Overview of JavaFX Scene Builder

This document gives an overview of the JavaFX Scene Builder 1.1 development tool, including information about key features, target audience, what's new, and download information.

JavaFX Scene Builder provides a visual layout environment that lets you quickly design user interfaces (UI) for JavaFX applications without needing to write any code. As you build the layout of your UI, the FXML code for the layout is automatically generated. JavaFX Scene Builder provides a simple yet intuitive interface that can help even nonprogrammers to quickly prototype interactive applications that connect UI components to the application logic.

Intended Audience

The target audience for JavaFX Scene Builder includes the following:

  • Java developers: They can quickly prototype the client application's UI layout and develop the application logic separately.

  • Designers: They can quickly prototype the client application's UI layout without requiring any application code to be written first. They can design and preview the UI layout and define its look and feel with style sheets.

Key Features

JavaFX Scene Builder includes the following key features:

  • A drag-and-drop WYSIWIG interface allows you to quickly create a UI layout without the need to write source code. You can add, combine, and edit JavaFX UI controls to your layout by using the library of UI controls and the content panel.

  • Tight integration with the NetBeans IDE provides optimal development workflow.

  • Integration with any Java IDE is easy since it is a standalone development tool. See Using JavaFX Scene Builder with Java IDEs for information on how to use Scene Builder with NetBeans IDE, Eclipse, and IntelliJ IDEA.

  • Automatic FXML code generation occurs as you build and modify your UI layout. The generated FXML code is stored in a separate file from the application logic source and style sheet files.

  • Live editing and preview features let you quickly visualize the UI layout changes that you make without the need to compile. These features help minimize development time for your application. You can also assign Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to your UI layout and preview the resulting look and feel that is applied.

  • Access to the complete JavaFX 2.2 UI controls library is provided.

  • CSS support enables flexible management of the look and feel of your application's UI.

  • Cross-platform support is provided on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X operating systems.

  • There is no charge for you to evaluate the tool and try it for application development.

Download Information

Use the following steps to get started using the JavaFX Scene Builder tool to build the UI layout for your JavaFX application.

  1. Go to http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javafx/downloads/index.html to download the JavaFX Scene Builder installer. Use the JavaFX Scene Builder Installation Guide to learn about the system requirements and installation instructions.

  2. Read the JavaFX Scene Builder Release Notes to learn about known issues and workarounds.

  3. Use the JavaFX Scene Builder User Guide to learn more about the tool's user interface and the JavaFX Scene Builder Getting Started tutorial to create a simple issue tracking application.

  4. Read Using JavaFX Scene Builder with Java IDEs to learn about how to use Scene Builder with NetBeans IDE, Eclipse, and IntelliJ IDEA.

Additional Resources

Use the following resources to learn more about the JavaFX Scene Builder tool.