Papervision 3D
Now I'm not usually a big fan of full flash websites. I find many of them to be clunky, unnecessarily complicated, bloated, slow and not particularly User or SEO friendly.
Although having said all that... Recently I have discovered some really great Flash websites which use a new piece of software called Papervision 3D. It is due to Papervision that I am now beginning to see modern flash websites in a new light.
Papervision is a completely FREE real-time 3D engine for Flash Action Script. It allows you to create and animate incredibly advanced 3D objects in virtual space, with stunning visual results. Better still Papervision doesn't require any additional plug-ins, so your not instantly met with an update/install download message when you first arrive on a site.
The main advantage of using Papervision has to be the excellent 3D visualisation of elements and the environments it creates. Unlike it's predecessors Papervision has QuadTree support which generates a real sense of depth and realism to the Flash animation as well as smoothing playback and improving load times.
In resent years full Flash websites seem to have suffered a decline in popularity, with the focus shifting away from fully animated sites back to more Business/user friendly html sites. Many design agencies have even stopped designing their own portfolio sites in Flash. But with the arrival of Papervision, Flash now looks to be making a comeback and appealing to designers once more.
From the Flash sites I have recently visited Papervision appears to be making designers think more creatively with Flash, pushing their imaginations away from predictable simplistic animation styles and making them think outside the two dimensional screen.
It just goes to show that with constant developments in software and technology, Flash still has a bright future ahead.
Click the links below to see Flash sites using Papervision 3D.
www.saveyoursensible.com
www.adenek.com
www.ecodazoo.com
www.summerfestival.be
Posted By: Dave
18 December 2009