Easy to learn 3D IDE for Java

Question

Hi,

I need create a 3D model of and animate a robotic arm. The arm is going to receive inputs on how to move via serial I/O.

What is the best Java IDE for me to create this 3D model with? It doesn't have to be fancy or anything, just a proof of concept. Unfortunately, I haven't had any experience with animation before, so I'd appreciate something that's easy to pick up.

Thanks a lot, I really appreciate any help.

Zain

PS: I could potentially do this in 2D as well, except I imagine that would probably entail more work since I'd have to draw a lot more images. If I'm wrong please let me know.

Below I've made an approximate ascii drawing of what the arm needs to look like, with the x's showing all the joints that need to rotate. If I didn't have to rotate the base as well, this would probably have been pretty easy to do in 2D.

               ____
              / ___|
       ______/ /
      /x_____x|
     / /     \ \___
    / /       \____|
   /x/
   | |
   | |
___| |___
|___x___|

Answer 1

You seem to have programming confused with 3D modeling. This isn't something a Java IDE is going to do for you. If you actually need a real 3D model, you could look into free 3D modeling programs like Blender.

Answer 2

You're going to need to create/use something like a game engine. You'll need to model your 3D object in something like 3ds Max or Blender, and have your engine control the models movements based on inputs received from whatever your outside source is. I would suggest something like this for your rendering/model controlling. As far as IO goes, you'll have to figure that out yourself, as I have no experience working with serial IO in Java.

Answer 3

Java3D or JOGL are common libraries for creating 3D graphics in Java. If you have a simple 3D model, you can just create it programmatically using simple 3D shapes. Anything more complex will probably require a 3D modelling tool like Chad and Alex mentioned.

• http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/desktop/java3d/
• https://jogl.dev.java.net/

Answer 4

Check out Processing. It is both an IDE and a 3D modeling environment -- and it is 100% java. You will finds lots of examples and a straight forward api to get you started.