Help me choose.

Engines, Libraries and Tools Java 3D
#1

Okay, some little background of me:
I have seven years programming expierience.
Three years C, Three years C++ and one year Java.
I have expierience with C++@OpenGL.
Details about project:
Project is very highdetailed. For example cars are modeled with every polt in the engine and so on.
Game will be quite with high graphics and completly online.
Problem:
I have looked around Java technologys to accomplish desired result. But the more i liook, the more i get confused.
For the bindings for OpenGL it seems to be nice using JOGL. For device controlling Jinput.
But first what about Sound?
And should i create my own framework or use some API.
And when then which one - Xith3D, Java3D, JME, smth else?

Please suggest me smth guys,
Cheers,

Mirko

#2

First read:
Java3D vs JOGL vs LWJGL
need unbiased help on library choice

For sound you’ve got JavaSound, OpenAL, FMOD, mod decoders.

#3

Definitally read those posts, this question has been asked a thousand times.

Probably wise to use a scenegraph unless you enjoy reinventing the wheel or have a need for some type of fancy wheel. I recommend Xith3D (a scenegraph that I use and devlop).

I also use and develop an input abstraction layer so I can easily switch between input methods (e.g. AWT and LWJGL)

Will.

#4

The question has been asked alot but answered every time differently.
Some ppl worship Java3D for gaming, some tell that it is **** and too slow for games.
Xith3D - i looked at their web page and am afraid that this project is fading.
And if i use Xith3D how portable is it? Can i bring in different sound APIs and so on.
Will: Could u contact me at MSN mirkoadari7@hotmail.com
May have interesting offer for u.

#5

[quote]The question has been asked alot but answered every time differently.
Some ppl worship Java3D for gaming, some tell that it is **** and too slow for games.
[/quote]
Baring some really good real game benchmarks i find that claim questionable. Java3D does basically everything you would need to do yourself to get good speed in a real game, and does it for you.

Benchmarks that just blast triangles to the screen are not real. You need to do real compelx scenes (like you would have in a sim or a game) before the over-head of J3D turns around and becomes advantage.

More to the point, what you gain in convenience and work already done for you, you give up in control. We have JUST gotten a way to push shaders down to the card in J3D. We don’t yet have stencil buffer support.

If you are going for absolutely the latest cutting edge in graphics and want to push all the features of your card to the max, then you probably have to go down to OGL (JOGL or LWJGL).

But then you have bought yourself a whole lot more work. So its a trade-off.

#6

You also got AgentFX. We have all the goodies in a regular scene graph and a lot more such as portals, octrees, shadow volumes, skinning. We have full support for vertex and pixel shaders where the entire pipeline can be accessed as uniform.

For more info: www.agency9.com

Cheers
// Tomas