Peter Hantzakos
The Plazmic Content Developer's Kit 3.7 for BlackBerry (CDK) is a set of utilities that allow users to create cool, colorful, interactive media content for the BlackBerry 3.7 platform. The CDK is a content development platform.
Now, lets explain what the CDK is not:
The CDK is not a software development environment.
But wait! Don't stop reading just yet ...
CDK + JDE = Cool BlackBerry Fun!
You can combine the use of the CDK with the use of the Java Development Environment to create a rich more compelling user experience for your BlackBerry handheld clients, more compelling than simple text alone.
How?
The JDE includes Media Engine libraries that can view the content created in the CDK. So, create some content using the CDK then develop an application with the Media Engine libraries using the JDE. Combine the two to create a rich experience for BlackBerry handheld users. You can also use the CDK on its own to create fun, interactive sites that are viewable on the BlackBerry handheld browser.
The pieces of the content puzzle
The CDK includes various components. One component, Composer, allows creation of content within a GUI-based environment and features shape tools, palettes, an animation timeline, layers, interactivity set up, and content simulation.
Hand code your SVG if you are technically inclined and don't like using GUI-based tools. If you do, refer to the BlackBerry Wireless Handheld SVG Reference Documentation that is shipped with the CDK. It lists all SVG elements and attributes supported in the CDK. We are however, strict about compliance to our DTD, the Document Type Description that is used to validate the SVG in your document against what we support in SVG. If there are errors or omissions in the hand coded SVG, the Media Engine Simulator will surely find them, and let you know about it too, through its logging window.
Another piece of the content puzzle
The Media Engine Simulator is another useful component of the CDK. Launched on its own or from within Composer, it is a useful tool for debugging and previewing content before deploying it to a web server for viewing on the BlackBerry handheld browser. It features handheld profiles, logging window, scene properties information, and play, pause, and restart content playback actions.
The SVG transcoding utility is also included with the CDK. It transcodes supported SVG it into a format that the BlackBerry handheld browser understands, called '.pmb' or 'pme.' Why this extra step? Well, .pme/.pmb is more compact and transmits quickly over wireless networks.
Pme can be exported directly from Composer, or can be created using the command line SVG transcoding utility. For more information, refer to the Plazmic Content Developer's Kit User Guide Documentation, chapter 5 "Transcoding SVG Content".
The final piece of the content puzzle
The CDK includes an SWF to SVG conversion utility. Note that the swf conversion utility does not support the entire swf format. The utility only provides a bridge to our supported set of SVG elements and attributes. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the SWF conversion utility before creating swf content for BlackBerry. Refer to chapter 3 of the Plazmic Content Developer's Kit User Guide Documentation, "Converting Flash to Scalable Vector Graphics," for more information on the SWF Conversion Utility.
The CDK in action
The CDK can be used as a presentation layer. For example, some of our partners have used the CDK to spruce up their intranet sites viewable on the BlackBerry handheld browser. Combining the use of html, and the SVG subset supported in the CDK, they have created fun, interactive, and colorful intranet sites viewable on the BlackBerry handheld browser. The CDK can also be used to create colorful interactive product demonstrations or presentations complete with animation and events based on user input.
We recently used the CDK to create a demonstration WES site where users could view information about the show and sponsors, with an interactive floor section that displays a sponsor's booth when the user scrolled over a booth 'hotspot'.
A live example of the CDK in action is the browser demo. Use your BlackBerry browser to visit:
http://www.blackberry.com/browserdemo
Although the CDK is geared towards those who create, design and develop content, that shouldn't stop you from going in and having some fun and experimenting with the CDK. After all, whether you're a software programmer, a web developer, a graphic designer or content creator, we are all artists of our own craft!
We've mentioned some possible uses of the CDK above. Now, let your imagination run wireless, and see where the CDK will take you. For further information, and to download the CDK, visit the Plazmic website at: