koobas.hobune.stream
Flash player vs. Unity Web player
Last year, I made a ECDIS (the same as your car's GPS but for ships) simulator using Flash and ActionScript. Now I have made a ship simulator with Unity Pro, which should be the 3D visual part of the ECDIS simulator. My first intention was to have the Unity simulator to feed position, course and speed to the Flash ECDIS simulator but I see now the limitations of Flash when it comes to 3D rendering.
I consider now doing everything with Unity Web player because I have to deliver this through the internet. I'll have then to make the ECDIS display in Unity, as a 2D object. But I don't know how to start. I have three solutions: 1) The ECDIS 2D map display is a different level and I toggle between them. 2) the ECDIS is on a split screen, using a second camera. 3) the ECDIS is an object on the 3D ship's bridge that I made.
The problem is that the map is digital, using vectors I created in Adobe Illustrator, then imported in Flash and manipulate it with ActionScript. There are a lot of buttons and functions such as, tracing of a route, measuring distance and bearings, etc, displaying it heading-up or north-up, etc.
The nicest solution would be 3) of course. But I have no idea how I can start programming that. I notice z-buffering problems already with the 3D instruments I created. The ECDIS should be layered as it is possible in Flash, with only 2D considerations. Is it possible?
I would be very grateful for any thoughts because ... I have nowhere else to ask. Thanks in advance.
You can probably avoid the z-buffering issues by using an orthographic camera to render that layer and since you are using Unity Pro write it to the texture for your bridge display.
Thank you. Yes, orthographic camera is what I thought. But layering by Z distance is a bit awkward, isn't it? Yes, I have Unity Pro and Unity Flash Pro. But I don't understand what you mean by "write it to the texture." Could you explain, please? Thanks in advance.
