Behavior

A Behavior is a Java class that makes changes to a scene graph

• In a broad sense, your entire Java application is a behavior

• Java 3D also provides a Behavior class as a base class for smaller components that change the scene

• Often one behavior for each shape being animated

Java 3D behavior support:

• Supports arbitrary content changes - behaviors are just Java methods

• Schedules behaviors to run only when necessary

• Enables composability where independent behaviors may run in parallel without interfering with each other

• Provides basic dead reckoning for animation execution independent of host speed

Behavior: the Base for Interaction and Animation

Both interaction and animation are specified with Behavior objects. The Behavior class is an abstract class that provides the mechanism to include code to change the scene graph. The Behavior class, and its descendants, are links to user code providing changes to the graphics and sounds of the virtual universe.
The purpose of a Behavior object in a scene graph is to change the scene graph, or objects in the scene graph, in response to some stimulus. A stimulus can be the press of a key, a mouse movement, the collision of objects, the passage of time, some other event, or a combination of these. Changes produced include adding objects to the scene graph, removing objects from the scene graph, changing attributes of objects in the scene graph, rearranging objects in the scene graph, or a combination of these. The possibilities are only limited by the capabilities of the scene graph objects.