Editing Java 3D (section)

{{Short description|Java 3D graphics API}}
{{Infobox software
| name = Java 3D
| logo =
| screenshot =
| caption =
| developer = [[Sun Microsystems]] & [https://jogamp.org/ JogAmp Community]
| released =
| latest_release_version = 1.7.0
| latest_release_date = {{Start date and age|2020|01|25}}
| latest_preview_version = -
| latest_preview_date = -
| operating_system = [[Cross-platform]]
| genre = [[3D computer graphics software]] (library/API)
| license = [[GPL#Version 2|GPL version 2]]+[[GPL linking exception]]
| website = [http://forum.jogamp.org/java3d-f3728156.html JogAmp's Java3D Continuation forum]
}}

[[File:java3d.png|thumb|right|300px|Java 3D central hierarchies in [[Lepus3|LePUS3]]]]

'''Java 3D''' is a [[scene graph]]-based [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[application programming interface]] (API) for the [[Java (software platform)|Java platform]]. It runs on top of either [[OpenGL]] or [[Direct3D]] until version 1.6.0, which runs on top of [[Java OpenGL]] (JOGL). Since version 1.2, Java 3D has been developed under the [[Java Community Process]]. A Java 3D scene graph is a [[directed acyclic graph]] (DAG).

Compared to other solutions, Java 3D is not only a [[Primitive wrapper class|wrapper]] around these graphics APIs, but an interface that encapsulates the graphics programming using a true [[object-oriented]] approach. Here a scene is constructed using a [[scene graph]] that is a representation of the objects that have to be shown. This scene graph is structured as a tree containing several elements that are necessary to display the objects. Additionally, Java 3D offers extensive [[3D audio effect|spatialized sound]] support.

Java 3D and its documentation are available for download separately. They are not part of the [[Java Development Kit]] (JDK).