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 section “3D-engine” on the official AlternativaPlatform website the plugin for the 3DS Max 2012 has appeared. It adds the ability to import/export 3D-models in the format of A3D. The plugin is implemented as a 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the 3DS Max 2012.

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.

Adobe MAX 2011 conference takes place in Los-Angels from the 1st to the 5th October 2011. We are the gold sponsor of this event and present there our latest technologies for displaying hardware accelerated 3D graphics in Flash Player environment. As part of the “Amazing new possibilities in Flash with Alternativa3D” session CEO Alexander Karpovich and art-director Ivan Zykov told about the prominent features of the graphics engine Alternativa3D 8.

Developing and launching projects on Alternativa3D 8 is possible today as far as public version of the Flash Player 11 was successfully released. This marked the beginning of the next phase in the history of browser-based games and applications. To demonstrate the capabilities of the new Flash Player in an official presentation at Adobe MAX 2011, Adobe has used the browser-based online game “Tanki Online 2.0″ – one of our key projects.

For several years we have been working with Adobe Systems, acting as a regular participant of prerelease groups and as a successful developer of browser-based next-generation games. We are confident that in the near future major game projects move into browsers, as the boundary between the platforms will be erased. With graphics technology Alternativa3D and server side AlternativaCore you can create a common game space where users come from different browsers, operating systems, social networks and with different devices, whether compact notebook or bulky computer at home. It is for this principle the “Tanki Online 2.0.” game was developed.

Along with the graphics engine and server-side, we are developing our own online editor AlternativaEditor. Already, you can use it as a free tool for publishing 3D-models. After loading the model at editor.alternativaplatform.com user gets a link and code for embedding an object into his blog or website. Subsequently AlternativaEditor will also be available to our partners as a complete tool for changing the game parameters and moving objects in real time directly from inside the game.

You can see some of our technologies in action in an interactive demonstration of “Tanki Online 2.0″ on the maps “Arena” and “Crash” as well as in a promotional game MAX Racer, created at the request of Adobe Systems to demonstrate the Stage3D (Molehill 3D APIs) at Adobe MAX 2010.

We have added new 3DS Max plugins, including one for 2011 edition, at 3D-engine section of AlternativaPlatform official site.

Changes and additions
- We realized 3DS Max 2011 support.
- We added export tangents for first uv-channel option to A3D export plugin.
- specularColor slot is now used for specular map export to A3D. If there is not texture in specularColor slot, then specularLevel slot is used.
- Error with boundbox export in A3D export plugin was fixed.

Download 3DS Max 2010 plugin

Download 3DS Max 2011 plugin

Finally, we have updated versions of Alternativa3D 7 and Alternativa3D 8 engines. We have added EllipsoidCollider class for continuous collision detection, upgraded materials API and fixed a few bugs. Please, check full change list below. Also, snatching at a chance, we’d like to inform you, that new tutorials are available at http://wiki.alternativaplatform.com.

Alternativa3D 8.8.0

- TextureMaterial, VertexLightMaterial, LightmapMaterial now supports the map-transparency and alpha property.
- Added EllipsoidCollider class for continuous collision detection.
- Added Decal class for detalization of texture on models.
- WireFrame class was added.
- New class SkyBox was added.
- StandardMaterial supports Object-space normal maps now.
- StandardMaterial supports glossiness maps now.
- Property alwaysOnTop was added in the Sprite.
- clone() method was added to Skin.
- concatenatedMatrix property was added in Object3D.
- Primitive Box contains vertex tangents now.
- ParserA3D: glossiness and opacity maps are supported now.
- Parsing of Skin with animation from collada was fixed.
- ParserCollada: a bug, when model without vertex normals parsed, was fixed.
- Lighting in StandartMaterial, VertexLightMaterial, when models have non-identity scale, was fixed.
- View can be any size now without throwing exceptions.
- Mouse events work properly now after creating the View with zero width or height.
- Bug with culling of scaled objects in camera frustum was fixed.
- A bug in dispose() method of Geometry class was fixed.
- DirectionalLight: bug with wrong light direction after parsing from Collada was fixed.
- ParserA3D: bug with wrong textures assignment was fixed.
- ParserA3D: vertex tangents are supported now.
- ParserA3D: bug, when Geometry methods worked incorrectly on a parsed model, was fixed.
- FileTextureResource: after a repeated call to upload() the resource is not destroyed now.
- FileTextureResource: you can get and set the texture data now.
- FileTextureResource renamed to ExternalTextureResource.
- ColladaMaterial renamed to ParserMaterial.
- Surface: owner property renamed to object.
- Geometry: findVertexBufferByAttribute renamed to findVertexStreamByAttribute.
- Sprite3D: StandartMaterial and VertexLightMaterial are not supported with it now.
- Fillmaterial: the color property has uint type now.

Download Alternativa3D 8.8.0.

Alternativa3D 7.8.0

- Bug with the splitter in BspContainer was fixed.
- 3D symbols are added to the values of the static constants of class MouseEvent3D.
- Bug with the work of a parser Collada in player 10.0.32 was fixed.
- AverageLightMaterial: we added special property to set influence of shading based on angle between light source and camera direction.

Download Alternativa3D 7.8.0.

An early build of Alternativa3D 8 engine with Molehill 3D API support for Flash Player 11 is ready. Technology utilizes the GPU for rendering, increasing performance and picture quality.

With the CPU free of carrying any of the load for graphic rendering, its power can be put to use elsewhere. For example, it can process physics models in 3D games. Meanwhile, the GPU increases the maximum amount of polygons to several millions and expands the number of available effects. Shadows, particle effects, photorealistic lighting, post-effects – all of these become possible right in browsers and social networks.

We also recognize that it will be important to transfer projects based on the Alternativa3D 7 to an Alternativa3D 8 environment. And we will provide a tutorial to explain how to do this. You can also develop a project for both versions of Alternativa3D simultaneously. So, you can be ready for Molehill 3D API final release even launching your project today. We use this strategy in Tanki Online 2.0 development.

Some of the engine’s features can be demonstrated right now in the interactive showcases. Adobe Flash Player 11 is required!

Character animation demo
Model consists of 52 bones and has up to eight influences of the bones on each vertex.

Point sprites demonstration

You can obtain and try out the new technology for yourself by downloading the archive with swc-library from alternativaplatform.com.

Alternativa 3D 8 main features

High performance
GPU rendering. Allows the display of about 3 millions of polygons.

Lighting system
Point, directional and spot light sources. Efficient hierarchical culling of unlit objects. Each object can be lighted by six light sources simultaneously.

Advanced materials
Allows the use of fully dynamic lighting with normal map, specular map, glossy map, or more lightweight materials – with baked light.

Character drawing
The powerful hierarchic animation blending system. Character models of any complexity without bone quantity limit.

Transparent objects
Sorting and proper display of transparent objects

3D Sprites
Point objects always facing the camera.

Interactivity
Uses mouse events similar to those used in Flash. The system takes into account hierarchy and options of containers. Optimized to work with high-poly models.

Optimized textures for the GPU
The support of compressed texture format ATF (Adobe Texture Format) reduces the amount of video memory in use. It is especially important for mobile devices.

High capacity data format
Special binary format reduces the amount of data required for sending over the network, and speeds up scene loading in the engine. You can export models to this format right from 3DS Max, using special plug-in.

Finally, we have finished another one interactive showcase, based on Alternativa3D 8 engine with Molehill 3D API support for Flash Player 11. It is Metro 2033 Online. The demo shows skeletal animation and normal map lighting. It also gives sage advice to avoid walking in the Moscow subway, because who knows what might await you there?

Metro 2033 Online is a full scale browser-based MMO-game based on the novel by famed Russian writer Dmitry Glukhovsky. It is a joint project from Open Games and AlternativaPlatform.