Oops. Anyways, we do here what you all are saying and are trying to work through the issues. The timing of current events isvery unfortunate, and I wish nothing but good things for anyone who has worked on Java 3D.
Doug Twilleager Sun Microsystems
Doug Twilleager wrote:
Thanks Paul. Because of where I am at, I can't say anything too public about what is going on. We are working towards something that should make the Java 3D development community happy.
Doug.
Paul Pantera wrote:
I was a member of the Java 3D group at Sun from its inception to the initial round of layoffs in November 2001. So perhaps I can provide some insight as to why Java 3D is losing support from Sun.
The reason is because the popularity and performance of Linux and commodity Intel compatible processors. This has decreased demand for Sun's servers and workstations. As sales went down, costs needed to go down to keep the company's stock price afloat. Layoffs occurred.
Java 3D was developed in the 3D graphics hardware group at Sun. Sun's 3D graphics hardware used to be among the fastest you could get - much faster than any PC. The amazing performance of commodity processors from ATI and NVidia have caught up and surpassed Sun's hardware and have alleviated the need for Sun's customers to buy their expensive workstations. Because the group is no longer making money for Sun, more layoffs occurred, and Java 3D was among the first project to be cut since it doesn't provide any income for the company.
The Java group within Sun seems to have more support from upper management. Perhaps if Java 3D were part of the Java group instead of the 3D Graphics Hardware group, things would be different.
So it's my opinion that the lack of support for Java 3D isn't due to bugs, lack of Mac support, or mis-management, but instead it's because of external business concerns that have nothing to do with Java 3D.
I, like you, wish Sun would post an official announcement about the future of Java 3D. I'm personally concerned because I now make my living using Java 3D. I do know that there are Java 3D supporters still at Sun, including the original architect of Java 3D Doug Twilleager, and J3DFly author Paul Byrne. I do not know, however, if anyone is still supporting the product full time, as Kelvin and Mark were.
I'm glad to see that Sun has decided to officially support an open source Java/OpenGL binding, JOGL. Perhaps they will eventually decide to make Java 3D open source. However, be careful what you wish for. The Java 3D source is huge and complex. There are native sections for Solaris, Windows/OpenGL, and Windows/Direct3D, plus common code. I don't know how you'd open source a build process that requires different pieces of the code be built on different machines running different operating systems.
I'm not going to worry for now. I'm confident that there will be Java 3D into the future, and if not, that there will be a clean migration path to an alternative technology, perhaps open- mind or Xith3d.
It's clear that we are going to have to start taking on the burden of supporting ourselves in the future - Sun is not footing the bill any more. We whould try to work together as a community.
-Paul Pantera PresidioLabs Inc.
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