Page Flip effect in pure Javascript

Question 1

As much as you might think this is better to do with JavaScript alone, you should understand that it's might be very difficult and without the proper math understanding and all it's probably going to take you more time to figure out then the plug in you have shown above. In any case with Google I have found a couple jsfiddles that can possible get you in the right direction.

Pure JavaScript flip effect: http://jsfiddle.net/maitrekaio/nuUNd/

// Dimensions of the whole book
var BOOK_WIDTH = 630;
var BOOK_HEIGHT = 260;

// Dimensions of one page in the book
var PAGE_WIDTH = 300;
var PAGE_HEIGHT = 250;

// Vertical spacing between the top edge of the book and the papers
var PAGE_Y = (BOOK_HEIGHT - PAGE_HEIGHT) / 2;

// The canvas size equals to the book dimensions + this padding
var CANVAS_PADDING = 30;

var progress = 1;
var target = -1;

var canvas = document.getElementById("pageflip-canvas");
var context = canvas.getContext("2d");
var fillElt = document.getElementById("fill");
var droppedShadowElt = document.getElementById("droppedShadow");
var sharpShadowElt = document.getElementById("sharpShadow");
var progressElt = document.getElementById("progress");
var foldWidthElt = document.getElementById("foldWidth");
var foldXElt = document.getElementById("foldX");

// Resize the canvas to match the book size
canvas.width = BOOK_WIDTH;
canvas.height = BOOK_HEIGHT + (CANVAS_PADDING * 2);

progressElt.addEventListener("change", render, false);

function render() {

    // Reset all pixels in the canvas
    context.clearRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);

    // Ease progress towards the target value 
    progress = progressElt.value;
    // Strength of the fold is strongest in the middle of the book
    var strength = 1 - Math.abs(progress);

    // Width of the folded paper
    var foldWidth = (PAGE_WIDTH * 0.5) * (1 - progress);

    // X position of the folded paper
    var foldX = PAGE_WIDTH * progress + foldWidth;

    // How far the page should outdent vertically due to perspective
    var verticalOutdent = 20 * strength;

    foldWidthElt.value = foldWidth;
    foldXElt.value = foldX;

    context.save();
    context.translate((BOOK_WIDTH / 2), PAGE_Y + CANVAS_PADDING);

    drawFoldedPaper(foldX, foldWidth, verticalOutdent, fillElt.checked);


    if (sharpShadowElt.checked) {
        drawSharpShadow(foldX, foldWidth, verticalOutdent, strength);
    }

    if (droppedShadowElt.checked) {
        drawDroppedShadow(foldX, foldWidth, strength);
    }

    context.restore();
}


// Draw the folded piece of paper
function drawFoldedPaper(foldX, foldWidth, verticalOutdent, fill) {
    context.beginPath();
    context.moveTo(foldX, 0);
    context.lineTo(foldX, PAGE_HEIGHT);
    context.quadraticCurveTo(foldX, PAGE_HEIGHT + (verticalOutdent * 2), foldX - foldWidth, PAGE_HEIGHT + verticalOutdent);
    context.lineTo(foldX - foldWidth, -verticalOutdent);
    context.quadraticCurveTo(foldX, -verticalOutdent * 2, foldX, 0);

    if (fill) {
        // Gradient applied to the folded paper (highlights & shadows)
        var paperShadowWidth = (PAGE_WIDTH * 0.5) * Math.max(Math.min(1 - progress, 0.5), 0);
        var foldGradient = context.createLinearGradient(foldX - paperShadowWidth, 0, foldX, 0);
        foldGradient.addColorStop(0.35, '#fafafa');
        foldGradient.addColorStop(0.73, '#eeeeee');
        foldGradient.addColorStop(0.9, '#fafafa');
        foldGradient.addColorStop(1.0, '#e2e2e2');
        context.fillStyle = foldGradient;
        context.fill();
    }
    context.strokeStyle = 'rgba(0,0,0,0.06)';
    context.lineWidth = 2;
    context.stroke();
}

// Draw a sharp shadow on the left side of the page
function drawSharpShadow(foldX, foldWidth, verticalOutdent, strength) {
    context.strokeStyle = 'rgba(0,0,0,'+(0.05 * strength)+')';
    context.lineWidth = 30 * strength;
    context.beginPath();
    context.moveTo(foldX - foldWidth, -verticalOutdent * 0.5);
    context.lineTo(foldX - foldWidth, PAGE_HEIGHT + (verticalOutdent * 0.5));
    context.stroke();
}

function drawDroppedShadow(foldX, foldWidth, strength) {    
    // Right side drop shadow
    var rightShadowWidth = (PAGE_WIDTH * 0.5) * Math.max(Math.min(strength, 0.5), 0);
    var rightShadowGradient = context.createLinearGradient(foldX, 0, foldX + rightShadowWidth, 0);
    rightShadowGradient.addColorStop(0, 'rgba(0,0,0,'+(strength*0.2)+')');
    rightShadowGradient.addColorStop(0.8, 'rgba(0,0,0,0.0)');

    context.fillStyle = rightShadowGradient;
    context.beginPath();
    context.moveTo(foldX, 0);
    context.lineTo(foldX + rightShadowWidth, 0);
    context.lineTo(foldX + rightShadowWidth, PAGE_HEIGHT);
    context.lineTo(foldX, PAGE_HEIGHT);
    context.fill();


    // Left side drop shadow
    var leftShadowWidth = (PAGE_WIDTH * 0.5) * Math.max(Math.min(strength, 0.5), 0);
    var leftShadowGradient = context.createLinearGradient(foldX - foldWidth - leftShadowWidth, 0, foldX - foldWidth, 0);
    leftShadowGradient.addColorStop(0, 'rgba(0,0,0,0.0)');
    leftShadowGradient.addColorStop(1, 'rgba(0,0,0,'+(strength*0.15)+')');

    context.fillStyle = leftShadowGradient;
    context.beginPath();
    context.moveTo(foldX - foldWidth - leftShadowWidth, 0);
    context.lineTo(foldX - foldWidth, 0);
    context.lineTo(foldX - foldWidth, PAGE_HEIGHT);
    context.lineTo(foldX - foldWidth - leftShadowWidth, PAGE_HEIGHT);
    context.fill();    
}

jQuery flip effect (that shouldn't be an issue converting to pure JavaScript): http://jsfiddle.net/pixelass/TW43V/61/

Another jQuery flip effect: http://jsfiddle.net/wdm954/DkZsY/2/

because you want pure JavaScript know you'll need to figure out how to do this on your own. Using these examples as guidelines will be helpful even if they are not pure js.

Question 2

This question is rather old but I'll place a reference where idea for approved answer has been taken from - http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/casestudies/20things_pageflip/. Good tutorial with explanation and examples.