JavaFX graphics performance and suitability for advanced animations

[John C. Turnbull]

I have previously posed questions about the limits of performance that can
be expected with JavaFX and also the kind of applications for which it is
suitable.

 

In response to this and other questions from JavaFX developers a project was
created to develop a Tower Defence game in JavaFX.  Has this project been
abandoned?  Is there a recent release with a working game?  Last time I
checked the game was at a stage where it showed a few enemies approaching
but that was about it.

 

I am still very interested in this whole topic.  From my own personal
endeavours I have found JavaFX (in general) to be disappointing when it
comes to performance.  Even with the latest builds of JavaFX 8, the
animations in Ensemble are quite choppy and not at all smooth on both of the
(Windows) machines I have run Ensemble on.  On the same machines however,
even complex animations that I have developed using OpenGL and C++ are very
smooth indeed.

 

I am principally a Java developer and do not want to have to use C/C++ for
my projects but if there is something inherent in JavaFX that prevents it
from performing at an adequate level then I would like to know about it.

 

1.       Can someone from Oracle please outline the full range of
applications for which JavaFX is or will be suitable for?

 

2.       Is there something inherent in the JavaFX architecture (such as
CPU/GPU interaction, the performance of the JVM or the Java language itself)
that limits its suitability and thus effectiveness in advanced
animations/visualisations?

 

3.       Is this choppiness and lack of smoothness I have experienced
typical of JavaFX performance or is it some issue with my
environment/drivers etc.?

 

4.       Is JavaFX more targeted at form-based UIs rather than high
performance graphics?

 

5.       Do you have any other comments on JavaFX and its suitability for
advanced animations and visualisations?

 

Thanks,

 

-jct