Open AccessSpilling the beans on Java 3D: A tool for the virtual anatomist
Author(s) -
Guttmann Geoffrey D.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the anatomical record
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1097-0185
pISSN - 0003-276X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0185(19990415)257:2<73::aid-ar8>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - java , real time java , java annotation , strictfp , computer science , generics in java , java applet , java modeling language , java concurrency , java api for xml based rpc , programming language
The computing world has just provided the anatomist with another tool: Java 3D, within the Java 2 platform. On December 9, 1998, Sun Microsystems released Java 2. Java 3D classes are now included in the jar (Java Archive) archives of the extensions directory of Java 2. Java 3D is also a part of the Java Media Suite of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). But what is Java? How does Java 3D work? How do you view Java 3D objects? A brief introduction to the concepts of Java and object‐oriented programming is provided. Also, there is a short description of the tools of Java 3D and of the Java 3D viewer. Thus, the virtual anatomist has another set of computer tools to use for modeling various aspects of anatomy, such as embryological development. Also, the virtual anatomist will be able to assist the surgeon with virtual surgery using the tools found in Java 3D. Java 3D will be able to fulfill gaps, such as the lack of platform independence, interactivity, and manipulability of 3D images, currently existing in many anatomical computer‐aided learning programs. Anat. Rec. (New Anat.): 257:73–79, 1999. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.