3D hardware

[edward]

Does Java3D (the runtime) make use of 3D hardware or is it software based? I presume since this is only available for DirectX/opengl and solaris platforms that it must be hardware based but am I wrong?

If it is hardware based, when can I expect to see a linux runtime, I think a linux runtime would really shift the tables in terms of game platforms on the PC market.

I am about to start my dissertation on the the topic of java vs c++ for 3D (I suppose this is a sign of my inabilty to do my own research!) so if I get a valid response for the runtime using hardware then I will be a happier researcher.

[Orangy Tang]

Hardware accelerated where possible, but theres several software OpenGL implementations knocking around that it would probably work on. May even be possible to get it running on the DX software reference implementation but it would kinda defeat the whole point..

I seem to remember somebody 'round here mentioning that porting J3D to a platform that already has a GL implementation is reasonably trivial, but i get the impression that its internal rather than technical reasons that are preventing some sort of release.

[Breakfast]

I think a linux runtime would really shift the tables in terms of game platforms on the PC market.

To be honest I would say that a Mac OSX version would make more of a difference. Especially if there was then going to be a ps2 and xbox version. That kind of instant cross-platform viability would be worth more than gold.
In the meantime: http://www.blackdown.org/java-linux/jdk1.2-status/java-3d-status.html .