• Overview
• Setup
• Create Your First Project with Augmented Reality
• Optimize and Customize the Settings
• Tutorial Files
• Finished Scene

Overview

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented Reality is a technology that allows you to superimpose images into real-time environments. For the purposes of this tutorial, you just need to know that it reads a marker (shape/symbol), interprets the angle and size of that marker and then allows you to place objects at that size and position on the screen (or whatever your medium is).

Here are a couple example videos:

Mini Video and the GE Site

What is FLARToolKit?

To start with ARToolKit is the development package that has allowed developers to tap into the power of Augmented Reality. FLARToolKit is an Actionscript 3 port of the Java version of the toolkit.

What do I need for this tutorial?

In this tutorial, we are going to use FLAR Manager, which is a framework setup to make the combination of Papervision 3D and FLARToolKit easy and quick to setup/use.

If you would like to simply use FLARToolKit (or just get a little more information about it) clik on the following link: http://www.libspark.org/wiki/saqoosha/FLARToolKit/en

Otherwise, download FLARManager (using v0.1 in this tutorial) from http://words.transmote.com/wp/20090309/flarmanager-v01/ . FLARManager actually comes with a build of FLARToolKit in it and you can get it for AS3/FP9 or AS3/FP10 (we are using FP10).

You will also need FlashDevelop or another Actionscript editing tool. In this tutorial I am going to be compiling my code directly from FlashDevelop, but feel free to use the compiler/method of your choice.

You should also get a pattern generator so that you can create your own patterns (markers). Go here for more details: http://www.squidder.com/2009/03/05/for-nerds-only-custom-flar-markers-explained/

What else should I know?

You should be aware of the fact that there is a licensing fee to use check here: http://www.hitl.washington.edu/artoolkit/license.html for more details.

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After all of the tests and playing around that I have done with face/motion detection in Flash and Processing Quasimondo posted an optimized version of the OpenCV port to AS3. This is something that I have been waiting for someone to do for quite some time. I thought I would just post my first test with it and forward you to his page since anything i would say about it would just be repetition.

To view my test click here (need a webcam): www.marcpelland.com/opencv

In my example, I just slightly modified Mario’s class to allow for an image to be placed instead of just a box being drawn. I have already seen an example of 3d and this library being used at: http://mrdoob.com/blog/post/643

Quasimondo’s blog posting: http://www.quasimondo.com/archives/000687.php

thanks, marc

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With actionscript you are able to customize these menus and add a little extra interactivity to your pages. Even though most people don’t right click on anything, some people do. To have something there for them to find and use could prove to be useful. It could be anything… credits, navigation, easter eggs, helpers, etc.

Context menus take very little time and effort to add, and show that you are paying a little bit extra attention to detail when creating a site / application.

here is a quick and easy guide to using AS3 Context Menus > http://www.emanueleferonato.com/2009/03/11/understanding-as3-context-menus/

thanks, marc

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PaperFace is a graphical user interface for Papervision 3D. The goal of the app is to build out 3d scenes without the need to write all the initial code. I am hoping to build it to a state where designers can come in and build a fairly complete scene and export the code to someone that can do something with it. Please go register and tell me what you think. Check out the forum on the site, and post any feedback you may have.

The app is no-where near completion, but I thought it would be good to get some thoughts on it throughout the course of development. Plus, now that it is live it puts a little bit of extra pressure on me to work more on it.

the address is www.paper-face.com

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• Introduction
• Parsers: ASE
• Parsers: Collada
• Parsers: DAE
• Parsers: Max3ds
• Parsers: Sketchup
• Parsers: Other
• Parser Comparison
• Final Thoughts
• Tutorial Files

Introduction

Overview

With all the different 3d applications in use today it is hard to come up with one standardized format. So Papervision includes a number of parsers that can interpret some of the different types of 3d files. This gives developers and modelers some freedom as to which application they would like to use.

Located within each parser class in Papervision is a little bit of a write-up that explains what the parser can do and what it can’t. In this tutorial, I will just introduce you to each type; basically re-iterating what is in the class (for ease of access). Then I will run through some examples for how to use a couple of the parsers to load your objects.

What does a Parser do?

As stated above, a parser just interprets whatever is in the 3d asset file and translates it into something that Papervision can read.

Every file format has a core structure that remains the same, so the developers of Papervision have just made an translators for all of these core structures.

Where are the Parsers?

The parsers are located in the Papervision codebase under: src/org/papervision3d/objects/parsers.

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Starting Out
• Building your First Papervision Application
• Add Interactivity
• Next Steps
• Tutorial Files

Overview

I am going to start out with a brief discussion and introduction of 3D and what Papervision brings to the table and then move on to the full tutorial. The files for the tutorial can be found by clicking here: tutorial files

What is 3D?

A standard website is created in 2D space; that is it consists of objects (text, images, video, etc) on an X and Y plane. People have faked perspective in the past using graphics tool, but in general it has been 2D. What 3D does is add another dimension to that traditional plane. Alongside the X and Y, there is now a Z. This 3rd dimension allows for depth to be shown.

I remember my entry exam for college, I had to look at a series of shapes and come up with any number of ideas for what it could be. For instance, if you look at a circle with another circle inside it you would think that it was just two circles. If you were told to imagine those same two circles in 3D space the possibilities are much greater as to what they are. It could be a bowling pin from the top, an empty glass, a garbage can, or a football being tossed into the center of a hoop.

If you are having still having trouble envisioning the 3rd dimension, here is a great video/project by Rob Bryanton explaining how dimensions work:

What is Papervision?

Papervision is a 3D engine built with Actionscript that enables developers to start working in 3D. Using a ton of math, the Papervision team has found a way to create a simulated 3D environment.

Papervision consists of a ton of Actionscript classfiles that developers can use to create objects, scenes, and even worlds in 3D space. 3D applications and engines generally build objects using smaller objects, Papervision is no different. It uses triangles as the building blocks for larger objects in the scene. The more triangles that are used, the better the quality but more triangles means that it is harder on the processor.

Being open-source, developers are able to see all the code that they are working with which allows for a better understanding of what they are using. This also means that the development community has to ability to build on what the original developers have done without having to go through the hardships involved in extending something that is not open-sourced.

Open source means that it can be easier to understand how a complex system works because you can view all of the code that it was built with. If you have any more questions regarding the benefits of an open-source system, there is a good article located here: http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=889&trv=1

Why use Papervision?

Papervision is a great 3D engine for Flash, but there are others. These include Sandy, Away3D, Alternative, and more. When push comes to shove it is more of a personal preference that I came to like working with Papervision.

I think that the biggest reason to use Papervision (other than comfort from it being the first engine that I tried) is that it is so widely supported in the Flash community. I seem to be able to find more help with Papervision than with any of the other application. Having the ability to tap into the minds of other developers in forums, at conferences, and anywhere really is a priceless tool.

What has been done with Papervision?

I have to start off with a site that I had a hand in building, and that is www.amg-360.com. Apart from a couple of prototypes, this was my first major 3D application for the web.

Some other good examples can be found at: http://dailypv3d.wordpress.com

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When I first created my portfolio, I did it quickly in HTML just to have something online. I made sure that the syntax was valid just in case I decided to create something to parse it with. Well that was my first step for the new creation. I used E4X to grab and parse the correct div within my current HTML portfolio. From there I just built out a little data model to grab whatever I might need from the parsed HTML structure.

Now I needed to do something with it. Why not Papervision, I have a couple projects under my belt now and just happened to update my local copy because I am using it on another project right now. So I just started playing around with the interaction and ways of displaying content.

After a couple hours I was pleased and went back to my other work. I picked it up today after work for an hour or so and would like to say I am very happy with the direction that it is taking. Let me know what you think so far.

click here to see the latest built

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Last night (and a little over lunch today) I threw a couple quick experiments together to see what it would look like, and I think that I might try this out with the video when I got home tonight.

The first example comes in the form of a basic color picker that lets you select the color of a pixel from within the image (on the top left). Once you have selected a color, use the slider on the right to control the threshold.

The second example is very similar to the first, it just uses a different sampling method for the color that it is going to use with the threshold. To try this tool, draw a box (from top left to bottom right) over the region of the image where you would like to get your sampling from.

This was a very quick and dirty experiment to see what I could get out of a bitmap with some basic functions, so please forgive my source. I will post more once I get it cleaned up tonight and start trying to work it into my motion detection application.

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You may have seen the video of head tracking using the Nintendo Wii. That video inspired me to try my hand at the same concept using Flash, Papervision 3d, and my newly discovered love for trying to get motion tracking / facial recognition into Flash.

As such, I have created this example which is my first step in creating some sort of tracking interaction with a 3d scene. if you would care to see a little bit more detail about what is going on, hit X to see the video and W to see the framerate. Stay tuned for more updates as I update the tracking code. Once again, I will post the source when it is a little further along.

** please note that you require a webcam to take advantage of the motion tracking, if you do not have a camera the scene’s camera is simply controlled by the mouse.

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I have a couple of uses planned for this and will post them when they are done but here is the first iteration.

With the help of a diff equation from Forrest Briggs, I managed to capture the specific area of movement within the webcam frame. I will continue working and post source once it is complete. This little project is helping me understand the workings of the bitmap data objects in as3.

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