Metaballs, everyone’s favorite computer-generated globby blobs , have been around for a while. They’re the product of a rush of innovation in computer graphics during the 1980′s by the likes of Ken Perlin, Bui Tuong Phong, and Jim Blinn, when computer graphics began recognizing the need for organic shapes and shaders. The algorithm has been implemented countless times and can be astoundingly efficient and simple; the hardest part is finding something useful for them. Here is our take on it.

A cover flow is a great way to display and browse through discrete content. It feels like flipping through a magazine: easy and fast, but informative. Its a natural addition to many user interfaces, but many existing implementations are like black boxes with strict display rules. You add in your elements, and you end up with iTunes 7. We needed something more generic and reusable; those were the priorities. We take a look at the built in transform property of a DisplayObject, and how that can be used to build an flexible flow