Embedding JavaFX v1.2 Scene's in Swing

Question

Before I start... SUN DOES NOT SUPPORT THIS AND IT IS LIKELY TO CHANGE... hopefully we get official support in a future release, please :)
+"Note: We also recognize the need for the inverse (embedding a JavaFX scene into a Swing app), however that is not supported with 1.2 as it requires a more formal mechanism for manipulating JavaFX objects from Java code. The structure of these JavaFX objects is a moving target (for some very good reasons) and we're not ready to lock that down (yet). However,as with most software, this can be hacked (see Rich & Jasper's hack on Josh's blog) but know that you are laying compatibility down on the tracks if you go there. "+ Source: http://weblogs.java.net/blog/aim/archive/2009/06/insiders_guide.html
But if you really really want this now read on.
After a lengthy investigation and some help from others (including the jfxtra's project) here is how to Embed a JavaFX scene in your Swing application:
First, start your java application with javafx and not java! This will fix any potential class path issues and really does solve a lot of issues you will have 'patching' the JVM with JavaFX (if that is even possible). JavaFX will happily run a Java project (with the JVM) even if there is not one JavaFX class in your project.
Next, you need to create a Java Interface for your JavaFX object to implement:
package mix.javastuff;
* This is a Java Interface that your JavaFX class should implement.
* This will define how Java will interact with your JavaFX class.
* @author ahhughes
public interface TextDisplay {
    public void setText(String text);
}Next, you need to create your JavaFX object... it must extend Scene and you are to provide any interaction with Java you will need to implement a java interface:
package mix.javafxstuff;
import mix.javastuff.TextDisplay;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.text.Text;
import javafx.scene.text.Font;
import javafx.scene.effect.Reflection;
import javafx.scene.text.TextOrigin;
* Here is a very simple scene, that implements a java interface
* That allows Java (or JavaFX) to setText on the Scene's content.
public class TextDisplayJavaFXScene extends Scene , TextDisplay {
    override public function setText(text:String):Void{
        content = Text {
                font : Font {size: 44}
                x: 0, y: 0
                textOrigin: TextOrigin.TOP
                content: text
                effect: Reflection {}
}Finally, you need to use some reflection and some under the hood magic to get your JavaFX object and wrap in in a SwingScene (which just so happens to extend JComponent).
package mix.javastuff;
import com.sun.javafx.tk.swing.SwingScene;
import java.awt.FlowLayout;
import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
import java.awt.event.ActionListener;
import javafx.reflect.FXClassType;
import javafx.reflect.FXContext;
import javafx.reflect.FXFunctionMember;
import javafx.reflect.FXLocal;
import javafx.reflect.FXLocal.ObjectValue;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JComponent;
import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JPanel;
import javax.swing.JTextField;
* Example of how to inject JavaFX into your Swing app.
public class Main {
    private static final FXLocal.Context context = FXLocal.getContext();
    private static TextDisplay textDisplayJavaFXScene;// javafx scene & java interface
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        //Get the JavaFX Object, that has 'extends Scene, SomeJavaInterface'
     FXClassType instanceType = context.findClass("mix.javafxstuff.TextDisplayJavaFXScene");
     ObjectValue objectInstance = (ObjectValue) instanceType.newInstance();
     textDisplayJavaFXScene = (TextDisplay) objectInstance.asObject();
        //Wrap this in a SwingScene using refection
        JComponent textDisplayJavaFXSwingScene = sceneInstanceToJComponent((Scene)textDisplayJavaFXScene);
        //Now let's show the JComponent+JavaFXScene in a simple Swing App.
        createSimpleSwingApp(textDisplayJavaFXSwingScene);
     * This method wraps the Scene with a JComponent. This is what you can add
     * to your Swing application.
     * @param scene the JavaFX object that extends javafx.scene.Scene.
     * @return the javafx.scene.Scene wrapped by a JComponent.
     public static JComponent sceneInstanceToJComponent(Scene scene) {
         FXClassType sceneType = FXContext.getInstance().findClass("javafx.scene.Scene");
         ObjectValue obj = FXLocal.getContext().mirrorOf(scene);
         FXFunctionMember getPeer = sceneType.getFunction("impl_getPeer");
         FXLocal.ObjectValue peer = (ObjectValue) getPeer.invoke(obj);
         SwingScene swingScene = (SwingScene)peer.asObject();
         return (JComponent) swingScene.scenePanel;
     * OK, this method is just to show you this in action.... the real stuff
     * you are interested is in the methods above.
     * @param javaFXTextDisplaySwingScene
    private static void createSimpleSwingApp(JComponent javaFXTextDisplaySwingScene){
         JFrame frame = new JFrame();
         frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
         frame.setSize(500,500);
         frame.setAlwaysOnTop(true);
          JPanel panel = new JPanel();
          panel.setLayout(new FlowLayout());
        //create a swing interface to interact with textDisplayJavaFXScene.setText()
        final JTextField textInputField = new JTextField("Set THIS Text!");
          panel.add(textInputField);
          JButton button = new JButton("Send to JavaFX!");
          panel.add(button);
          button.addActionListener(new ActionListener() {
               @Override
               public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
                    textDisplayJavaFXScene.setText(textInputField.getText());
        //add the JavaFX SwingScene to the Swing's JPanel
         panel.add(javaFXTextDisplaySwingScene);
        //display the swing app
         frame.add(panel);
         frame.setVisible(true);
}That's it!

Answer 1

morningstar wrote:
You can refer to this article for how to embeded javaFX scene into SWING:
[JavaFX Scene embedded in SWING Window|http://www.javafxgame.com/javafx-scene-swing-java/]
[http://www.javafxgame.com/javafx-scene-swing-java/|http://www.javafxgame.com/javafx-scene-swing-java/]
Hi morningstar, this article is good and it too helped me out A LOT! It shows how to embed a JavaFX scene in swing but doesn't show you how to interact with JavaFX objects FROM your Java/Swing code. Wrapping the JavaFX node in a SwingScene doesn't offer a way for the Java/Swing code to interact with the underlying JavaFX objects.
How can you set the text in the JavaFX Text node from the Java/Swing code in the linked article? You can't, all you can do is have the JavaFX objects reference BACK to public static fields in your Java code (not the best):
Java Class:
public class JavaFXToSwingTest extends JFrame {
    public static JTextField tf = new JTextField("JavaFX for SWING");
    //other code
JavaFX Class:
    text = JavaFXToSwingTest.tf.getText();  On the other hand, the code in the first post exposes the JavaFX objects through java interfaces as well as wrapping them in a SwingScene. This means that you can do YourJavaFXObject.setText("Blah"); from inside your Java/Swing code, rather handy! :)
Edited by: AndrewHughes on Jul 27, 2009 12:25 AM