Hey. I am currently working on a Quake-style first person shooter prototype using Java3D for my degree project, and I am trying to get people''s views on this technology. Java3D is a freely available API from Sun for use with Java, not to be confused with GL4Java (which is similar). It would be really helpful if anyone could answer the following questions: 1. Have you heard of Java3D before now? 2. Would you consider using Java3D for making a first person shooter? Why? 3. If you were considering writing a first person shooter, what technology (language/API) would you use, and why? Thanks. If anyone is interested, I will tell you what I found. Grant

1. I have heard of Java3D
2. Java3D is currently quite slow relativly speaking. However it does have quite a bit of added stuff that can help to make development faster or easier (scene graphs, you jsut have to learn the different aproach)
3. For a FPS you would usually to looking for a highly detailed and complex environment, as such, java3d might be too slow for what you want. C++ with opengl/directX will probably give you the best preformance, however if you are going to be writing this
in java, I would recommend LWJGL or gl4java. This two APIs are, as far as I know (havn''t used gl4java), more of a direct interface for the 3d API, while java3d is a layer that adds functionality upon the lower graphics API. You pay heavily for this functionality.

1. Yep

2. No, because:
2.1: Its future is uncertain (SUN seems to have lost interest in it somehow)
2.2: I don't think that the API is well suited for games in general and for FPS in particular. I'm open for somebody to prove me wrong though.
2.3: I don't like the fact that it requires an additional installation. It should rather be part of the JDK.
2.4: I like my own API more

3. As said: My own stuff (http://www.jpct.net) with support for software AND hardware rendering via LWJGL. There i can add stuff that i'm missing without a problem.

BTW: I don't think that the comparision between LWJGL, GL4Java and Java3D is a valid one. That's like comparing a set of tools and some metal to a complete car. Java3D is a 3D engine, while LWJGL and GL4Java are tools to build one.


[edited by - EgonOlsen on June 4, 2003 5:32:50 PM]

1. of course. And i like it a lot.

2. If performances isn''t really an issue, i would definitely go for j3d.

3.It''s quite a question of what sort of fps is targetted. For high-performance ones, it would be risky to go for java3d and anything java at all (LWGL or not). To be sure, i would go on with C# or vb.net using managed directX.

There are many things said about java3d, among them are many thoughts or pre-made ideas. It''s up to you to separate facts from "ideas". Personnally, i love the way the api is made, i haven''t seen any other api so well structured yet. Even managed directX 9 is far away. The dark side is however a lack of performances. (but i personnally think this depends much on java itself and it''s JIT compiler/interpreter and other external dependancies... this is a thought, not a fact :-P)

cheers