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Preface
Introducing JClass Chart 3D
Assumptions
Overview of Manual
Contacting Quest Software
Introducing JClass Chart 3D
JClass Chart 3D is a powerful Java 3D charting tool. It enables developers to build 3D data views and interactive displays, giving their applications a professional look and feel.
JClass Chart 3D allows you to create stunning 3D graphics using either the Java 2 API or the Java 3D API. Please note that all methods, functions, an so on, relate to both APIs unless specifically mentioned.
With JClass Chart 3D, you can add 3D functionality using Java 2 technology - meaning that the heavyweight Java 3D API won't need to be included in your applications. However, JClass Chart 3D gives you the option to leverage the elegance of the Java 3D API (3D will need to be on the client).
JClass Chart 3D is written entirely in Java. The chart component displays data graphically in a window and can interact with a user.
The chart component can be used easily by all types of Java programmers:
- Component users, setting JClass Chart 3D properties programmatically.
- OO developers, instantiating and extending JClass Chart 3D objects.
- JavaBean developers, setting JClass Chart 3D properties using a third-party Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
JClass Chart 3D is compatible with JDK 1.4. If you are using JDK 1.4 and experience drawing problems, you may want to upgrade to the latest drivers for your video card from your video card vendor.
Note: The Java 3D version of JClass Chart 3D is supported only for JDK 1.3.1 with Java 3D 1.2.1_03 on Windows NT with OpenGL with an ATI RAGE XL PCI video card with these drivers: ati2mpad.sys 4.00.1381.1006 and ati2drad.dll 4.0.0.
You can freely distribute Java applets and applications containing JClass components according to the terms of the License Agreement that appears at install time.
Feature Overview
You can set the properties of JClass Chart 3D objects to determine how the chart will look and behave. You can control:
- Chart type (surface, bar, or scatter plot).
- Header and footer positioning, border style, text, font, and color.
- Number of data views, each having its own data, and chart type. Currently, only one data view is supported.
- Flexible data loading from files, URLs, input streams, and databases.
- Chart styles for scatter plots: line color, fill color, point size, point style, and point color.
- Contour levels: Use the default linear distribution or provide your own.
- Contour styles: Contour line styles and contour zones colors are all customizable.
- Plot cube scaling in x, y, z directions.
- Legend positioning, orientation, border style, layout style, distribution range limiting, anchor, font, and color.
- Chart positioning, border style, color, width, height and axes rotation.
- Axis labelling using Data labels, Value labels, or pleasing precompiled values.
- An X, Y and Z axes, each having its own minimum and maximum, gridlines, annotation method, font, and title.
- Control of user interaction with components including picking, mapping, Chart 3D Customizer, rotation, scaling, and translation.
- Ability to add a 4th dimension to the data via color.
- Contour maps through 2D projections of data.
- Hidden-line display, surface colors, and mesh colors.
- 3D rotation and perspective.
Assumptions
This manual assumes that you have some experience with the Java programming language. You should have a basic understanding of object-oriented programming and Java programming concepts such as classes, methods, and packages before proceeding with this manual. See Related Documents later in this section of the manual for additional sources of Java-related information, including useful references to the Java 3D API.
Typographical Conventions Used in this Manual
Overview of Manual
Part I - Using JClass Chart 3D with the Java 2 and Java 3D API - describes programming with JClass Chart 3D using the Java 2 and the Java 3D API.
Chapter 1, JClass Chart 3D Basics provides a programmer's overview of JClass Chart 3D. This chapter covers concepts and vocabulary used in JClass Chart 3D programming, and discusses class hierarchy, object containment, terminology, and programming basics.
Chapter 2, Programming JClass Chart 3D: Common Functions introduces properties, axis information (controls, scaling, labelling, and annotating), legends, gridlines, and header and footer titles.
Chapter 3, Programming JClass Chart 3D: Surfaces and Bars is a guide to the basic types of surfaces and bars; meshed, shaded, and transparent plots; contoured and zoned plots; bar charts and histograms; contours and zone display; surface colors; and solid surfaces.
Chapter 4, Programming JClass Chart 3D: Scatter Plots is all about scatter plots, including the three basic types of scatter plots (3D scatter plots, 3D scatter plots with drop lines, and 2D scatter plots), controlling symbol and drop line styles, and developing chart styles.
Chapter 5, Data Sources introduces you to data sources (including an extensive overview), pre-built chart datasources, loading data from a file and from an XML source, data binding, specifying data from databases, and making your own chart data source and an updating chart data source.
Chapter 6, Advanced JClass Chart 3D Programming covers advanced JClass Chart 3D topics, including 4D surface graphs, 4D bar charts, customizing the contour levels, customizing contour styles, and internationalization support.
Chapter 7, Programming User Interaction provides a look at default user interaction, listeners (data listener, Chart3d listener, and pick listener), mapping and picking, and the interpolate method.
Chapter 8, Programming with the Java 3D API provides an overview of the Java 3D API, and then delves into leveraging the power of the Java 3D API with JClass Chart 3D.
Part II - Reference Appendices - contains detailed technical reference information.
Appendix A, Interface Listing, summarizes the commonly used JClass Chart 3D interfaces.
Appendix B, Object Property Listing, lists the properties for all commonly used classes for the Java 2 API.
Appendix C, Additional Common JClass Chart 3D 3D Methods, lists the most frequently used classes for JClass Chart 3D.
API Reference
The API reference documentation (Javadoc) is installed automatically when you install JClass Chart 3D and is found in the JCLASS_HOME/docs/api/ directory.
Licensing
In order to use JClass Chart 3D, you need a valid license. Complete details about licensing are outlined in the JClass DesktopViews Installation Guide, which is automatically installed when you install JClass Chart 3D.
Related Documents
The following is a sample of useful references to Java and JavaBeans programming:
- "Java Platform Documentation" at http://java.sun.com/docs/index.html and the "Java Tutorial" at http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/index.html from Sun Microsystems
- For an introduction to creating enhanced user interfaces, see "Creating a GUI with JFC/Swing" at http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/index.html
- Java in a Nutshell, 2nd Edition from O'Reilly & Associates Inc. See the O'Reilly Java Resource Center at http://java.oreilly.com
- Resources for using JavaBeans at http://java.sun.com/beans/resources.html
- For a comprehensive introduction to Java 3D, VRML97, MPEG-4/BIFS, and X3D, see Core Web3D from Prentice Hall. See the publisher's Web site at http://vig.prenhall.com/ or the book's Web page at http://www.CoreWeb3D.com
- Learn about the Web3D Consortium (provides a forum for the creation of open standards for Web3D specifications) at http://www.web3d.org/
- For information about the Java 3D API, please see
http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/3D/These documents are not required to develop applications using JClass Chart 3D, but they can provide useful background information on various aspects of the Java programming language.
About Quest
Quest Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSFT) is a leading provider of application management solutions. Quest provides customers with Application Confidencesm by delivering reliable software products to develop, deploy, manage and maintain enterprise applications without expensive downtime or business interruption. Targeting high availability, monitoring, database management and Microsoft infrastructure management, Quest products increase the performance and uptime of business-critical applications and enable IT professionals to achieve more with fewer resources. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., Quest Software has offices around the globe and more than 18,000 global customers, including 75% of the Fortune 500. For more information on Quest Software, visit www.quest.com.
Contacting Quest Software
Please refer to our Web site for regional and international office information.
Customer Support
Quest Software's world-class support team is dedicated to ensuring successful product installation and use for all Quest Software solutions.
You can use SupportLink to do the following:
- Create, update, or view support requests
- Search the knowledge base, a searchable collection of information including program samples and problem/resolution documents
- Access FAQs
- Download patches
- Access product documentation, API reference, and demos and examples
Please note that many of the initial questions you may have will concern basic installation or configuration issues. Consult this product's readme file and the JClass DesktopViews Installation Guide (available in HTML and PDF formats) for help with these types of problems.
To Contact JClass Support
Any request for support must include your JClass product serial number. Supplying the following information will help us serve you better:
- Your name, email address, telephone number, company name, and country
- The product name, version and serial number
- The JDK (and IDE, if applicable) that you are using
- The type and version of the operating system you are using
- Your development environment and its version
- A full description of the problem, including any error messages and the steps required to duplicate it
JClass Direct Technical Support
JClass Support Email
Telephone
Fax
European Customers
Contact Information
Product Feedback and Announcements
We are interested in hearing about how you use JClass Chart 3D, any problems you encounter, or any additional features you would find helpful. The majority of enhancements to JClass products are the result of customer requests.
Please send your comments to:
Quest Software
8001 Irvine Center Drive
Irvine, CA 92618
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