P3D Re: 3D Java applet

[Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 
>From: Marvin Jones writes:
>
>(I wrote)...............
>>Yes, it does require a browser that includes JAVA 1.1. I had to
>upgrade my browser from Netscape 3.0 to the latest 4.5.<
>
>But not just any Java 1.1. The applet requires a very, VERY current version
>of Java 1.1. When I first acquired it, I was already running Netscape with
>Java 1.1 and the applet would not work. I downloaded an even more recent
>version of Netscape. No soap. I searched around and found an even MORE
>recent Netscape with Java 1.1 and some letter. Still no soap. Finally I
>found an even MORE recent upgrade of Java available from Netscape
>separately, and finally I got the thing to work. It took me a couple of
>days of research, hours of downloads and much reconfiguring to bring my
>system up to the point where I could run the applet. I'm sure this will
>become less of a problem as time goes on and people upgrade normally, but
>the problem with programming for the absolute state-of-the-art, cutting
>edge version of technology is that 99 and 44/100% of the public simply
>ain't thar yet.
>


****  Well, I'm not so sure about having an absolutely latest version of
JAVA, but if you had problems, I don't doubt the problems. I understand that
it's supposed to work with Netscape version 4.06 and upwards under Win95.
That's *not* just the very latest... I haven't tried versions older than 4.5
because I figured if I was upgrading it made sense to get and use the latest
version. The applet worked immediately without further hassle. However I
have a copy of version 4.06 and since I'm having stability problems with
version 4.5 I might try the older version just to see.

If you are using the MAC, you need to use at least Java runtime MRJ version
1.2 from Apple. That would be true for any browser in that OS. I don't know
the why's of this requirement.

It's been a long time now that version 1.0 of JAVA has been in use, and it's
high time for applets to be written in at least version 1.1 even though more
recent versions of JAVA exist if you want cutting edge development. It's no
longer true that version 1.1 is the leading edge... The problem is the delay
in support of at least that version of JAVA in the browsers, and all that
has been complicated by the imitation JAVA from MS, that can no longer even
call itself java.

You won't find a browser that does support the *very latest* other than
maybe HotJava from SUN, which does work with this applet and is likely to be
the most up to date browser because of who makes it. (and it's free)

In talking with Andreas about this versioning problem, he pointed out that
where he started with the applet it might have been simple enough to do
completely in version 1.0, but the development tools he uses are exclusively
version 1.1 and there are too many refinements that have been added to the
applet for it to be practical to back pedal into an older and far less
efficient runtime environment. The good side is that as time goes by, this
applet becomes more and more practical overall, and versions do currently
exist that support it for most systems.

I understand that the interlaced part of the applet works for interlacing
glasses that attach between the computer and the monitor. This apparently
includes VRJoy and  APEC VR97 glasses. We are looking into other
arrangements where we might be able to add page flipping and interlacing
support for other systems. In the mean time, if you have other systems,
simply bypass the applet and download the JPS file directly using one of the
two plug-ins that exist.

Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/
http://3dzine.simplenet.com/


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