Flash content ported to iPhone (via 3rd party b.Tween framework and EyeGT technology)
June 30th, 2008 by Scott Janousek
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Loading ...I just read via Peter Elst that Thomas Joos (mobile guide “extraordinaire”) used a framework called b.Tween framework (currently betaware) that is part of EyeGT technology, created by a company called barefootsoft to port and run his original Flash mobile guide on the iPhone (quite a mouth full, eh?)
“eyeGT is the most comprehensive graphics and multimedia toolkit that combines an antialiasing vector animation and rendering engine with extensive texturing support and a multi channel synchronized sound system. eyeGT provides all this in a compact code base that interfaces to applications via an extended set of methods and functions (API). The API controls every aspect of eyeGT, allowing for the finest and most detailed customizations without reinventing and changing the structure of your existing code.”
Here is Thomas’s Mobile Guide for “rockwerchter” (a music event, I believe):
While Thomas’s endeavors might represent the 1st attempt at Flash on the iPhone in the public wilds, it does require BareFootSoft’s technology … and by *no means* utilizes a true Flash Player ported to iPhone (although Adobe has mentioned on several occasions publicly they are working on, and getting closer to, a 3rd party app store standalone type iPhone Flash player)!
These products merely take the original Flash application and coverts it to run on the iPhone platform using the b.Tween framework.
Things that 1st come to mind with this news: Performance (although, from the video appears to be decent) and Distribution (you need to framework, so users must install … and will 3rd party app store be possible for the EyesGT runtime (currently it is via app installer) ).
I admittedly don’t know much about the EyeGT technology, but it seems to me this is a great way to prototype Flash applications to be distributed on iPhone before/if we see Adobe’s efforts on a 3rd party player … and potentially Apple’s own efforts (when they have built up their native developers, perhaps they will dedicate some/more resources to a Flash Player port? … or perhaps they are working on one right now, anyone who knows probably can’t comment!).
In some respects, this news reminds me of the PSP Flash player (Flash 6 port) that was out not so long ago … first there was a unofficial (aka hacked) Flash player ported by independents and then Sony licensed and released an official Flash player, not to much later … unfortunately, look how that turned out (no defined ecosystem for Flash PSP content, no real roadmap for PSP Flash, only sprinkling of PSP Flash distribution and really mostly “experimentation”)!
Despite this … PSP is a cool device to develop Flash for. Hopefully, with the OSP (Open Screen Project), there will be a spark again, sometime when they (Sony) innovative their next portable device … maybe!?
Anyways, back to the iPhone … I think the iPhone case is a bit different though from the PSP. Adobe has time and resources invested (perhaps even Apple has or will have development time into a full player). iPhone is a growing market, device is multi-verstile … timing is right (people WANT a better user experience and DEMAND it now on their respective mobile devices)! etc, etc.
P.S.
I remember blogging about barefootsoft a while back. If they want more attention, I suggest they move *quickly* to open their product to the larger Flash community. Give them a shout, and maybe they will open up the beta a bit more (or make it clearer on where to get the BETA! I can’t seem to find it, anywhere on their site!).
I think, there would be a *ton* of interest from both the Flash Lite community plus every other Flash developer on the planet. Just a suggestion.
Tomorrow I anticipate thousands of posts within the Adobe blogging community at large about Flash content “ported” to the iPhone. Hopefully people get it “right” (that is, there is NO FLASH PLAYER, it is merely a process to get your original Flash content working on the iPhone by using their (Barefootsoftware’s) technology).
P.P.S Questions … wonder what version of Flash Lite was used for the guide and how much underlying device API, one can tap … Thomas?
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June 30th, 2008 at 7:40 pm
Its interesting for sure, need to read up on that EyeGT technology, haven’t found a whole lot of information about it as of yet.
I assume it must just be interpreting the Flash Lite SWF and compiling it to its own format and then provide its own API’s rather than use any Flash Player API’s directly.
For all intends and purposes though, that might even seem like a better approach for standalone mobile apps — taking the rapid prototyping, graphics and interface capabilities Flash offers and having a more extensive API to develop your code against.
Agree with you on the PSP Flash Player, that is a real shame. I’ve got high hopes for the open screen project, still feels like its a long way of but you never know how things develop in the mobile landscape.
June 30th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Peter, sounds about right.
If Adobe and Apple want to play games, perhaps there is a market for BareFootSoft’s b.tween framework and EyeGT product to step in?
I’m sure there are 10,000+ developers (both Flash and perhaps even native iPhone developers) who would pay a nominal price to prototype … if not fully create content using the tools they have (if they are suitable quality)!
In regards to PSP … it’ll be interesting to see what Sony does in the portable and/or mobile space, next.
Perhaps stuff has already been announced? … not sure. I’ve been too busy with DS Lite (but that is for another post).
July 1st, 2008 at 4:04 am
hi Scott,
I will make another technical blogpost which will tell you guys all about how exactly we did manage this, but i can tell you now i just started with a ”regular’ (or extraordinaire if you like
) flash lite 2.0 application, which is the same concept as the fitc toronto app. I made a graphical interface and used flash lite to animate through it, I used an xml file to build the schedule page. Once that was finished we used b.tween to port this application to an iphone version. Basically the same concept, using optimized iphone images we are able to animate and navigate through the application with all of the iphone UI advantages. Just to be clear: b.Tween, is not a Flash compatible player, but rather a framework that allows to convert and compile application that will run natively on the hosting platform without requiring any runtime. More info will be posted later on my blog 
pretty cool no?
July 1st, 2008 at 11:07 am
Hi Scott,
thanks for the blog post, I know that there is not enough info available yet, but we were not supposed to go “live” before the end of the week. Anyway, I started to put some more info in my blog hoping that it can help clarifying what b.Tween and eyeGT are and most important what they are not. Please check my blog at http://www.barefootmobile.com/blogs/blinky/?p=10
Cheers,
Emanuele
July 1st, 2008 at 11:44 am
Emaunuele, sorry if the post was a bit premature.
You can use those emails to justify the direction you take your products in regards to Flash on the iPhone.
Will check out the post … now would be prime time to announce since Flash Player for iPhone (from all outwards apperances), still remains to be a side project for Adobe … and there is 0% interest from Apple, publicly.
I updated this post somewhat based on some available details, but will make a second one once I have read your post above.