INTRODUCTION

The Java 3D API is an interface for writing programs to display and interact with three-dimensional graphics. Java 3D is a standard extension to the Java 2 JDK. The API provides a collection of high-level constructs for creating and manipulating 3D geometry and structures for rendering that geometry. Java 3D provides the functions for creation of imaginery, visualizations, animations, and interactive 3D graphics application programs.

THE JAVA 3D API

Java 3D class hierarchy describes a virtual universe, which is to be rendered. The API defines over 100 classes presented in the javax.media.j3d package. These classes are refered to as the Java 3D core classes.

In addition to the Java 3D core package, other packages are used in writing Java 3D programs. One such package is com.sun.j3d.utils package that is usually referred to as the Java 3d utility classes. Java 3D programs use extensively the javax.vecmath package that defines vector math classes for points, vectors, matrices, and other mathematical objects.