JOGL
provides full access to the APIs in OpenGL specification as well as nearly all
vendor extensions. To install and run JOGL, we need to install Java Development
Kit. In addition, a Java IDE is also preferred to help coding. The following
steps will guide you through installing Java, JOGL, and Eclipse, jGrasp, or
JBuilder IDE.
Java
Development Kit (JDK) contains a compiler, interpreter, and debugger. If you
have not installed JDK, it is freely available from Sun Microsystems. You can
download the latest version from the download section at http://java.sun.com.
Make sure you download the
JDK Java SE (Standard Edition) not the JRE (runtime environment) that matches
the platform you use. After downloading the JDK, you can run the installation
executable file. During the installation, you will be asked the directory "Install
to:". You need to know where it is installed. For example, you can put
it under: "C:\myJDK\". In default, it is put under "C:\Program
Files\Java\jdkxxx\".
We need to obtain the binaries in order to compile and run applications. Downlaod the current release build binaries that match the platform you use. After that, you can extract and put all these files (jar and dll files) in the same directory with the Java (JOGL) examples and compile all them on the command line in the current directory with:
"C:\myJDK\bin\javac" -classpath jogl.jar *.java
After that, you can run the sample program with (the command in one line):
"C:myJDK\bin\java" -classpath .;jogl.jar;gluegen-rt.jar; -Djava.library.path=.
J1_0_Point
That is, you need to place the "*.jar" files in the CLASSPATH of your
build environment in order to be able to compile an application with JOGL and
run, and place "*.dll" files in the directory listed in the "java.library.path"
environment variable during execution. Java loads the native libraries (such
as the dll files for Windows) from the directories listed in the "java.library.path"
environment variable. For Windows, placing the dll files under "C:\WINDOWS\system32\"
directory works. This approach gets you up running quickly without worrying
about the "java.library.path" setting.
Installing a Java IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is strongly recommended.
Without an IDE, you can edit Java program files using any text editor, compile
and run Java programs using the commands we introduced above after downloading
JOGL, but that would be very difficult and slow. Java
IDEs such as JBuilder, Eclipes, and jGRASP are development environments that
make Java programming much faster and easier.
If you use Eclipse, you can put "*.jar" files under "Project->Properties->Libraries". You can download from http://eclipse.org the latest version of Eclipse that matches the platform you use. Expand it into the folder where you would like Eclipse to run from, (e.g., "C:\eclipse\"). There is no installation to run. To remove Eclipse you simply delete the directory, because Eclipse does not alter the system registry.
If you use jGRASP, in the project under "Settings->PATH/CLASSPATH->Workspace",
you can add the directory of the *.dll files to the system PATH window, and
add "*.jar" files with full path to the CLASSPATH window.
You can download a free version of JBuilder from http://www.borland.com/jbuilder/. JBuilder comes with its own JDK. If you use JBuilder as the IDE and want to use your downloaded JDK, you need to start JBuilder, go to "Tools->Configue JDKs", and click "Change" to change the "JDK home path:" to where you install your JDK. For example, "C:\myJDK\". Also, under "Tools->Configue JDKs", you can click "Add" to add "*.jar" files from wherever you save it to the JBuilder environment.
As an example, here we introduce using Eclipse. After downloading it, you can
run it to start programming. Now in Eclipse you click on "File->New->Project"
to create a new Java Project at a name you prefer. Then, you click on "File->New->Class"
to create a new class with name: "J1_0_Point". After that, you can
copy the following code into the space, and click on "Run->Run As->Java
Application" to start compiling and running. You should see a window with
a very tiny red pixel at the center. In the future, you can continue creating
new classes, as we introduce each example as a new class. As an alternative,
you can download the new examples from:
joglExamples2007