The 2.0 version of the coolest, 100% visual software development tool on the planet, Illumination Software Creator, has been announced. (You can read the press release here.)
Okay, I’ll admit it… I’m a tad biased. But, even if I weren’t, this 2.0 upgrade… great guacamole, Batman. This is some seriously good stuff.
I’ll cut straight to the big points:
- Now includes a native MacOS X version of Illumination Software Creator itself. (So now all of our Mac friends can come hang out with us.)
- Full support for building Adobe Flex websites.
- Full support for building Adobe AIR desktop applications.
- 2.0 will be a free upgrade to everyone who has purchased, or will purchase, Illumination 1.0.
- Public Beta for 2.0 will be available in the coming days and will be announced here and on the official support forum.
This is where things start to get really cool.
So now you can build your own software. Completely visually, without writing a single line of code (you don’t even need to have any programming experience to dive right in).
And then you can run that software on:
- Linux, Windows or Mac Desktops using either Python or Adobe AIR (take your pick!)
- On your Nokia Tablet using Python
- On your website using Adobe Flex
- Or on any device where Flash is supported
If that’s not awesome, I don’t know what is. We’re talking “T-Rex with a jet pack and lasers” kind of awesome here.
You can check out version 1.0 (for Linux and Windows). Take part in the Beta over at the Support Forum (the Beta for version 1.1 is set to wrap up in the next few days, after which “2.0 Beta 1″ will be made available).
And, of course, you can buy a license over here for $49. (Which is less than the cost of most video games. Or as someone, somewhere, probably has said, “Why I do declare! That’s a super dandy deal!” … We don’t hear the phrase “super dandy” enough…)
June 2nd, 2010 - 2:24 pm
Wow, that’s awesome. I’d like the option to build C# though, so I can assure myself that RMS ain’t using my stuff
June 2nd, 2010 - 3:19 pm
Awesome work!
You should totally give these Beta releases code names like “T-Rex with a jet pack and lasers”.
Version 2.0 Beta 2: That’s No Moon
Version 2.0 Beta 3: Would You Like Fries With That?
Version 2.0 Beta 4: Velvet Elvis
…
You get the idea.
June 2nd, 2010 - 8:53 pm
Why are you no longer on STOked ?? We miss you!! You were the epic one! ^-^
June 3rd, 2010 - 6:28 pm
[...] that version 1.1 is out, the attention is turned to version 2.0 (which will also be a free upgrade) and bringing full Adobe Flash/Flex/AIR support (in addition to [...]
June 4th, 2010 - 1:28 am
[...] – Entirely focused on adding Flash/Flex/AIR build support. There will also be a few additions to Illumination itself to make development easier. But the [...]
July 2nd, 2010 - 7:43 pm
I stumbled across Illumination while looking for Maemo development options. Can you please post full details of source licensing? I guess if you’re generating GTk/Python code it isn’t a big deal unless you are adding restrictions but what else do you need for the Adobe apps? And what do you need to distribute an app created this way? The website doesn’t have much documentation.
Also, I have a desktop and a laptop, will one license work across both?
Thanks!
July 3rd, 2010 - 5:22 pm
Terry: There are no restrictions whatsoever on the resulting applications built with Illumination. You could distribute the Python/GTK applications under a GPL’d license if you wished. For the Adobe Flash apps, the only requirement is that Adobe Flash be installed on your users system (which it likely already is). There are no libraries or code used outside of the Flex framework itself (which is open sourced from Adobe).
Illumination makes no assumptions about how you wish to distribute or license your own software. You may do so under any license you like.