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[lwmxynedtodth]

Hello folks,
Wandering around the web searching for a good browser-based 3d engine, I found jPCT. As you see, I'm quite new around here, and the biggest problem is that I don't know where to get started.

jPCT looks really great. It is relatively small, but looks like it can create great worlds. I've read through the manual, but still don't know where to start. I'm working in JCreator, a freeware Java intepreter. I've mainly set it up to handle the jPCT libraries, but I don't know how to run, for instance, the car or fps demo. With that possible I could easily spit through the code and see how everything is set up. Without the ability to run the project, firstly, that is impossible. So, how do I do this.

My goal, or project, will be a small online multiplayer rpg. As I said, I've been searching on the internet for a good base do do this, but before I found jPCT, there was no one that fitted my needs. The real bottleneck is, I want to make it browser based and able to communicate with a SQL database. jPCT should be able to do the browser-based thing, or at least semi-browser based (such as Technopolis). I'm skilled in Java, SQL, PHP and of course in 3D modeling, so that should be fine. The real problem is still, where do I start and how do I go on.

Although, jPCT really looks great and I'm really looking forward using it.

- lwmxynedtodth

EDIT: Or, should I use another programming environment. I hear talking here about JBuilder, is that a good program?

[EgonOlsen]

If the jpct.jar is referenced by your JCreator (which i don't know, so i can't comment on how to do this), you should be able to compile the examples. To run them, you have to put the resources (textures/models etc.) to wherever your JCreator project wants them to be. That should be sufficient to run the examples at least in software mode. To use hardware, add the lwjgl.jars to the mix and set the java.library.path like the bat-files that come with the examples do.
Sorry for not being more specific, but i'm not really sure where your problem is exactly and i don't know JCreator, so...  :?:

[lwmxynedtodth]

Hey,
Okey, I never thought it would be that simple. You were right, the models and textures weren't copied to the project directory. Now it works, thanks!

I'm now examining the examples and changing them a little bit. It's really awesome. I still got another question. Prior to my rpg idea, I need to create animations. In the manual I read that making MD2 animations is the best solution. I actually never heard of the format, and the modeling software I'm using only exports its own format (Anim8or, an8) and 3DS. So, what is the best software to create MD2 models and animations?

- lwmxynedtodth

[halcor]

There's no such thing as "best software". You can try Blender (www.blender3d.org), it's free, it can make animations and quite a lot of other things and it can export MD2 files. It's not quite beginner-friendly, but it certainly offers very fast workflow once you get comfortable with it.

[cyberkilla]

Yeh, ive used it for a few months now, and it is so intuitive.

But only after you've assimilated its strange gui.

You can use 3DS files for animation too, if you have a separate 3ds file
for each keyframe of the models animation.
It is not as easy as using an md2, but you can do more with them:)

[EgonOlsen]

... its strange gui.

That's an understatement... :wink: