= jMonkeyEngine SDK Documentation
:revnumber: 2.0
:revdate: 2020/07/09


== Why jMonkeyEngine SDK?


image::jme3-jmonkeyplatform.png[jme3-jmonkeyplatform.png,width="288",height="180",align="left"]

The jMonkeyEngine SDK (software development kit) is the recommended game development environment for the jMonkeyEngine 3 library.

The jMonkeyEngine SDK is an integrated development environment (IDE) that provides you with unique plugins for creating jMonkeyEngine 3 game content. You can link:https://github.com/jMonkeyEngine/sdk/releases/[download and install the jMonkeyEngine SDK] as a ready-to-use complete game development environment, rather than using a generic Java IDE. (xref:what_s_an_ide.adoc[What's an IDE]?)

Since the jMonkeyEngine SDK is based on the link:http://platform.netbeans.org/[NetBeans Platform] (xref:whynoteclipse.adoc[Why not Eclipse RCP?]), you have access to all of the developer tools in the link:http://www.netbeans.org/[NetBeans IDE], including a wide variety of deployment formats ranging from browser Applet and WebStart to desktop executables. Although we recommend the jMonkeyEngine SDK, experienced users can work with the jMonkeyEngine JARs in their favorite IDE, and choose to only use the jMonkeyEngine SDK to manage assets and JME3 binaries.


[TIP]
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Go to `menu:Settings[Keymap]` and choose your favorite keyboard profile: NetBeans default, Eclipse, IntelliJ, or others.
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[TIP]
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To get help and code samples right in the SDK, press `kbd:[F1]`, or press `kbd:[Ctrl]` + `kbd:[i]` to enter a query in the super search box (top right)!
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The built-in help system lets you browse a local copy of the documentation pulled from this wiki. It also contains code samples and info about installed plugins and generic IDE features.

[.right.text-left]
image::jmonkeyplatform-docu-4.png[jmonkeyplatform-docu-4.png,width="421",height="298",align="right"]
image::jme3-built-in-help.png[jme3-built-in-help.png,width="400",height="260",align="right"]

[NOTE]
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jMonkeyEngine SDK is continuously being improved. Check out this link for a list of changes and improvements for the future: link:https://github.com/jMonkeyEngine/jmonkeyengine/issues/198[changes and improvements for the future]
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image::jmonkey-sdk-workflow.png[jmonkey-sdk-workflow.png,width="",height="",align="center"]

=== Status and Roadmap

See link:https://github.com/jMonkeyEngine/jmonkeyengine/labels/roadmap[this page on GitHub] for links to up-to-date info on current status and features.

xref:comic.adoc[jMonkeyEngine SDK - the Comic]

image::jmonkeyplatform-docu-2.png[jmonkeyplatform-docu-2.png,width="420",height="300"]


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== A Little Bit of History

Removed links due to not being able to find them...

The jMonkeyEngine SDK first set root during a link:http://www.jmonkeyengine.com/forum/index.php?topic=13070.0[discussion with Normen Hansen]. Although similar projects existed previously, this was the first serious attempt that had the original core team's blessing. For some time, the project was referred to merely as the "link:https://blogs.oracle.com/geertjan/youtube-movie-of-jmonkeyengine-on-netbeans-platform[Game Development Environment], or "GDE" for short. During alpha, we referred to it as link:http://www.jmonkeyengine.com/forum/index.php?topic=13510.0[jMonkeyPlatform], and for beta it was eventually renamed to the jMonkeyEngine SDK.


The jMonkeyEngine SDK first set root during a discussion with Normen Hansen. Although similar projects existed previously, this was the first serious attempt that had the original core team's blessing. For some time, the project was referred to merely as the Game Development Environment, or "GDE" for short. During alpha, we referred to it as jMonkeyPlatform, and for beta it was eventually renamed to the jMonkeyEngine SDK.
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