All Topics  
Project Looking Glass

 
Project Looking Glass

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Project Looking Glass
 
 
  Topics Project Looking Glass Topic Home

Project Looking Glass is a free software
Free software

Free Software or software libre is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things and to prevent consumer-facing hardware...
 project under the GPL
GNU General Public License

The GNU General Public License is a widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU project. The GPL is the most popular and well-known example of the type of strong copyleft license that requires derived works to be available under the same copyleft....
 to create an innovative 3D
3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a Cartesian coordinate system#Three-dimensional coordinate system representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images....
 desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
 for Linux
Linux

Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...
, Solaris
Solaris Operating System

Solaris is a Unix-based operating system introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1992 as the successor to SunOS.Solaris is known for its scalability, especially on SPARC systems, and for originating many innovative features such as DTrace and ZFS....
, and Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
. It is sponsored by Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems, Inc. is a multinational corporation vendor of computers, computer components, computer software, and information technology services, founded on February 24, 1982....
.

Looking Glass is programmed in the Java
Java (programming language)

Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java ....
 language using the Java 3D
Java 3D

Java 3D is a scene graph-based 3D computer graphics application programming interface for the Java platform. It runs on top of either OpenGL or Direct3D....
 system to remain platform independent. Despite the use of graphics acceleration features, the desktop explores the use of 3D windowing capabilities for both existing application programs and ones specifically designed for Looking Glass.

One of its most notable features is the creation of reversible windows
Window (computing)

In computing, a window is a visual area, usually rectangular in shape, containing some kind of user interface, displaying the output of and allowing input for one of a number of simultaneously running computer processes....
.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Project Looking Glass'
Start a new discussion about 'Project Looking Glass'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


Project Looking Glass is a free software
Free software

Free Software or software libre is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with minimal restrictions only to ensure that further recipients can also do these things and to prevent consumer-facing hardware...
 project under the GPL
GNU General Public License

The GNU General Public License is a widely used free software license, originally written by Richard Stallman for the GNU project. The GPL is the most popular and well-known example of the type of strong copyleft license that requires derived works to be available under the same copyleft....
 to create an innovative 3D
3D computer graphics

3D computer graphics are graphics that use a Cartesian coordinate system#Three-dimensional coordinate system representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images....
 desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
 for Linux
Linux

Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...
, Solaris
Solaris Operating System

Solaris is a Unix-based operating system introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1992 as the successor to SunOS.Solaris is known for its scalability, especially on SPARC systems, and for originating many innovative features such as DTrace and ZFS....
, and Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
. It is sponsored by Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems

Sun Microsystems, Inc. is a multinational corporation vendor of computers, computer components, computer software, and information technology services, founded on February 24, 1982....
.

Looking Glass is programmed in the Java
Java (programming language)

Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java ....
 language using the Java 3D
Java 3D

Java 3D is a scene graph-based 3D computer graphics application programming interface for the Java platform. It runs on top of either OpenGL or Direct3D....
 system to remain platform independent. Despite the use of graphics acceleration features, the desktop explores the use of 3D windowing capabilities for both existing application programs and ones specifically designed for Looking Glass.

One of its most notable features is the creation of reversible windows
Window (computing)

In computing, a window is a visual area, usually rectangular in shape, containing some kind of user interface, displaying the output of and allowing input for one of a number of simultaneously running computer processes....
. This capability can be used for features like allowing the user to write notes and comments on the windows' backs, or displaying application dialogs without risking their being detached from the application they relate to. All windows start by looking like a normal 2D
2D computer graphics

2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them....
 or 2.5D
2.5D

2.5D is an informal term used to describe visual phenomena which is actually 2D with 3D looking graphics. This is often also called pseudo-3D....
 window, but can be manipulated as thin slate-like 3D objects which can be set at any angle or turned completely around by the user. Other features include provision of a panning virtual desktop, icons that reflect the live status of the window they represent and zooming of a window when it receives focus.

There is a Live CD
Live CD

A live CD or live DVD is a CD or DVD containing a booting computer operating system. Live CDs are unique in that they have the ability to run a complete, modern operating system on a computer lacking Computer_storage , such as a hard disk drive....
 available from Project Looking Glass. The Looking Glass environment is also included on a Live DVD (FunWorks 2007 edition) from the Granular Linux
Granular Linux

Granular, or Granular Linux, is an easy-to-use Linux distribution targeted at the common desktop users. Granular is based on PCLinuxOS and comes as an installable live CD....
 project.

History

Looking Glass was first developed by Hideya Kawahara, a Sun programmer
Programmer

A programmer is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software....
 who wrote it in his spare time on a small Linux
Linux

Linux is a generic term referring to Unix-like computer operating systems based on the Linux kernel. Their development is one of the most prominent examples of free and open source software collaboration; typically all the underlying source code can be used, freely modified, and redistributed by anyone under the terms of the GNU GPL license...
 laptop
Laptop

A laptop is a personal computer designed for mobile computing small enough to sit on one's lap. A laptop includes most of the Computer hardware of a typical desktop computer, including a Computer display, a computer keyboard, a pointing device as well as a battery, into a single small and light unit....
. After demonstrating an early version to Sun executives, he was assigned to it full time with a dedicated team and open-sourced the project. It was demonstrated publicly by Jonathan Schwartz
Jonathan I. Schwartz

Jonathan Ian Schwartz is the current President and chief executive officer of Sun Microsystems, as well as a member of the Company's Board of Directors....
 at Sun Networks 2003 in San Francisco, and since then has gathered momentum in development.

Similar projects

Lg3d
Looking Glass is similar to the "Task Gallery" prototype from Microsoft
Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
 Research since both seek to exploit three-dimensional objects within some specific interaction constraints. Also, both are meant to work on adapted or enhanced versions of existing desktops rather than re-designing the entire graphical user interface
Graphical user interface

A graphical user interface is a type of user interface which allows people to human-computer interaction such as computers; hand-held devices such as MP3 Players, Portable Media Players or Gaming devices; household appliances and office equipment....
 from scratch, an approach taken by many Zooming User Interface
Zooming User Interface

In computing, a zooming user interface or zoomable user interface is a graphical environment where users can change the scale of the viewed area in order to see more detail or less....
 projects such as the one created by the late Jef Raskin
Jef Raskin

Jef Raskin was an United States human-computer interface expert best-known for starting the Macintosh project for Apple Inc. in the late 1970s....
, or the open source Croquet project
Croquet Project

The Croquet Project is an international effort to promote the continued development of Croquet, a free software Computer software Platform and a Computer network operating system for developing and delivering deeply collaborative multi-user online Application software....
 based on Squeak
Squeak

The Squeak programming language is a Smalltalk implementation, derived directly from Smalltalk-80 by a group at Apple Computer that included some of the original Smalltalk-80 developers....
.

While many window managers (such as Microsoft's Desktop Window Manager
Desktop Window Manager

Desktop Window Manager is a compositing window manager, introduced with Windows Vista, that enables the Windows Aero graphical user interface and visual theme....
, the X Window System
X Window System

The X Window System is a computing software system and network protocol that provides a graphical user interface for networked computers. It implements the X Window System protocols and architecture and provides windowing system on raster graphics Visual display units and manages Keyboard and pointing device control functions....
 based Compiz
Compiz

Compiz is one of the first compositing window managers for the X Window System that uses 3D graphics hardware to create fast compositing desktop effects for window management....
, and Mac OS X
Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a line of computer operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., and since 2002 has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems....
 through Core Animation
Core Animation

Core Animation is a data visualization application programming interface used by Mac OS X v10.5 and iPhone OS to produce animated user interfaces....
) can utilize 3D effects, these merely augment a conventional 2D environment.

See also

  • Compiz
    Compiz

    Compiz is one of the first compositing window managers for the X Window System that uses 3D graphics hardware to create fast compositing desktop effects for window management....
  • Compiz Fusion
    Compiz Fusion

    Compiz Fusion is a collection of plugins and a configuration system for the Compiz compositing window manager for the X Window System. Compiz Fusion is the result of a merge between the old Compiz community plugin set "Compiz Extras" and the parts of the Beryl project that are independent of the window manager core....


External links

  • [https://lg3d-livecd.dev.java.net/ LG3D Live CD]