are there just some broken links at sun.com or is this API going to disappear?! anyone knows?
There will be some (good) JSDT news shortly, the Gods of Sun willing.
Sorry can’t say more right now.
JSDT is cool… do I remember correctly that there have been no news around it for quite a long time now?
(Similar fate as Java3D?)
yep, exactly, it was just staying around in silence like java3d.
Jeff: cool, thanks for the tip!
i’m wondering what news they could present for such an old/mature API!
This thread was the first I’ve heard of JSDT. Now I’m intrigued.
Maybe you are too young 
This API is quite old … but very useful. I think you can build a complete networking system for a game on top of it. I once wrote a small game prototype and it worked like a snap!
I didn’t use it for my current one just bc. it seemed to be pretty dead.
JSDT was very cool, I was using it in a prototype back when in the biz and then it died - which sucked terribly.
So for thsoe who don’t know…
JSDT == Java Shared Data Toolkit.
Its a high level networking API that lets you create values that are “shared” across multiple processes. You post updates to your lcoal copy and they get propegtaed to other copies. It also contains a
shared Mutex type thing called a Token which is necessary for coordinating such updates.
Yesterday I registered a sourceforge project. When it comes alive, I’ll checkin my HeadQuarter system, which allows a similar handling of data, just on a more abstract level than a byte buffer. Maybe someone is finding it useful as well.
Hey, this JSDT thing sounds pretty much like the tool i’m looking for.
Jeff: how long may “shortly” be in this case ?
Can anyone give a rough description of the performance of JSDT ? feasible for game communications ?
Herkules: what’s that HQ of yours ?
regards
Martin
[quote]Hey, this JSDT thing sounds pretty much like the tool i’m looking for.
Jeff: how long may “shortly” be in this case ?
[/quote]
Don’t have a date, sorry. The folks in charge of it are pushing as fast as they can.
One of my questions too. havent foudn any latency or bandwidth numbers yet. Sorry.
[quote]Herkules: what’s that HQ of yours ?
[/quote]
Not so easy to say in a single sentence…
HQ is a framework that allows to define realtime shared data systems. It is built around the networking unit called ObjectBus which in turn relies on NIO.
HQ introduces and implements a notion of ‘identity’, which is a key term in distributet systems.
The main idea of HQ is to divide an objects being into several facettes and maintain each of the facettes seperately in a subsystem. ‘Seperately’ means that each facette may use its own protocol and distribution scheme. All facettes are interconnected by the corresponding ‘identity’.
Currently defined subsystems are
[]location - handles distribution of spatial data
[]registry - handles hierarchic objects relations, can be used for groupings, squads, inventories, type systems and such
[]property - handles object attributes
[]time - common meaning of ‘time’ (! VERY important!)
[*]stuff - chat, messaging…
The implemented subsystems are related to JSDT bc. updates are communicated transparantly. The protocols used can be problem specific. E.g. a server may decide NOT to distribute certain spatial data everywhere (bc. of visibility limitations), whereas structural changes are always distributed.
HQ allows to create different clients that are only concerned about certain aspects of the whole environment. Think of a radar screen application which might only be interested in spatial data, but not in object properties or relations (radars are not very smart to that respect )
Of course, HQ is not as mature as JSDT is and there are still a lot of things to do. But game prototypes like FlyingGuns and JPilot show that it is reliable and allows for very smart data management and extremely low bandwidth needs.
Still, ObjectBus and its tools are available all the time, so there is an easy way just to communicate simple, custom messages like game events.
I could talk alot more about that …
Thanks Herkules and Jeff
so (HQ) would be a high - level solution for networked games ?
sorry but i found nothing useful about ObjectBus is this a sun api ?
what do one need to use HQ ? external packages ?
Is HQ peer to peer or client server ?
could You give a code example of usage of HQ ?
is the sourceforge Project approved yet ?
…lots of (naive) questions :)…
regards
Martin
[quote]so (HQ) would be a high - level solution for networked games ?
[/quote]
For games and other things.
ObjectBus is part of HeadQuarter. In order to use HQ you need either the source or just the jar. Both will be available from SourceForge then.
[quote]Is HQ peer to peer or client server ?
[/quote]
Depends on how you like to setup.
[quote]could You give a code example of usage of HQ ?
[/quote]
FlyingGuns and JPilot are both examples. I’m afraid some specific samples wouldn’t be bad…
[quote]is the sourceforge Project approved yet ?
[/quote]
There has been a problem with the SF project registration system. I had to re-register yesterday. So next week maybe.
[quote]is the sourceforge Project approved yet ?
[/quote]
Now it is:
Hello, just noticed that the JSDT - download seems to be up again.
see: http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/jsdt/2.0/techinfo.html
regards
Martin
Version 2.0 (FCS) October 4, 1999
Puuhhhh…
just wanted to note it’s up again, but we are still waiting for Jeff’s surprise 8)
Martin
Well jeff is surpised…
This posting foreshadows what I was told is likely to happen, but noone told me that it HAD happened.
I’ll go give my contact some grief and see what he says.
? What happened ?
Just the historic release is available again.
I’m so afraid that after Sun made my JXInput obsolete by introducing JInput, now my HeadQuarter will be the next…