Releasing memory

[Zakk]

I have a basic 2D application (swing components etc), where I would like to open and close 3D windows. Problem with Xith3D and Java3D is, that when I close these windows, it doesn't release the memory.

Is there a way to make Xith3D or Java3D to release all the memory it used, without exiting the whole program?

[Grand Poeba]

java does this automaticly, no?. with his garbage collector?

[Niwak]

For the java object, yes. For the native ressource, no (textures, VBO,...).

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[Riven]

Well, the heap won't shrink, so it's not that visible in the Task Manager, but the used part of the heap will decrease (if you released all references)

[jeep]

I think he means in OpenGL, if memory is allocated (as in a C struct or array), it isn't released, or is it? memory leaks are usually found in C/C++ because you have to deallocate memory even if there is no longer a reference to it. Probably more of a concern of LWJGL or JOGL than the scene graph API.

Java handles this well with the garbage collector, but it is possible to have objects persist without a desire for them to persist....meaning it doesn't get garbage collected if there is a reference to the object.

Example:

public class mainLoop
{
Scene scene1;
Scene scene2;

....

scene1.start();
// if you are done with scene1, set it to null or else the
// object will linger without being garbage collected.
scene1 = null;
scene2.start();
...

}