| Q&A |
 Adobe
Systems,
Allen
Partridge, Director Evangelist Adobe Systems Inc.
March. 2008 |
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"
The Ageia PhysXEngine offers real-world, dynamic interaction
for games and simulations allowing for high impact interactive
features. It is the only solution that enables users
to easily create dynamic 3D applications that run smoothly
- with no performance or stability issues.
Director 11 enhances the ability to develop fast action
3D interactive games and virtual products, with cost
efficiency, cross-platform compatibility and superior
browser plug-in penetration."
<L'interface
de Director 11 |
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| Q1 |
Developers
had a very high level of anticipation for Director 11. Is this
new release worth the wait? |
| A1 |
Yes,
Director 11 is a major product upgrade providing new and old
fans of Director advances in the multimedia authoring environment.
The tool essentially provides multimedia authors, animators
and developers the ability to create powerful interactive applications,
games, e-learning and simulation products. |
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| Q2 |
In
terms of programming languages, what currently are the respective
uses of JavaScript, Lingo, and ActionScript? |
| A2 |
JavaScript
and Lingo, may be used interchangeably in Director. While a
substantial core of developers already know Lingo and will prefer
to continue using it as their primary programming method, we
understand and support the desire of newer developers to program
in JavaScript, a language to which many are already accustomed.
The enhanced script browser in Director 11 can save substantial
programming time by breaking out the code and code snippets
using the collapsible tree view to rapidly locate and work with
complex scripts.
Director allows you to pass messages in and out of Flash movies
with complete support for ActionScript 2 and support for newer
Flash content through version 9.0.028. |
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| Q3 |
Can
you explain to us how Flash contents can be embedded into Director
11, and what possibilities it brings? |
| A3 |
 The
possibilities are endless. With Director 11 or a combination
of Director 11 and the Adobe Shockwave® Player, users can
author once and publish content for the Web, CDs/DVDs and the
desktop simultaneously. This robust environment complements
Adobe’s ecosystem of creative products, enabling users
to add Adobe Flash® SWF files to Director projects, play
them in Director and Shockwave, and easily edit video with Adobe
Flash CS3 Professional.
Users may embed Flash movies (*.swf) into the Director or Shockwave
applications using versions of Flash up to 9.0.028. |
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| Q4 |
Director
11 now includes the PhysX engine. What new features does it
convey? Does it mean that Havok will be depreciated? |
| A4 |
The
Ageia PhysXEngine offers real-world, dynamic interaction for
games and simulations allowing for high impact interactive features.
It is the only solution that enables users to easily create
dynamic 3D applications that run smoothly - with no performance
or stability issues.
Director 11 enhances the ability to develop fast action 3D interactive
games and virtual products, with cost efficiency, cross-platform
compatibility and superior browser plug-in penetration.
Havok physics support was actually deprecated in an earlier
release. The Ageia engine offers some wonderful new features
including super fast raycasting, six degree of freedom joints,
and heightmaps. The concave rigid body collisions using the
Ageia engine are particularly useful to 3D developers. |
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| Q5 |
Director's
3D engine has been updated to DirectX 9. Can we expect an increase
in 3D performance? (i.e. use of multi-texturing, shaders...).
Will overlapping 2D and 3D contents integrate better? |
| A5 |
Users
with support for DirectX 9 will get a noticeable improvement
in the look and performance of content. Upgrades to the 3D engine
have focused on provide solid support across the widest possible
array of end user machines. Shockwave 3D games after all playback
on 60% of all Internet connected machines. It is therefore very
important that we provide support for as expansive a range of
hardware as is possible in order to maximize the reach of our
developer's content. |
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| Q6 |
A
lot of Adobe products now have 3D features. How do they communicate
together? For instance is it possible to import a 3D model textured
with Photoshop CS3 into Director 11? Can we capture a 3D object
using Acrobat 3D and import it into Director 11? |
| A6 |
Yes,
though in general we expect that Director users will use a 3D
modeling application from a third party in order to create,
edit and attach shaders and textures as well as animations to
their 3D content. The robust environment of Director 11 complements
Adobe’s ecosystem of creative products, enabling users
to author once and publish content for the Web, CDs/DVDs and
the desktop simultaneously. |
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| Q7 |
Can
projects created with older Director versions be imported easily
into Director 11? |
| A7 |
Director
11 includes a simple to use translate on load system for older
projects. Most projects load and are translated into their Unicode
compliant equivalents in just a few seconds. The application
automatically detects the older content and guides the user
in porting to the updated version.
This is the first version of Director to support Unicode, easing
the way for localization of various projects. The system actually
dynamically interprets the pre-Unicode content and converts
it in order to relieve the developer of the burden. |
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| Q8 |
What
are Adobe plans regarding Director in the future? Can Director
still find its place in between Flash and Acrobat? |
| A8 |
Adobe
is committed to the Director 11 product and road map. Director
is a powerful multimedia authoring tool for building interactive
applications and rich content that compliments Adobe’s
product line and ecosystem including Flash and Acrobat. In addition,
Director 11 supports a wide variety of third-party add-ons creating
the most extensible authoring environment possible.
The ease with which developers can extend Director to control
external devices and perform any task imaginable has always
made the product a favorite among developers. It also provides
the most universally available browser based real-time 3D engine
available today (Shockwave penetration is nearly 60%.) People
have always turned to different multimedia development tools
to meet the needs of their projects. We are confident that the
unique set of tools available in Director meet the needs of
many developers and that support for the product among developers
will begin to flourish as developers realize that Adobe is firmly
behind Director and Shockwave. This amazing product blazed the
path for virtually every other multimedia development environment
used today. We are committed to moving the product forward,
expanding and refining its capabilities and helping all of our
customers express their creativity without limitations. |
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