JavaFX Tips and Tricks: Invoking JavaFX Functions from Java

Occasionally the requirement arises to call a JavaFX function from within a Java method. I needed to do this yesterday, so I thought I'd take a moment to explain a way to do this in three simple steps:

1. Create a Java interface
2. Extend the interface with a JavaFX class, implementing any functions defined by the interface
3. Obtain a reference to, and call a function of, the JavaFX class defined by the interface

Here are snippets of the code that I created yesterday in the context of the steps listed above:

Create the Java interface

public interface UniverseHandler {
  public void onSphereClicked(SphereBranch sphereBranch);
}

Extend the interface with a JavaFX class, implementing any functions defined by the interface

public class WindshieldModel extends UniverseHandler {
  ...model code omitted...

  /**
   * This is called when user clicks a sphere on the 3D Canvas
   */
  public override function onSphereClicked(sphereBranch:SphereBranch) {
    curSphereBranch = sphereBranch;
  }
}

Obtain a reference to, and call a function of, the JavaFX class defined by the interface

 universeHandler.onSphereClicked(currentSphereBranch);

The universeHandler was passed into the constructor of the Java class.

Thanks again to InteractiveMesh.org for their lightweight 3D canvas and classes that enable JavaFX/Java 3D integration!