I was primarily interested in new high-performance graphics rendering hardware from SGI, HP, and SUN and various rendering software (particularly its future) that (potentially) can be used to run CAVE-like VR facilities.
SGI announced a number of enhancements to Onyx2 IR supercomputers including:
- system configurations of up to 128 processors and 16 graphics pipes;
- digital video multiplexer (DPLEX) option;
- new IR2 graphics subsystem.
For more info see SGI's Press Release.
HP Demonstrated a system consisting from 3 HP workstations, each equipped with one HP
VISUALIZE fx6 graphics subsystem, and rendering different views of the same scene (think
about it as left, front, and right walls in the CAVE). The workstations were connected by
a high-speed network allowing (in software) synchronization between renderings. Demo
application was written in OpenGL.
HP's benchmarks show that VISUALIZE fx6 over-scores SGI's IR in performance.
For more info on HP's graphics:
- http://www.hp.com/unixwork/products/visualizegraphics.html
- http://www.hp.com/unixwork/hpgraphic/
SUN demonstrated a system having 8 SUN's graphics accelerators and rendering scene
split into 6(?) screens. The demo application was written in Java3D(!). It was just a
technology demonstration, SUN does not yet sale such products.
For more info on SUN's graphics:
- http://www.sun.com/desktop/products/Graphics/elite3d.html
- http://www.sun.com/desktop/products/Graphics/creator3d.html
SGI heavy invests into Performer. The latest release of IRIS Performer is 2.2.2. SGI
has plans for r.2.2.3, which is due by the end of 1998. There are plans for r.2.2.3 and
r.2.3+ as well. Among other things r.2.2.3 will have double-precision Xform nodes and
DPLEX support. SGI's plans for r.2.3+ mainly include new hardware support. Performer will
NEVER run on NT. After Y2K Performer will go into support mode that means that there will
be no future developments of the software. FSG will be main SGI's scene graph technology
enabling real-time applications.
There is a number of products that are written on top of IRIS Performer and perform visual
simulations in CAVE-like systems: pfCAVE, AVOCADO, dVISE.
The latest release of OpenGL Optimizer is 1.1. There will be a new patch before the end
of '98. After FLM 1.0 will be released, there may be one more release of OpenGL Optimizer,
probably in March '99. OpenGL Optimizer 2.0 is FLM 1.0!
Prosolvia's Oxygen
is an example of a VR rendering application developed on top of OpenGL Optimizer that can
be run in a CAVE-like system.
Fahrenheit is a collaborative project between Silicon Graphics and Microsoft to create
a high-performance graphics architecture. It comprises the following three components:
- Fahrenheit Low Level API (FLL): more like OpenGL now;
- Fahrenheit Scene Graph API (FSG): similar to Performer and Open Inventor scene graph.
This is the most significant API;
- Fahrenheit Large Model Visualization API (FLM): Future OpenGL Optimizer.
Fahrenheit design review is underway, alphas of FLL & FSG are due by winter '98-99,
FSG 1.0 is due by summer '99.
Java 3D API is an application programming interface used for writing stand-alone three-dimensional graphics applications or Web-based 3D applets. Java 3D provides several basic classes that are used to construct and manipulate a scene graph, and to control viewing and rendering. Java 3D 1.1 Alpha 3 now is available.
WTK is a software development system for building high-performance, real-time,
integrated 3D applications. The latest release of WTK is R8. Runs on SGI, Sun, HP, DEC,
Intel. SGI MP version of WTK can be run in a CAVE-like system.
WorldUp is a 3D development environment with integrated modeler. The latest release is R4.
Runs on PC and SGI only. No plans to support CAVE-like systems.
World2World is a client/server based networking application which integrates with
WorldToolKit and WorldUp to enable creation of multi-user 3D/VR simulation applications.