OK, here's what I know about the plugin converter. I don't use it. The best thing to do is just take one of the _plugin.html files from the Java 3D demos and hand edit it for your needs.
The problem with the HTML converter is that it will make your applet require that version of Java. So if you use the 1.3.1_01 plugin converter, your applet will require 1.3.1_01 to run. That's usually not what you want. The other problem was that certain versions used mime types that don't exist in certain browsers. After some experimentation we found the best one to use is application/x-java-applet;version=1.3. That was a few months ago now, and will probably have to be changed for applets that use Java 3D 1.3, but for now you should use that. The HTML converter will insert code into your html that will automatically install a JRE on IE using .cab file technology. Different versions of the plugin converter will point to different .cab files corresponding to different JREs, some of which don't exist. Run your .html through different versions of the html converter, compare the output, and mix and match. This seems like a good use of j3d.org. Someone should become responsible for this and maintain a web page on j3d.org that includes the best HTML to use for Java 3D applets. It should be someone who can test on a range of PCs and Solaris/SPARC machines. The HTML may differ depending on the version of Java 3D that the applet requires. For example, Java 3D 1.3 beta (released soon) requires 1.3.1. This will require changes to the HTML and will need to be adequately tested. There's no reason everyone who wants to make a Java 3D applet should have to duplicate this effort. Regarding the email below, I don't believe I ever stated that support for EMBED will be dropped. Even if it is, try to make it so your applets will work on the widest configuration of machines. So don't use features that are only available on the most recent versions of the plug-in, and if you do, make sure that you can automatically upgrade the customer's JRE if you do (at least on IE). -Paul > Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > MIME-Version: 1.0 > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit > X-Priority: 3 (Normal) > X-MSMail-Priority: Normal > Importance: Normal > X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 > Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 21:47:25 -0700 > From: John Nelson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [JAVA3D] jdk1.3.1_01a, IE5 and Netscape 6.1 > Comments: To: Fred Klingener <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Hey Fred, > > I thought I was pretty clear. Here we go again... HTMLConverter > (in the new SDK) does nothing. Nada. Without HTMLConverter > I will have no converted applet tag. Without a converted applet > tag then how will the browser know that it needs to download the > new plugin (and which version)? > > I looked at the demos that came with the new SDK (demo/applets) > and none of them are converted. Now I seem to recall that Paul > Pantera had said that the EMBED tag will no longer be supported > and that somehow we only need raw applet tags. > > I've tried my applet with raw tags and the applet does not load > without having Java and the Java 3d runtime environments installed. > No prompting for plugins with raw applet tags. > > So I don't know how the new SDK is going to do the job without some > kind of conversion... and that means HTMLConverter. > > And even with the latest runtime support installed, my machine still > wedges requiring a hard reboot. > > -- John > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Discussion list for Java 3D API > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Fred Klingener > > Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 2:08 PM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: Re: [JAVA3D] jdk1.3.1_01a, IE5 and Netscape 6.1 > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "John Nelson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 7:04 PM > > Subject: Re: [JAVA3D] jdk1.3.1_01a, IE5 and Netscape 6.1 > > > > > > > Ok, I've run into a lot of problems with the new SDK... > > > > > > 1) I did try to convert my applet HTML page with the new > > 1.3.1_01a > > > HTMLConveter and it claims that no changes are needed or were > > made to the > > > HTML page containing my applet tag. Since HTMLConverter > > doesn't seem to > > > work, I can't tell browsers to use the new plugin. > > > > > > 2) I had to install the Java 3d runtime stuff by hand (well > > duh because I'm > > > not getting the latest plugin because HTMLConverter doesn't > > work) so I still > > > get the same wedging behavior in both Netscape 6.1 and IE 6.0. > > > > > > There *is* a new plugin to go along with the new SDK isn't > > there? That > > > running HTMLConveter points to? And how do I get > > HTMLConverter to work? > > > > John, > > > > I recommend getting a grip on the problem. All of the Java 3D > > demo applets come with converted and unconverted html. Run a > > couple of the demos from each type of page in each browser. > > What appears in the Java Console (in anything) will give you a > > handle on how to proceed. The new console is verbose! > > > > Look at your directory structure to see how many JREs you have > > and where they are. > > > > Take a look at Help/About Plug-ins in NS6.1 > > > > Read the Readme and installation notes at Sun's download page. > > They have some suggestions for getting IE lined up to use the > > Sun Plug-in. > > > > Good luck, > > Fred > > > > > > > > -- John > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Kyle McDonald - Eagle CAD > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > > Sent: Friday, October 26, 2001 12:03 PM > > > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Subject: Re: [JAVA3D] jdk1.3.1_01a, IE5 and Netscape 6.1 > > > > > > > > > > > > John Nelson wrote: > > > > > > > > > Well I guess I'm not being very clear here. Let's say I'm > > an applet > > > > > developer and the only operating system that I have is > > Linux. > > > > The new SDK > > > > > isn't available for Linux, only Windows and since it's an > > SDK, > > > > the upgrade > > > > > is on the developer side NOT the runtime plugin downloaded > > by the user. > > > > > > > > > > Therefore as a Linux applet developer, I can't use it. > > > > > > > > > > And this is really WEIRD considering that Java is "develop > > once, use > > > > > anywhere"... but Linux and Solaris folks don't even get > > the > > > > "develop once" > > > > > part. :-) Of course I'm assuming that parallel SDK's for > > > > Linux, Solaris, > > > > > etc will be available at some point in time. > > > > > > > > > > Or am I still missing something? > > > > > > > > > > -- John > > > > > > > > > > > > John, > > > > > > > > As far as I know, the 'a' in 1.3.1_01a is probably > > some bug > > > > fix that is only needed for Windows, and maybe even > > only in > > > > the tools that come onyl with the SDK. > > > > > > > > However most if not all of the platforms should have a > > 1.3.1_01 > > > > version available I think. Though I doubt > > functionality was > > > > added in _01 bug fix release either. > > > > > > > > It's my impression that Mozilla, and Netscape 6.x both > > will > > > > use the Java plugin for *all* applets no matter how > > the HTML > > > > is written, because they don't have a JVM built in. I > > don't > > > > think this is a feature that was added to the Java > > Plugin > > > > at all. It's just how Mozilla and Netscape 6 are > > architected. > > > > > > > > Netscape 4 and versions of IE have a JVM that they use > > for > > > > the APPLET tags and therefore need another mechanism > > to force > > > > the browser to use the plugin. > > > > > > > > Therefore for users who are still using an older > > browser, if > > > > you need your applet to run inside the Plugin JVM, > > you'll still > > > > need to 'convert' your HTML. Unless you're happy with > > only > > > > letting Netscape 6/Mozilla users at your applets :) > > > > > > > > > > > > All that being said, I should note that while I do > > work for > > > > Sun, I have really no more info on anythis than any of > > you do, > > > > And I could be mistaken on what I've just said. > > > > > > > > -Kyle > > > > > > > > -- > > > > _ > > > > > -------------------------------ooO( )Ooo----------------------- > > -------- > > > > Kyle J. McDonald (o o) Systems Support > > Engineer > > > > Sun Microsystems Inc. ||||| > > > > High End Server Engineering > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > 1 Network Drive BURL03-403 \\\// voice: (781) > > 442-2184 > > > > Burlington, MA 01803 (o o) fax: (781) > > 442-1646 > > > > > > -------------------------------ooO(_)Ooo---------------------- > > --------- > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ================================================================ > > =========== > > > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and > > include in the body > > > of the message "signoff JAVA3D-INTEREST". For general help, > > send email to > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] and include in the body of the message > > "help". > > > > > > > > > > ================================================================== > > ========= > > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and include > > in the body > > of the message "signoff JAVA3D-INTEREST". For general help, send email to > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] and include in the body of the message "help". > > > > =========================================================================== > To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and include in the body > of the message "signoff JAVA3D-INTEREST". For general help, send email to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] and include in the body of the message "help". =========================================================================== To unsubscribe, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and include in the body of the message "signoff JAVA3D-INTEREST". For general help, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and include in the body of the message "help".
