Introduction
What is jMonkeyEngine?
It’s a free, open source game engine, made especially for Java game developers who want to
create 3D games using modern technology. The software is programmed entirely in Java, intended
for wide accessibility and quick deployment.
Java served HOT!
Done Right, Java can be blazing fast. To be blunt: Java will always be easier to Do Right than
C++. We provide Java developers with the tools they need to make highly performant 3D games on
par with any other engine out there, without the headaches of compiler code.
Cross-platform and -peripheral
jMonkeyEngine games can be published to Windows, Mac and Linux, as well as Android and iOS.
Furthermore we support unique new peripherals for AR and VR technologies, most noteworthy being
the Oculus Rift.
Who is jMonkeyEngine for?
It’s not a visual RPG Maker or an FPS modder. You’ll get the most out of the engine if you bring
some programming aptitude to the table. Pace yourself, and jMonkeyEngine can be a starting point
for any aspiring 3D games developer.
Hacker’s Haven
jMonkeyEngine is extensible by design, and doesn’t try to tell you how to make your game. The
New BSD License means you are free to do whatever you’d like with our code. And if you’d like to
share something back, the jME3 SDK brings its very own plugin framework with automatic updates.
Extensive Docs & Support
There’s no excuse for poor documentation, and we don’t need one. Peruse our wiki and you’ll find
hundreds of pages detailing all things jME3. On top of that, our community of developers is
easily one of the most engaged and helpful pack of monkeys alive.
Graphics
Light and Shadow
We’ve got all the usual suspects to simulate candle light, sun light and flashlights as well as
global lights. Shadows are created with techniques like PSSM and SSAO. (For Android we recommend
baked shadows.)
Shaders and Materials
The jME3 material system is entirely shader-based. Through an innovative design called Shader
Nodes, shaders become super modular and can be edited in a visual editor. Of course, you can
always make your own from scratch.
Filters and Effects
jME3 comes with a wide array of special effects, primarily through the use of post processor
filters and particle emitters. These are the “smoke and mirrors” tricks that allow you to
emulate the wondrous stuff of nature, such as water, fog, light scattering and of course,
explosions
Game Logic
Application States
AppStates are the building blocks for your application. They help you separate your application into logical parts and can be used to quickly extend the base application. They can also be reused in other applications so you will quickly build your own library of AppStates and integrate publically available extensions easily into your application.
Custom Controls
Custom Controls are like AppStates but at a smaller scene-object based level. They allow you to add functionality to objects in the scenegraph to animate, control and integrate objects into a workflow.
Input
Input is a big deal. jMonkeyEngine makes it easy to target a wide array of platforms through unified input conventions, enabling keyboards, joysticks and touch all from the same interface.
Utilities
Physics
For its physics simulation, jMonkeyEngine relies on jBullet, a Java port of the Bullet Physics library favored by top industry developers.
Terrain
Sculpt and paint your terrain using the SDK’s in-built terrain editor,TerraMonkey. You can also import heightmaps, drop in a SkyBox, apply lighting and enjoy automatic LOD optimization.
Cinematics
Use the cinematic tools to build your own little movie set for your cut scenes. With a few well tuned motion paths and sound events, it doesn’t take many keyframes to tell a good story.
Networking
SpiderMonkey helps you make your game connected. If UDP, TCP, compression and thread safety is already cemented in your vocabulary, you may proceed.
GUI
NiftyGUI is a standalone library, integrated with jME3 as its default GUI tool. Designers and developers can construct interfaces in XML or Java. Since every monkey is different, we also have two solid plugin alternatives.