Re: [JAVA3D] Distant views of a virtual universe ?

[Jacob Marner]

Hi,   I am not aware if Java3D can do what you want, but having learned about simulations a can say that it would be poor design to do so.   To do it right way i to distinguish between the concept of model and the concept of its visualization. Java3D is a tool for visualization. So if you are doing data mining, the data and the state of the collaboration is the state of the model. Each client should then maintain the visualization for itself based on this model and it is only model changes that should be sent over the network.   This approach has many distinct advantages over scene graph sharing: * The amount of messages that must be sent over the network is reduced significantly by sending only the actions of other users. * By sending only actions you also ensure that the state of the scene graph are keep correct at each frame. If a scene graph had to be updated automatically at the fastest rate possible the scene graph may show the data in ways that does not make sense until the update is fully complete. * Each client can show the world in slightly different ways if you don't use scene graph sharing. For instance, each can have it own use interface, 3D cursor and be able to mark selected data item visualially by, say, a color change. If you share a scene graph other users will be able to see you selections I might confuse them for their own.   Jacob   ----- Original Message ----- From: Fabrice Guyaux To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 7:54 Subject: [JAVA3D] Distant views of a virtual universe ? Dear all,   I'm preparing a "master degree thesis" on "Collaborative Visual Data mining" and I have to implement a prototype for such a collaborative system (see pic in attach).   The question is: Is it possible, with Java3D, to have a "Virtual Universe" object located on a server and several clients "viewing" this universe from distant places ? In other words... Is it possible to share a virtual universe through a network ?   One of the feature of the system would be:  "A client can modify an object in the universe and the others users can immediately see the changes"   If it's possible, which technology do I have to use ? (Remote Method Invocation ?)   Best regards, Fabrice Guyaux.