"3D ANIMATION" APPLET

This Java applet displays the skeleton of a 3D object. There are two kinds of use for this applet. You can use it to animate automatically a 3D object or you can use it to see a 3D object from different angles using the keyboard to move manually. If your are interested in this applet, here are some more pages.

To use this applet, you have to specify a data file that contains the description of a 3D object (i.e. the coordinates of the points and the lines forming the object). To get an idea of the syntax, look at the 3D definition of the cube used in the examples below. You also have to indicate the dimension of the applet, its background and foreground colors, and the zoom applied on the display. Finally, you have to specify how you want to use the applet ("automatic mode" or "manual mode").

To use the applet in the automatic mode, you have to set the parameter mode to auto_x or auto_y. auto_x rotates the object along the horizontal plane whereas auto_y rotates the object along the vertical plane. In these modes, you can specify the period of refreshing (in milliseconds), the rotation step (in degrees) and the inclination angle given to the object at the start of the animation.

To use the applet in the manual mode, you have to set the parameter mode to manual. None of the parameters described for the automatic mode have an effect in this mode, you just have to indicate if you want some information on the object visualization to be displayed.

Here is the source code of the files needed for the applet.

• ThreeDAnimation.java
  This file contains the applet.

• ThreeDObject.java
  This file contains classes to represent a 3D object.

• TextFile.java
  This file contains a class to extract information from a text file.

Click here to download the applet and its source code.