MetaVR News Volume IV, Issue 1 July 10, 2000 MetaVR can help you uncover the meaning of your virtual worlds(tm). MetaVR provides technology for high-speed 3D visualization and rapid creation of networked virtual worlds on personal computers for simulation/training, location-based entertainment, and Internet-streaming 3D content. In This Issue: 7.A -- MetaVR Delivers 40 Systems To MUSE UAV Program 7.B -- Interview With MetaVR in AFJI Magazine 7.C -- VRSG Texture Compression 7.D -- Simulation Upgrades 7.E -- Low Profile ChannelSurfer Visual Channels 7.F -- Why We Use DirectX 7.G -- Current Tradeshows 7.H -- SoundBeast: The Myth, The Mutt, & The Mogul **************************** 7.A MetaVR Delivers 40 Systems To MUSE UAV Program The commercial and military fielding of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has recently been the subject of significant and growing interest. Operators of these systems must be trained through the use of simulation to increase their effectiveness and reduce operational losses. A primary requirement for UAV 3D visual simulation is the ability to depict the video display from the simulated aircraft as realistically as possible. MetaVR technology provides for high fidelity UAV simulation by depicting geographically large terrain databases textured with geographically specific imagery. Leveraging our recent incorporation of texture compression schemes (see 7.C) and the Windows 2000 operating system to support ever-larger virtual worlds, MetaVR recently delivered a total of forty (40) visual systems to the largest UAV simulation program in the United States. The Multiple Unified Simulation Environment (MUSE)/Air Force Synthetic Environment For Reconnaissance And Surveillance (AFSERS) program provides the largest number of fielded simulation systems for training command and staff level training for UAVs. The MetaVR PC-based systems have replaced SGI-based systems ranging from O2's up to and including Infinite Reality Onyx's for the MUSE/AFSERS programs visualization needs. The MetaVR VRSG provides highly realistic simulation capability for UAV training packaged in a ruggedized deployable container designed for use in the field. We recently delivered a 100-geocell (nominally 100 x 100 km's per geocell) terrain database textured with 5-meter CIB imagery with 100-meter elevation posts. This terrain database of the Middle East initializes on a PC with low-cost commercial graphics cards in less than 15 seconds. 30-km far horizons with 60-Hz frame rates are supported with these systems. Many of our customers have told us that our graphics are so realistic that their trainees who use our systems are often unaware that they are using a simulated system (this is no longer science fiction). *********************** 7.B Interview With MetaVR in AFJI Magazine The July 2000 issue of the, Armed Forces Journal International (AFJI) Training & Simulation 2000 features an article titled "David And Goliath". The article describes MetaVR's operation, fielded systems, and business strategy. A highlight of the article is a description of the unique competitive fly-off that lead to MetaVR being chosen to upgrade the SIMNET-D (developmental) M1 and M2 simulators at the Mounted Warfare Testbed (MWTB) at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The AFJI Training & Simulation issue is produced quarterly and focuses solely on the military simulation market. The IMAGE Society's Images Newsletter Spring 2000 Edition, Volume 14 - Number 1 also has a brief description of the MetaVR-based CCTT-compatible simulators that are now operational. *********************** 7.C VRSG Texture Compression Texture compression enables very large geographically specific imagery terrain databases to be stored with a small on-disk footprint. MetaVR now supports two primary texture compression schemes as of VRSG version 2.8: - DXTC (DirectX Texture Compression) is a compression standard licensed by Microsoft from S3 for use in the DirectX API. Hardware vendors have begun to implement DXTC directly in silicon so that no software run-time decompression is necessary. - The Wavelet technique is an advanced mathematical mechanism that provides for very efficient compression of imagery. If you have ever download an image from the Internet, chances are you have used the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format which uses Wavelets to reduce image download time and file size. Wavelet-compressed textures are software- decompressed by the MetaVR runtime when paged from disk, and therefore incur more paging overhead when compared to DXTC. However much greater compression ratios can be achieved using wavelets when compared to DXTC, and the decompression overhead does not preclude 60 Hz frame rates while traversing a database at fixed-wing aircraft speeds. With the MetaVR geometry and compressed texture paging, database extent is only limited by disk storage capacity while the VRSG performance is unaffected by file size. ********************** 7.D Simulation Upgrades Two major simulation facilities recently upgraded their legacy PC-based visual systems to MetaVR technology. Given the simulation industry's increased clockspeed (i.e., the increased rate at which the industry is evolving), the community will soon begin to see a proliferation of second- generation image generator (IG) upgrades within the PC-based visuals market. There is a phenomenon referred to as disruptive technology whereby successful companies with established products are overtaken by reputedly low-end technologies once thought to be inferior for high-end applications. Accordingly, first generation simulator upgrades have been typified by the replacement of aging high-end proprietary IG's with PC-based systems acting as disruptive technology. Further applying this principle, we provide an example of second generation IG upgrades which are typified by the replacement of proprietary PC-based visual systems with commercial graphics technology acting as the disruptive technology agent: Both the Mounted Maneuver Battlespace Laboratory of the U.S. Army Armor Center in Ft. Knox, Kentucky and the Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama recently upgraded their visual systems to the MetaVR VRSG real-time visualization technology. Both facilities replaced their CG2 visual software and upgraded their Intergraph TDZr 2000 ViZualT Workstations with MetaVR PC-based systems using low-cost commercial 3D graphics cards. A unique feature of the upgrade effort was MetaVR's ability to reuse, where possible, the legacy systems PC components to reduce the overall costs. ********************** 7.E Low Profile ChannelSurfer Visual Channels MetaVR now offers multi-channel image generators (IGs) that can support a large number of high-performance and low-cost visual channels in a rack mount configuration. The Commercial Ruggedized Rackmount VRSG uses low-profile 2U high 4x AGP visual channels to provide a high ratio of visual channels for a given rack configuration. The latest version of the MetaVR Commercial Ruggedized Rackmount VRSG provides full scene four-subpixel (4x) anti- aliasing using the low-cost commercial Voodoo5 5500 AGP graphics card from 3dfx. DSCI chose MetaVR to provide a Commercial Ruggedized Rackmount multi-channel visual system for their M1 tank simulator as a platform for their Ground Integrated Target Identification System (GITIS) experiments. The decision to use the VRSG was based on the price versus performance ratio of our PC-based IG. ********************** 7.F Why We Use DirectX Microsoft DirectX is an integrated collection of APIs for developing media rich applications optimized for the Microsoft Windows-based environment. These APIs provide low level access to high-performance 3D and 2D graphics accelerators, and sound and input devices in a device-independent manner via the "hardware emulation layer" (HEL) and the "hardware abstraction layer" (HAL). These layers and APIs make it possible to run the same software on systems with or without hardware acceleration. More importantly, they make it possible to take advantage of advances in hardware acceleration without the need to continually re-write and re-optimize code. This has proven invaluable to MetaVR and our customers by enabling upgrades to hardware with the resultant increase in performance without the need to build and test new application code. Microsoft DirectX is a classic example of a disruptive technology displacing a previous industry standard (i.e., OpenGL). *********************** 7.H SoundBeast: The Myth, The Mutt, & The Mogul Most of you know me as SoundBeast, the product that bears my alias, but my real name is Willa. And in case you were wondering, I am the beast behind the business. Educated in the school of hard knocks, I was rescued from the dog pound at the age of ten months after having been under-appreciated by two previous employers. I was right there in the thick of things when MetaVR first came into existence, helping shape company policy and practice. I coached the founding members in the strategic exercise of chutzpah, modeling bold and rewarding behaviors like snatching an entire stick of butter off the dinner table in a fraction of a second or giving a stern person an affectionate lick behind the knees. I was not too proud to come into the business at the ground floor- literally--greeting the Fed Ex delivery person each morning on the front steps in exchange for a courtesy Milkbone. I quickly worked my way up to the pivotal role of Chief Operating Philosopher. So what are the guiding principles through which I have built MetaVR into what it is today? I try not to be too dogmatic, but here's a sampling: - Give people what they need or they'll find another tummy to rub. - Always learn new tricks. - Don't be intimidated by big dogs who are all bark and no byte. - Use both qualitative and quantitative measures of success, and shoot high--a fresh vanilla eclair is better than a stale one but eight fresh eclairs are better than one. - Do what you love, do it well, and reserve time to cuddle. *********************** Previous issues of MetaVR News can be found at . This electronic newsletter may be redistributed without restriction in any format as long as the contents are unaltered. Copyright 2000, MetaVR, Inc. Requests for subscription to MetaVR News can be sent to mailto:news_request@metavr.com. Please let us know if you do not want to receive future mailings by sending email to mailto:no_news@metavr.com.