The Planets Explorer requires java2 and java3D Run Time Environments to be installed in your computer. You will need to do the following:
1.- Install the Java Run Time Environment version 1.5.0 or later. This can be obtained from
http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp
(please, select run time versionJRE 1.5.0 or later)
2.- Now install the java3D extension version 1.3.1 or later from
http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/desktop/java3d/downloads/
please,select the
runtime for the JRE format; either directX or openGL
will work. If you want to use The Planets Explorer under Windows NT, you
will need the openGL version. If you choose the DirectX version, please
make sure that you have DirectX 7.0 or later installed in your computer.
Make sure that java3D run time is installed in the same directory than
the Java Run Time Environment (this is the default option).
Minimum system requirements:
Pentium II processor or similar at 300 MHz
64 Mbytes of RAM (128 Mbytes recommended)
300 Mbytes of free disk space
3D Graphics card with 8 Mbytes of memory (although it can work with 4 Mbytes, the performance is degraded)
Note: The use of the highest quality textures require good performance 3D cards (geForce 2 or equivalent) with big memory. Do not use high quality setting unless your card has at least 32 Mbytes RAM. If you experience performance problems or difficulties visualizing some planets (for instance some plantes have no texture), this is most likely due to your graphics card capacity. Please, try with lower quality settings (there are 4 levels to choose). Check the Users Manual. for instructions on how to configure graphic settings.