Hi,
First, I'd like to say I really like jPCT. It's stable, has a very intuitive API, and highly impressive software rendering.
But, as impressive as the software rendering is, I feel it's a bit of a let down too. Let me clarify
I think jPCT has much potential for becoming a high end game engine but the fact that all has to be software rendered too restricts that potential somewhat. Maybe when the requirement that everything has to be software rendered too would be loosened a bit would make development of jPCT easier, like adding multitexturing and pixel shaders and stuff like that. Things that really require hardware muscle.
I know you (EgonOlsen) are very much into software rendering and that sw rendering is a great passion of you, and let me say once more you did a really great job with that (in fact I think jPCT is the best looking sw renderer I've ever seen, regardless of it being made with java), but I'm wondering what your views are about this.
Do you think software rendering will keep having a place in the future? I have the feeling that sw rendering's place will become smaller and smaller because nowadays every computer is equipped with 3D accelleration and I have the feeling that 1.1 applets are becoming obsolete. Maybe I'm wrong though, but the future of modern JVM's (or more specifically 'non MS JVMs') seems rather bright, and the MS JVM's rather bleak.
What do you think?
Best regards,
Erik