Book Image

jMonkeyEngine 3.0 : Beginner's Guide

Book Image

jMonkeyEngine 3.0 : Beginner's Guide

Overview of this book

jMonkeyEngine 3.0 is a powerful set of free Java libraries that allows you to unlock your imagination, create 3D games and stunning graphics. Using jMonkeyEngine's library of time-tested methods, this book will allow you to unlock its potential and make the creation of beautiful interactive 3D environments a breeze."jMonkeyEngine 3.0 Beginner's Guide" teaches aspiring game developers how to build modern 3D games with Java. This primer on 3D programming is packed with best practices, tips and tricks and loads of example code. Progressing from elementary concepts to advanced effects, budding game developers will have their first game up and running by the end of this book.From basic concepts and project creation to building a complex 3D Game, you will learn to layout 3D scenes, make them interactive and add various multi-media effects.You will find answers to common questions including best practices and approaches, how game characters can act and interact, how to simulate solid walls and physical forces, how to take it online to play over a network and much more.From Zero to Hero, start your journey to make your game idea a reality.
Table of Contents (20 chapters)
jMonkeyEngine 3.0 Beginner's Guide
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Chapter 5. Creating Materials

You know how to create complex shapes from polygon meshes and animate them. Up to now, the materials that you applied to your geometries were all very plain looking. Where are the glows, the shininess, and all the other small details that make a material look great? It's time to pull out all the stops and make use of the awesome shader features of jMonkeyEngine.

You can now populate your game with characters, vehicles, and buildings, and you can load text and icons for the graphical user interface. In this chapter you will learn:

  • Why light sources are important

  • How to texture objects

  • How to make objects transparent

  • How to make objects appear more detailed than they are

  • How to make surfaces appear rough or smooth

  • How to make an object glow

Cool screenshots and some nifty tricks are waiting for you, so let's go!