Before using Explorer3D you should have installed a recent version of Java Standard Edition (> 1.6u12), along with the Java3D library. JavaSE and Java3D can respectively be dowloaded at:
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/tech/index-jsp-138252.html
In case java3D is misinstalled or missing, a message should warn you at launch time or at your first try to display a 3D view. Meanwhile, if no control window get displayed at launch time, or misdisplayed window might be the result or the absence, wrong use or wrong version of Java or Java3D.
Explorer3D is shipped as a java archive file(explorer3d.jar). Launching is thus done typing “ java -jar explorer3d.jar “.
Depending on your O.S. (e.g. MacOS), you might be able to launch Explorer3D by clicking on the “explorer3d.jar” file. Nevertheless, this might result in a faulty luanching, with no message displayed. Double-click launch is discouraged with Windows systems. An alternative consists in creating a “explorer.bat” file, in the directory where explorer3D.jar is stored, and fill this file with: “ java -jar explorer3d.jar “. Double-clicking on explorer.bat should cause Explorer3D to start.
This alternative start mode is also encouraged in the case of a personnalized install of Java3D, where an explicit classpath is needed. As the -jar option prohibits the use of -cp, the solution consists in first adding explorer3D.jar to the classpath and then directly select explorer.Explorer3D as the java class to be started. The following script illustrates how to proceed (example with bash et 64 bits java3D library) :
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH = $LD_LIBRARY_PATH:j3d_install_path/lib/amd64 export CLASSPATH = $CLASSPATH:j3d_install_path/lib/ext/j3dcore.jar:\ j3d_install_path/lib/ext/j3dutils.jar:\ j3d_install_path/lib/ext/vecmath.jar:\ explorer_install_path/explorer3D.jar java explorer.Explorer3D