Well every game has at least a 2D menu being drawn before everything fur health status and things like that, but I don’t really know how to accomplish this using Java3D. Now I simply use a Text3D object at place it under my viewplatform TransformGroup so you can see it all the time, but there has to be a better solution than that. Someone ?
You might want to check out the overlay systems…
There’s an package called overlay in the codebase at:
There’s a simpler (imo) HUD system over at:
http://www.newdawnsoftware.com
in the resources section.
They both essentailly create polygons aligned with the screen which they paint textures onto. The textures contain the 2D layout of the screen.
Kev
heh, i do the same! ;D (text3D under vp)
I’ve also written some classes to make menus easier & faster. Of course, these kind of menus aren’t thought as “sort of 2D menus” but truly as 3D menus.
If you want a 2D menu then why not simply use plain awt/swing? Making options panels as well as 2D gui using awt/swing can be made quite quickly and nice enough, just some “pictured” buttons over a background. Like the usual “old-school” menus.
Just switch between the canvas3D and a panel to switch from world to menu or the opposite. (I haven’t done it but i guess it should work fine)
On the other hand, you can do funny stuff with “3D menus”, you can rotate, zoom, change appearance, lights or many together when the mouse comes over a button, or even when it’s idle. There are many fun things that can be done using 3D (and not 2D), making the menu more animated.
Either the 2D “rigid art” style or some 3D animated style. The result will be strongly different! The choice is up to you.
cheers