I think I see the Holy Grail for products designed by the consumer in an Internet browser forming. Adobe will be releasing ActionScript 3.0 for Flash 9 sometime in 2007. It’s currently in alpha. This release is orders of magnitude faster than previous versions. This release combined with faster computers is going to put us over the top for real time 3D in the browser. These 3D tools will work in almost all computer browsers without having to install them. The tools can just pop up, just like flash ads do at this point.

ActionScript 3.0 is not about 3D, but a powerful virtual terminal that runs in the browser. This lets people write 3D engines that use ActionScript. See Papervison3d.org and Kirupa.com.

Right now there are a lot of tricks you can do in 2D, but real time 3D in a browser that works on almost all desktops without installing anything is very hard. I see a small ad in a page expanding much bigger with a full-blown tool set popping up. In the past I thought Java would be the answer, but this was never able to achieve critical mass. Microsoft wanted to make darn sure that Java in the browser was not a way to replace desktop applications, and did what it could to kill Java. A server based CAD engine could work, but this lets the CPU power of the client go to waste. I have thought about running Rhino on a server outputting models and renders.

Flash is not just for computers; it works or soon will on kiosks, palmtops, handhelds, and large cell phones. The same tools that let consumers design products over the Internet can be used at a local level. Just like a person at Walgreens can print photos from a kiosk, a person can use a kiosk to make a custom gold pendant in a jewelry store. Sure this can be done with desktop software now, but kiosks would be easier to manage using these Internet tools. Also people could use their own devices in the store to run the store’s machines. This would truly be user manufacturing like Frank Piller is talking about.

I’m not sure where I am going to take this. I think it would be wise to let these 3D engines get developed for another 6-12 months or so to see what happens. I need to explore the world of 2D and Flash first. At least I now have more motivation to learn Flash. I am most interested in designs that are flat with 2 1/2D profiles. This limits the options and makes it easier for people to design there own pieces. With 2 1/2D you can use images to represent profile information. This is why I think a coin is perfect starter mass customization product. It’s just 2D printing with one more piece of information, height.

So can something like ActionScript 3.0 be the grease that really gets mass customization rolling? For simple custom jewelry I say yes.