We really do need a new rich Internet platform. We need more seamless platforms that work across operating systems and mobile devices. And, in an issue extremely relevant to this site, we need development tools that make it easier for artists of all kinds to create media software and digital artwork and performance tools. The smarter those platforms, the more amazing artwork and live visuals and VJing you’ll see – scroll through the archives of this site or the Processing exhibition for proof. Small as that market may be, it’s my belief that the artistic, cutting-edge output is what will drive the future of media on digital devices. They call it cutting edge for a reason – it’ll be part of something bigger.

The bad news is, wishing for a better platform doesn’t make JavaFX 1.0, released yesterday, look any better.

JavaFX is a new platform for development, based on Java. It combines a new set of media APIs and graphics rendering engine with a new scripting language (JavaFX Script), and wraps this in a set of integrated development tools and workflows. It still runs on the Java Runtime and can leverage that platform, which is, on paper, a good thing. That means you aren’t closed off from the powers of the Java platform, or even from the existing work done by Java ME.

All of this is great on paper. But Sun has a unique problem. JavaFX isn’t “Too Little, Too Late.” It’s “Too Little, Too Early.” It’s about playing catchup to Flash instead of extending on things Java can do that Flash can’t. And it simply isn’t ready yet. No one in their right mind would call this a finished 1.0 release. It’s an early beta, and the absurdly hyped-up talk from Sun and the Java community could turn the whole thing into a huge disaster.

Worst of all, it does exactly what everyone feared: it makes it even more unclear what Sun’s development plans are for the more-capable conventional, if aging and incomplete, Java APIs. And the whole point of JavaFX, distributing across devices? Tough luck: “1.0” works only on the latest Java 6 for desktop PCs and 64-bit Macs.

The slogan for JavaFX is “Do More.” Yep, that sums it up. For anyone to pay attention, JavaFX needs to Do More.

The short version:

Good:

• Good 2D rendering
• Timelines, animation
• Works with NetBeans, integrated tool for working with artists
• Plays media
• Built on Java

Fine, if not earthshaking. And I will say, go try out the examples: there is promise here, especially if you call is a “Developer Preview” or some such thing. But then we look at the …

Bad:

• 3D not available yet; no roadmap
• Media APIs limited to playback
• Beta bugs and documentation holes in a “1.0” release
• Murky open source plans
• Still waiting on Linux and mobile deployment (mobile promised for spring 2009, but with some details missing)

Machine Project is the wonderful gallery / multimedia educational center and maker of happenings in Los Angeles. They’re on a roll with Big Ideas this month, so I thought I’d pass them along — aside from participating, they may inspire similar stunts in your hometown. (Just make sure you hire professionals if they’re going to do something dangerous, like jump out of a window. And don’t stare into the sun.)

First up: Los Angeleans, you have a chance to film a Matrix-style effect with a stunt man jumping out a window:

Create Digital Music got an interesting comment about allegedly, what really happened to Java in Leopard. Short version: nearly all of the development team is gone; the one Java 6 person left and many others were moved to, of all things, iCal. Java 5 is likely to be all you get on Leopard, and still without improvements to JavaSound or QuickTime for Java, which have left sound and video support pretty weak. (QuickTime for Java is an even worse choice on Windows, though at least on Windows and Linux JavaSound runs better.)

Caution: this could be no more than a rumor. There seems to still be a Java development team at Apple, so at the very least, it sounds exaggerated. However, it’s also clear that Apple’s commitment to developing Java on the Mac is tenuous to say the least.

For Processing fans, though, there’s various good news. First, Apple has updated Java 5, the version of Java targeted by Processing currently. Secondly, while JavaSound still lags behind major quality improvements made on Mac and Linux, if Apple really is abandoning Java on the Mac, it could mean the finger pointing is over and finally Sun could develop Java on the Mac platform, bringing all three desktop OSes in sync (sorry, Solaris, that’s Linux, Mac, and Windows for nearly all of us). Another interesting tidbit: JavaFX, if Sun is to be believed, could be more than a scripting language, it could provide better multimedia support long lacking in Java. I imagine that could be incorporated into Processing. See the CDM story for more details — taking them with a grain of salt, as none of this has been officially confirmed.

Rumor: Mac Java’s Demise is Real, and Why That Could Be Good News for Multimedia