http://www.jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=189
2.) There are companies that are moving toward Java3D, not away. Existence Proof - Probably the coolest application every released to the public by NASA is done using Java,JAI,Java3D. And this effort is probably the direct cause of MacOSX support for Java3D!
http://mars.telascience.org/home/
3.) I personally do not want to learn OpenGL - I'm a molecular engineer, and would like to think about molecular engineering things first and programming API's as little as possible. So when people keep flapping their jaw about Java3D's future, negative feelings toward Java3D can be created, and then maybe it loses favor and I have to rewrite the graphics part of my app. using a lower-level language, instead of helping design a drug that may cure the disease that the jaw-flapper happens to develop. (take that logic chain with a grain of salt) Maybe Doug and Michael can convince their boss who may or may not be developing cancer as I type that not facilitating Java3D will hurt his/her chances for a long life! (Again, take that logic chain with a grain of salt)
http://dasher.wustl.edu/ffe
4.) Java3D has allowed people without computer graphics related degrees to make use of 3D visualization techniques. If you look at some of the cool open source molecular modeling tools, like Rasmol (Roger Sayle, others) or VMD (John Stone, others), they are/were developed by clever computer science people (like Justin Couch) who aren't really specialists in biochemistry or molecular mechanics (my field). Using Java/Java3D, one might not be able to make molecular graphics as fast as the other programs I mentioned (or really care to), but in my mind I can add engineering functionality faster in Java than somebody using C/C++ and without having to deal with platform specific GUI components. If Java3D didn't exist, I would have to learn OpenGL and as a result fail out of my Statistical Mechanics course due to not having time to study. Plus, the application would become less flexible.
5.) I feel fortunate to have Java3D as a solid API and want to encourage Doug and Michael to work toward maintaining its current functionality. There is a need for both Java3D and JOGL.
Best Wishes, Mike
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