Old C++ programmer who has recently discovered how cool Java and the NetBeans IDE is.
I assume Java3D, JMonkeyEngine, LWJGL and Xith3D are all alternative game engines? Is that correct?
Nope.
Java3D = outdated, old attempt at a openGL scenegraph generator for Java (I apologize to those who may still be working on/with it).
LWJGL = A library that wraps openGL, openAL, input, etc. for Java. No engine, you code it from scratch, but it’s a great all-in-one library for game development.
JMonkeyEngine = A full on game engine built using LWJGL.
Xith3D = a full on graphic engine for Java. I haven’t used it much, but I think it uses either LWJGL or JOGL
JOGL = An openGL wrapper for Java (much like LWJGL minus the other libraries, but can be complemented by things like JOAL).
Hope that helps. 
Thanks you so much for the info! Now I understand.
I may have to take a closer look at LWJGL. I started developing a small game using JOGL and JInput but I know I’ll be adding OpenAL in the near future.
If you do decide to look at LWJGL, a nice resource to get quick help and answers regarding LWJGL is its irc channel over at #lwjgl on freenode. Just thought I’d mention it since I’ve found it very helpful.
I’m working with Killer Java Game Programming which has chapters on this. Should I just ignore this? I’m looking for a lib that’s cross platform which I can learn to build a 3d 1st person maze like game.
It showed a lot of promise in its day, but as I understand it, Java3D is no longer being developed.
I thought it was being developed in the community at large? Anyway - it’s kinda obsolete for games production purposes now.
Cas 
WHAT??? You have forgotten the JOGL renderer of JMonkeyEngine 2, I have spent some time to drive it more reliable (in order to use it for my own first person shooter), this engine is no more bound to a single OpenGL binding.
Yes but other than you, no-one cares.
Cas
and you otherwise you wouldn’t comment… please stop provoking him
No, it is completely wrong, the Project Wonderland uses JMonkeyEngine 2 with the JOGL renderer. I try to fix bugs in it but I’m not the guy who wrote it. If people were not interested in it, it would have never been written.
Yes he tries to provoke people. It would be better if he spent this time in more productive activities. When a game is written in LWJGL, I try it and if I can help to detect or maybe to fix a bug in the game, I do it (if I have enough time) and I already did it for “Arena Wars”, I sometimes play with “Tower Defence Game” and with his games too! If people were not interested in using JOGL, JOGL would not exist and he would not need to provoke people to divert attention or to convince JOGL is obsolete. If JOGL was obsolete, he would have almost nobody to convince.
Edit.: I’m not alone, some other guys have proposed some fixes for this renderer, especially concerning the handling of shaders.
Sorry, couldn’t resist Kev was baiting me in an MSN window.
Cas
[quote]You have forgotten the JOGL renderer of JMonkeyEngine 2
[/quote]
Sorry about that. I was just trying to hit the key points. I haven’t used JME in a while now. I kept trying but it seemed just as complicated to use as making my own engine.
Some people here have criticized my behavior but yours is not better, you don’t respect the efforts and the investment of some programmers. If Kev has something to add, he is clever enough to do it by himself.
Maybe you should read up about forum posting etiquette and you might not attract so many flames! >:( 
8) ;D ??? : 
:o :-X :-\ :-* :’( :persecutioncomplex:
chortle
Cas
Maybe you should do it first before giving lessons to other people
I stand utterly corrected.
Cas
one more time…
In my humble opinion, no.
Something may have been lost in translation there.
Cas