Collaboration Environment
The JCE project page can be found here.
Although multimedia desktop conferencing and application sharing among geographically dispersed users are increasingly popular modalities, their spread is inhibited by platform-dependency problems. Ideally, each participant in the same collaborative conference should be able to use whatever platform he or she prefers. For instance, a participant prefers to use PC running Windows 95 or Windows NT. Other participant may want to use workstations running X windows over Unix, yet others may use Macintoshs.
The major objective of the JCE project is to develop Java-based collaboration mechanisms that provide solutions to overcome the platform-dependency problems for collaborative computing in heterogeneous systems. They have developed mechanisms to intercept, distribute and recreate the user events that allow collaborative Java applications to be shared among conference participants. These mechanisms can be run transparently on any system implementing Java. The prototype they have developed is referred as JCE, Java Collaborative Environment which allows participants to have real-time interaction with each other and remotely work together as a team.
Another objective is to use the JCE from Internet browsers such as the Netscape Navigator and the Microsoft Internet Explorer. Due to some of the limitation imposed by Internet browsers and Java Applets for security and other reasons, the participants may not be able to perform certain functions. However, they would like to maximize what can be done through the World-Wide web, identify those functions that cannot be done through it and help the users to perform these functions via a parallel stand-alone interface.
They are also investigating issues in supporting platform-independence for multimedia desktop conferencing such as object replication management, scaleability through the use of reliable multicast protocol, and the integration of audio/video in JCE.
JCE is based on replicated tool architecture and among the problems associated with this approach is replication management. Most applications need to create or use objects during execution. Each site in the conference must have all the necessary objects for an application to ensure the correct operation within JCE. They have developed the replication management scheme that provides replication of objects needed for an application for each site before the application is invoked.
Beside shared applications, audio followed by video in this order are important for supporting full and effective collaboration among participants. Almost all PCs and workstations now have audio devices (microphone and speakers), though they are often not compatible with each other and may use different audio formats. They have also implemented the audio system for the different platforms (currently Solaris and Windows), which provides an environment that all participants can talk and hear each other without being concerned about compatibility between their respective devices.
These links below may or may not be of some help to you.
JMF 1.02
JMF 1.1
JMF 1.1 (Java Version - cross platform)
JMF 2.0 Early Access
JMF 2.0 Early Access (Java Version - cross platform)
JMF 2.0
JMF 2.1
To contact Author: Email: [email protected].