Swift 3D v5.0 exports Silverlight XAML

Also wanted to let everyone know we (Electric Rain) also just released Swift 3D v5.0 which supports Silverlight based XAML.

Swift 3D now exports Silverlight frame-by-frame animation in the 2D XAML format (simulating 3D effects). This is what Flash has done for all these years. The XAML files can then be used in Expression Blend as a design element of a larger Silverlight Project. For more information see the link below:

http://www.erain.com/products/swift3d/silverlight/

BTW - The XAML files created with Swift 3D is actually pre-rendered 2D frame-by-frame animations (simulating 3D effects), while ZAM 3D, produces actual 3D XAML for true 3D interactivity with WPF applications.

I think ZAM is much better. Real 3D > Fake 3D. Thanks for the info on ZAM though, hehe.

msoucie wrote:

Also wanted to let everyone know we (Electric Rain) also just released Swift 3D v5.0 which supports Silverlight based XAML.

Swift 3D now exports Silverlight frame-by-frame animation in the 2D XAML format (simulating 3D effects). This is what Flash has done for all these years. The XAML files can then be used in Expression Blend as a design element of a larger Silverlight Project. For more information see the link below:

http://www.erain.com/products/swift3d/silverlight/

BTW - The XAML files created with Swift 3D is actually pre-rendered 2D frame-by-frame animations (simulating 3D effects), while ZAM 3D, produces actual 3D XAML for true 3D interactivity with WPF applications.

@figuerres - Good question on Harmony? Pretty much missed the Summer of '07 release, huh? Sorry about that. This is the reality of a small dev team and comittment to too many products.

So now that Swift 3D and ZAM 3D is out the door, we're getting back on Harmony (SWF to XAML converter) very soon. We have the parsing of the SWF file working and conversion to shapes, now we need to tackle animation. Once our devs have break and jump back on the project, we'll provide a status update to the mail list.

Thanks for your support,

Mike

Been wondering what the difference between SWIFT and ZAM 3D was - my very crude reading of the web site had lead me to believe that SWIFT was primarily aimed at Flash developers and ZAM 3D for Blend but it now seems like you're saying use SWIFT for Silverlight and ZAM 3D for Expression Blend/WPF (or is that too simplistic a summary?).

Doesn't Blend allow you to export Silverlight XAML? If that's the case why would SWIFT be needed in addition to ZAM 3D when you could just export ZAM 3D to Blend and from there export to Silverlight XAML?

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the recently posted (earlier today) koolaid C9 video on MIX08 where we're told things are so much easier now that Visual Studio 2008 is out, and I'm afraid I've gone and had a bit of a rant in response because the whole situation is madness: Let me see now... you need four Expression products and VS 2008 to get the best out of web site development with XAML and this apparently is simpler. Oh, but if you want 3D you need to buy third party products like those from Electric Rain - and ideally one for Silverlight, one for full WPF?  How is this in any shape, size or fashion making life "much simpler" for developers (don't even get me started on bringing AJAX into the equation). Clearly Microsoft folks are on a different planet from the one I'm inhabiting! Just trying to get anyone to explain the differences between all these products, why they're needed and how they fit into workflow at the most basic level is like trying to catch moonlight in a bucket!

ZAM 3D is a nice product and with the discounts on offer if ordered before the end of the year I'm tempted to go for it, but if I then have to buy another product for Silverlight it's all getting way too messy (and way too expensive) too fast.

msoucie wrote:

@figuerres - Good question on Harmony? Pretty much missed the Summer of '07 release, huh? Sorry about that. This is the reality of a small dev team and comittment to too many products.

So now that Swift 3D and ZAM 3D is out the door, we're getting back on Harmony (SWF to XAML converter) very soon. We have the parsing of the SWF file working and conversion to shapes, now we need to tackle animation. Once our devs have break and jump back on the project, we'll provide a status update to the mail list.

Thanks for your support,

Mike

Your ticket has been successfully submitted to our Sales department. One of our staff members will review it and reply accordingly. Listed below are ticket details that you will need in order to update or check the status of this ticket from the web.

      Ticket Login Key: 4f38a479    Ticket ID: FQQ-63339

      Subject: summer is over; where's the harmony ??

      Department: Sales

Team Erain

 "

no reply was recived.

just some feedback for you.

msoucie wrote:

I hear you. I like real 3D a lot better too, ... but until Microsoft adds real 3D support to WPF, faking is at least and alternative.

Cheers,

Mike

irascian wrote:

Been wondering what the difference between SWIFT and ZAM 3D was - my very crude reading of the web site had lead me to believe that SWIFT was primarily aimed at Flash developers and ZAM 3D for Blend but it now seems like you're saying use SWIFT for Silverlight and ZAM 3D for Expression Blend/WPF (or is that too simplistic a summary?).

irascian wrote:

 Doesn't Blend allow you to export Silverlight XAML? If that's the case why would SWIFT be needed in addition to ZAM 3D when you could just export ZAM 3D to Blend and from there export to Silverlight XAML?

irascian wrote:

 I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the recently posted (earlier today) koolaid C9 video on MIX08 where we're told things are so much easier now that Visual Studio 2008...  ... Clearly Microsoft folks are on a different planet from the one I'm inhabiting!

@figuerres - Sorry. yeah you caught us.  

We need to do a better job of communicating on our web site and especially to you directly if you submitted a support ticket. I'll follow up with our Support dept tomorrow.

Thanks for your patience,

Mike

Just posting on this thread too... the differences between Swift 3D and ZAM 3D...

_________

I appreciate your support along the way and I apologize for the conveluted message around Swift 3D and ZAM 3D.

It's kind of a tricky technology to message around, so let me try and explain the differences...

Swift 3D was created to do simulated 3D in Flash via frame-by-frame 2D animation because there isn't a native 3D rendering engine in Flash. The core technology in Swift 3D is the RAViX vector renderer, which converts the 3D images within the Swift 3D authoring environment (real 3D) and traces the visible lines on each frame to create the 2D vector frame-by-frame animation (like a flipbook animation). So in a nutshell, Swift 3D doesn't create real 3D, it fakes 3D with pre-rendered 2D, that when played in a sequence, appears 3D. So our support for Microsoft technologies comes in the following form...

Swift 3D Silvelight XAML - is 2D pre-rendered frame-by-frame Silverlight.
Swift 3D WPF XAML - is 2D pre-rendered frame-by-frame for .NET 3.0

ZAM 3D on the other hand was created to tap into the real 3D API that .NET 3.0 framework offers. In other words, .NET 3.0 (via WPF) has a real 3D rendering engine, so we export XAML that actually descibes the 3D geometry, lights, camera, etc, which is then parsed and rendered in real time via .NET 3.0. The advantage is you can interact with the 3D model in realtime within a .NET 3.0 application and it can be composited among other 2D components within Blend.

The reason we didn't just add the real 3D XAML export found in ZAM 3D to Swift 3D is 1) that ZAM 3D doesn't use RAViX,  and 2) ZAM 3D will eventually support interactive behaviors (i.e. mouse and trigger events), where this type of scripting behaviors aren't supported in Flash. Therefore...

ZAM 3D Silverlight XAML - Isn't supported because the Silverlight framework doesn't support real 3D.

ZAM 3D WPF XAML - is real 3D described within the XAML and targets the 3D API only found in WPF / .NET 3.0.

I hope this helps.

Mike

I hear you. I like real 3D a lot better too, ... but until Microsoft adds real 3D support to Silverlight, faking is at least and alternative.

Cheers,

Mike

msoucie said:

I hear you. I like real 3D a lot better too, ... but until Microsoft adds real 3D support to Silverlight, faking is at least and alternative.

Cheers,

Mike

Quick Update:

Next version of Silverlight will, according to Scott Guthrie: " ... include 3D support and GPU hardware acceleration".
http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2008/11/16/update-on-silverlight-2-and-a-glimpse-of-silverlight-3.aspx

For now a 3D graphics engine for Silverlight 2 is available for free at Codeplex:
http://www.codeplex.com/Kit3D

It appears that its creators have taken pains to match the System.Windows.Media.Media3D namespace in WPF so that presumably, migration to Silverlight 3 will be as painless as can reasonably be expected.

Also note that the "Suzanne" demo provided at the Kit3D Codeplex site was rendered using Blender and MakeHuman. There furthermore appears to be a free XAML exporter for Blender also available at Codeplex:
 http://www.codeplex.com/xamlexporter

Not sure how well all this will work in concert but it’s a good start. As for XAM3D, seems like it might be an awesome product for some basic 3D rendering but 1) might be a good idea to get a trial version out there so that some alternative and/or preliminary development paths might be explored 2) Electric Rain may want to do some exploring or they may find themselves SOL because 3) "flipbook" just isn’t going to cut it in Silverlight or XBAP going forward.

Hope this helps