:cubicleman.com

Ok, I admit it, I used a sensational subject line. So what. Google is really the new evil, well we certainly could call it a entry on the top 5 list of fashionably evil companies of late. Will it be on top? We shall see. But I digress.

I’ve been using the Google Chrome browser for several months now. I find it far better then Safari, using less resources, fast, etc. Upon the first install, the beta version of course, I imagine I saw a link to or saw the text of the EULA or TOS flash by in a series of NEXT depresses. It is too bad, some interesting wording was in there, in a place most consumers have become accustomed to not reading at all, legalese, eh? Did you read it dearest reader? I thought so. So what are the interesting parts?

11. Software updates
11.1 The Software which you use may automatically download and install updates from time to time from Google. These updates are designed to improve, enhance and further develop the Services and may take the form of bug fixes, enhanced functions, new software modules and completely new versions. You agree to receive such updates (and permit Google to deliver these to you) as part of your use of the Services.
20.2 From time to time, Google Chrome may check with remote servers (hosted by Google or by third parties) for available updates to extensions, including but not limited to bug fixes or enhanced functionality. You agree that such updates will be automatically requested, downloaded, and installed without further notice to you.

Hmmm….I MUST agree to updates of Chrome, eh? In fact, there is no way to turn this off! On a MAC there are some possible ways around this But WTF? I can’t easily shut this off as a feature? Sure, forcing updates means ultimately a more secure product, but its my choice damn it! Take that away and you are evil, and I don’t mean in the Knievel way. Heck, even the ubiquitously evil Microsoft allows this, eh?

So, that aside, its a great browser and works a treat when debugging my Flash Platform based applications. Oh wait, except for one small caveat. Google decided to bundle Flash Player 10.1 with Chrome. Hey, that’s awesome! Google is helping to spread the Flash wealth, nice. What’s that Steve? Yeah, whatever.

Why would I complain about this? Google Chrome pushes Flash Player 10.1 Release. This is really pretty cool, as then Chrome updates can push out the new plugin in case of, ahem, security issues for one. As a Flash Platform developer, this pains me no end though! Why? Consider this: I work in Flash daily and constantly use the debug player to do that work. I’ve set Chrome as my default browser ( brownie points G? ) I kick off the debugger with Flash Builder and rock the code, yeehaw! A nice “forced upon me” Chrome update comes along with out any real notification that happens to update Flash Player and bammmm! I waste productive time watching Flash Builder spin endlessly trying to connect to a debug player. ugh!

With this setup Chrome literally points to using the packaged Flash Player installed with Chrome. There is no way to directly change things in Chrome to point to using a external Flash Player plugin version. So, that magical update of Chrome can cost me a hour of time when suddenly the Flash Player in use is now the one Google deems apropos release Flash Player 10.1. yikes! Just to be clear here, the setup now IGNORES your system installed Flash Player plugin.

So, what can a developer do? aha!! or beter maybe: SHAZZAM!!!! Form of a pail of settings…oh, sorry. Open Chrome and navigate to about:plugins There you will find a listing of plugins available to Chrome and links to enable/disable. Just disable the stock Flash Player, usually the first on the list, and enable the installed one likely the second entry. Here is a screen-shot of what I’m talking about.

Wow, what a Friday night in Atlanta. A tornado hit downtown and tore up some stuff. It actually damaged the CNN Center/Omni Hotel a bit. Yes, the same spot 360|Flex Atlanta was in just a few weeks prior. The really freaky thing was, I was on Marta right under all of it as it was and just passed. I actually saw a couple people that had minor scratches and stuff after just running from the mess above. This after having Delta lose my luggage on a direct flight, err….

Check out the pics here:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/15/storm.atlanta/index.html#cnnSTCPhoto

DK

So, I’ve been wanting to play around with this PaperVison3D schtuff. Why? Well, I certainly do not use 3D in my job, I just wanted to! Unfortunately time demands, new baby and all, keep me from really digging into it. Add to this, almost all the stuff so far that I have seen is Flash based…as in not Flex. There are a couple Flex based examples. One is in the PaperVision3D source called FlexFocus. Another recent great example is from that master robe wearer Doug McCune himself. He calls it CoverFlow. In either of these Flex based cases, terms like Sprite and Clipping are used, Flash terms again that I’m not all familiar with. Though I can brag about playing with Sprites on the C64 and IBM PC way back when, but those were wholly different animals. Thus I sat down and employed the all to famous design patter: Hack It Up. The result? A cross of Canvas3D and Lee Brimelow’s Carousel FLA.

Now, what the heck does the code do? I’ve commented some where I know, there is much in there I just don’t follow…yet. The short and skinny: the images are placed in planes, the planes are positioned and rotated in such a way to appear to be in a 3D carousel, this carousel is fixed, the buttons tell the camera to render the scene from a different vantage point along a circle. The math behind it is elementary, though I’m sure there is a bit more to that PaperVision3D Plane, BitMapMaterial, etc…

What does my version add to the mix? One, its Flex based…use the tag Luke! Two, I have incorporated the use of a public dataProvider to inject the URLs of the images. Yes Dorothy, you can change this dataProvider at runtime. See the example below, the test button at the bottom swaps the dataProvider.

Carousel Roundabout Exmaple
Source code is fully available via the context menu of FP.

DK

Born Nov 4 2007 at 8lbs 6oz, this is Sophia Louise. Hello everyone! Mom and baby are doing great. Niklas is now a big brother, something he is adjusting to.

Cheers!

DK

Howdy fans! Where is your fave man of the cubicle? Off to bigger and better things, that’s where. As of now I am on my way to work for Universalmind. I’ll be enduring grueling hi-tek Flex engagements and getting smacked around by some well known Flash/Flex guru who is master of the realm of the almighty C64. w00t! So, get out those email clients and drop me some bits on where you are at, eh?

Peas!

DK

hello fans and stalkers. So I moved my whole home grown self coded PHP based blog over to Wordpress. Why? Well, Wordpress has many nifty cool features that my home grown code didn’t have. I could have whipped up the code for it, but alas I’d rather not spend my time with it, there are more intersting things to code and learn than a blog, eh? Anyhoo…enjoy!

Yo kiddies!? Where have I been?? Yeah, having a kid puts a dent in the free time for blogging, not that I ever was a blogging preak mind you.? Anyhoo, time to get swinging here.? You should start seeing some entries on Macromedia Flex as that’s what I have been invovlved with lately.? On the personal side, Nik is 7 months old now!? Wow!? He had his first cold recently too, that was fun.? anyhoo….peas out

Wow, like it has taken me forever to post here! Yeah, long time no bloggy. Well, been busy crazy with the new kid here and a new project at work. Niklas is growing along quickly and healthly thanks to his mom. He has his first tooth coming in with signs of a second too. One of his grandmas, wei po, is heading back to Shanghai soon, she is sure to be missed by all.

Work stuffs…on a new project involving Flex, sure to be kewl. ITs sapping up some time though for sure. Having to relearn some Java and learn ActionScript, MXML, and J2EE stuff all at the same time. Oh, and throw in using eclipse too. Woot! ok…back to the code monkey cage.

peas…

ok, had to get the Gator outfit shot put up straight away, eh?

Here is a pic of Niklas, the new addition to our family. Yup, yours truly has now entered the world of diaper changes! w00h00! Nik is sooooooo l33t! More pics to come for sure.