with Java 3D by Markus Zehnder

User Documentation

Index

Introduction
Screen shots
Download
Installation
Requirements
Running the game
Keys
Tested platforms
Problems
Enhancements
Additional documents
History
Links
Copyright and credits

Introduction

Don't expect too much from the game! It's more a framework and a Java 3D study than a working game itself. There's room for a lot of improvements...

Screen shots

Single player mode

The start is in the middle of the playfield. After pressing the Start button, the game begins.	Here we see on the left where we started.
After some time the playfield turns into a labyrinth.	Aren't these beautyful colors? Groovy baby!

Dual player mode

The top view is for the first and the bottom view for the second player.

Debug window

This is the default top view.	With the navigation keys the playfield can be further explored. Click on the image to see it in a higher resolution.

Note: All windows can be resized (the real ones in the game, of course).

Download

• Jar file with all class files (26kB). Batch file for Windows user.
• Jar file with complete source code (29kB).

Installation

Either copy the downloaded jar file somewhere in your CLASSPATH or extract the jar file in your desired directory with: jar xvf Tron3D.jar

A special installation program doesn't exist. There was no time to make one or to look for an existing one to modify.

Requirements

• JRE / JDK 1.2 or higher
• Java3D 1.1 or higher

Running the game

1. Change into the directory where you have downloaded or extracted the jar file. This is not necessary if one has put the file(s) in the CLASSPATH.
2. At the prompt, just run Tron3D as any other java application:

Extracted jar file	Single jar file
%java Tron3D	%java -classpath Tron3D.jar Tron3D
This will run the game in dual player mode

Additional command line parameters:
 

-? | -h	prints all available command line arguments.
-single	causes the game to load in single player mode.
-debugwindow	displays a debug window with a top view of the play field.
-debug	prints a lot of debug information in the console window.
-fullscreen	runs the game in fullscreen mode.

Keys

Key	Player 1	Player 2	Debug window
Up arrow	forward
Left arrow	left turn
Right arrow	right turn
F		left turn
H		right turn
T		forward
A			y rotation clock wise
D			y rotation counter clock wise
W			zoom in
X			zoom out
Page up			x rotation counter clock wise
Page down			x rotation clock wise
Shift	speed up
Alt			drag mode

Tested platforms

See Problems for currently kown bugs and problems.

In general the game runs smoother with the OpenGL libraries.

Problems

• With the debug window open, the game is sometimes really slow or even stops.

 
• The game pauses from time to time, especially before a collision. I believe the problem lies in the garbage collector in the Java virtual machine. Even with HotSpot I encountered this behavior. Perhaps a future update of the virtual machine will help...

 
• Collision handling doesn't work correctly. See enhancements.

 
• On Sun machines:
• In dual player mode the first player window extremely flickers.
• The playfield in the debug window is only shown at certain distances.
• The turbo function works incorrect. Instead of accelerating while pressed, the acceleration occurs after the key is released.

 
• On Windows machines:
• If a collision occurs the last part of the player wall is not drawn. The piece between the last and the current frame is missing.

 
• Java 3D with OpenGL driver:

Strange color of the playfield ground. Instead of green it's a mixture of green and purple.

Enhancements

• Countdown at the beginning of the game.

 
• Status messages during the game, e.g. play time, speed, etc.

 
• Correct collision handling. The built in mechanism is simple and fast but not yet completely implemented.

 
• Continuously acceleration during the game. After a certain time the players reach a new level with a faster base speed.

 
• Different wall colors for the second player to distinguish the players.

 
• Eliminating the flickering of the 'Game over' message and displaying it in the middle of the window.

 
• Configuration menu for key assignment.

 
• Remote Player(s).

 
• Better graphics, player bikes, half transparent walls, bike cockpit.

 
• Dynamic lightning.

 
• Joystick and mouse support.

Additional documents

History

Links

The Java 3D FAQ

Tron - the movie

Copyright and credits

Copyright © 1998,1999 Berner Fachhochschule, Markus Zehnder.

The Tron 3D game is written by Markus Zehnder.

This software is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty. Use it at your own risk!
The author accepts no liability for any damage/loss of business that this product may cause.

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