[Embedlets-dev] Re: Hey Ted....

[Ted K. <tk...@ya...>]

Andrzej stated:

> ...you're the Graphics Tool guy.  Think you can set something like this up 
> for us to visualize the evolution of the Embedlet/Outpost code bases over the
> 
> next few years?
> 
> http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pascal.brisset/kernel3d/kernel3d.html
> 
> I want a code management/visualization tool like this. ;-)


Well, as it turns out I have been learning Java3D over the past year or so and
I have already been writing down some blue-sky ideas of ways to leverage it in
a future version of the wiring tool.  The way that I got interested in Java3D
was that a number of my students imagined that they wanted to be 3D game
programmers when they grew up and so they started digging into DirectX.  After
6 months of pounding on DirectX they had very little to show for their efforts.

It might have ended there but these same students had also taken great pleasure
in constantly telling me what a worthless pile of junk Java was and how it
would never replace C for 'real' applications.  As soon as they officially gave
up I started digging into Java3D and within about a week or so I had put
together a nice little 3D world on a 1000 meter by 1000 meter plane which had a
number of static and dynamic 3D objects on it.  Some of the 3D objects had .jpg
skins on them which contained people's faces (theirs of course!) and one could
easily fly through this world using the keyboard arrow keys.

I am not much into games but it is my opinion that Java3D might potentially be
an excellent tool for application visualization and assembly.


Ted

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