug that appears due to the absence of the ScrollBar.
• TabPanel: Getters and setters appeared to selectTab - the index of selected tab.
• DropDownMenu in AlternativaGUIDefaultTheme 1.3.0: Fixed a bug where the mouse cursor does not allocate objects in a given menu.

Download AlternativaGUI 5.17.0.

A library for creating user interfaces AlternativaGUI has been published. Download it from the official website of AlternativaPlatform company in GUI section. The library is free and can easily be used, including in commercial projects. According to the license agreement you only need to specify in the project the page link alternativaplatform.com.

AlternativaGUI provides greater flexibility in terms of creating new components or modifications of existing interface, which is achieved by using only the core classes. The library offers a wide range of user interface elements such as buttons, containers, container line, scrollbar, tools for working with raster graphics and more.

AlternativaGUI Features

• High performance
  Performance is achieved by the efficient work of all components of the interface in a single system. At the base classes implement only the required functional, hence the low consumption of resources.
• Flexibility
  The library allows to create various graphics and can control their properties. Simplicity and clarity of API library allows you to extend all the classes are very easy to add and it is so functional that you need.
• LOD elements
  AlternativaGUI allows you to develop an interface for different screen resolutions. This is accomplished by using different LODs for UI-elements (LOD - Level Of Details) and the correct scaling (for components with raster graphics). Each element has several LOD graphics states. When switching LOD may change the font size, icon size, can be hidden unimportant elements or, conversely, offers additional information. This logic is described by the developer. LOD switching is automatic. A special use of LOD is the development of interfaces for mobile devices with different screen resolutions.
• The quickness of creating unique component
  Through the use of base classes, the creation and management component runs on a deeper level. Base classes do not contain any graphics, and determine only the logic of the components.
• User friendly API
  Working with components AlternativaGUI is like working with the standard classes such as Sprite.

For rapid prototyping interface was developed the skinned library AlternativaGUI Default Theme, which contains the basic components. This library is available with source code.

Download AlternativaGUI
Read documentation
Open demo in a new window

Meet fresh update of online 3D-models viewer editor.alternativaplatform.com.

Change list:

• we added 3ds format support;
• now you can display model animation;
• we added possibility to export scene to A3D format;
• we redesigned interface.

Also in new viewer version we realized more detailed diagnostics of Engine and Flash Player limits violation with uploaded model. For example, if vertices quantity in any object exceeds the limits, user receives notification.

In the new version we added 3DS format parser, the method of finding a ray intersects with an object of Mesh type and realised export to the binary format.
Download Alternativa3D 8 engine.

A3D binary format now supports the objects of Skin type and the light sources.
Download format specification.
Download 3DS Max 2010 plugins for exporting to A3D format.
Download 3DS Max 2011 plugins for exporting to A3D format.

Also we made changes in the model viewer editor.alternativaplatform.com.

New in Alternativa3D 8.17.0:

• ParserA3D: added the import of objects of Skin type and the import of light sources;
• Added Parser3DS class for import models from 3DS format;
• Added intersectRay() - The method of finding a ray intersects with an object of Mesh type;
• Added AxisAlignedSprite class to display plane oriented along one axis to the camera;
• Export to the binary format A3D is supported;
• Added debug mode displaying of objects bounds;
• Added primitive Plane;
• GeoSphere primitive has normals and tangents of vertices after creation;
• Normalmaps supported with left-sided system of coordinates in StandardMaterial.

Changed in Alternativa3D 8.17.0:

• Decal: removed the offset property and changed the logic of work;
• StandardMaterial: fixed a bug with lighting of some light sources;
• FillMaterial: color in construstor is grey by default now;
• Box: constructor is optimized;
• Box: fixed a bug in the cloning of the primitive. Surfaces is not duplicated now;
• WireFrame.getResources() allows parameter resourceType now.

Changed in model viewer:

• Saving settings of export and publications in SharedObjects;
• Automatic dividing of the skin with large quantity of bones;
• Various improvements to the interface, fixed bugs.

New Alternativa3D tutorials were published on wiki:

•  Alternativa3D 8 for Dummies. Part I
•  Alternativa3D 8 for Dummies. Part II
•  Alternativa3D 8 for Dummies. Part III

These tutorials were made for newbies. They teach you how to create simple projects on AS3 using Alternativa3D 8.

Also, two tutorials about connecting Alternativa3D ( version 7 and 8 ) to the best knowns IDEs were published on wiki:

• Getting started with Alternativa3D 7
• Getting started with Alternativa3D 8