Using Loader3D

An Overview of Loader3D

Like LoaderInfo3D, Loader3D loads an external model with the Porfolio loader but it is mostly concerned with how the model can be moved, rotated, and scaled once it's loaded.

The model is displayed in a 3D canvas on the lefthand side of the application, and a series of buttons (and a text field) on the right allow the model to be manipulated. Details of the model's new configuration can be saved to a text file, which can be loaded with the model next time, so the model begins with the given location, orientation, and size.

The class diagrams for the Loader3D application are shown in Figure 16-16; only the public methods are shown.

Figure 16-16. Class diagrams for Loader3D

The CheckerFloor and ColouredTile classes are the same as in previous examples.

The earlier Java 3D examples have simple GUIs: basically just a Java 3D Canvas3D object embedded in a JPanel, with mouse actions to move the viewpoint. Loader3D manages a more complicated GUI and send the user's input to WrapLoader3D, which passes it onto PropManager. PropManager is in charge of altering the model's position, orientation, and scale.

PropManager will play a prominent role in several later chapters, when I want to load a model into a scene.

The code for these classes is located in the Loader3D/ directory.