iClay

3D Cuneiform Tablets on the Web

The iClay 3D Java applet enables, for the first time over the Internet, 3D manipulation of ancient cuneiform tablets, the world's oldest written documents.

iClay requires a fast computer, a high-end video card (one suitable for demanding 3D gaming), and at least Java 1.5 ^[1]. In addition, like all JOGL applets, iClay requires Sun Microsystems' Java Bindings for OpenGL. iClay will ask you for permission for Sun to download and install these files on your computer ^[2].

If your computer meets these requirements feel free to go to the iClay web page. (There is no harm in trying; the page just won't display the iClay cuneiform tablet if your system does not meet the requirements or if you cancel the JOGL installation.)

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^[1] Windows users can download the latest Java Runtime Environment from Sun Microsystems. Mac OS X users must be running Tiger (system 10.4), which already has Java 1.5 installed.

^[2] Like Java itself, these files from Sun Microsystems are verified, trustworthy, and non-invasive. iClay's high performance 3D requires the hardware video acceleration that Sun's JOGL technology provides. Because the technology is so new, most computers do not have it installed yet.