Orbit 3D Color

Description

The Orbit 3D Color is yet another version of the Orbit 3D applet. This version is identical to Orbit3D II but uses an updated 3D graphics engine. I added depth-sorting to implement painter's algorithm hidden surface removal. This is not generally the way you should do hidden surface removal, but since I don't have a Z-buffer or fast scan-conversion available (or Java3D), it will have to do for now.

This applet works using the Java 1.1 event model (with Sol wrappers), meaning that a multi-threaded call-back system is employed. In order for this to work properly, the code which implements it must be thread-safe. Unfortunately, the underlying Kawa scheme-to-Java implementation does not yet support this. I have added an extension to Sol syntax which remedies this somewhat (the synchronize syntax) but there still appear to be occasional problems. If this applet works (or doesn't work) for you, especially if it runs for a while and then crashes, please send me email.

Instructions

This applet constructs a complex three-dimensional model using orbital trajectory data. You may rotate this model on two axes by clicking and dragging with the mouse.

Be patient - it may take some time for this applet to load.

last updated Wed Nov 11 03:30:10 EST 1998
rich@media.mit.edu