Best "3D display" developing environment for Java? (do they even exist?)

Question

There is a bunch of announcements from CES 2009 about new 3D displays used for games and movies. I was wondering if there is a setup that currently exist that also brings the 3D to a development environment. Such an environment would, for example, bring out compile errors to the front. Or maybe allow the programmer to quickly stack panels of code, instead of using 2D tabs.

Do they even exist? Or would it be too tiresome for the eye after 5 hour of coding?

The question applies to Java, since I'm mostly a Java developer. But I'm also curious is there is a good 3d developing environment for other language.

Answer 1

My guess is it would be hard on your head. The so called 3D displays at CES 2009 only simulate depth, but is not true 3D.

With true 3D you should be able to use a single eye to focus near and far on the image in the display. Without this your eyes would be focusing at a fixed distance while your brain is getting told there are depth changes.

Answer 2

I think it would be a long time before those displays stop being gimmicks. There may soon be ways to create video media in 3D for these TVs (after all, many movies are now filmed for the 3D theaters), and games will make the transition, but I don't see it being used for everyday work. The kind of precise resolution you need to be able to read a code section is going to be very difficult to mimic in a pseudo 3D that "isn't really there". 3D also brings problems like occlusion, shadows, etc.

What we would probably get sooner is an operating system that works in a 3D desktop metaphor where you can movie windows in the Z space (and thus stack them) rather than to the sides. This is going to be especially important for small displays like laptops. Modern mice can also support that since they have two scroll wheels.

As for an API, I would not count on Java support. I'm in fact not familiar of any decent 3D API, considering that Sun had let Java3D die a very very painful death.