OpenGL for Java: (all platforms)
--------------------------------
We are still collecting information regarding OpenGL for Java and will
update this as time goes on.  We will only be able to provide basic
help for Java users, since we have little experience ourselves.
Nonetheless, we encourage a few brave souls to try it (and will give
extra credit points for people who do), since we would like to move
everything to Java in future versions of 427.

There are two demo programs in the directories Gears and JOGL2DBasics.
Each directory contains a Makefile that works on the Linux Lab
machines.  (In both cases, saying "make" will both compile and execute
the program.)  WARNING: I have been able to run the programs when I
logged on in the Linux Lab, but not remotely.

JOGL on the CSIC Linux Lab Machines
-----------------------------------
Before compiling and executing the program, however, it is necessary to
set the CLASSPATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variables.  This can
be done by adding the following command to the end of your ".cshrc" file
in your home directory (or creating one if it does not exist).

  setenv CLASSPATH .:/usr/local/jogl-linux/jogl.jar
  setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /usr/X11R6/lib:/usr/local/jogl-linux

Then log off and log back in again to activate the changes.  This
assumes that your shell is either csh or tcsh.  (Contact me if you do not
know what shell you are using, but tcsh is the default for our accounts
in the Linux Lab.)

If you are a more sophisticated user, and are already assigning values
to your CLASSPATH or LD_LIBRARY_PATH variables, then just append these
values to the end of your current settings.  For example, here is how
to add jogl.jar to the end of your existing class path:

  setenv CLASSPATH ${CLASSPATH}:/usr/local/jogl-linux/jogl.jar

Installing JOGL on your Own Machine
-----------------------------------
Note that the above settings are for the CSIC Linux Labs.  If you have
installed JOGL on your own Linux machine (see the links below for some
hints on how to do this), then the CLASSPATH variable should contain the
complete path name of the JOGL jar file and should also contain your
current directory (".") (or wherever you store your .class files after
compilation).  The LD_LIBRARY_PATH variable should point both to the
library directory containing the OpenGL shared libraries (e.g., libGL.so
and libGLU.so), and the directory containing your JOGL directories
(e.g., libjogl.so).  In both cases, the directory or file names in these
path variables are separated by a colon (":") with no additional white
space.

If you are interested in finding out on your own how to use OpenGL for
Java here are a few pointers.

1. You need to have OpenGL already installed on your system.  See the
   files
   
   ../C++/VisualCPP/ReadmeForVisualC++.txt (for Windows)
   ../C++/ReadmeForUnix.txt (for Linux).

2. It is not necessary to install GLUT.  Instead, use the Java AWT for
   constructing windows.

3. Use the JOGL bindings for OpenGL.  The information and latest
   downloads can be found at:

	https://jogl.dev.java.net/

   An excellent source on how to install JOGL can be found at:

	http://today.java.net/pub/a/today/2003/09/11/jogl2d.html

   Another source of information:

	http://boshart.csc.tntech.edu/java/4750main.html