Java: Interface with squares (to drag), lines (to link the squares) and animation (square follows the line)

Question

I'm starting to create a Industrial Simulation (IS) interface, using Java.
The problem I'm pointing here is the interface.

A IS interface will have some big squares (geometrical figure) (unfilled, instead of it they will have their "names" inside it), one or more lines linking the squares, and while time will be going, some "mini-squares" will get out of one big square to another, following the line that links both.

I have to construct a interface that is able to have either the geometric (square) figures and the animation with the "minisquares" following the link (that will be the line).

Is there any API, or tool, whatever, in java, that could help me starting this part of the project?

Answer 1

If you can use javafx... runs on the JVM... that might be easiest way. Here's a link to a tutorial for animating along a path

Otherwise I guess you'll be looking at Swing, but I suspect it's a lot trickier. Here's a similar link.

Visual editors like Matisse can help you get started with layout etc., but I don't know of anything that will let you point-and-click your way round animation.