Flash Communication Server : Wow!
(Note, I am posting this first as a Flash Developer excited about the technology, and second as a Macromedia employee).
I haven’t had much time to play around with the Flash Communication Server. I have been focusing on Flash Remoting, and working on a book on the same subject. However, last night I finally got a chance to install the server and play around. Here is the timeline:
- 0 minutes : begin installing server.
- 5 minutes : server installed.
- 10 minutes : I have created a simple multiuser chat application, where users log it, the user’s names are displayed, and they can chat with each other.
- 20 minutes : After playing around with the chat, I add audio and video support. It works pretty well with two video streams over my measly 144/144 DSL connection.
- 25 minutes : I add a shared whiteboard, and cursors (you see everyone else’s cursor (we had some bug fights)). Works like a charm, although the whiteboard takes focus away from the chat sometime.
So in 25 minutes I had created an app which allowed multiple users to connect and chat, send and receive video, share cursors, and work together on a whiteboard. All of this, and this is the kicker, without writing a single line of ActionScript. You can see a picture of the chat with video support here with myself, Christian Cantrell and Phillip Torrone all chatting(I am not sure why I didn’t just take a screen shot).
So now, I have to go back to not sleeping so I can play around with this and Flash Remoting. Btw, I am hoping to get some content up on the site here soon. Maybe we will have some live chats or something (post any ideas you might have in the comments section).
