Spark version?

[DON]

I'm trying to deploy a Flex Mobile Project to tablet devices that will
use birdeye. Is there a true Flex 4.5 version in work that replaces
the mx components with spark?

Flex Mobile Project do not support mx since they are not compatible
with Flex 3. So, the compatibility mode isn't going to cut it.

I got it to work by manually adding the Flex 4.5 mx.swc to the build
path, but you cannot do node or edge renderers using anything but
mx:Canvas. Ideally, it would support the new spark components,
itemrenderers, skins, etc.

I need to know if this open source project is still really active and
will have Flex 4.5 version available in the near future?

You have a great product. I'd hate to see it not keep up, like many
of the open source Flex libraries out there that fail to keep up.

What are the plans/schedule for 4.5?

Don Kerr
Manager, Space City Adobe User Group

[Billy Schoenberg]

Hi Don,

I apologize for the delay in responding to you.

Let me try to answer some of your questions.

First, getting libRaVis to work on mobile devices will require a whole lot more then just replacing MX components for Spark.  You are correct that this is the first step, but realistically libRaVis is too processor intensive right now to work on the usual underpowered mobile devices.  

Though, with that said I would be interested in doing the MX to Spark conversion for libRaVis (not including the enhanced visual graph, and all of the MXML controls).  Essentially, I would convert the VGraph, Node, EdgeRenderer, Layout etc to be spark but I do not want to continue to maintain the EnhancedVisualGraph, and anything in the controls namespace.  If you and anyone you know were available to help I would love it (especially because I do this in my spare time and weekends, so the more the merrier).  After we do the conversion from MX to Spark we would have to spend some time doing some serious performance profiling to figure out  where the CPU bottlenecks are and how we can alleviate them.

If you are interested in something like this let me know, because I what I would do is first trim the library to contain the code that I mentioned above, host it on GitHub, then we could get started on the rest of what I said above.

I guess to answer your questions about the plans for 4.5 I would have to say on some level its up to you.  If you are willing to help out then I am willing to pitch in too, but left to my own devices I would have to be honest and say it is probably not going to happen in the immediate future.

Let me know!

Billy

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BirdEye" group.
To post to this group, send email to flexviz...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to flexvizgraphl...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/flexvizgraphlib?hl=en.

[Keith Sutton]

I'd be interested in helping with this conversion as well particularly if it involved consolidating libRaVis and EVG in Spark

[DON]

Good news is that I have it working on Blackberry Playbook tablet and
performance is actually great ... and I made my client happy! This is
straight up, no conversion, with the exception of getting spark
components to work in node renderer. This is a Flex 4.5.1 mobile
project (no Flex 3 Compatibility mode available for mobile projects).
Only thing I had to do was add mx.swc to the project and import
mx:Canvas.

Due to smaller screen size. obviously you cannot load too many nodes
and it be usable, but in my case it is working great to add additional
nodes as the user navigates through the graph.

I'm sure a full conversion to spark would improve performance and
would be a good thing to start working on. But, right now, even a lot
of the spark components are not optimized for mobile and the new spark
skinning isn't recommended either for mobile. With that said, it
might be wise to wait until Adobe has more time to optimize spark
before converting it.

I will say this: There is a place for these types of graph in the
tablet space. (not phone). They are pretty high res now.

Unfortunately, your code under the hood is over my head. Not sure I
could contribute much code-wise. Paying clients always seem to come
first too. :) But, I do think you have a great product and it is
worth supporting it any way I can.

My immediate fire is out and I'm pleased it works well on tablets!

Thanks for all you guys do.

Don