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Java 3D game programming

Hi! For the last 3 months I managed to get a grasp of JSE (I have never done programming before, I only have a background of HTML/CSS and some jQuery but very little).

For my final exam this year I am going to have to create a project and I've decided on a strategy game. My professor recommended me to make it 3D on the OpenGL platform (the game is going to be based on RISK - most of you may have heard of this type of game as it used to be very popular). I have no idea where to start or what resources should I read not even for an 2D game not to mention a 3D one.

Can you guys post some resources with what steps I should I follow for creating a game in Java, books or any other advice that could help? Thank you.

Solution

  • The main OpenGL library for Java is:

    If you go in at the OpenGL level, as suggested by others, you will have to learn a lot about low level 3D concepts. Whilst this may not be a bad thing (a deep understanding of a topic is always beneficial) it may hinder progress and you have limited time.

    The one advantage to OpenGL is that there is a lot more general information, especially tutorials (Google It!), available online.

    For general OpenGL tutorials, the Nehe tutorials are a classic resource and contain source code in Java as well as a plethora of other languages.

    Alternatives to JOGL

    I would recommend using one of the more prominent Java 3D engines that do a lot of the graphical leg work for you and will allow you to focus more on the game construction and less on overcoming basic obstacles like loading model formats, writing your own scene management code etc.

    These are the good 3D engines that I know of:

    The documentation for JMonkeyEngine is much more suitable and contains many more tutorials, so I would start there. LWJGL is similarly well documented, but is also fairly low level and, in this way, similar to JOGL. Ardor3D could be a better alternative for those more comfortable with 3D programming in general.

    Java Game Development Community

    Whichever technology you chose, I suggest getting involved with the Java game development community as there's lots of example projects and people experienced with programming 3D games. The best place I know of is: