Open GL and Java for a Newbie

I have previously worked with DirectX, but I am now wanting to move to OpenGL. My motivations for doing this is so that I can begin to play around with graphics applications developed in Java. To develop in Java and DirectX requires giving up my development tools and adopting Microsoft’s tools with their proprietary extensions, so that is not an option (op top of that it doesn’t seem that Microsoft is committed to continuing to provide Java development tools, so I am not going to waste my time and effort learning them).

As I read through this site I can’t seem to find information as to how I actually go about developing in Java and OpenGL. I found information about proposals and several Java/OpenGL bindings, but most of the news seems to date from 1998. The most recent news item I found was from June of 1999, and at that time there still seemed to be no answer as to how one develops in Java and OpenGL.

I would appreciate someone pointing me in the right direction. Which binding should I use? Does it matter? Are there any references that teach OpenGL in Java instead of C++?

Thanks for the help.

Hello JL,
There’s a good way for develop in java using OpenGL : it’s gl4java. You do all your graphic instructions in OpenGL, the others in java.
For an example with the links, go :
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/aetius.attila/Cafe/SurfaceGL/SurfaceGLBase.html

Bye,

I have also come across the Magician API. GL4Java and Magician seem to have the greatest mind share (though its somewhat difficult for me to tell given my inexperience in this area).

Is there any practical difference between the two API’s or does it just come down to a preference choice?

Thanks for the guidance.