It depends what you want - Java3D is certainly easier to use than OpenGL, especially for more complex work, and from what I can tell sun are continuing to support it from a bug-fix point of view but there are no current plans for a Java3D 1.4 . For more on this, take a bit of a look down the archives for this list - we discussed it quite a lot a few weeks ago.
What to use depends on what you need - if you can do all you need with Java3D as it stands it has the advantages of being mature, feature-rich and fairly stable. If you need the features of the latest video cards (I'm thinking here probably more of a games writing type project than CAD or Scientific Visualisation) then you probably want to look at the OpenGL stuff. There are several people looking to put together an open-source Java3D like renderer over JOGL and LWJGL - I suspect that if you start out using Java3D you will be able to transfer to this if it stops being sufficient for your needs. There is more on that here: http://www.javagaming.org/cgi-bin/JGNetForums/YaBB.cgi?board=3D;action=display;num=1057463216 Hope this is useful to you, -ben -----Original Message----- From: Gili [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 09 July 2003 15:19 To: Ben Moxon; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [JAVA3D] Major problems? Ben, What would your recommendation be? Look into the OpenGL binding instead? The bottom line is: what is the best way to do 3D under Java? Or is this currently more trouble than its worth? I'm about to stake my newfound business on how I do 3D on Java so I'm a little reluctant to go ahead with these concerns. Should I be worried? If I find bugs in Java3D in the future, are you saying Sun won't fix them? Why does the new OpenGL binding release have an effect on Java3D? Lastly, is Java3D in any way easier to use than OpenGL? Thanks, Gili On Wed, 9 Jul 2003 15:08:46 +0100, Ben Moxon wrote: >The only other issue I have noticed is the whole "Java3D may or may not be about to be dropped by Sun in the light of the new OpenGL bindings and the way people from sun keep hinting it is stalled, in a holding pattern etc etc" discussion. > >Not really a technical problem, but a point to consider. > >-ben > >-----Original Message----- >From: Ian M Nieves [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: 09 July 2003 14:59 >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: [JAVA3D] Major problems? > > >Gili, > >Although I do NOT represent Java3D OR the Java3D community.. I think that >the largest gripes that I have heard include: >1) no real low level access to OpenGL specifics such as the various >buffers, etc. If you dont know what im talking about with this, then it >probably wont affect you. (no guarantee though) >2) Java3D is NOT open source, so you cannot fix problems with it yourself. >3) Java3D is feature rich, as opposed to lightweight. It is not a >minimalist game engine. > >Anyone else have thoughts? > >Ian > > >On Wed, 9 Jul 2003, Gili wrote: > >> Before I throw myself full-force behind using Java3D in my application: are >> there any major problems or very annoying things that are currently known to be >> broken in Java3D? Anything I should know up-front about it? >> >> Gili >> >> ======================================================================== === >> 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".
