Paul Fisher writes:
> > whether anyone is working on the 2D and 3D API support?
>
> I don't believe that anyone is working on 3D support. I've become
> familiar with the 2D API, and if no one else tackles it before I get
> to it, I'll begin work after the 1.1 AWT is complete. (which will be a
> while)
>
> 2D support is unfortunately, not trivial -- especially under X11.
> We'll either have to roll our own 2D rendering engine (partially in
> Java and partially in C) or rely on libart_lgpl in GNOME.
Observations:
a) Sun is already desparate to throw Java3D at Linux
b) OpenGL bindings need AWT and Swing support
c) Sun is opposing Java OpenGL bindings to save Java3D
I would like to draw this lists attention to the very
unfortunate decision of Arcana Ltd. to pull Magician
of the market. See
http://www.arcana.co.uk/products/magician/
Magician is a Java OpenGL API including implementations
for Linux, Win32, Mac and other OS, supporting JNI,
RNI, and Netscape's JRI. In contrast to Java3D, this
is a portable, popular, efficient solution. Magician
has been the base of the OpenGL Architecure Review
Board's efforts to get official JavaGL bindings
specified. Arcana has clarified last year that
cloning of the API is legal; a Mesa-like solution
is thus possible.
Personally, I abhorr Java3D and can only urge to ignore it.
I am trying to set up a (possibly futile) effort
to encourage a release of at least the Java and JNI code
of Magician to the public domain. Arcana has released several
pure Java packages under an "Artistic License", and would be
approachable, but it doesn't seem like the company can afford
to reject commercial offers.
It is my believe that Classpath specifically and open
source Java in general will benefit a lot more from
providing JavaGL bindings portable to any platform
with a JVM and OpenGL, instead of putting effort into
furthering the acceptance of Sun's Java3D API.
b.
