MetaVR News Volume I, Issue 1 May 1, 1997 MetaVR can help you uncover the meaning of your virtual worlds. In This Issue: 1.A -- MetaVR in Real Time Graphics newsletter 1.B -- MetaVR at AAAA 1.C -- MetaVR announces MetaVRSG Game SDK at CGDC 1.D -- Download demo with Monterey database 1.E -- VRSG real-time with 10 meter data 1.F -- VRSG at Air Force Fifty 1.G -- VRSG Visualization of Dismounted Infantry *********************** 1.A -- MetaVR in Real Time Graphics newsletter Real Time Graphics is the premier newsletter of virtual environment technologies & markets. MetaVR and its technology were described in a full-page story in the recent issue of Real Time Graphics. See the article in the April/May edition of the newsletter and our advertisement in the CyberSheet supplement. Real Time Graphics is published by Computer Graphics Systems Development Corporation (CGSD) . A Web reprint of the article, courtesy CGSD, can be seen at . *********************** 1.B -- MetaVR at AAAA Some exciting technology was demonstrated at the AAAA STRICOM booth with MetaVR as the system provider and TASC, San Antonio as the system integrator. The VRSG was used to drive a picture-in-picture display on a large screen TV of the out-the-window view of an RAH-66 Comanche simulator inset within a virtual world view of the Fulda Gap region of Germany. The Interactive Tactical Environment Management System (ITEMS tm) was used to simulate a recently declassified CIS 2S6 that was then visualized in the VRSG. The 2S6 entity model was a joint effort between Infografica and MetaVR. The VRSG is believed to be the only PC-based system capable of importing and visualizing an ITEMS terrain database format . See MetaVR on-line in the STRICOM booth at the Army Aviation Convention , Apr. 23-26, 1997. AAAA Annual Convention, Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center, Louisville, KY, USA. *********************** 1.C -- MetaVR Announces MetaVRSG Game SDK at CDGC MetaVR was represented at the Computer Game Developers Conference this year by having the MetaVRSG Game SDK demonstrated in the Quantum3D booth #902. For those who haven't heard yet, Quantum3D is the latest spin-off from 3Dfx Interactive. Ross Smith will be focusing Quantum3D on the Visual Simulation, PC-based Coin-op/LBE, and DCC Markets . The MetaVRSG SDK is an arbitrary viewpoint management tool for sustained real-time multi-player virtual worlds. MetaVRSG has no inefficient abstraction layers, just pure access to C++ source-code optimized for multi-player interactions on a PC. You can read about the MetaVRSG Game SDK at April 27-29, 1997, Computer Game Developers Conference, Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA, USA *********************** 1.D -- Download Cool Technology Demonstration Download and try out our technology demonstration. Remember, it's not a demo optimized to hide its own weaknesses, rather it is a scenario in a virtual world that will perform with the same fidelity as any other scenario you might choose. MetaVR has updated the application to highlight our new Multigen OpenFlight terrain database import feature. Look for our release 1.2 of Quick Immersion to offer this feature. QI 1.2 will also support import of Kinetix 3D Studio format models and databases. A preview of the results of the 3D Studio entity model import feature can be seen on line at . *********************** 1.E -- VRSG real-time with 10 meter data MetaVR is achieving performance, price-point, and capability breakthroughs on the Topographic Engineering Centers Rapid Terrain Visualization (RTV) program. MetaVR recently demonstrated real-time performance on 10 meter post data. A sustained 15 Hertz frame rate was achieved with a 1500 meter clipping plane on a PentiumII 266 megahertz CPU PC. Real-time rendering of 1 meter data is anticipated in the early part of 1998 with the VRSG system under the RTV program. You can see some preliminary results at . *********************** 1.F -- VRSG at Air Force Fifty The VRSG was the only PC-based 3D DIS visualization application In the United States Air Force Armstrong Laboratory, Booth 181. MetaVR demonstrated an Alaskan terrain database provided by Hughes Training on VRSG 1.2 via the new Multigen OpenFlight ingest option in Quick Immersion. April 22-26, 1997, Air Force Association's Air Force Fifty, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada U.S.A *********************** 1.G -- VRSG Visualization of Dismounted Infantry The STI Integrated Unit Simulation System (IUSS) and MetaVR VRSG are capable of real-time visualization and simulation of human entities on a single platform . USS is a high-fidelity DIS compliant simulation of individual combatants. The simulation community uses the IUSS PC-based dismounted infantry tool to perform what-if scenarios such as experimenting with equipping soldiers with increased body armor. Both IUSS and VRSG use the ModSAF Compact Terrain Database (CTDB) format as a reference yielding absolute terrain correlation between the two applications. Negative training would result if simulation applications used ground-clamping to compensate for the disparities resulting from unsynchronized virtual world terrain characterizations. IUSS can be run on the same PC-platform (or over a network) that is used for visualization in real-time for the first time in the simulation industry. Both VRSG and IUSS use the "REUSE PORT" option from WinSock (just like the UNIX reuse port on SGI's and SUN's) so you are not required to purchase a packet daemon to run both applications on the same platform. STI produces IUSS for the Natick Research, Development and Engineering Center. Point of contact for applications is John A. O'Keefe jokeefe@dmso.mil. *********************** This electronic newsletter may be redistributed without restriction in any format as long as the contents are unaltered. Copyright 1997, MetaVR, Inc. Please let us know if you do not want to be on future mailings by sending electronic mail to nonews@metavr.com.