Augmentify

Onezerothrice have released a new Flash framework for developing augmented reality web apps. Artisan is “the fastest and easiest way from point A to point B in browser based augmented reality. With ARtisan, the developer needs no knowledge of the inner workings of augmented reality to create in-depth, interactive AR experiences.”

Previously, Flash developers would have to use the more complicated FLARToolkit. Onezerothrice have also bundled Papervision3d with it, to ease the creation of 3D objects, which are attached to the markers in augmented reality.

Find examples of what can be done here, or download the code directly from the Google Code project.

Development tools such as this are important in moving AR to the maintstream. Despite some inroads from Microsoft in the form of Silverlight, and the burgeoning threat of Html5, ubiquitous Flash still dominates the web space for interactivity. Open source (and free for commercial use) toolkits such as this should herald a wave of Flash based AR apps. Expect many of them to be marketing micro-sites for brands looking to appear on the cutting edge.