Package eu.svjatoslav.sixth.e3d.gui

Class ViewPanel

java.lang.Object
java.awt.Component
java.awt.Canvas
eu.svjatoslav.sixth.e3d.gui.ViewPanel
All Implemented Interfaces:
ImageObserver, MenuContainer, Serializable, Accessible
public class ViewPanel extends Canvas
AWT Canvas that provides a 3D rendering surface with built-in camera navigation.

ViewPanel is the primary entry point for embedding the Sixth 3D engine into a Java application. It manages the render loop, maintains a scene graph (ShapeCollection), and handles user input for camera navigation.

Uses BufferStrategy for efficient page-flipping and tear-free rendering.

Quick start - creating a 3D view in a window:


 // Option 1: Use ViewFrame (creates a maximized JFrame for you)
 ViewFrame frame = new ViewFrame();
 ViewPanel viewPanel = frame.getViewPanel();

 // Option 2: Embed ViewPanel in your own window
 JFrame frame = new JFrame("My 3D App");
 ViewPanel viewPanel = new ViewPanel();
 frame.add(viewPanel);
 frame.setSize(800, 600);
 frame.setVisible(true);

 // Add shapes to the scene
 ShapeCollection scene = viewPanel.getRootShapeCollection();
 scene.addShape(new WireframeCube(
     new Point3D(0, 0, 200), 50,
     new LineAppearance(5, Color.GREEN)
 ));

 // Position the camera
 viewPanel.getCamera().setLocation(new Point3D(0, 0, -100));

 // Listen for frame updates (e.g., for animations)
 viewPanel.addFrameListener((panel, deltaMs) -> {
     // Called before each frame. Return true to force repaint.
     return false;
 });

Architecture:

  • A background render thread continuously generates frames at the target FPS
  • The engine intelligently skips rendering when no visual changes are detected
  • FrameListeners are notified before each potential frame, enabling animations
  • Mouse/keyboard input is managed by InputManager
  • Keyboard focus is managed by KeyboardFocusStack
See Also:

  • Field Details

    • backgroundColor

      public Color backgroundColor
      The background color of the view.

  • Constructor Details

    • ViewPanel

      public ViewPanel()
      Creates a new view panel with default settings.

  • Method Details

    • getCamera

      public Camera getCamera()
      Returns the camera representing the viewer's position and orientation.
      Returns:
      the camera

    • getKeyboardFocusStack

      public KeyboardFocusStack getKeyboardFocusStack()
      Returns the keyboard focus stack, which manages which component receives keyboard input.
      Returns:
      the keyboard focus stack

    • getRootShapeCollection

      public ShapeCollection getRootShapeCollection()
      Returns the root shape collection (scene graph). Add your 3D shapes here to make them visible in the view. 
      
 viewPanel.getRootShapeCollection().addShape(myShape);
      Returns:
      the root shape collection

    • getInputManager

      public InputManager getInputManager()
      Returns the input manager handling mouse and keyboard events for this view.
      Returns:
      the input manager

    • addFrameListener

      public void addFrameListener(FrameListener listener)
      Registers a listener that will be notified before each frame render. Listeners can trigger repaints by returning true from FrameListener.onFrame(eu.svjatoslav.sixth.e3d.gui.ViewPanel, int).
      Parameters:
      listener - the listener to add
      See Also:

    • getPreferredSize

      public Dimension getPreferredSize()
      Overrides:
      getPreferredSize in class Component

    • getMinimumSize

      public Dimension getMinimumSize()
      Overrides:
      getMinimumSize in class Component

    • getMaximumSize

      public Dimension getMaximumSize()
      Overrides:
      getMaximumSize in class Component

    • getRenderingContext

      public RenderingContext getRenderingContext()
      Returns the current rendering context for the active frame.
      Returns:
      the rendering context, or null if no frame is being rendered

    • getDeveloperTools

      public DeveloperTools getDeveloperTools()
      Returns the developer tools for this view panel.
      Returns:
      the developer tools

    • getDebugLogBuffer

      public DebugLogBuffer getDebugLogBuffer()
      Returns the debug log buffer for this view panel.
      Returns:
      the debug log buffer

    • getLightingManager

      public LightingManager getLightingManager()
      Returns the global lighting manager for the scene. Add light sources here to illuminate the world.
      Returns:
      the lighting manager

    • showDeveloperToolsPanel

      public void showDeveloperToolsPanel()
      Shows the developer tools panel, toggling it if already open. Called when F12 is pressed.

    • paint

      public void paint(Graphics g)
      Overrides:
      paint in class Canvas

    • update

      public void update(Graphics g)
      Overrides:
      update in class Canvas

    • repaintDuringNextViewUpdate

      public void repaintDuringNextViewUpdate()
      Calling these methods tells 3D engine that current 3D view needs to be repainted on first opportunity.

    • setFrameRate

      public void setFrameRate(int frameRate)
      Set target frames per second rate for this view. Target FPS can be changed at runtime. Use 0 or negative value for unlimited FPS (max performance mode for benchmarking).
      Parameters:
      frameRate - target frames per second rate for this view.

    • stop

      public void stop()
      Stops rendering of this view.

    • removeFrameListener

      public void removeFrameListener(FrameListener frameListener)
      Removes a previously registered frame listener.
      Parameters:
      frameListener - the listener to remove