SURVEY OF TERRAIN VISUALIZATION SOFTWARE 6 NOVEMBER 1997 U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center Topographic Applications Laboratory Terrain Visualization Division (703) 428-6838 INTRODUCTION: The Terrain Visualization Division (TVD) of the U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) conducts exploratory development to provide the Army and DoD with more effective methods of merging, visualizing and analyzing battlefield terrain and environmental data. Concurrent with this ongoing research, TVD strives to maintain cognizance of commercial products as well as industry's internal research and development activities, in order to identify technology gaps and emerging capabilities of interest to the Army. This report is intended to function as a survey of available terrain visualization hardware and software. HARDWARE: TVD's hardware references are held separately, and include resources such as the IMAGE Society's 1992 Image Generator Survey, 1994 Image Generator Survey Addendum, 1995 Image Generator Survey Addendum & Resource Guide and 1997 Image Generator Survey Addendum & Resource Guide, which were acquired at the IMAGE VI Conference, the IMAGE VII Conference, the 1995 Special Interest Group Symposium and the 1997 Special Interest Group Symposium, respectively; the image generator surveys that appear frequently in the Real Time Graphics newsletter; reviews of 3-D graphics accelerator boards, also found in Real Time Graphics (e.g., the April/May 1997 issue) and in other trade magazines; and literature collected directly from vendors. The IMAGE Society's surveys contain information on real-time image generators. They provide feature-by-feature descriptions of numerous systems in a common format, and include a discussion of performance topics and a glossary of terms. The surveys cover systems that are classified as real-time computer image generators - the devices used to generate the scenes for simulators. Twenty-one image generators from fifteen manufacturers are described in the 1992 survey - products from Bolt, Beranek and Newman; CAE-Link; Evans and Sutherland; FlightMatic; General Electric; Gemini Technology Corp.; IVEX Corporation; Krupp Atlas Elektronik GmbH; Link-Miles Ltd.; Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm GmbH; Mitsubishi Precision Co.; Sogitec Industries; Star Technologies; Tector, Ltd.; and XTAR Electronics. The 1994 addendum describes products from Ball Corporation, Evans and Sutherland, FlightSafety International, Gemini Technology, Ivex, Krupp Atlas Elektronik, Loral, Martin Marietta, Sogitec, Star Technologies, Tector, Tellurian and Thomson-CSF. The 1995 addendum describes products from Evans & Sutherland, FlightSafety International, Lockheed Maartin, Loral ADS, Silicon Graphics, Sogitec and STN Atlas Elektronik. These reports can be ordered from: IMAGE Society, Inc. 1308 E. Greentree Drive Tempe, AZ 85284-4503 602-839-8709 Image@acvax.inre.asu.edu The Real Time Graphics newsletter also periodically performs surveys of high performance image generators. The December 1996 issue includes information on CAE Electronics' Maxvue; Evans & Sutherland's Liberty, Harmony and ESIG-4500; FlightSafety International's Vital VIII; Fujitsu/HAL's AG-10 and AG-600/AG- 1600; IVEX Corporation's AeroReality and AeroVision; Lockheed Martin ISC's CompuScene SE/PLUS 1000 and SE/PLUS 2000; Lockheed Martin ADS' GT200; Primary Image's P10+; REAL 3D's PRO-1000; Silicon Graphics' Onyx2 Infinite Reality, Indigo Impact and O2; STN ATLAS Elektronik's DISI 5 C and DISI 5 M; Tellurian's EAGLE and SUPEREAGLE; and Thomson Training and Simulation's SPACE Classic and SPACE Magic. The December 1995 Real Time Graphics newsletter contains information on AAI Visual Systems' G1000/CMX and G2000/ETX; CAE Electronics' Maxvue; Division's Provision 10 VPX; Evans & Sutherland's Liberty and ESIG-4500; FlightSafety International's Vital VIII; Fujitsu Open Systems' ACG600/AG1600; Hitachi's Hivis; IVEX Corporation's VDS-2000; Lockheed Martin's CompuScene SE 1000/2000/PLUS, CompuScene VI, CompuScene PT 3000/4000 and REAL3D Pro-1000; Loral Advanced Distributed Simulation's GT200; Primary Image's P10; Silicon Graphics' Reality Engine II; Sogitec's Apogee; Tellurian's AT 200 and Eagle; Thomson Training and Simulation's SPACE Classic; and XTAR Electronics' SuperFalcon 6000 and SuperFalcon 7000. The December 1994 Real Time Graphics newsletter contains information on the Maxvue by CAE Electronics Ltd.; the ProVision 100VPX by Division, Inc.; the Liberty and the ESIG-4000 by Evans & Sutherland; the Vital VIII by FlightSafety International; the AG600 and AG1600 by Fujitsu Open Systems; the Hivis by Hitachi Ltd.; the VDS-2000 by IVEX; the GT200T by Loral; the CompuScene SE1000, SE2000, PT3000 and PT 4000 and CompuScene VI by Martin Marietta; the P10 by Primary Image; the Reality Engine II by Silicon Graphics, Inc.; the Apogee by Sogitec; the G1000/CMX and G2000/STX by Star Technologies, Inc.; the AT 200 and EAGLE by Tellurian; the SPACE by Thomson Training and Simulation; and the SuperFalcon 6000 by XTAR Electronics, Inc. The Real Time Graphics newsletter is available from: Computer Graphics Systems Development Corporation 2483 Old Middlefield Way, Suite 140 Mountain View, CA 94043-2330 415-903-4920 rtg@cgsd.com http://www.cgsd.com SOFTWARE: The objective of the software survey is to provide an overview of the numerous potential commercial solutions available for 3-D terrain visualization applications. The survey does not compare products or endorse any particular product, but simply provides product names, sources and summaries of capabilities. System requirements and prices are listed, if known. All sources of information are divulged. Asterisks (* * *) indicate areas where information is not currently available. Dates of reference material should be carefully noted. TEC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy of product summaries. Vendor literature (press releases, advertisements, etc.) is the predominate source of information for the survey, but other sources (e.g., trade journal reviews and live demonstrations) are also used. Although it is impossible for such an undertaking to remain both current and exhaustive, a reasonable effort is made to update this report regularly and to add new candidates as they are discovered. The current edition contains information on more than 270 different software products. Many types of products have emerged as candidates for inclusion in this document: real-time simulation software (e.g., EasyScene and Vega), geographic information systems with capabilities for 3-D rendering and analysis (e.g., ARC/INFO and IDRISI), multi- disciplinary scientific visualization tools (e.g., AVS and Visualization Data Explorer), modeling/animation packages (e.g., 3D Studio and Advanced Visualizer), terrain modeling tools (e.g., 3D Modeler and EasyT), etc. Generally, all of the products can be applied toward 3-D visualization of topographic data. Most of the products listed herein are stand-alone, commercial- off-the-shelf (COTS), software-only solutions. However, some of the products require companion software (such as AutoCAD or MicroStation), and a few require special hardware. These cases are duly noted. Selected government/DoD visual simulation projects/programs (e.g., TOPSCENE and DrawLand) have also been included. A few games (e.g., B2B, EF2000 and JetFighter III) that use real-world data have even been included. It should be noted that all of the products described herein require, as a minimum, digital elevation data for the area of interest. To provide comments or suggestions regarding this survey, or to obtain additional information about visualization research at TEC, please call Mr. Tom Jorgensen, at (703) 428-6838. PRODUCT NAME: 3D SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com/rockware PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: 3D lets users view regularly gridded DEM data as a continuous topographic surface with colored contours, shading, or overlaid physical, cultural or environmental data. The program lets users see the texture of the gridded surface and the variation of relief. The map area can be examined with different light sources, from varying directions and heights above the horizon. Maps can be rotated 360 degrees around a vertical axis and 90 degrees about a horizontal axis. Map projections can be exaggerated or zoomed. System requirements: 512K RAM, VGA, PostScript printer. Price: Version 1.5: $100. Source of information: RockWare Earth Science SoftWare, 1994. PRODUCT NAME: 3D Explorer USA SOURCE: Delorme ADDRESS: 2 Delorme Drive P.O. Box 298 Yarmouth, ME 04096 800-452-5931 info@delorme.com http://www.delorme.com PLATFORM: Windows 95 DESCRIPTION: 3D Explorer USA allows users to fly virtually through 3-D topography of the continental United States, using a keyboard, mouse or joystick. The software uses USGS DEM data. Users can zoom in and out, exaggerate terrain elevations and select the time of day. A 2-D window shows the user's current position, with labeled locations of interest. Trips can be saved for subsequent playback, and .AVI movies can be generated. 3-D Explorer USA can't be used to plan a trip or to determine the best route, but it can be used to play back courses that have been charted in Delorme's Street Atlas USA 4.0. System requirements: A 486+ PC (100 MHz recommended) with 16 MB of RAM, 5 MB of hard disk space, a 2XCD-ROM (4X recommended) and SVGA (2 MB of 16-bit color video RAM recommended). Direct3D- compatible accelerator cards are supported. The program will install MS DirectX if it is not present. Price: $19. Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 06-97). PRODUCT NAME: 3D Mapps SOURCE: ERSIS Australia ADDRESS: P.O. Box 3055 South Brisbane Queensland, 4101 Australia 07-3844-7744 support@ersis.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: 3D Mapps is a contouring and surface analysis tool that runs within MapInfo. The software provides support for contouring, 2-D shaded relief maps, 3-D surface displays, surface profiles and intervisibility analyses. Surface generation is based on the triangulated irregular network (TIN) model, but regular lattices can be created through TIN interpolation. Users can create color gradations between any two colors, add hill shading, and drape vectors over surfaces. Shading is based on user-specified sun positions. Users can draw a line from an observation point to a target in order to determine whether the target point is visible from the observation point. The height above the surface for either point can be adjusted. XYZ data can be imported from MapInfo tables, or from several other formats (e.g., ASCII, USGS DLG and AutoCAD DXF). System requirements: A PC running Windows 95 or Windows NT with 8 MB of RAM and MapInfo Professional 4 or later. Price: $995. Source of information: GIS World, December 1996. PRODUCT NAME: 3D Modeler SOURCE: Intergraph ADDRESS: Huntsville, AL 35894 205-730-8302 http://www.intergraph.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: 3D Modeler is intended to enable a user to generate 3-D models from elevation data and apply image-derived or synthetic textures. The product includes a Raster Translator for converting raster images to SGI's .rgb format, a Modeler for creating OpenFlight models from elevation data and textures, and a Navigator for virtual flight through the virtual world. 3D Modeler will be able to import .obj models; VMAP 1, VMAP 2, DNC and DFAD feature data; DTED 1 and DTED 2 elevation data; and CIB, CADRG, ADRG and ASRP image/map data. Users can build TINs, construct point and area features, integrate line features with TINs, smooth roads, etc. The product can stand alone, or customers can use Intergraph's GeoDEX as a 2-D front-end for 3D Modeler, and then use the latter's OpenFlight output to feed the fly-through program of their choice. 3D Modeler is scheduled for release by the end of May 1997. System requirements: * * * Price: About $5,000 (quoted 04-97). Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: 3D Studio SOURCE: Autodesk ADDRESS: 2320 Marinship Way Sausalito, CA 94965 800-879-4233 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: 3D Studio (3DS) is a 3-D design, rendering and animation program with a plug-in interface and a large community of independent application developers. Nearly 200 third-party plug-ins for are available. Most of 3DS' tools can be controlled from externals. Some important aspects of Release 4 (R4) are the IPAS plug- ins: Fast Preview, Camera Control/Match Perspective, Encapsulated PostScript Output, Inverse Kinematics (IK), and Keyscript. IK lets users manipulate complex groups of hierarchically linked objects. IK uses six degrees of freedom to define joint parameters for roll, pitch and yaw between selected elements in the hierarchy. Once an object chain has been created, realistic motion of the entire chain is accomplished by merely moving one member. The software computes each object's intermediate position over the specified number of frames. Keyscript is a custom programming language that lets users create a sequence of commands to specify aspects of animation, such as motion, rotation, scaling, hiding and morphing. Real-world simulations can be produced with minimal code. The Perspective Match plug-in allows users to load bitmaps as scene backgrounds. The new Perspective Match camera position is automatically created by positioning lines over similar features in the underlying photo. When in perspective matching mode, the scanned background is displayed at a lower resolution, allowing a wireframe representation of the model to move in real time against the scanned reference image. The Fast Preview Renderer enables reviewing still or animated scenes before their final rendering. It includes four user-controlled shading modes: wireframe, flat, Gouraud or Gouraud with Phong highlights. Camera adjustments can be made dynamically using the mouse or cursor, or by numerical entry for precision control of placement. Users can switch between multiple camera views. The Texture Preview feature lets textures be viewed before their assignment to objects for rendering. 3DS also comes with a collection of ready-to-use objects, textures and backgrounds. 3DS has been used along with QuickSurf and AutoCAD to generate real-world 3-D animated models of the topography. System requirements: R4 requires a 386+ with MS DOS 3.3+, 8 MB of RAM (16 recommended), 20 MB of disk space, an Intel math co- processor and SVGA. Plug-ins function inside of 3DS and require additional memory. Price: R4 costs $2,995. Source of information: NEWMEDIA, May 1995. AV Video, February 1995. Vendor literature (updated 01-95). Special note: TVD has a 3.5" demo diskette of 3D Studio Release 4. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: 3D Studio MAX SOURCE: Kinetix ADDRESS: San Rafael, CA 415-547-2000 http://www.kinetix.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: 3D Studio MAX, designed specifically for the Intel/NT platform, is a complete rewrite of Autodesk's original DOS-based 3D Studio. Kinetix optimized 3D Studio MAX for CPU acceleration instead of dedicated 3-D hardware. This means that the best choice for speeding up the program is to use a faster CPU or multiple processors. 3D Studio MAX R2 supports OpenGL and Direct3D. There are tools for compositing 3-D graphics with video sequences and digital optical effects. New capabilities include NURBS modeling for rendering and animation; a new scripting language; flexible real-time inverse kinematics; and a dynamics feature that enables animated objects and linkages to bounce, collide, spin, slide and fall according to physical forces. Particle effects include spawning on death and collision, trailing sparks, fluid bobble motion, blobby meta-particles and instanced objects. System requirements: Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51/4.0, 32 MB of RAM and 30 MB of disk space. Price: $3,495. Source of information: CADALYST, November 1997. Digital Magic, May 1997. New Media, 5 May 1997. Digital Magic, April 1997. PRODUCT NAME: 3D SURF SOURCE: Schreiber Instruments ADDRESS: 4800 Happy Canyon Road Suite 250 Denver, CO 80237-1074 303-759-1024 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Part of the IMAGINE product line for Autodesk's 3D Studio, 3-D SURF is a surface modeling program that creates 3-D surface meshes from random data (ASCII) or from its own built-in terrain generator. 3D SURF can construct smooth grid meshes, TINs and gridded meshes fitted onto TINs. 3D SURF also includes an AutoLISP routine for AutoCAD that extracts XYZ data into an ASCII input file of the required type. USGS topographic data of any area in the U.S. can also be used for input when purchased in XYZ ASCII format. System requirements: 3D Studio. Price: $149. Source of information: Vendor literature (September 1993). PRODUCT NAME: Advanced Visualizer SOURCE: Wavefront Technologies ADDRESS: 530 E. Montecito St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805-962-8117 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations DESCRIPTION: Advanced Visualizer provides interactive modeling, animation and rendering tools. The software helps users create scenes with representations of light, reflection and shadows; and animate any object, light, camera, texture or material. Various modules allow users to build, edit, import and display objects; create and simulate motion and manipulate objects; and to fine- tune effects such as lighting, materials and texture. Importers are available for DTED, DEM, Landsat and SPOT; and many raster formats such as TIFF, GIF and Sun Raster are supported. Stereo viewing is possible with polarized glasses. Advanced Visualizer has been used to make 3-D animations using images obtained from airplanes and spacecraft. Clients have included Air Force Space Command, Naval Air Warfare Center, FAA, etc. Analysts at the Naval Weapons Center's Visualization, Integration and Standards Laboratory have used Wavefront software to determine how potential weapons would work in combat and react under various battlefield scenarios. These scenarios have been visualized in 3-D with satellite images mapped onto elevation data. The Army Corps of Engineers uses Advanced Visualizer at the Visualization Laboratory of its Waterways Experimentation Station. The Goddard Space Flight Center has used Advanced Visualizer to make animations from LIDAR data of lunar topography. The National Air Intelligence Center uses Advanced Visualizer software to create animations of highly complex CAD models. System requirements: * * * Price: $27,073 (GSA) for Silicon Graphics. Version 3.1 of the lower-end Data Visualizer product ranges from $6,500 to $9,500. Source of information: Demonstration at NAIC, April 1997. MicroStation Manager, December 1995. Information Systems Newsletter, March 1995. USATEC Draft Report "Geospatial Data 3-D Visualization," March 1995. Special note: Two Advanced Visualizer videotapes and a Wavefront User Group Animation Gallery videotape are available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: AFMSS SOURCE: Lockheed Sanders ADDRESS: Mission Planning Systems/Information Systems Division 130 Webster Highway Merrimack, NH 03054 603-885-5020 PLATFORM: SUN and PC DESCRIPTION: The Air Force Mission Support System (AFMSS) automates flight planning computations, electronic combat asset planning, threat and terrain analysis, optimum route selection, weapons planning and down-loading of post-mission maintenance and operational data. AFMSS is designed to implement a user-oriented mission planning solution across different aircraft, weapon systems and electronic system equipment suites. It provides a platform for functions common to mission planners: MCG&I display and manipulation, threat analysis, perspective view, etc. AFMSS' components include the Data Preparation System (DPS) and the Mission Planning System (MPS). MPS software is government-owned and can stand alone. The MPS provides air crews with comprehensive mission planning capabilities, from receipt of tasking order to mission debriefing. This includes defining mission constraints, generating and editing flight paths, generating automated flight paths, defining and editing aircraft configurations, providing flight path conflict identification, supporting flight path presentation views, supporting mission profile views, generating detection/engagement fans, supporting platform and threat intervisibility, providing order of battle graphics overlays, supporting data transfer device loading and generating combat mission folder and strip maps. AFMSS can generate a 3-D optimal flight path that minimizes exposure to threats. Timeline plots and printouts can identify locations and types of threats, and detection and engagement zones can be mapped along the optimal route. AFMSS is required to support National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) products. Data sources for AFMSS include DTED, DFAD, ADRI, ADRG, DAFIF, WVS, PVOD, DCW and NITF imagery. Geographic, UTM, MGRS and GEOREF coordinates are supported. AFMSS has interfaces to intelligence and operations networks, and offers the capability to prepare and maintain data from external sources to support the mission planning process. AFMSS can copy mission data to Data Transfer Devices (DTDs) for upload onto aircraft systems. AFMSS was demonstrated at CECOM in June, 1995. An operator chose a route using the 2-D Map Inset, then played the flight in the Route Fly Through View window. NIMA data provided the map background. Users can toggle this background between different scales; the displayed route remains accurately located. The main map display can be centered according to the smaller-scale map inset. A route editor allows users to add waypoints easily, either manually or automatically. Flight is not interactive; the user defines a route, chooses a rendering option (simple, flat polygon or smooth polygon) and generates up to 100 frames for subsequent playback. Playback speed is selectable. Static perspective views can also be generated; e.g., the view from one waypoint to another. The Royal Saudi Air Force has contracted Sanders for 27 mission planning subsystems for F-15, RF-5 and Tornado aircraft. These will be two-seat configurations using AFMSS. System requirements: The AFMSS server has been hosted on a SUN SPARCstation 10 Model 51 with 112 MB of RAM, running Solaris 2.3. (The October 1996 issue of Military & Aerospace Electronics reports that Sanders is switching to HyperSPARCs with larger hard disk drives and 16-inch flat-panel displays.) Price: MPS software is government-owned. An MPS hardware/software configuration consisting of one single-CPU workstation costs about $100,000. Source of information: Military & Aerospace Electronics, October 1996. Defense & Security Electronics, December 1995. CECOM C2SID/BCBL Mission Planning/Rehearsal User Assessment, 31 October 1995. Vendor demonstration, June 1995. Vendor literature (obtained 09-94). PRODUCT NAME: Aladdin SOURCE: Coryphaeus Software ADDRESS: 985 University Avenue Suite 31 Los Gatos, CA 95030 408-395-4537 john@coryphaeus.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: Aladdin is a DIS stealth application based on EasyScene. The user can attach to the viewpoint of any DIS entity and view that entity from any orientation. Aladdin's features include entity tracking, logging, filtering, visibility controls (e.g., time of day and atmospheric effects), articulated parts, damage states, muzzle flashes, etc. System requirements: An SGI computer running IRIX 5.3 or 6.x. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 10-97). PRODUCT NAME: Aladdin 4D SOURCE: ADSPEC Programming ADDRESS: 467 Arch St. Salem, OH 44460 216-337-3325 PLATFORM: Amiga DESCRIPTION: Aladdin 4D is a 3-D modeling, rendering and animation system. The program can import bitmap images and convert them to 3-D objects. It can also import VideoScape GEO object files, DEM files from Scenery Animator, and drawings from Art Expression as EPS files. Aladdin 4D can also load JPEG files. The camera system can use one or more targets which control zoom and direction. Targets are controlled through a timeline. Animations can be previewed in wireframe at near real time. Several procedural textures are included for creating patterns that can be wrapped around objects. Bump maps, procedural textures and bitmap textures can be applied to the same surface and animated as well. Aladdin 4D includes features for creating gas effects, such as flames, stars, haze, clouds and fog. Gas effects can be animated to create the flame from an engine's tailpipe, for example. System requirements: Amiga with at least 3 MB RAM. Price: Aladdin 4D 3.0: $499. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 08-93). Computer Graphics World, February 1994. PRODUCT NAME: AMPS SOURCE: PEO, Army Aviation ADDRESS: PM, Avionics ATTN: SFAE-AV-AEC 4300 Goodfellow Blvd St. Louis, MO 63120 314-263-5510 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The PEO-Army Aviation is fielding a version of the Air Force Mission Support System (AFMSS) for tactical aviation units. AMPS will be fielded on a ruggedized 486 PC for Army Aviation companies; a SUN-based system is targeted for battalion and brigade level aviation troops. According to MAJ Esposito (APM, AMPS), AMPS does not currently have a fly-through capability in the "flicker-free" mode. He says this real-time capability will be achieved through incremental improvements. As APM, he relies on CECOM C2SID to be the technical experts. The PC-based AMPS was demonstrated for TEC employees on 26 October 1994. The system consists of two linked PCs, one running SCO UNIX and one running DOS. The SCO UNIX PC system has a CD- ROM drive and a 500 MB hard disk. The DOS PC is a 486 and contains two proprietary graphics accelerator cards and is used for 3-D perspective viewing. The cards are made by All Source Processing, Inc. (ASPI). The two-card set costs $35,000. The user finds his route on the 2-D AMPS display based on red (lethality) and yellow (detection) ranges associated with enemy weapons. Position data for the flight path are sent from AMPS running on the SCO UNIX PC to the DOS PC via an RS-232 link. The 15-Hz fly-through featured a terrain database which consisted of DTED Level 1 and "colorized" panchromatic SPOT imagery. All questions about the database were referred to ASPI, which developed the database. Supposedly, there is no limit on the size of the area of interest. Along with the simulated terrain, the DOS PC displayed aircraft direction, view direction, speed, and coordinates. The future for the PC system involves hosting all functions on the SCO UNIX PC, procuring for around $7,000 a single-card version of the ASPI product, and depicting unit icons and 3-D solid models in the rendered scenes. System requirements: A 486 PC running SCO UNIX, and a 486 PC running DOS with two proprietary graphics cards from ASPI. Price: * * * Source of information: Briefing and demonstration (10-94). PRODUCT NAME: apE SOURCE: TaraVisual ADDRESS: 929 Harrison Avenue Columbus, OH 43215 800-458-8731 PLATFORM: Cray, Convex, SUN, Silicon Graphics, HP, NeXT, DEC, IBM RS6000, Apple MAC II (A/UX) DESCRIPTION: apE is a general-purpose scientific visualization program that is designed to be portable and extendable. It is a flexible software toolkit for visualization, allowing users to convert information into imagery in many different ways. Data can be processed and viewed as plots, color images and 3D objects. apE features a dataflow environment with a high-level visual programming paradigm that allows the construction of complex flow topologies. apE provides interfaces to the graphical elements of the visualization process, allowing the scientist to manipulate these elements interactively and to develop strategies tuned to the specific data set. apE also provides tools for more traditional viewing and rendering of 3D volumes and surfaces. These tools permit interactive scene description including manipulation of objects in 3D space and manipulation of rendering parameters such as lighting, shading and materials. The format used to store nearly all of apE's data (pipelines, images, input data and object properties) is called flux. Flux accepts files in ASCII or binary form. ASCII files are more portable than binary files, but are generally read at a much slower rate. Flux data types include multi-dimensional arrays, images, colormaps, program pipelines and grids. Grids map values in multi-dimensional arrays to spatial coordinates. Rectangular, polar, spherical and cylindrical grids are supported. apE's terrain module converts a 2-D scalar field to a geometrical height field. System requirements: At least 12 MB RAM and 30 MB disk space. Price: Single user version: $1,495. Developer's version: $3,795. Supplemental network user license: $600. Source of information: apE Version 2.0 User's Manual. Pixel, November/December 1990. PRODUCT NAME: ARCGRAPH SOURCE: COSMIC ADDRESS: 382 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30602-4272 706-542-3265 service@cosmic.uga.edu http://www.cosmic.uga.edu PLATFORM: Cray X-MP (COS), Cray 2 (UNICOS), DEC VAX (BSD 4.3 UNIX), DEC VAX (Ultrix), SGI IRIS Turbo, Convex C1 (UNIX), Amhdahl 5840 (UTS), Alliant FX8 (UNIX), Sun 3/160 (UNIX), Stellar GS100 (Stellex), SGI IRIS 4D DESCRIPTION: ARCGRAPH, from NASA Ames Research Center, is a collection of libraries and utilities for generating, manipulating and visualizing graphical data. ARCGRAPH defines a metafile format that contains device-independent graphical data, to be used with other computer graphics manipulation and animation packages in use at Ames, including SURF and GAS. ARCGRAPH consists of a two-stage pipeline. Stage one is associated with graphical primitives along with creation and manipulation of metafiles. Five data filters are used to handle 2D vector primitives, 2D raster primitives, 2D polygonal primitives, 3D raster primitives and 3D polygonal primitives. Stage two is associated with the process of displaying graphical primitives on a device. To generate graphical primitives, create and reprocess ARCGRAPH metafiles, and access the device drivers in the Video Device Interface (VDI) library, users link their applications to ARCGRAPH's GRAFIX library routines. There are both FORTRAN and C versions of the GRAFIX and VDI libraries. System requirements: DEC VAX, unless minor documented modifications have been made to enable the system to run on the various platforms listed above. Price: $2,000.00 for the program, $55 for the documentation. Source of information: COSMIC 1992. PRODUCT NAME: ARC/INFO SOURCE: Environmental Systems Research Institute ADDRESS: 380 New York Street Redlands, CA 92373 714-793-2853 info@esri.com http://www.esri.com PLATFORM: Workstations by Data General, DEC, HP, Sun, IBM, Intergraph and SGI; DEC VAX; IBM mainframes; PCs DESCRIPTION: ARC/INFO is a geographic information system (GIS) with sophisticated geographic modeling tools and the ability to report and display results. Vector spatial analysis tools include topological map overlay, map manipulation, buffer generation and proximity analysis, polygon dissolve and eliminate, spatial and logical query, sophisticated tabular analysis, address geocoding, 3-D surface modeling, network analysis, and more. ARC/INFO can integrate raster data, vector data, tabular database management system data, survey descriptions and TIN surfaces. These data types can be accessed through a common user interface. The GUI for ARC/INFO is called ArcTools, a collection of macros that simplify commonly used functions. ARC/INFO can convert data between more than 40 different formats. Supported image formats include ERDAS, GRID, RLC, BIL, TIFF, Sun Raster, BIP, etc. ARC/INFO provides two-way transfer with any CAD system that supports an intermediate file format, such as DXF or IGES. ARC/INFO can access ORACLE, INGRES, INFORMIX, SYBASE, DB2, SQL400, Rdb, SQL/DS and other relational database management systems. IMAGE INTEGRATOR is a raster display tool. CONVERTIMAGE can be used to convert images from one format to another. Image data can be moved between ARC/GRID and IMAGE INTEGRATOR. Composite plots containing both raster and vector elements can be generated. RECTIFY transforms image data to map coordinates. Image size is limited only by the amount of available system memory/disk space. TIN size is limited only by disk space. Analytical and surface display capabilities for TINs are provided. Lattices of up to 1536 mesh points per side are accommodated. Conversion of SPOT DTMs is supported. Raster images can be draped over TINs for realistic representation of 3-D surfaces. Data entry and editing tools provide for tablet and heads-up digitizing, scanning, key entry, photogrammetry, COGO total station data recorders, GPS coordinates, tabular data access through screen forms and data loaders, and data conversion. The ARC/AVS5 Interface enables ARC/INFO users to import their data into AVS5, in order to take advantage of AVS' 2-D and 3-D visualization and animation capabilities. AVS provides the ARC/INFO user texture-mapped image display, gridded data structures, TIN display with texture, 2-D image processing and analysis, animation capabilities, 3-D surface display with perspective and lighting, customizable user interface capabilities, visual programming for rapid prototyping of project-specific applications, re-usable modules, etc. Typical applications for using AVS and ARC/INFO together include seismic analysis, 3-D terrain modeling and fly-throughs, atmospheric modeling, sub-surface modeling, hazardous waste studies and oceanographic modeling. Version 7.1.1 includes improvements in the ability to handle DXF, IGDS and TIGER 95 data conversion, and includes support for BMP, JPEG, CADRG, NITF and CIB. Version 7.1.1 also reads and writes georeferencing information in TIFF according to the GeoTIFF standard. Version 7.1.1 also includes new extensions for building custom user interfaces. A new ARC TIN command generates 3-D perspective scenes 100 times faster than previously. Additional tools allow users to create atmospheric effects such as sky, haze and fog. A new ArcTool animation interface makes it easier to create simulated fly-throughs. Version 7.1.1 also includes a TIN-to-VRML conversion tool, MPEG encoding and movie viewers. ARC/INFO is used in the SIMNET database construction process to import, transform and generalize various types of cartographic data. USGS Bulletin 2103 describes a project in which ARC/INFO, Khoros and Surveyor software were used to merge terrain data sets and to produce simulated fly-throughs. ARC/INFO is part of the U.S. Military Academy's Geographic Sciences Lab. System requirements: 16 MB RAM, 32-bit processor architecture, 900 MB disk space. Price: Prices start at $7,000. Source of information: EOM, April 1997. Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PE&RS, January 1996. USGS Bulletin 2103 (1994). PRODUCT NAME: ArcView SOURCE: Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) ADDRESS: 380 New York Street Research Institute Redlands, CA 92373 714-793-2853 info@esri.com http://www.esri.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT and selected UNIX platforms DESCRIPTION: This summary focuses on the optional 3D Analyst extension to ArcView GIS. ArcView 3D Analyst provides tools for the creation, display and analysis of 3-D data within ArcView. It supports the creation and use of triangulated irregular networks (TINs). TINs can be created from existing ArcView feature themes, and the results can be edited. Grid data can be analyzed, and 3-D shapes can be created by interpolating Z coordinates from surface data. 3D Analyst adds a 3D World document to ArcView, allowing interactive perspective viewing and 3D manipulation of the display. Users can rotate scenes and fly through them, and they can point at and identify features. 3D Analyst includes tools for: - creation of TIN and grid-based surface models - creation of 3-D shapes - drawing 2-D geospatial data in 3-D - draping images over surfaces - interactive query of 3-D features - simple editing of TINs - planimetric display of surfaces, shapefiles and images - spot height interpolation and profiling - contouring - slope and aspect calculation - line-of-sight intervisibility and viewshed analysis - surface area and volumetric calculations - steepest path determination - export of perspective scenes to VRML - grid operators (resample and merge) - cut/fill and Thiessen functions - low-level access to the TIN model Users can add features to TINs, and can modify their elevation values. Support for simple 3-D vector geometry is supported through new shape types (3-D points, 3-D lines and 3-D polygons). System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 05-97). PRODUCT NAME: AutoCAD ADDRESS: 2320 Marinship Way Sausalito, CA 94965 800-879-4233 http://www.autodesk.com SOURCE: Autodesk PLATFORM: Workstations and PCs DESCRIPTION: AutoCAD is a widely used graphics engine for mapping, GIS, civil engineering and surveying applications. AutoCAD supports DXF, IGES, PostScript and other standard formats. Release 13 (R13) for Silicon Graphics includes a GL driver for rendering and real-time pan and zoom, as well as a translator to the Inventor program. System requirements: R13 for PCs: A Pentium 60 or faster PC; MS DOS 5.0 or higher; Windows 3.1, Windows for Workgroups or Windows NT; 32 MB RAM; and 80 MB free hard disk space. R13 for SGI: IRIX 5.3, 32 MB RAM (48 recommended), 60 MB disk space (100 recommended), 64 MB swap space, a CD-ROM drive and a mouse. Price: R13 CD-ROM: $2,062.50 (GSA). Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 09-95). Silicon Graphics World, August 1995. Special note: AutoCAD Release 13 demos are available both on 3.5" diskette and on CD-ROM. A Release 12 DOS/VGA 3.5" demo diskette, a demonstration version of AccuRender software for ray- tracing and animation within AutoCAD R12 or R13 (DOS or Windows) and an AutoCAD instructional videotape are available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: AutoCIVIL MaxPack SOURCE: Research Engineers ADDRESS: 22700 Savi Ranch Yorba Linda, CA 92887-4608 714-974-2500 info@reiusa.com http://www.reiusa.com PLATFORM: Windows 3.1/95/NT DESCRIPTION: The AutoCIVIL MaxPack is designed to be a comprehensive civil engineering package. It includes Survey, Contour, DTM, Roads, Sewer, Storm and HEC2 modules. AutoContour is a 2-D/3-D contour mapping program that provides feature lines, breaklines, contour annotation and slope analysis. AutoDTM computes earthwork quantities for a given site, including subareas. DTM also displays profiles and cross-sections of existing ground and creates a 3-D residual cut-and-fill map. AutoRoads provides cross sections, plan, profile, mass haul and staking diagrams, and a 2-D/3-D view of the roadway. System requirements: Windows 3.1/95/NT and AutoCAD R12 or R13. Price: $995 (through 25 March 1997). Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: AVS SOURCE: Advanced Visual Systems ADDRESS: 300 Fifth Avenue Waltham, MA 02154 617-890-4300 info@avs.com http://www.avs.com PLATFORM: Cray, DEC Alpha OSF, HP-UX, IBM AIX, SGI, SUN Solaris and SunOS DESCRIPTION: The Application Visualization System (AVS) helps users to develop graphics-based applications and to perform data visualization and analysis. AVS has more than 250 modules for filtering, mapping and rendering. Users can add their own modules, which can be existing FORTRAN or C programs that have been modified to provide a common calling interface. Once configured, these modules can be used in an executable-flow network built at run time through the use of a graphical user interface. AVS is designed to function in a distributed environment; modules can be located on different workstations, but can be accessed from a single console. The geometry viewer provides control over wireframes, object shading, light sources, surface properties, texture mapping and anti-aliasing. The image viewer supports features such as pan, zoom, cropping and sampling. AVS Animator allows users to turn visualization data into movies to facilitate the understanding of visual data. This option includes simple tools that provide the ability to create, play back and edit animations. AVS5 includes SunVision modules for image analysis, arithmetic, filtering, geometric operations, and transformations; full Image Viewer upstream data support for arbitrary region of interest, image annotation, mensuration and image probe; 16-bit data type support in AVS fields; SunVision volume rendering modules with texture-mapped slices, maximum value ray casting and other volume rendering capabilities; Delaunay triangulation for scatter data; etc. AVS5 incorporates most of SunVision's image processing and volume rendering functionality as AVS modules. AVS/Graph adds expanded graphing capabilities, including support for a variety of plot types, complete control of axes and annotation within plots and full-resolution PostScript and CGM output. A link between AVS and Mathematica software is available via Wolfram Research's MathLink. The Mathematica/AVS interface provides bi-directional communication. Users can send 3-D graphics primitives or a multi-dimensional data set such as a 3-D vector field from Mathematica into AVS. Conversely, users can take AVS fields into Mathematica and produce contour plots for presentation, perform statistical analyses, etc. Mathematica/AVS modules are available at no charge from MathSource, Wolfram Research's electronic repository. The ARC/AVS5 Interface enables ARC/INFO users to import their data into AVS5 in order to take advantage of AVS' visualization and animation capabilities. AVS provides the ARC/INFO user texture-mapped image display, gridded data structures, TIN display with texture, 2-D image processing and analysis, animation capabilities, 3-D surface display with perspective and lighting, customizable user interface capabilities, visual programming for rapid prototyping of project-specific applications, re-usable modules, etc. Typical applications include seismic analysis, 3-D terrain modeling and fly-throughs, atmospheric modeling, sub-surface modeling, hazardous waste studies and oceanographic modeling. The International AVS Center is a repository and development center for AVS modules. The center serves as a catalyst for expanding the user base and increasing product functionality by fostering discipline-specific module development. The center collects, ports and distributes user-contributed public domain modules, and acts as a liaison between users and vendors. As of December 1995, AVS has an installed base of 6,000. The Naval Research Laboratory's scientific visualization lab has used AVS for time-dependent simulations. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has used AVS for 3-D, time-dependent modeling. USGS has also used AVS to help the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to assess the implications of a new sewage-treatment plant in Boston harbor. TASC has used AVS to create fly-through visualizations, including one of Sarajevo done for ABC News. Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has used AVS to create animations from LIDAR data of the moon's topography. System requirements: 16-32 MB RAM and 60-80 MB disk space. Price: AVS 5.02 starts at $6,500. The Developer's AVS Starter Pack costs $25,000. AVS Animator costs $1,800. Source of information: SunExpert, December 1995. Vendor literature (updated 04-95). Special note: TVD has an AVS overview on CD-ROM. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: AVS/Express SOURCE: Advanced Visual Systems ADDRESS: 300 Fifth Avenue Waltham, MA 02154 617-890-4300 info@avs.com http://www.avs.com PLATFORM: DEC Alpha OSF, HP-UX, IBM AIX, SGI, Sun Solaris, SunOS, Windows 95 and Windows NT DESCRIPTION: AVS/Express is a component-based software environment for visualizing complex data and for building applications with interactive visualization and graphics functions. It provides kits that contain reusable components for data visualization, image processing, graphics display, web interaction, database connectivity and user interface construction. The software uses an object-oriented visual programming environment called the Network Editor, that shows the functional relationships among an application's components. Developers can create new objects or encapsulate legacy code and integrate then within the Editor. The Object Manager manages an application by defining data, functions, and data access as well as by scheduling and executing functions. It provides the run- time environment for an application and insulates it from platform differences. A user interface kit provides GUI-building capabilities and allows developers to build application interfaces in Motif and Windows environments that are portable across UNIX workstations and Windows-based PCs. The package also includes data, image and graphics kits containing suites of objects based on AVS software. Users can render, display and manipulate images and 2-D and 3-D geometries and volumes. AVS Express supports Net CDF, RDBMS, misc.image and HDF formats. Version 3.1 includes Web-enabling features and enhancements to the AVS/Express Developer Edition and the AVS/Express Visualization Edition. System requirements: 32 MB RAM and 95 MB disk space. Price: $25,000. Source of information: Scientific Computing & Automation, May 1997. SunExpert, December 1995. NASA Tech Briefs, November 1995. PRODUCT NAME: B2B SOURCE: Military Simulations ADDRESS: Vancouver, WA 98684 360-254-2000 http://www.military-sim.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: BACK TO BAGHDAD (B2B) simulates the flight of an F- 16 Fighting Falcon. The software's flight model matches realistic performance envelopes under a variety of weight and drag configurations, and includes subtleties such as deep stalls and decreased roll rate when pulling Gs. The model incorporates a high degree of pitch control, giving the user much leeway in trading airspeed for turn rate. B2B offers a detailed simulation of the F-16's avionics systems. There are ten HUD modes and nine air-to-air and air-to- ground radar modes, along with four other multifunction display layouts. The simulation features texture-mapped terrain and cities at multiple resolutions for a large region around the city of Baghdad. Aside from three instant action and thirteen training scenarios, there are 31 canned missions based on a coalition action to prevent Iraq from committing thermonuclear terrorism. Missions are totally independent, and can be played either sequentially or in arbitrary order. B2B is thoroughly reviewed in the October 1996 issue of Computer Gaming World. System requirements: 90 MHz Pentium, 16 MB RAM, local bus SVGA video, 2x CD-ROM drive, 75 MB hard disk space, SoundBlaster 16 or compatible, MS-DOS 6.2 or Windows 95. Price: $99.95. Source of information: Computer Gaming World, October 1996. PRODUCT NAME: BPV (also see VGIS) SOURCE: CECOM RDEC ADDRESS: C2SID AMSEL-RD-C2-ES-AI Fort Monmouth, NJ 07703 908-427-6403 gormanh@doim6.monmouth.army.mil PLATFORM: OpenGL DESCRIPTION: The Battle Planning and Visualization (BPV) system is a collaborative effort between the Communications and Electronics Command (CECOM) and the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). BPV is based on ARL's Virtual Geographic Information System (VGIS). BPV can render terrain at variable resolutions as a wireframe, as shaded polygons, or as textured polygons. Objects such as trees, buildings and water can be placed on the terrain. BPV can display friendly and enemy forces, define friendly and enemy forces, place forces on the terrain and create mission plans in both 2-D and 3-D. Force structures are automatically aggregated or deaggregated as the viewing distance changes. Threat domes are displayed as wireframes or as solid models. BPV allows interactive, 3-D fly-throughs. Missions can be rehearsed automatically or manually. Animation features include forward, reverse, fast forward, fast reverse, reset, start and stop. The viewpoint can be attached to a vehicle. Targets can be defined, and formations can be associated with activities (such as attack, move, wait, defend, etc.). Weather and time of day features are included. A 2-D overview supports imagery or NIMA ADRG and is zoomable, resizeable and scrollable. BPV interfaces with the Maneuver Control System/Phoenix (MCS/P) and the Aviation Mission Planning System (AMPS). It can upload plans to MODSAF. In June 1995, BPV was demonstrated using an SGI Onyx Reality Engine networked with a lower-end SGI system. The concept was that operational orders had been given, and then aviation and armor plans were coordinated and rehearsed. The simulated mission was to secure an airfield. A custom database with 8- meter elevation postings was used. Mission planning information was uploaded from AMPS. Tanks moved according to plan, and the action was controlled interactively. Mission time was displayed continuously. A 2-D, zoomable image overview showed the user's route, representing vehicles with dots and troop locations with unit symbols. New AMPS AH64D mission waypoints were input, and the flight path that had appeared on the 2-D overview was redrawn to reflect the change. BPV is currently being tested in a series of exercises. System requirements: BPV is written in OpenGL and runs on SGI Onyx, Maximum Impact and High Impact workstations. It runs with reduced performance on non-SGI OpenGL platforms. Price: BPV software is government owned. Source of information: CECOM literature. Demonstration at CECOM, June 1995. PRODUCT NAME: CARESS SOURCE: Analytical Services ADDRESS: 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway Suite 800 Arlington, VA 22202-3251 703-416-3328 jacksond@anser.org http://www.anser.org.ciac PLATFORM: SUN, PC DESCRIPTION: CHRISTI (coverage height reckoning integrating scabrous terrain information) calculates the upper and lower bounds of a radar's line-of-sight (LOS) coverage. It also blends target detection range as a function of cross section, altitude and the probability of detection into a graphical representation of overall radar performance. LOS radar coverage is determined using Level 1 DTED. CHRISTI also uses NIMA World Vector Shoreline data. CARESS (CHRISTI assisted radar evading software simulation) uses CHRISTI to create 3-D displays for enabling mission planners to identify radar strengths and vulnerabilities. For example, a hypothetical radar site can be chosen, and the sensor's coverage can be displayed in 3-D and draped over the terrain. System requirements: CHRISTI requires 16 MB of RAM and a CD-ROM. Price: * * * Source of information: SIGNAL, June 1994. PRODUCT NAME: CDK SOURCE: Autodesk ADDRESS: 2320 Marinship Way Sausalito, CA 94965 415-332-2344 http://www.autodesk.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The Cyberspace Developer Kit (CDK) is a tool set for visualization and simulation, containing a set of 170 object- oriented C++ classes and more than 1,400 functions. VR peripherals are supported. Users can develop real-time interactive simulations with CDK. Physical properties such as mass and density can be assigned to 3-D objects, and reactions to physical phenomena such as gravity and friction can be simulated. CDK provides event- handling, scheduling and collision detection support to facilitate real-time interactions. CDK's classes facilitate the import of geometry and 3-D models from other programs such as AutoCAD and 3D Studio. In addition to importing textures and animation data from 3D Studio, CDK Release 2 can utilize static and animated camera and light information as well, enabling immersive, real-time interaction with 3D Studios and models of all kinds. 3-D models can also be created with CDK's built-in modeling package. DXF files can also be exported. Texture maps can be applied to any and all geometry in a scene. Supported formats include TIFF, GIF and TGA. Release 2 also offers support for Windows NT/32s, support for sound cards, new I/O devises, etc. Release 2 ships with a pre-compiled CDK Platform Viewer, which facilitates the launching of CDK-based applications from within Windows, as well as real- time viewing of 3D Studio and AutoCAD models and scenes. CDK Release 2 can read DXF=81 files, so physical effects, collision detection and programmable behavior can be applied. System requirements: 486+ running DOS 3.3+, Windows 3.1+, Win32s library, Visual C++ 32-bit compiler, 12 MB RAM, 80 MB hard disk, and SVGA. According to the July 1995 issue of Real Time Graphics, Release 2 requires Windows NT 3.5, Visual C++ 2.0 and 32 MB RAM. Price: CDK Release 2: $1,995. CDK Release 1: $995. Source of information: Real Time Graphics, July 1995. VR World, May/June 1995. Vendor literature (received 02-95). Real Time Graphics, February 1995. Real Time Graphics, September 1994. PRODUCT NAME: CEAL SOURCE: CLM/Systems ADDRESS: 5601 Mariner Drive Tampa, FL 33609 813-286-8755 clm@clmsystems.com http://www.clmsystems.com PLATFORM: 386+ PCs; UNIX workstations by IBM, DEC, HP, Sun and Intergraph; DEC VAX/VMS and IBM Enterprise/MVS DESCRIPTION: The Civil Engineering Automation Library (CEAL) is an integrated system of applications software for surveying, mapping, GIS, design, construction and infrastructure management. It can be customized by the user, and interfaces are available to transfer data to and from survey data recorders, CAD or GIS programs, and other systems and devices. For example, CEAL communicates with AutoCAD, MicroStation, ARC/INFO, GeoVision, etc. CEAL includes CLM COGO/TOPO/ROADS/GRAFX/UTIL and CARTA/C DTM. The DTM module can be used for surface modeling. Cross- sections and contour models can be constructed. Digital map models can be created from field survey and photogrammetric data, and can be edited interactively. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: A/E/C/ Systems Solutions, November- December 1996. PRODUCT NAME: ChapWare SOURCE: Century Computing ADDRESS: 8101 Sandy Spring Road Laurel, MD 20707 800-445-2487 hsinger@cen.com http://www.cen.com PLATFORM: Sun, SGI, DEC, HP, NT DESCRIPTION: ChapWare is a line of Pixar-based image processing software. OpenELT is a 2-D image exploitation product that runs under Windows NT. It allows users to operate interactively on very large images. Functions include warp, sharpen, enhance, roam, rotate, and zoom. ChapIP is a 2-D image processing package with support for warping, edge enhancement, histogram equalization, filtering, FFTs, and other functions. ChapVolumes performs volumetric reconstruction by importing 2-D slice data and rendering 3-D volumetric images. ChapTerrains allows the user to input image data along with co-registered elevation data (such as DTED or DEM data) to produce realistic perspective views. The package also enables these views to be made into a film loop for production of simulated fly-throughs. ChapTerrains was developed for use with a Pixar computer, and currently runs on a SUN host only. ChapReyes is a 3-D surface rendering package for producing photo-realistic images from CAD inputs. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 10-96). PRODUCT NAME: Clarus Interactive VR SOURCE: Prosolvia Clarus AB ADDRESS: http://www.clarus.se PLATFORM: SGI DESCRIPTION: Clarus Interactive VR is the result of the merging of two products: Paradigm Simulation's Vega VR and Clarus Interactive. Clarus Interactive VR provides an environment for building 3-D visual simulations, virtual reality and other real- time visualization applications. Non-programmers can develop interactive simulations by defining behavior and object interaction. The product is an add-on module for Paradigm Simulation's Vega. New features, such as network capabilities and support for MultiGen's RoadTool have been added. Users can create fully interactive, immersive environments using gloves, HMDs and tracker systems. System requirements: * * * Price: $7,950. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, December 1996. PRODUCT NAME: CloudGen SOURCE: Visidyne ADDRESS: 5951 Encina Road Santa Barbara, CA 93117 805-683-4277 clouds@visidyne.com http://www.visidyne.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The CloudScape family of software consists of three main products: CloudGen, CloudRad and CloudScape VR. Generally, CloudGen is used to create databases describing the 3-D distribution of particulate mass density. CloudRad then converts the 3-D mass density distributions into radiometric databases that describe the cloud surfaces and their radiative properties. Next, CloudScape VR processes the radiometric databases to prepare cloud objects that are rendered within a Vega environment. CloudGen/Weather lets users make customized 3-D databases describing realistic clouds, and generate multiple realizations of clouds by varying the initial random number seed. CloudGen/Weather has its own model of weather clouds, but it can also reformat 3-D databases produced by the Phillips Laboratory's Cloud Scene Simulation Model (CSSM) code. CSSM input to CloudGen/Weather will result in a particulate database, which is input to CloudRad. CloudRad will output a radiometric database for visualization with CloudScape VR, which runs on top of Vega. CloudGen/Munitions is for clouds caused by bombs, tank and artillery shells, etc. It has its own generic model of munitions dust clouds, but can also use the results of the Army Research Laboratory's Combined Obscurants Model for Battlefield-Induced Contaminants (COMBIC) code. Users can prepare customized 3-D databases describing realistic dust clouds from surface or buried detonations. Multiple realizations can be generated by varying the initial random number seed. The vertical wind profile in the vicinity of the burst can be specified. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: CloudRad SOURCE: Visidyne ADDRESS: 5951 Encina Road Santa Barbara, CA 93117 805-683-4277 clouds@visidyne.com http://www.visidyne.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The CloudScape family of software consists of three main products: CloudGen, CloudRad and CloudScape VR. Generally, CloudGen is used to create databases describing the 3-D distribution of particulate mass density. CloudRad then converts the 3-D mass density distributions into radiometric databases that describe the cloud surfaces and their radiative properties. Next, CloudScape VR processes the radiometric databases to prepare cloud objects that are rendered within a Vega environment. CloudRad performs the radiative transfer modeling to convert particulate databases into radiometric databases. The effects of atmospheric absorption and path emissions are included by using MAT databases prepared with Phillips Lab's MOSART code. Cloud/Rad creates a database of radiometric cloud properties from the CloudGen database. It lets users prepare 3-D, radiometric descriptions of clouds for use with CloudScape VR. Users can select one or more spectral bands for sensor simulations, and specify times of day for solar illumination and shadowing. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: CloudScape VR SOURCE: Visidyne ADDRESS: 5951 Encina Road Santa Barbara, CA 93117 805-683-4277 clouds@visidyne.com http://www.visidyne.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: CloudScape VR is the result of a Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract that called for the development of a product for the display of high-fidelity, fixed- view images from the Phillips Laboratory's Cloud Scene Simulation Model (CSSM) code. The CloudScape family of software consists of three main products: CloudGen, CloudRad and CloudScape VR. Generally, CloudGen is used to create databases describing the 3-D distribution of particulate mass density. CloudRad then converts the 3-D mass density distributions into radiometric databases that describe the cloud surfaces and their radiative properties. Next, CloudScape VR processes the radiometric databases to prepare cloud objects that are rendered within a Vega environment. CloudScape VR will be a new Vega module for the radiometric visualization of diffuse, translucent atmospheric phenomena. It is compatible with and complements SensorVision. CloudScape visualizes diffuse, volumetric objects, while SensorVision visualizes solid objects such as terrain and cultural features. Both provide radiometric images in real time. CloudScape VR adds functionality to Vega by facilitating the addition of weather clouds, battlefield effects and atmospheric obscurants to simulations. The steps in developing a CloudScape visualization begin with the user's selection of a cloud to model. A 3-D particulate mass density database is prepared with one of the CloudGen modeling tools. Next, the user specifies one or more wavelength bands for preparing a radiometric database. CloudRad converts 3- D particulate databases into facetized, radiometric databases. These databases are used directly by CloudScape VR to add 3-D clouds to Vega or SensorVision scenes. CloudScape VR uses the radiometric database to display the viewable cloud facets, with the appropriate radiances and transmissions at each facet vertex. Gray scales consistent with Vega or SensorVision are applied so that the clouds can be included in the scene rendered by the SGI hardware. CloudScape's 3-D, faceted cloud descriptions are appropriate for any viewing geometry and solar or lunar illumination. The physics-based visualization is accurate for any wavelength, from ultraviolet through visible to the infrared. Both radiance and transmittance effects are treated. Cloud effects include both background clutter and obscuration. The radiance calculation includes both scattered and thermal radiation. CloudGen and CloudRad are delivered as executable code. Cloudscape VR is supplied as API libraries based on OpenGL, optimized for SGI's RE2 and iR systems. A demo application and sample CloudRad databases are included in the package, along with a Vega LynX panel. CloudScape VR is currently in beta testing. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: CLRview SOURCE: University of Toronto ADDRESS: Centre for Landscape Research 230 College Street Toronto, ON M5S 1A1 Canada 416-978-3551 land@clr.utoronto.ca http://www.clr.toronto.edu:1080/CLRVIEW/cvmain.html PLATFORM: SGI DESCRIPTION: CLRview is a public-domain software package from the Center for Landscape Research (CLR) at the University of Toronto. It is designed to provide a core set of tools to aid in the visualization of information from CAD and GIS sources. CLRview contains the essential visualization tools of the PolyTRIM program. CLRview allows 4-D visualization of environmental and spatial analysis. The user can generate 3-D models from terrain attributes and other forms of geometric data, and then freely explore the data in real time. CLRview supports the integration of common data types, including DXF, TIN, DEM, lattices and ARC/INFO coverages. CLRview also supports MAP II, MacGIS and MapInfo MIF/MID file formats. System requirements: An SGI machine with hardware Z-buffering. Price: CLRview is available via anonymous ftp on the Internet at ftp.clr.toronto.edu in the pub/sgi/clrview directory. Source of information: CLR literature (updated 10-97). GIS World, July 1995. PRODUCT NAME: CMTK SOURCE: Rome Laboratory ADDRESS: RL/IRRP 32 Hangar Road Griffis AFB, NY 13441 315-330-2217 http://www.rl.af.mil:8001 PLATFORM: DEC (ULTRIX 4.4), HP (HPUX 10.01), SGI (IRIX 5.3) and SUN (SunOS 4.1.3 and Solaris 2.5) DESCRIPTION: The Common Mapping Toolkit (CMTK) is the primary component of the Common Mapping Program (CMP). CMTK is a software library of functions to exploit Common Mapping Standard (CMS) data. It has over 850 subroutines to support the analysis and visualization of geospatial information. CMTK's geospatial algorithms include coordinate and datum conversions, and magnetic heading and distance calculations. CMTK also includes features for perspective view generation, sensor output simulation, radar target detection, intervisibility profiles, terrain masking, mobility analysis, minimum/maximum elevation calculations, 2-D terrain visualization, etc. System requirements: * * * Price: CMTK software is the property of the U.S. Government. Use of the software is restricted only to those who have proper permission from the U.S. Government. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: Comanche Maximum Overkill SOURCE: NovaLogic ADDRESS: 19510 Ventura Blvd. Suite 200 Tarzana, CA 91356 818-774-0600 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Comanche Maximum Overkill is a game based on the Army's Comanche helicopter, previously referred to as the LHX. Game scenarios pit users against various ground targets, enemy tanks and helicopters. The program is based on NovaLogic's graphics software system Voxel Space, which supposedly can perform up to a million 3-D transformations per second on a desktop computer. It is also claimed to be able to generate up to 48,000 3-D surface variations per frame, using real terrain data. The program is written in assembly language for maximum efficiency. Tested on a 30 MHz 386DX, update rates of 2 to 4 Hz were obtained with the program set to high resolution. Update rates of 10 Hz or better should be achievable on a 66 MHz 486 machine. A third or more of the screen is covered with static imagery, and there is no antialiasing of the moving imagery. NovaLogic plans to release additional scenario and terrain disks. Comanche CD has been reviewed in the January 1995 issue of Armed Forces Journal International. System requirements: 386+ PC with 4 MB RAM, 12 MB of disk space, and a 256-color VGA card. Soundblaster-compatible audio is supported. Price: About $60. Source of information: Armed Forces Journal International, January 1995. PRODUCT NAME: CPS-3 SOURCE: Radian ADDRESS: 8501 N. Mopac Blvd. P.O. Box 201088 Austin, TX 78720-1088 512-454-4797 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations, VAX/VMS systems, select mainframes, and PCs DESCRIPTION: CPS-3 is a computer mapping system designed to model 3-D data for geological, environmental, and GIS applications. The software features gridding and contouring options, as well as 2-D and 3-D graphic displays. Up to 1000 by 1000 grid nodes can be used for 3-D isometric and floating contour displays. Surface calculations such as grid interpolation, numerical differentiation, surface smoothing, and surface-to-surface operations are available. There are virtually no size limitations on data, models or maps. CPS-3 offers batch or interactive execution, or both simultaneously. The GUI is configurable. Additional modules offer geological faulting, data management, volume calculations, interactive grid editing, map editing, and transfer of data between CPS-3 and third-party programs such as ARC/INFO, GeoQuest, Landmark and Vortext. Optional interfaces to GeoShare and Intergraph will be available in 1994 with Release 4.0. CPS-3 can also be purchased from GeoQuest Systems Inc. The August 1993 issue of Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing contains an article that discusses geological applications of CPS-3 and other commercial software. System requirements: SCO open Desktop version 1.1, a 386 or 486 PC with a math coprocessor, 8 MB RAM, a 256-color graphics card, a Microsoft-compatible mouse, and 200 MB of disk space. Price: $12,000. CPS/PC costs $2,195. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 05/94). PRODUCT NAME: CQUEL SOURCE: Brigham Young University ADDRESS: Engineering Computer Graphics Laboratory 368 Clyde Building Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602 801-378-2812 PLATFORM: SUN 4/SPARCstation, DECStation 3100/5000, HP 9000 Series 700/800, Silicon Graphics 4D, IBM RS6000 DESCRIPTION: CQUEL is a 3-D visualization and modeling package aimed at engineers, designers, scientists, and animators. Its user interface features pull-down menus and dialog boxes to enable interaction with the program for viewing objects and establishing hierarchical relationships. Macro buttons may be customized. Scientific visualization capabilities include the ability to accommodate multiple results files simultaneously. Results may be in the form of scalar, vector, or volumetric data. CQUEL can display contours, fringes, cross sections, isosurfaces and particle tracing. The animation module can be used to interpolate between result sets. CQUEL has a keyframe animation system that allows animation of multiple objects independently and hierarchically. Users can interactively control blend, bounce bias and rate. CQUEL's raytracing permits use of shadows, transparency, reflection, refraction, spatial indexing and anti-aliasing. Model building blocks provided with CQUEL include spheres, cones, tori, parallelepipeds, cylinders, and 3-D characters. Surface representation techniques include NURBS and Bezier patches. TIFF images can be mapped to any primitive. Input/output formats supported include MOVIE.BYU geometry, ASCII or binary database, PostScript, TIFF, IGES, XWD, etc. System requirements: * * * Price: $1,500. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 05-94). PRODUCT NAME: CUTM SOURCE: Titan Corporation ADDRESS: 2000 West Park Drive Westborough, MA 01581 508-870-0006 PLATFORM: Sun SPARCstation DESCRIPTION: The Computer Understandable Terrain Model (CUTM) is a terrain analysis tool developed jointly by the Titan Corporation and George Mason University, with technical assistance from Argonne National Laboratory. The concept was developed as military decision aid for a DoD contract. CUTM is a prototype, proof-of-principle model, not a product. CUTM builds 3-D representations of geophysical regions. Through a technology known as smart pixels, each point of a synthetic image is tied to a knowledge base in an object-oriented structure. As environmental events are modeled, each pixel in reacts (according to rules) to global conditions, such as weather, and interacts with local conditions (neighboring pixels). CUTM provides a class-object structure of Earth's key elements, along with their relationships and properties. A basic rule set is provided to define how these elements interact under general conditions. Users can add to these relationships and rule bases. CUTM also provides a means by which weather, seasonal and regional effects can be factored. Scenes of desired regions can be generated and seasonally adjusted. A database can be put into a state of continuous evolution, feeding on itself. CUTM supports neural net-like machine learning capabilities. It is intended to provide the means to automatically build and update databases from imagery. Static and time-and-motion reporting, automated text summaries and documentation are also provided. CUTM requires point source digital terrain elevation data and point source cultural feature data. All spatial knowledge are gathered into a single composite matrix, called a GeoBase. A standard feature of CUTM will be the ability to generate high quality databases as needed by users. Each pixel is considered an object. Objects are managed by a class-object structure that defines the relationships that pixels have to one another. Pixel objects can have individual properties, such as height and density. Objects and class- objects have global properties as well, such as deciduous, fruit- bearing, etc. When a CUTM user calls up an area from within a database, the system begins a modeling process. Before any pixels are displayed, the system considers the global conditions, such as the season. Then the pixel's neighbors and local conditions are considered. A typical modeled area of one million pixels with 12 million rules to consider (twelve rules per pixel) can be handled in about 90 seconds on a SPARCstation II. Such speed is possible due to simplified data structures managed by class-object logic, along with preprocessing steps. A modeled scene is a synthesized view that is never saved, but is created as required. When a new scene is modeled, a tool palette automatically appears, allowing users to specify points, lines, routes, and areas. The palette always displays the coordinates, elevation, and surface features of the cursor location. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: GeoInfo Systems, September 1993. PRODUCT NAME: CVpvs SOURCE: Computervision ADDRESS: 100 Crosby Drive Bedford, MA 01730 617-275-1800 PLATFORM: DEC, HP and Sun DESCRIPTION: Computervision's Project Visualization System (CVpvs) is designed to enable users to visually enter and walk through large 3-D models. Any CAD object can be dynamically identified and moved along a path to simulate a sequence of motions. CVpvs' features include: - Spatial orientation functions such as move forward, back, left, right, up, down; orbit left, right, over, under; turn up, down, left, right; set eye point; set gaze point; and zoom by area. - Lighting and rendering controls such as perspective, double buffering, smooth shading, hidden line removal, directional light definition and editing, light scaling and back polygon culling. - Object editing options such as translation, rotation, change object color, show/hide, and object deletion. Many other features are available for annotation, graphics selection, verification, view control, user interface, input/output, database processing, etc. System requirements: * * * Price: $8,950. Source of information: Vendor literature. Falcon Microsystems' Silicon Graphics Product List, April 1994. PRODUCT NAME: Cyber Flight SOURCE: Computer Explorations ADDRESS: 917-A Willowbrook Drive Huntsville, AL 35802 205-882-9490 keyton@traveller.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics currently; DEC/Kubota, SUN/E&S, HP, Intergraph and PC in the future DESCRIPTION: Cyber Flight is software for flight simulation. It contains aerodynamic models for the F-16, F-18, F-14, F-15, SR- 71, T-45 and the space shuttle. These models meet military training specifications. Cyber Flight uses photo-texture to create its simulated world, which can be as small as 16 square miles, or as large as over one million square miles. Cyber Flight can use models for terrain, aircraft, buildings, vehicles and weapons if the models have been developed with Cyber Smith or with MultiGen. Models in .dxf or .obj formats can be translated with Cyber Smith for use in Cyber Flight. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 06-94). PRODUCT NAME: Cyber Gen SOURCE: Computer Explorations ADDRESS: 917-A Willowbrook Drive Huntsville, AL 35802 205-882-9490 keyton@traveller.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics currently; DEC/Kubota, SUN/E&S, HP, Intergraph and PC in the future DESCRIPTION: Cyber Gen is a 3-D modeling package with virtual reality and simulation capabilities. The software is optimized for the maximum ability of the host platform, utilizing Portable Graphics' GL or Open GL. The VR portion lets the user remain in the virtual environment via a head mounted display or a BOOM device while developing new models. Drivers for several VR input devices are available with the program; the user can add other devices without having to buy additional software. The simulation portion is fully interactive with the VR portion. The virtual world can be created by a fractal data generator, or by importing a supported database. File formats that can be imported include DTED, DFAD, .dxf, .obj, .nff, .flt (MultiGen), .sgo (SGI's Object format), .iv (SGI's Inventor format), and .cyb (CEI's open format). Cyber Gen can export .dxf, .obj, and .cyb file formats. The virtual worlds can be finished using models and textures. The Detailed Texture Editor allows the user to apply textures to objects and to edit individual textures, such as by modifying color and transparency. Users can select individual polygons for texturing. It is also possible to manipulate and edit polygonal vertices and objects. The Bulldozer Function lets users select multiple vertices of a fractal terrain database and move them as a unit, creating mountain ranges and canyons quickly. The Scatter Function lets users generate multiple copies of a selected object (e.g., trees or stars) and place them randomly throughout the virtual world. Cyber Gen also includes animation capabilities. ASCII files are used for editing animations, which can be edited in run-time. A library of kinematic functions is also available. Cyber Gen and other CEI products are used by the U.S. Army Missile Command. System requirements: * * * Price: Cyber Gen: $5,000. MultiGen Import: $1,250. Texture Editor: $1,250. DTED Import: $1,250. Cyber View: $500. Cyber C: $3,500. Cyber Play: $3,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 06-94). PRODUCT NAME: Cyber Smith SOURCE: Computer Explorations ADDRESS: 917-A Willowbrook Drive Huntsville, AL 35802 205-882-9490 keyton@traveller.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics currently; DEC/Kubota, SUN/E&S, HP, Intergraph and PC in the future DESCRIPTION: Cyber Smith is a virtual world development and viewing program that can currently import and view other CEI products as well as .dxf, .sgo, .bin, NFF and .obj formats. Users can build worlds and change the structures of other file formats. Files can also be saved in CEI's .cyb format. Cyber Smith comes with a library of textures, models and worlds for immediate use. Paid upgrades include a DTED Import option and a Texture Editor. System requirements: * * * Price: Cyber Smith 1.0: $2,750. Combo Pack (includes Cyber Smith and Cyber C): $5,000. MultiGen Import for Cyber Smith: $1,000. Texture Editor for Cyber Smith: $1,000. DTED Import for Cyber Smith: $1,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 06-94). PRODUCT NAME: Cyber Vision SOURCE: Computer Explorations ADDRESS: 917-A Willowbrook Drive Huntsville, AL 35802 205-882-9490 keyton@traveller.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics, Intergraph TD-5. DESCRIPTION: Cyber Vision is a modeling and world-building tool kit. Stereo viewing is possible with polarized glasses. The software supports texture editing and raster image draping; and can import DTED, DEM, ADRG, DXF and all USGS file formats. System requirements: * * * Price: $7,500. Source of information: USATEC Draft Report "Geospatial Data 3-D Visualization," March 1995. PRODUCT NAME: DADiSP SOURCE: DSP Development ADDRESS: One Kendall Square Building 100 Cambridge, MA 02139 800-424-3131 http://www.dadisp.com PLATFORM: DEC, HP, IBM, SGI, SUN and CONCURRENT workstations; PCs DESCRIPTION: DADiSP is used for the collection, analysis and display of large sets of complex data. The software has spreadsheet and worksheet functions such as input, editing, table manipulation, matrix manipulation, series and scalar math, and data type conversion. Also available are FFT and other transforms, trigonometric series generation, statistical analysis, 2-D and 3-D graphics, and coordinate manipulation. DADiSP is menu-driven. Graphics are displayed in a window that can contain up to 50 plots or data tables within sub-fields. Users can plot multidimensional data (e.g., XY graphs, 2-D contour plots, density plots, bit-mapped images and 3-D surface plots) in any worksheet window. DADiSP/AdvDSP is an add-on module with DSP algorithms, including advanced FFT analysis, power spectral density estimation, digital interpolation and spectrum analysis. Version 4.0 includes on-line documentation, on-line help, customizable tool bar buttons and more new features. System requirements: For SGI: IRIX 4.0 or later and X-Windows; for SUN: Open Look, Motif, X-Windows; for DEC: DECWindows; for HP and IBM: X-Windows; for NeXT: NeXT-Step. For PCs: 386 or 486, Windows 3.x and DOS 3.x, 3 MB extended memory, VGA or EGA. Generally, 4 MB RAM and 3.5 MB disk space. Price: DADiSP 4.0: $2,995 for DEC, HP, IBM, SGI and SUN workstations. DADiSP 4.0 for Windows: $1,895. DADiSP for DOS: $995. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). NASA Tech Briefs, November 1995. Special note: A demo diskette is available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: Data Visualizer SOURCE: Wavefront ADDRESS: 530 E. Montecito St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805-962-8117 PLATFORM: SGI 4D series, DEC Technologies 5000, IBM RS/6000, HP workstations, SUN SPARCstation DESCRIPTION: Data Visualizer is a tool for investigative scientific visualization, capable of exploring multi-dimensional scalar and vector volumes. It addresses some of the same needs as AVS and apE, but has the additional ability to export data to Wavefront's Advanced Visualizer for high-quality animation production. Data Visualizer deals primarily with 3-D volume data. A volume may consist of any number of scalar or vector quantities measured on a 3-D grid. Nodes in a grid are connected to form elements. An element is a polygon, tetrahedron or hexahedron voxel. A list describing how grid nodes are connected to form elements is a topology; a grid and a topology combine to form a mesh. A mesh combined with a set of vector and scalar values at each grid node comprise a Data Visualizer volume. Three types of meshes are supported: regular, irregular and unstructured. A regular mesh consists of a rectangular grid of data with constant spacing in X, Y and Z. Grid node coordinates and topology are defined implicitly by specifying the number of nodes along each axis and the spacing along each axis. An irregular mesh is defined explicitly by supplying the XYZ coordinates of each node. Elements need not be rectangular. An unstructured mesh contains the explicit definitions of both the grid node coordinates and the connectivity of the topology. Data Visualizer's native file format is a straightforward ASCII format called wave. User-written custom file format readers are supported. Wavefront provides a data reader for NASA's PLOT3D file format as part of the Data Visualizer release, along with source code included as an aid to programmers who write their own custom data readers. The C library contains routines that can be used to construct interactive data readers to be integrated into the Data Visualizer user interface. Graphics tools provide capabilities for cutting planes, isosurfaces, particle emitters, point clouds, geometry, annotation, and more. System requirements: * * * Price: $9,500. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated August 1993). PRODUCT NAME: Delta3D SOURCE: Infotec Development ADDRESS: Geospatial Services Group 4099 SE International Way Suite 206 Portland, OR 97222 800-877-8796 PLATFORM: DG, SGI, HP, IBM and SUN workstations and PCs DESCRIPTION: Delta3D can be used to display, edit and analyze DEM data and related vector information. The program organizes map data into user-defined project areas. When a user opens a map model, the project is displayed graphically, with each model color-coded by status. Menus and macros can be customized. Several shaded relief color schemes can be used to show changes in cover type, shadows, jurisdiction, etc. Data depicted in an orthogonal view are automatically draped when a perspective is shown. 200 zoom ratios are available, from 1: 100 to 100: 1. 32 vector levels can also be displayed simultaneously. Road and contour information can be draped over the model view. 3-D shaded relief topography can be displayed in perspective. Key information can be calculated, marked and displayed along with user-specified ranges of elevation, slope and aspect. Elevation datasets can be visually and mathematically compared. Images can be created from complete or partial models, and multiple models can be merged into one view. Data files can be saved in GIS-compatible file formats. Screen displays can be saved as TIFF files. Profiles of linear data can be displayed. Graphs for elevation, slope, aspect and roughness can be computed and displayed for any user-defined polygon area. A series of cross- sections can be generated and displayed. Editing tools are provided for matching edges between the active model and adjacent models. Users can filter, feather, lift, and re-grid elevations. Holes in the data can be filled, and models can be merged. Area and volume calculations can be performed. Elevations can be derived for each point. Model elevation values and point or line elevation values can be tested against each other, with listings of rms errors at each location. This information is included automatically when model data are exported in DEM format. Adobe PostScript and HP-RTL files can also be output. Federal users have included the Forest Service, the Soil Conservation Service, the Bureau of Land Management and USGS. System requirements: A 486+ PC running SCO Open Desktop with16 MB RAM and a 500 MB hard disk. For workstations, Infotec recommends 128 MB RAM and a 1.2 GB hard disk. Price: PCs: $1,200; UNIX workstations: $1,800. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 11-96). EOM, December 1995. PRODUCT NAME: DeltaGraph Professional SOURCE: DeltaPoint ADDRESS: 2 Harris Court Suite B-1 Monterey, CA 93940 408-648-4000 PLATFORM: PC, Macintosh DESCRIPTION: DeltaGraph Professional is a PostScript-based data visualization tool optimized for accepting data from a variety of sources, including spreadsheets, databases and real-time data measurement devices. Data sets as large as 256 X 10,000 cells can be handled. The software can give information color, shading, perspective, error bars, curve fitting and other attributes. Its charting options include contours, 3-D plots, polar mapping, wireframe and others. System requirements: * * * Price: $195. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: Designer's Workbench SOURCE: Coryphaeus Software ADDRESS: 985 University Avenue Suite 31 Los Gatos, CA 95030 408-395-4537 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: Designer's Workbench (DWB) is an interactive development system that facilitates building and editing real- time 3-D models, scenes, VR databases and dynamic instruments. DWB is an integrated system that allows non-programmers to build 3-D perspective displays including situation awareness, tactical information, navigational information, etc., for simulation, training, avionics and other applications. The Graphics Editor enables non-programmers to create, edit and view 3-D databases for dynamic instrument panels, out-the- window and VR scene generation. It supports DWB, SGI Inventor, and MultiGen Flight formats for out-the-window scenes compatible with Gemini GVS, Paradigm's VisionWorks, and SGI Performer. The Realtime Module allows databases constructed with the Graphics Editor to be executed outside the development environment and at an optimized graphics update rate. It works with the SGI flight simulator, Gemini GVS, ART Flightlab, BVR Hotshot, Loral System 500 and other simulation systems. The C Source Code Output Option allows databases to be output as ANSI C and SGI GL. Output files can be directly compiled and displayed statically without user intervention or editing. The ASCII Metafile Output Option allows databases to be selectively output in ASCII text form. The NIMA DTED Page Conversion Option allows DWB to read NIMA DTED and to automatically or interactively convert the data to 3- D polygonal or wire-frame contour map form for use in terrain- based perspective displays. These displays can then be populated with 3-D or 2-D models using the DWB editor, and then animated. DWB can also read and display bit map images such as NIMA ADRG. Version 3.0 includes Painter's Workbench, a tool for creating and editing textures. The Link Editor has been extended to allow dynamic data-driven articulation of moving models, path animation, sequences and special effects. In conjunction with out-the-window scenes, the links can be read and animated automatically by EasyScene. The Link Editor supports both dynamic displays and simulated controls that can be run in the Realtime Module. Version 4 features a new Sound Palette that lets users add 3-D sounds to specific 3-D geometry and associate certain sounds with events that occur within a simulation. DWB was used to create, texture and optimize 3-D models for the Advanced Tactical Visualization System (ATVS). The ATVS incorporates a high-resolution stereoscopic display with real- time 3-D graphics to produce a tabletop simulation of a military engagement that can be viewed by groups in one room or remotely over a network. DWB is also being used to integrate models and articulation data into Paint the Night - a night scene simulator being developed by the U.S. Army Communications and Electronic Command (CECOM) Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD). System requirements: Compatible with all SGI systems. Price: DWB Modeler: $19,500. DWB Link Editor: $10,000. The price for all three Coryphaeus software products (DWB, EasyScene and EasyT is $79,500, which includes a flight dynamics module and one year's maintenance. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 02-97). The Skipjack, February 1997. Real Time Graphics, January 1997. PRODUCT NAME: Desktop Mapping System SOURCE: R-WEL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 6206 Athens, GA 30604 706-353-4166 104450.2730@compuserve.com http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/rwel PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The Desktop Mapping System (DMS) is designed for mapping from stereo or monoscopic digital image data. DMS provides image processing, automated DEM generation, mapping, raster/vector integration, GIS functions, format conversions, mosaicking, etc. DMS incorporates routines for rectification, registration, stereocorrelation and 3-D display. After a DEM has been established, one can generate a perspective grid and drape image values to visualize the terrain. Viewing parameters such as azimuth, tilt, vertical exaggeration and scale can be modified interactively. 3-D wireframe grids can be viewed in stereo using anaglyph methods. Color-coded elevation, vector and thematic GIS files can be registered to perspective views. Mosaicking and merging techniques can be used to create enhanced multispectral, multisensor data sets. Coordinate grids (such as UTM) can be superimposed to produce orthoimage maps. DMS reads ARC/INFO vectors directly for vector-on-raster overlay. DMS users can interchange vector and raster data with ERDAS, AutoCAD, MapInfo, Atlas*GIS, IDRISI and GRASS. DMS can also import TIGER, ETAK and USGS DLG-3 files. DMS converts ASCII 1:24,000-scale USGS DEMs to DMS format. NIMA 1:250,000-scale DTED files can also be used. DMS DEM files can be exported to both USGS DEM and NIMA DTED formats. DMS 4.0 includes an interface to Windows 95, support for high resolution (1280 x 1024) displays, improved functionality for coordinate measurement and aerotriangulation, an image scanner interface, etc. DMS has been used at the University of Georgia's Center for Remote Sensing and Mapping Science to generate topographic information from synthetic aperture radar images, using automated stereocorrelation and terrain visualization techniques. DMS is also part of the U.S. Military Academy's Geographic Sciences Lab. System requirements: R-WEL recommends a 486DX-66 MHz with 8 MB RAM (16 MB for Windows 95), a 500+ MB hard disk and MS-DOS 6.x and/or Windows 3.1/3.11 or Windows 95. Price: $4,950. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 07-95). EOM, July 1996. PRODUCT NAME: DI-Guy SOURCE: Boston Dynamics ADDRESS: 614 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 617-868-5600 di-guy@bdi.com http://www.bdi.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI), Intel DESCRIPTION: DI-Guy is software for adding dismounted infantry (articulated, 3-D models of soldiers) to synthetic environments. Soldiers act according to a standard set of military behavior and move realistically, responding to simple commands. There are several uniform and weapon types, and each model has several levels of detail. Depending on the host platform, up to dozens of DI-Guy figures can be displayed at once. DI-Guy runs in real time on SGI computers. Users can operate it through its DIS interface, or program it directly through its API. DI-Guy includes a run-time motion engine, graphics code, motion data, 3-D models, textures and interfaces for DIS or direct programming. Source code programming examples facilitate integration. DI-Guy is distributed as a linkable object library for C and C++, with versions available for SGI's Performer and OpenGL and OpenGVS. Modules are available for Coryphaeus' EasyScene, MaK Technologies' Stealth and VR-Link, NPSNET, SAIC's SIMTools and Paradigm's Vega. DI-Guy interprets DIS PDUs to produce standard behavior such as standing, kneeling, lying prone, deploying weapons and firing weapons. Speed and heading PDUs induce states such as standing, crawling, walking and running. Uniforms include Battle Dress Uniform, Desert Camouflage Uniform, Land Warrior II Uniform. Weapons and equipment include M16, AK47, M203, bayonet, backpack, canteen and computer backpack. Levels of detail range from 2,500 polygons down to 36. DI-Guy is used in the Team Tactical Engagement Simulator (TTES) developed by NAWC-TSD for the Marine Corps. TTES is a trainer for small groups of dismounted infantry. Other government customers include Army Research Laboratory, Naval Postgraduate School, NRaD and STRICOM. System requirements: SGI: Any machine with hardware texturing (O2, Impact, Octane, Onyx and Onyx2), running IRIX 5.2+. Versions exist for Performer 2.0+ and OpenGL. PC: A high-end Intel platform with 3-D acceleration (boards by 3Dfx, Intergraph and AccelGraphics have been tested). Price: SGI: $12,500. PC: $9,500. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, July 1997. Vendor literature (obtained 05-97). PRODUCT NAME: Dial-a-Tank SOURCE: MaK Technologies ADDRESS: 185 Alewife Brook Parkway Cambridge, MA 02138 617-876-8085 vrlink-info@mak.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: Dial-a-Tank is design to facilitate the testing of existing DIS simulations, the construction of new simulations and the upgrading of non-DIS simulators. The Dial-a-Tank Developer's System provides kinematics and dynamics with six degrees of freedom, terrain interaction using various terrain database formats, and integrated out-the-window views. A GUI Vehicle Builder lets users create vehicles from a library of parts. System requirements: Any SGI computer running IRIX 5.x or 6.x. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 10-97). PRODUCT NAME: DIMPLE SOURCE: Cherwell Scientific ADDRESS: 744 San Antonio Rd. Suite 27A Palo Alto, CA 94303 415-852-0720 csp.usa@cherwell.com http://www.cherwell.com PLATFORM: Windows, Macintosh DESCRIPTION: DIMPLE is an image processing system oriented toward the earth sciences. The software's image analysis features include histograms, cross plots, linear transects and statistical analysis. Image enhancement functions include filters, sharpening, smoothing, contrast adjustment and pseudo- coloring. Multispectral capabilities allow both supervised and unsupervised classification, training area analysis and canonical analysis. DIMPLE can create color composites using RGB, HSI or CMY color models in 8-bit, 16-bit or 24-bit representations. Contour plots and 3-D plots (solid or wire-frame) can be generated. Users can interactively define the rotation and inclination of the plot. Images can be draped over 3-D plots. Images can be imported or exported in TIFF, PICT, ERDAS (.GIS and .LAN), MicroBRIAN and generic raster formats. DIMPLE can also read DXF files, and vectors can be imported and overlaid onto raster imagery. Custom image operations can be specified through an Image Operation Language (IOL). DIMPLE also provides registration, rectification and resampling capabilities; and supports geographic, UTM, State Plane and user-defined coordinate systems. Version 2.2 is accelerated for the Power Macintosh. It includes a new density slicing tool, histogram enhancements, support for undefined pixels, saving of 16-bit and 24-bit color images in PICT format, synchronized multiband scrolling, etc. DIMPLE was reviewed in the September 1995 issue of Scitech Journal, and received a score of 8.0 out of 10. System requirements: For the Macintosh: A Macintosh running System 6.0.5+ (System 7 recommended), at least 8-bit color, a hard disk and 4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended). A math co-processor is strongly recommended. Price: $1,795. Source of information: RockWare 1996/97 Earth Science Software Catalog. Vendor literature (updated 04-95). Special note: A DIMPLE Version 2.1 3.5" demo diskette is available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: DIRECTINSIGHT SOURCE: UNIRAS ADDRESS: 5429 LBJ Freeway Suite 650, LB 144 Dallas, TX 75240 214-980-1600 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations DESCRIPTION: DIRECTINSIGHT is a 3-D visualization package that incorporates a "steering" architecture, enabling real-time input, display, analysis and animation of 2-D, 3-D, and 4-D data sets. The software is designed as a turn-key product that requires no previous graphics expertise or programming knowledge to operate. The program exploits the Spaceball to allow users to perform real-time, interactive exploration of large 3-D and 4-D data sets. Users can generate 3-D images of their data as they move the Spaceball around the screen. System requirements: * * * Price: $9,900. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, October 1993. PRODUCT NAME: DIScretion SOURCE: CG2 ADDRESS: 200 Randolph Avenue Suite 203 Huntsville, AL 35801 205-533-2703 info@cg2.com http://www.cg2.com PLATFORM: Windows NT. DESCRIPTION: DIScretion is a software suite used to represent a synthetic environment using 3-D graphics. It is based on CG2's VTree, an OpenGL-based Application Programmer's Interface (API) for Windows NT platforms. DIScretion is designed to provide DIS capability on Intergraph workstations. The suite consists of three separate applications: DISstealth, DISmon and DISlog. It uses the DISconnect DIS communications library, which allows users to develop DIS nodes quickly and with minimal knowledge of DIS standards. DISstealth offers handling of all PDU types, unlimited number of DIS entities, PDU filtering, dead reckoning, articulated parts support, levels of detail, ground clamping, distance culling, ability to be driven from a network or a file,model meshing, various viewpoints, sky and cloud models, etc. It includes a Fort Hunter-Liggett terrain database and several models. DISlog is a utility for capturing PDU data. It supports all datagram types and can log and replay DIS exercise data to and from a file. DISmon is a utility to monitor, analyze and debug PDU data. It features a 2-D exercise visualization and diagnostic tool, a graphical entity position history trail and the ability to examine detailed PDU information. At I/ITSEC in December 1996, DIScretion software was used for a T-72 tank simulator. The simulation provided the ability to see the inside of the tank (including moving parts), and to view the surrounding terrain through the open hatch or through the gunsight. The gunsight view was zoomable and could be changed to reflect a day or night visual scene. System requirements: Intergraph GLZ running Windows NT. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 01-97). PRODUCT NAME: DrawLand SOURCE: U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) ADDRESS: CETEC-TD-AT 7701 Telegraph Road Alexandria, VA 22315 703-428-6838 tomj@svl.tec.army.mil http://www.tec.army.mil PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: DrawLand is a software tool that enables the integration and manipulation of geospatial data and imagery for mission planning and rehearsal applications. One of its main virtues is the ability to visualize a real-world location rapidly, using both standard and non-standard geospatial data, providing enhanced understanding of the terrain through an interactive, 3-D representation. DrawLand was developed by TEC for rapid 3-D terrain visualization. The software uses standard and non-standard imagery and elevation data for visualization and virtual interaction. It also contains tools for simulating sensor intervisibility, importing models, and recording simulated flights/operations in various ways. DrawLand has been fielded with U.S. Army, British, Canadian and Australian terrain teams and is currently being used at various DoD installations for mission planning and rehearsal applications. DrawLand enables a user to visualize elevation data in 3-D, apply image data onto the terrain, and simulate interactive flight through the database. Minimal database construction effort is required; for most applications, a user can be engaged in virtual flight through geospatial data within minutes. Additional capabilities allow the user to display models, symbols and intervisibility surfaces and volumes. These capabilities support image exploitation, terrain analysis, situational awareness, mission planning and rehearsal, battlefield visualization, real-time vehicle tracking, wargaming, etc. DrawLand's technical capabilities allow a user to: - Rapidly load and display elevation data as a multi-resolution grid or as shaded polygons. - Rapidly apply image data as texture onto the elevation data. - Display 3-D models and unit symbols. - Include multiple images in a database and quickly switch between multiple images covering the same area. Display all images at once, or blend images together interactively. - Define multiple sensors and add them to the terrain. - Calculate 3-D intervisibility surfaces and volumes. Given a set of sensor positions, create a visibility volume for each sensor, so that it is readily apparent that anything within the visibility volume is within the range and line of sight of the sensor. Combine intervisibility volumes into a composite volume that represents the area within which a point can be seen from at least one sensor, or an area within which a point can be seen from all sensors. - Simulate interactive flight through the database. - Simulate flooding at user-specified elevation levels. - Create animations by defining a flightpath and then writing out a stack of images representing all of the viewpoints along the path. - Compress images into a movie file that can be viewed on a computer or written onto video tape. DrawLand can read DTED, ADRG, CADRG, CIB, VPF, DXF, OBJ, SGI RGB, PNM, ERDAS LAN elevation and image files, and SOCET SET elevation and image files. DrawLand can output color hardcopies, PNM images (for MPEG movies and videotapes), etc. Operational sites include the 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic), Fort Bragg; White Sands Missile Range; Military Survey Field Support, United Kingdom; Canada; Australia; etc. System requirements: Any SGI computer. DrawLand now also runs under SUN Solaris. 128 MB of RAM is recommended, but RAM requirements depend on the size of the user's dataset. About 3 MB are required for the executable program. A video output card is recommended. DrawLand is written in C++ and Open GL. Price: DrawLand is available free of charge to government customers by written request. Source of information: Software documentation. Special note: For a demonstration of DrawLand, contact Tom Jorgensen, 703-428-6838. PRODUCT NAME: DTM SOURCE: Softdesk ADDRESS: 7 Liberty Hill Road Henniker, NH 03242 603-428-3199 http://www.softdesk.com PLATFORM: PC, SUN DESCRIPTION: DTM is part of the Softdesk 7 for AutoCAD, an integrated family of products. DTM is designed to enable users to perform interactive site design and terrain modeling functions while inside AutoCAD. The software can be used to model sites with data from points and/or contours. Multiple surface cross- sections can be generated, using an unlimited number of surfaces. Contours can be generated automatically from points with user- controlled increments. Terrain models can be displayed as 3-D grids, TINs or wireframe extensions. 3-D grids can be created for whole or partial sites. TINs can be created and edited using a variety of data. Detailed TIN statistics such as average slope, total surface area, etc., can be retrieved. Models can be viewed according to elevation or slope criteria. The software includes 3-D viewing tools such as line- of-sight and fly-by. The LinSight command in DTM Release 12.0 asks for an eye height and an object height, then takes the current surface and calculates the critical point information, which is the distance to an obstruction and the clearance of the obstruction. System requirements: The PC version of DTM runs under AutoCAD Release 12 for DOS or Release 13 for Windows. It also requires Softdesk's COGO software. Price: $1,000. Source of information: CADENCE, June 1996. POB, October/November 1995. Vendor literature (updated 05-94). PRODUCT NAME: DTM-Contour SOURCE: SurvCADD ADDRESS: 1850 Kimball Road, S.E. Canton, OH 44707 800-362-0646 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Digital Terrain Modeling and Contours (DTM- Contours) is a stand-alone module within the SurvCADD family of products designed for surveyors and engineers. It is written with ADS and runs within AutoCAD. DTM-Contours is used to generate contours and 3-D surface mesh models. Contours can be created from regular or irregular triangular meshes. Functions are available for editing, smoothing, labeling, highlighting and more. The software can perform elevation and slope zone analysis, as well as average elevation and surface area calculations. Several volume operations are supported. Users can perform shading on surface models and generate 3-D perspective views. The Strata Calc module enhances DTM-Contour by providing for the modeling of geologic strata and computing of volume, weight and ratio reports. As the program calculates volumes, it can output 3-D grid files or coordinate files that represent strata thickness or depth of cut-and-fill for intersecting surfaces. These files can be output as contours ar 3-D rectangular surface meshes. System requirements: Any AutoCAD platform (requires AutoCAD). Price: $1,000 ($1,500 with StrataCalc). Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 03-94). PRODUCT NAME: dVISE SOURCE: Division ADDRESS: 400 Seaport Court Suite 101 Redwood City, CA 94063 415-364-6067 realvr@division.com http://www.division.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics and Hewlett-Packard workstations, and Intel-based PCs. DESCRIPTION: dVISE is an interactive tool for designing and implementing virtual reality applications. It enables non- programmers to develop virtual worlds, animate them with intelligent and realistic properties, and experience them in window-based or fully immersive modes. A 3-D interface lets users modify virtual objects while immersed in the virtual world. dVISE is built on the dVS run-time environment. Its distributed architecture takes advantage of multiprocessing capabilities. dVS also takes advantage of available graphics capabilities and VR peripherals such as head-mounted displays, 3- D tracking systems and audio configurations. dVS itself runs under SGI's Performer. The dVS programmer's toolkit allows additional application development with its C library API. dVISE accepts data from various sources, including AutoCAD, 3D Studio, Intergraph EMS and MicroStation, ComputerVision CADDS 4/5x, Dassault CATIA, IGES, ProEngineer, STEP, Wavefront, EUCLID, Ford PDGS, STL, EDS, MultiGen, ModelGen and Inventor. dVISE has an icon-based interface; a set of 3-D tools that allow a user to don a head-mounted display and modify a virtual environment while fully immersed; 3-D zone management that reduces database complexity; 30 pre-programmed event types (e.g., touch, collide or create) that can trigger more than 70 built-in functions (e.g., motion, visual changes, animation and special effects); and keyframe animation that lets users create animated sequences to run in conjunction with selected events. The dVISE product line includes dV/Player (the basic kernel, designed to let users navigate through and interact with large, 3-D environments) and dV/Review (a product review tool). dV/Reality is the flagship product. Using dVISE, the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has developed a multi-user ground simulation system for testing and manipulating new weapons and equipment interactively. The virtual environment includes urban and rural scenes, with enemy tanks and paratroopers. A high-resolution head-mounted display enables users to become immersed in the landscape. A variable- resistance stair-stepper simulates different kinds of terrain. The user is armed with virtual semi-automatic and anti-tank weapons that are controlled by a 3-D mouse. Users respond to enemy attacks as they move through the virtual environment, which also includes 3-D sound. The system is intended to enable infantry teams to fight simulated battles using weapons and technologies that have yet to be built. The Army Armament Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) has used dVISE to create virtual prototypes of weapons (e.g., artillery, tanks and howitzers) based on 3-D solid models imported from ProEngineer CAD/CAM software. These models are integrated into virtual environments created with dVISE, using satellite and reconnaissance data. System requirements: dVS run-time software. Price: dV/Reality costs $13,600. dV/Player costs $1,500. dV/Review costs $5,000. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, January 1997. Vendor literature (updated 06-96). Computer Graphics World, January 1996. NASA Tech Briefs, November 1995. PRODUCT NAME: EarthView SOURCE: Atlantis Scientific Systems Group ADDRESS: 1827 Woodward Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2C 0P9 800-265-3894 info@atlsci.com http://www.atlsci.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT, Solaris 2.x and IRIX DESCRIPTION: EarthView is a suite of image processing tools designed for remote sensing applications. EarthView Version 4.4 has over 300 functions. Features include image viewing and inspection; image arithmetic; spatial transforms; Fourier analysis; spatial filters; edge detection; file format support (CEOS, SPOT, NOAA, AVHRR, JPL, CASI, PCI, NATO DTED, USGS DEM, ERS-1, SSM/I, DCW, VPF, MFF, 8 and 24-bit BMP, TIFF and JPEG, GIF, PCX, SPE and ASCII; RGB display; complex data support; plotting (2-D and 3-D plotting of image intensities); macro programming; co-registration; multispectral classification; statistics; histogram control; scientific functions; image generation; and hardcopy support. System requirements: 386+ PC or SUN SPARCstation or SGI computer with 8 MB RAM. Price: EarthView 4.4 for Windows: $2,640. EarthView 4.4 for UNIX: $5,400. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 08-96). EOM, February 1996. PRODUCT NAME: EarthVision SOURCE: Dynamic Graphics ADDRESS: 1015 Atlantic Avenue Alameda, CA 94501-1154 510-522-0700 info@dgi.com PLATFORM: SGI, Sun, DEC DESCRIPTION: EarthVision provides geospatial modeling, analysis and visualization. It has capabilities for analyzing the geometries and relationships of features in the earth's surface, subsurface, atmosphere and oceans; and for modeling the distribution of properties therein. Users can develop representational models (i.e., surfaces, volumes, and geologic structures) from data points. These models can be integrated with other types of data, such as site plans, aerial photographs, etc. Data and models can be viewed and manipulated interactively. Users can create shaded, 3-D graphics and can generate traditional mapping products such as base and contour maps, cross-sections, and fence and block diagrams. Image draping and 3-D viewing are part of the basic system. There are import capabilities for USGS DEM, DTED, SURFER ASCII grids, AutoCAD DXF and ARC/INFO. With Version 2.9, the Geologic Structure Builder contains productivity and technical enhancements, including fault hierarchy generation and structure maps based on integrated 3-D models. 2-D kriging based on Stanford's GSLIB has been added to the gridding capabilities. Kriging produces a surface estimate based on a distance/variance relationship. In addition to a 2-D surface grid, kriging can output a 2-D variance grid for that surface. Variance grids provide a measure of the relative quality of the estimates in a surface grid. EarthVision has been used by the Naval Air Engineering Station at Lakehurst, New Jersey for its Environmental Engineering Information System. Other users have included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. System requirements: The 3-D Viewer module for SUN requires Du Pont Pixel's PX/IRIS GL. Price: EarthVision 2.0 ranges from $12,500 to $72,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 09-95). Silicon Graphics World, January 1995. Special note: The Silicon Graphics Hot Mix Volume 6 CD contains an EarthVision demonstration. TVD has several copies of this CD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: EarthWatch SOURCE: EarthWatch Communications ADDRESS: 407 East Lake Street Wayzata, MN 55391 612-476-6045 http://www.earthwatch.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: EarthWatch is a visual tool for many types of geographic visualization. It enables 3-D fly-throughs with accurate terrain features and real-time weather. Maps can be customized by adding features such as lakes, rivers, mountains, highways, railroads and airport runways. The user can control his viewpoint, adjusting altitude, visibility, field of view, screen resolution and time of day. Topography is automatically shaded according to the correct sun angle. A 2-D top-down view and a 3-D perspective view are displayed simultaneously. Both windows can be output to NTSC, looped using RAM, or transferred to videotape for animation sequences. The "LOCATE" function will display any city in the world. Snapshots can be created and then imported into other art/paint programs. More than 30 base maps are provided, including customized graphics. Banded temperatures, weather plots and animations of fronts and weather systems casting shadows on 3-D terrain can be displayed. High resolution visible, infrared and combined data can be manipulated in 2-D and 3-D. SPOT satellite imagery is used, and E-topo5 (5 minute) elevation data along with USGS (30 second) data are used, but any data can be custom ordered and incorporated into EarthWatch with DXF Transfer. Additional imagery can be obtained from Landsat, AVHRR and even commercial Russian satellites. EarthWatch Communications has introduced EarthWatch Reality3D, a real-time 3-D weather graphics system designed to run exclusively on SGI High Impact workstations. Real-time cloud and radar data are displayed on a texture-mapped virtual globe. Newscasters are able to maneuver seamlessly from global view to street level, rendering up-to-the-second 3-D weather simulations live, on the air. System requirements: Any Silicon Graphics platform. Price: * * * Source of information: IRIS Universe, Summer 1996. Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: EASI/PACE SOURCE: PCI Remote Sensing ADDRESS: 1925 N. Lynn St. #803 Arlington, VA 22209 703-243-3700 sales@pci.on.ca PLATFORM: DG Aviion, HP 700, DEC Alpha, IBM RS/6000, SUN SPARC, SGI, VAXstation VMS; Windows 3.1/95/NT, OS/2 and SCO UNIX PCs; Macintosh DESCRIPTION: EASI/PACE is a remote sensing and image processing software package. It provides more than 400 functions, and can import 36 raster and 11 vector formats. Pre-processing features include noise filtering; warping; scene mosaicking; SAR orthorectification; multi-resolution sensor fusion; and co-registration of image, elevation and feature data. Photo-textured perspective scenes can be generated. Functions are provided for terrain slope, aspect, sun shading and radar angle of incidence. Stereo pairs can be generated. Numerous feature extraction, imagery exploitation, database and data export capabilities are available. EASI/PACE supports all 24 USGS map projections. It also provides satellite image orthorectification with or without an elevation model, ground control point collection from map sheets in any map projection, and transformation of imagery to and from any map projection. EASI/PACE supports 3-D perspective image creation from a DEM, including an option to overlay vector data; wireframe 3-D perspective generation from a DEM; extraction of DEMs from SPOT stereopairs; generation of true elevation contours from DEMs; determination of viewable areas from specified points on a DEM; import and export of DEM, DLG, JPEG and SCITEX formats and more. EASI/PACE includes a Hyperspectral Data Analysis Package, which includes programs based on software developed at the USGS Spectroscopy Lab. Images of up to 1024 bands can be processed. The Satellite Ortho and DEM Package now can orthorectify ERS-1 and JERS-1 radar imagery, as well as IRS-1 imagery. Source code and a toolkit for writing new applications are available. Links to ARC/INFO, SPANS, Intergraph, Pamap, AutoCAD and other programs are provided. Version 6.0 includes a new interactive map making tool, new vector structures, improved pseudocolor editing, a point gridding panel and interactive selection of memory resources for faster processing. JPL has used EASI/PACE on an ARPA-sponsored program for the rapid creation of mapping products from interferometric SAR data. System requirements: For Windows 3.1: 486+, 16 MB RAM, 540 MB hard disk, DOS 5.0/6.x and CD-ROM. For Windows 95/NT: 486+, 16 MB RAM, 540 MB hard disk, Windows 95 or NT 3.5 and CD-ROM. For Macintosh: Motorola 68040 or PowerPC, 24 MB RAM, 500 MB disk space and System 7.1 or later. For UNIX: 32 MB RAM. Price: For UNIX: $8,000. For Windows: $4,200. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 10-96). Business Geographics, November/December 1995. Scitech Journal, November 1995. GIS World, September 1995. PRODUCT NAME: EasyScene SOURCE: Coryphaeus Software ADDRESS: 985 University Avenue Suite 31 Los Gatos, CA 95030 408-395-4537 sales@cory.coryphaeus.com http://www.coryphaeus.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: EasyScene provides real-time scene generation at rates up to 72 Hz. Currently, 27 different database formats are supported. EasyScene can read databases from Designer's Workbench (DWB), EasyT and any other modeling system that supports Silicon Graphics' IRIS Performer. For example, EasyScene can read any version of MultiGen's Flight format for which there are Performer loaders available; currently this includes all versions. A Performer output module is also available for other database formats. EasyScene's capabilities include multiple channels, multiple CPUs, multiple pipelines, record/playback, stereo support, terrain following, hit detection, 3-D audio support, and integration with user's programs via library routines. Version 4 offers the Expert Option, which supports dynamic video reduction, allowing simulations to be locked at user-defined frame rates. EasyScene was used for the Advanced Tactical Visualization System (ATVS). The ATVS incorporates a high-resolution stereoscopic display with real-time 3-D graphics to produce a tabletop simulation of a military engagement that can be viewed by groups in one room or remotely over a network. EasyScene is also being used for Paint the Night - a night scene simulator being developed by the U.S. Army Communications and Electronic Command (CECOM) Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD). At the December 1997 Interservice/Industry Training Systems and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), EasyScene was used for a fly- through of 5-meter Indian IRS-1C data of China Lake, CA. System requirements: A Silicon Graphics workstation with IRIS Performer software. Price: $12,000 (quoted 03-95). Source of information: EOM, April 1997. The Skipjack, February 1997. Real Time Graphics, January 1997. Computer Graphics World, April 1995. Vendor literature (updated 03-95). Special note: TVD has a demonstration CD-ROM of EasyScene. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: EasyT SOURCE: Coryphaeus Software ADDRESS: 985 University Avenue Suite 31 Los Gatos, CA 95030 408-395-4537 sales@cory.coryphaeus.com http://www.coryphaeus.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: EasyT is an interactive tool for building terrain, 3-D virtual landscapes and maps. It is available as a stand- alone application or as part of an integrated simulation development system along with the Designer's Workbench data modeler and EasyScene real-time visual system. EasyT converts elevation data from sources such as NIMA DTED and USGS DEM into 3-D polygonal models. Elevations can be edited interactively using a variety of tools, including a fractal method for synthesizing terrain. Coastal rendering features include sea level coloring and coastline preservation. The LOD tool automatically divides the model into sectors and then organizes the resulting database into a tree for faster culling. The Texture Option supports texture draping using raster imagery. The Objects Option combines the capabilities of the Texture Option with support for automatic and interactive placement of cultural features such as roads, buildings and vegetation. Features can be chosen from NIMA DFAD and USGS DLG libraries and then placed on the terrain in 3-D. EasyT uses a drag-and-drop interface for interactive positioning of 3-D models on the terrain surface. EasyT directly reads and writes terrain and feature formats such as NIMA DFAD and DTED; USGS DLG and DEM; SPOT DTM and SIF. Geometry output is compatible with Designer's Workbench, EasyScene, IRIS Performer and other commercial products. EasyT can read JPEG, USGS DOQ, SPOT, NITF and SIF image formats, and can read and write RGB files. In Version 4, all rendering is done with meshes and vectors, rather than with irregular polygons. Terrain and cultural features are integrated into a polygonal representation using a new Constrained Delaunay algorithm. A Feature Populate function lets users add and replicate forests, houses, power lines and other often-repeated environmental elements. EasyT was used to build the terrain database for the Advanced Tactical Visualization System (ATVS). The ATVS incorporates a high-resolution stereoscopic display with real- time 3-D graphics to produce a tabletop simulation of a military engagement that can be viewed by groups in one room or remotely over a network. System requirements: An SGI computer with Performer software. Price: $9,000 (quoted 03-95). Objects Option: $19,500. Texture Option: $5,000. Source of information: The Skipjack, February 1997. Real Time Graphics, January 1997. Vendor literature (updated 03-95). PRODUCT NAME: Edge Product Family SOURCE: Autometric ADDRESS: 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 703-658-4000 dprevost@autometric.com http://www.autometric.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Edge Product Family (EPF) is a set of integrated modeling, simulation and visualization tools and applications. EPF has three primary components: Edge Whole Earth, Omni and Wings Mission Rehearsal. With EPF, it is possible to continuously zoom from geosynchronous orbit to ground level, using multiple resolution datasets. EPF provides a common 2-D and 3-D visual environment. Terrain occulting and line-of-sight analysis can be performed throughout the environment. Weather sequences in 2-D and 3-D can be displayed and animated over time. Sensor satellite, air and ground objects can be modeled and mixed with real-time inputs from external sources. EPF has external interfaces to existing simulation packages (Metric and DIS) and near-real-time packages (Constant Source, OilStock, etc.). Supported input formats include Landsat, SPOT, NITF 2.0, DTED, ADRG, ADRI, ERDAS Imagine, BIL, BSQ, SUN raster, SGI rgb and ER Mapper. System requirements: SGI Indy through Onyx running IRIX 5.3 with 128 MB of RAM, 256 MB of swap space and 4 GB of disk space. Price: * * * Source of information: Pathfinder 97 Candidate Tool Form. Vendor literature (updated 05-96). PRODUCT NAME: Edge Whole Earth SOURCE: Autometric ADDRESS: 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 703-658-4000 dprevost@autometric.com http://www.autometric.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Edge Whole Earth environment is part of Autometric's Edge Product Family (EPF), which also includes Omni and Wings Mission Rehearsal. The Edge Whole Earth offers a common 2-D and 3-D visual environment for injecting objects. Fly-throughs are possible with free flight or predefined camera views. Upgrades to Edge Whole Earth include ImageScape, TerrainScape and WeatherScape. ImageScape allows the user to import and add multiple images and maps of unlimited size and resolution to visual windows. TerrainScape allows the user to import and display multiple-resolution terrain data, and to perform terrain occulting and line-of-sight analysis. Weatherscape allows the user to import and display cloud sequences in 2-D and 3-D, and to animate cloud layers over time to show global weather patterns. A demonstration in May 1996 featured a fly-through based on a live feed from a Predator UAV in Bosnia, along with a 2-D overview of its path. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 05-96). PRODUCT NAME: EF2000 SOURCE: Ocean ADDRESS: 800-483-8632 http://www.ef2000.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: EF2000 simulates the flight of Europe's next generation fighter plane, scheduled to enter Britain's and Germany's air forces in 2000. Users can look around the cockpit to see gauges and instruments, and swivel to look right or left. Cockpit views include Look Left; HUD View; Look Right; Warning Panel; Infrared Search; Horizon, Compass, and Track; Radar; Defensive; and Joint Tactical Information. Ground targets can move or change status, and the battlefield is always fluid. Only one combat theater (Norway) is currently available. Valleys, mountains, ice floes and cities can be seen in high-resolution mode. Map options include terrain contours, radar coverage and SAM ranges. A Mission Planner feature is available in both single-player and multi-player modes. It allows users to choose types of targets, hardware to be employed in the attack, and the waypoints and altitudes to be used for ingress and egress. Individual targets (hangars, control towers, oil tanks, etc.) can be assigned to individual aircraft. System requirements: A mid-level Pentium with 16 MB RAM and 2 MB on the video card. Price: $69.95 Source of information: Computer Gamer, October 1996. CD-ROM Today, March 1996. PRODUCT NAME: Emaps SOURCE: Harvard University ADDRESS: Department of Landscape Architecture, Graduate School of Design 48 Quincy Street Cambridge, MA 02138 PLATFORM: Macintosh DESCRIPTION: Emaps was designed to be a flexible, extendable, modifiable GIS to help users display and model geographic data. The program, written in object-oriented Common Lisp, provides an interactive environment for visualizing landscapes and exploring geographic information. The goal is to help planners make decisions at the preliminary design stage about the dimensions and densities of view corridors, buffers, height limitations, vantage points, and special views. Primitive objects in Emaps include windows, maps, cells and keys. Each map consists of a number of cells, typically arranged in a rectangular 2-D array. Cells need not be all the same size. Cell values are actually procedures, so they can respond to messages and requests. Perspective maps are produced by subdividing squares diagonally to form triangles. Z-values are assigned to each vertex, and the coordinates are passed through a perspective transformation. Cosine shading is used to improve the appearance of depth and surface orientation. A set of cell display procedures produces pseudo 3-D symbols (e.g., buildings, vegetation, smokestacks and parking lots). Emaps arrays these symbols (corresponding to land use codes) in 3-D over a digital terrain model. Emaps can export polygonal models to polygonal solid modeling and simulation software. Emaps can import these figures from 2-D and 3-D modeling software as lists of faces, vertices, or scanned rectangular bitmaps. Windows can incorporate information from two maps, as when land use information is draped over terrain. In this case, Emaps establishes communication between the two maps, so that the first produces a terrain model, and the second produces the color or set of 3-D symbols. Using Emaps, elevation data have been rendered as a triangulated underlay and colored with land cover and hydrology maps. Change over time has been visualized using color cues and animation. For walk-throughs and fly-bys, Emaps has been used along with Polytrims visualization software, developed by the Centre for Landscape Research at the University of Toronto. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications, March 1993. PRODUCT NAME: EncounterVUE SOURCE: GRC International ADDRESS: Decision Technologies Division Marketing Department 1900 Gallows Road Vienna, VA 22182 703-506-5000 encountervue@grci.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: EncounterVUE is an interactive tool for visualizing the operation of satellites, aircraft, ground vehicles, etc. It allows users to visualize the operations of systems at the constellation, single platform, ground site or subsystem level. It consists of a library of computational and graphical display subroutines for analysis and visualization of system dynamics and operations, controlled by a driver that is tailored to the user's particular application. EncounterVUE contains physical models for various system types, and works with off-line simulations via standard interfaces. Simulation modules may be selectively interfaced as required to support a range of analysis and visualization needs. The virtual world created by EncounterVUE can be tailored by the user to include a validated star catalogue, terrain, background imagery and other data typically found in GIS applications. 3-D system and subsystem models are supported from a variety of modeling tools, including standard CAD applications. GRC International (GRCI) demonstrated EncounterVUE at a conference in May 1996. The demonstration featured a 3-D globe along with models of an orbiting Landsat satellite and a space shuttle. Also demonstrated were collection platforms such as JSTARS and the U-2. Terrain masking and sensor masking capabilities are included. Live feeds can be accepted. EncounterVUE is used by a classified customer of GRCI as its Director's Demonstration Tool (DDT). System requirements: * * * Price: $25,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained May 1996). Vendor demonstration (May 1996). PRODUCT NAME: Enhanced Mission Planning System SOURCE: TRW ADDRESS: TRW Systems Integration Group One Space Park Redondo Beach, CA 90278 310-812-0988 PLATFORM: UNIX DESCRIPTION: TRW's enhanced Mission Planning System automates the critical planning and image exploitation functions of a mission. Using maps, terrain and feature from the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) as well as other available satellite or aerial imagery, TRW's system can perform mission planning, mission analysis and mission rehearsal tasks anywhere in the world. The system also uses image processing software to exploit unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) payload image data. When a map is selected for view, relevant battlefield data associated with the area is also displayed. Corresponding elevation data and selected map feature data are retrieved for display and analysis. This data can be displayed as raster map images, 2-D contour maps, 2-D analytical hill shading, or fully interactive 3-D meshes or polygonal landscapes. With the Advantage geographically optimized database management product, the speed of information access is independent of the amount of data contained within the database. Battlefield locations can be displayed in various coordinate systems, including latitude/longitude and UTM. Distances between locations can be displayed in a variety of units, including meters, kilometers, feet or miles (statute or nautical). A planner can plot a proposed route on a map or 2-D photo image. The resulting route data can be viewed in 3-D as the system drapes ADRG maps, images and/or other DFAD features onto elevation data for a realistic and intelligent view of the selected terrain, route or other battlefield information. This 3-D view can be rotated about any axis, and users can also zoom, translate, and pan across the image. Planners can use the sun shade feature to determine how shadows might affect data gathering at certain times of day. UAV payload video transmission can by displayed in a window. Users can grab and save frames from the live transmission for later manipulation and enhancement. The system can compute the ground locations of selected route points within the image so that possible targets can be automatically and precisely located on the map. An equipment database and signature library can be used as a basis of comparison. 3-D object modeling capabilities aid in target identification and battle damage assessment. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (dated). PRODUCT NAME: ENVI SOURCE: Research Systems ADDRESS: 2995 Wilderness Place Suite 203 Boulder, CO 80301 303-786-9900 http://www.rsinc.com PLATFORM: Workstations, PCs and Macintoshes DESCRIPTION: The Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) is designed for analyzing and visualizing remote sensing data. ENVI is written in the Interactive Data Language (IDL). Users can incorporate their own functions, handle many data types, and visualize data in multiple dimensions. ENVI stands alone, with no additional modules to be purchased separately. ENVI has tools for processing panchromatic images, and specialized routines for multispectral data. ENVI can import 24 raster and two vector formats, including SPOT, DMSP, ERS-1, AVHRR, GERIS, HYDICE, Geoscan, IRS, JERS-1, SIR-C/X-SAR, TIMS, aerial photography and digital elevation models. ENVI can also import spectral libraries. Files can be output in RGB, PostScript, GIF, PICT, SRF, TIFF and XWD formats. Multiple images can be displayed at full resolution within dynamically resizable windows. A sub-sampled image in a scroll window supplements large images by visually linking the displayed subregion to the whole image. ENVI's color quantization algorithms allow multiple color composite image displays on 8-bit display devices. Windows can be linked to allow precise, simultaneous pixel tracking in two images. Dynamic overlay capabilities allow toggling of gray scale and color images in linked windows for comparisons of features. Users can view data as wire meshes, shaded surfaces or draped images, and can perform interactive rotation and scaling. Radar images are synthesized from polarimetric SAR data in standard HH, VV, HV and TP polarizations, or are defined with transmit/receive orientation angles and ellipticities. Tools for spectral analysis include Maximum Noise Fraction Rotation, the n- Dimensional Visualizer and the Pixel Purity Index. Projection parameters (e.g., map origin and ellipsoid) can be defined and saved. The Gauss-Kruger and versions of the Lambert Conformal Conic and the Oblique Mercator are available. ENVI 2.5 offers state plane projections, customized annotation of images and new capabilities for data fusion and hyperspectral processing. System requirements: For PCs: Windows 3.1 or Windows NT. Price: $5,750 for UNIX workstations, $3,350 for PCs. ENVI with IDL for NT costs $4,475. Source of information: GIS World, September 1996. EOM, July 1996. PRODUCT NAME: ER Mapper SOURCE: Earth Resources Mapping ADDRESS: Suite 900 4370 La Jolla Village 619-558-4709 http://www.ermapper.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT, SGI and SUN DESCRIPTION: ER Mapper is an image processing package for earth science and remote sensing applications. It is designed to manipulate large Earth resources data sets, such as satellite, geophysical, seismic and airborne data. Users can perform complex data integrations and image processing operations on multiple layers and treat them as a real data set. A library of 225 standard algorithms is provided for image enhancement, classification and data fusion. Users can modify and customize these, as well as create new algorithms. ER Mapper can automatically merge, clip, sub-sample, super-sample, rescale and mosaic multiple data sets. Image warping (image to control point, image to image, map to map) and rotation are supported. Over 700 map projections and datums are supported. Raster datasets can be warped from one map projection to another. Easting/northing and latitude/longitude grids can be generated and overlaid over images. Users can find any the location of any point by clicking on it with the mouse. A 3-D visualization capability (available for OpenGL only) allows users to view raster and vector data in 3-D for perspective scenes and fly-throughs. Users can also view data in stereo using LCD glasses, and can generate hardcopy stereo pairs. As of release 5.0, there is a 3-D data link that allows users to output data to the Explorer data visualization system. About 100 raster and vector import formats are supported, including ADAR 5000, AVIRIS, AutoCAD DXF, AVHRR, SPOT, Landsat, RADARSAT, JERS, ARC/INFO, USGS and more. There is direct access to ARC/INFO coverages, and DXF files can be directly integrated without importing. Version 5.2 includes a Geoshare data import capability. (Geoshare is a data exchange format that encompasses many of the data types found within the oil and gas industries.) ER Mapper supports 243 hardcopy output formats. ER Mapper is part of the U.S. Military Academy's Geographic Sciences Lab. System requirements: A SUN SPARCstation (SunOS or Solaris 2.x), HP (PA-RISK or HPUX), DEC (Alpha or OSF) or SGI workstation with 32 MB of RAM, a 424 MB hard disk and a CD-ROM drive. PC requirements are 16 MB RAM (Windows 95) or 32 MB RAM (Windows NT), and a 200 MB hard disk. Price: Windows 95/NT: $2,900. ($2,755 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 38.) UNIX: $14,900. ($14,355 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 38.) Source of information: SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 38. Vendor literature (updated 03-97). Silicon Graphics World, August 1996. PRODUCT NAME: EVELINE SOURCE: Matra Cap Systemes ADDRESS: Digital Mapping Systems 6 Rue Dewoitine BP 14 78142 Velizy-Villacoublay Cedex France 33-1 34 63 73 80 PLATFORM: * * * DESCRIPTION: EVELINE is Matra Cap Systemes' stand-alone 3-D simulation software. It is described as a 3-D viewing tool for simulation, impact studies, infrastructure projects, etc. It uses satellite imagery, aerial photography, CAD data, etc. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: EVS SOURCE: C Tech Development Corporation ADDRESS: 2700 Newport Blvd. Suite 323 Newport Beach, CA 92663 800-669-4387 evs-info@ctech.com http://www.ctech.com PLATFORM: Windows NT, SUN and Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Environmental Visualization System (EVS) is a 3-D modeling, analysis and visualization system. EVS' graphical user interface is integrated with modular analysis and graphics routines. The software's intended applications include geostatistically guided site assessment, site remediation, design and monitoring, geologic modeling, mine assessment, plume or ore body mass and volumetrics, ground water and solute transport modeling, video animation and risk communication. EVS has capabilities for borehole and sample posting; parameter estimation; finite difference grid generation; 3-D fence diagrams; geologic layer visualization; mass calculations; mapping contours, isosurfaces, isovolumes and isolines; generating animated sequences; and more. An add-on package called EVS-SIM NT integrates pre-processing, execution and post- processing of USGS MODFLOW and SUTRA, and the 3-D solute transport code MT3D. Input formats include ASCII and DXF. DXF files can be imported and overlayed, and exported. Raster output options include BMP, TGA and PostScript. EVS-NT PRO and UNIX versions support texture mapping. System requirements: * * * Price: EVS-NT: $4,995. EVS-NT PRO: $9,995. EVS-SIM NT: $4,995. EVS SGI or EVS SUN: $23,950. Source of information: Vendor information (updated 10-96). RockWare 1995 Earth Science Software Catalog. PRODUCT NAME: ExoDIS SOURCE: Computer Explorations ADDRESS: 917-A Willobrook Drive Huntsville, AL 35802 205-882-9490 keyton@traveller.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics, DEC/Kubota and Intergraph DESCRIPTION: ExoDIS is a visualization control package for photo-realistic flight simulation on high-end computers with real-time texturing capabilities. Less capable computers can take advantage of ExoDIS' wireframe, flat shading or Gouraud shading rendering modes. ExoDIS runs independently of Performer. It allows the implementation of various VR input devices, and supports the retrieval of large databases from both hard disk and CD-ROM. ExoDIS reads parameter files for the F-14, F-15, F-16 and F- 18. Full aerodynamic models are included. Models for terrain, aircraft, buildings, vehicles and weapons can be developed with Cyber Vision or with MultiGen. ExoDIS can import versions 11 through 14 of MultiGen's .flt format, and can export version 11. The software is also compatible with DTED, .obj, .dxf, .nff, .bin, .sgo, .iv and other formats. The software comes ready for participation in a DIS environment. DIS 2.0.3 support is currently available. About fifty licenses have been sold as of February, 1995. The Vicksburg District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has used Cyber Vision and ExoDIS for hydrographic modeling. System requirements: OpenGL is required for non-SGI hardware. Price: The ExoDIS Simulation Package (containing all modules) costs $17,000 with annual maintenance of $1,850. Individual modules range from $1,500 to $5,000. Source of information: USATEC Draft Report "Geospatial Data 3-D Visualization," March 1995. PRODUCT NAME: Explorer SOURCE: Silicon Graphics ADDRESS: 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA 94039 800-800-7441 http://www.sgi.com PLATFORM: SGI, Sun SPARC, IBM RS/6000, Cray YMP and HP 9000/700 DESCRIPTION: Explorer consists of modules that can be connected in a visual programming environment to build custom applications. The software consists of three main components: the Map Editor (a work area for creating and modifying maps - collections of modules that carry out a series of related operations on data sets), the DataScribe (a conversion tool for moving data between Explorer and other data formats), and the Module Builder (for building custom modules). Explorer is seamlessly integrated with SGI's Inventor and ImageVision Library. A user can launch maps and modules from the Module Librarian into the Map Editor. Each module performs an algorithmic function on the data passing through it. Modules can be anything from data readers and format converters to isosurface generators, image processing algorithms, equation solvers and renderers. A module may be constructed of many smaller modules. A module control panel gives the user access to module functions. Widgets on the control panel let the user adjust parameter values. Input and output ports allow data to be passed between modules that are wired together. When a module is fired, it processes the data it has received and sends it to the next module downstream. Data can be rendered as 2-D or 3-D geometric objects in the Render module. Objects in the Render window can be manipulated for closer examination. Users can pick a point in the renderer or display window and use information about the point in an upstream module. Datascribe lets users import various data formats. Users can save data files into non-Explorer file types, enabling non- programmers to read and write files from other applications without having to write code or interfaces from one set of protocols to another. This is significant for users with large data sets that have been written in dissimilar environments. Explorer uses a distributed, asynchronous execution model; modules are semi-autonomous and do not rely on a master process to tell them to execute. This enables modules to compute in parallel, given sufficient data. Thus, on a multiprocessor workstation, or in a distributed environment with modules distributed across multiple machines, Explorer can potentially keep more computing resources busy. SGI and the Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG) jointly developed Explorer 3.0. NAG has ported the software to non-SGI platforms and supports Explorer 3.0 on both SGI and non-SGI platforms. Features include 64-bit support for R8000 machines; an improved scripts interface; a new visual drag-and-drop interface; new widgets for module control panels; editable groups; new modules for vector data, geometry and data analysis; modules based on the NAG libraries; etc. Explorer was used in the development of a prototype multimedia program called the Electric Atlas, which lets users manipulate a 3-D texture-mapped Earth in real-time. Geographic regions of interest can be highlighted and then displayed at a larger scale in a separate window. Using a mouse, a user can fly over and examine a region in detail. Every kilometer of the Earth's surface is represented by one colored pixel, and the ground color database is co-registered to a global elevation database. Plans call for other databases (e.g., clouds and political boundaries) to be added to the system in the future. Explorer has also been used to view the simulation of global smoke dispersion. The Los Alamos National Laboratory's Global Climate Model generated smoke data based on oil fires in Kuwait, and simulated the projected path of the smoke particles as they moved into the atmosphere and migrated around the world. GeoSphere project data were used for the geographic reference. This custom application was built using available Explorer modules. Explorer has also been used at NIH, the Center for Astrophysics and MIT. Many universities and research institutions make Explorer modules available as public domain software. System requirements: 32 MB RAM and 80 MB disk space. Price: Explorer is included free with each SGI workstation. It can be ordered for existing workstations at a nominal media charge. More than 100 unsupported modules are also available in the public domain. DuPont Pixel sells a version called PX/Iris Explorer. NAG's release of Explorer 3.0 costs $4,000. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: Expression SOURCE: Coryphaeus Software ADDRESS: 985 University Avenue Suite 31 Los Gatos, CA 95030 408-395-4537 sales@cory.coryphaeus.com http://www.coryphaeus.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Expression is an OpenGL software suite for real- time, interactive generation of 3-D graphics. Expression allows non-programmers to create, prototype and test 3-D virtual environments for simulation-based training and design/engineering applications. Basic Expression comes with real-time dynamic behavior, a testing and optimization module and a real-time player module. Other optional modules are available for real-time character animation, user-defined routine integration and enhanced 3-D geometric modeling. Expression reads more than 30 common file formats, including Alias/Wavefront and Inventor; CAD formats such as DXF and IGES; and visual simulation formats such as DWB and FLT. Expression also supports a wide range of display and tracking devices. System requirements: * * * Price: Expression base price is $14,999. The Modeler Module is $9,999 and the Programmer's Module is $4,999. Source of information: NASA Tech Briefs, November 1995. PRODUCT NAME: EZ*IR SOURCE: MTL Systems ADDRESS: 3481 Dayton-Xenia Road Dayton, OH 45432-2796 513-426-3111 jim@mtl.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: EZ*IR provides dynamic, first-principles-based exitance simulation for thermal modeling based on NIMA data. The software generates colors for infrared scenes rendered by visual simulation applications, based on prevailing environmental conditions and vehicle dynamics. EZ*IR integrates with simulations through a shared memory interface. System requirements: An SGI computer running IRIX 5.3 or 6.2. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 10-97). PRODUCT NAME: FAST SOURCE: COSMIC ADDRESS: 382 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30602 706-542-3265 service@cosmic.uga.edu http://www.cosmic.uga.edu PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Flow Analysis Software Toolkit (FAST) is a software environment for visualizing data. FAST consists of separate modules that run simultaneously. The user can load data files, perform calculations, visualize the results, construct 3-D scenes, and plot, animate and record the scenes. FAST combines the capabilities of other programs such as PLOT3D, RIP, SURF and GAS into one environment with modules that share data. FAST's modules have a consistent, interactive GUI. Most commands are entered by pointing and clicking. The environment can be custom configured, and new modules can be developed and added as needed. The modules that have been developed for FAST include VIEWER, FILE IO, CALCULATOR, SURFER, TOPOLOGY, PLOTTER, TITLER, TRACER, ARCGRAPH, GQ, SURFERU, SHOTET, and ISOLEVU. VIEWER provides central control for the FAST environment. SURFER operates on grid data read in by FILE IO and generates a variety of grid surfaces. These surfaces can be rendered as points, lines, vectors and polygons. Each surface can be colored and shaded. TRACER calculates and displays particle paths. System requirements: 16 MB RAM (32 preferred), 75 MB disk space, and IRIX 3.3 or later. Price: FAST program: $2,000. Documentation: $72. Source of information: Software Technology Update, Winter 1993. PRODUCT NAME: FIELDVIEW SOURCE: Intelligent Light ADDRESS: P.O. Box 65 Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 201-794-7550 PLATFORM: SGI, HP, IBM, DEC and SUN DESCRIPTION: FIELDVIEW is an interactive visualization package designed to assist in the investigation of 3-D data sets. The program operates on data sets stored as NASA PLOT3D grid and solution files, as well as other data formats such as Fidap, Fluent, Fluent-UNS, Rampant, Flow3D, CFDS Flow3D, Visiun, Compact, GASP, Phoenics, and CFD-2000. It computes a variety of scalar and vector functions on the field data and represents the results as cutting planes, iso-surfaces, vector fields, contour lines and particle paths. A variety of colormap functions, rendering methods (such as wireframe, shaded, light-sourced) and viewing interaction techniques permit interactive control of visualization. Animation may be viewed in real time or recorded to videotape. The FIELDVIEW visualization pipeline consists of three major function blocks (scalar and vector functions, numeric to geometric filter and viewing interface) that feed into each other sequentially. Access to input parameters is provided by a graphical user interface based on Motif. Version 5.1 offers a new interactive calculator that provides users with the ability to calculate important scalar or vector quantities from their data. A new surface integration option allows quantities such as drag or mass flow rate to be calculated with a single mouse click. System requirements: * * * Price: Prices begin at $8,500 for commercial customers, with university licenses available for $1,000. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, October 1995. PRODUCT NAME: FLAMES SOURCE: Ternion ADDRESS: 2227 Drake Avenue Suite 27 Huntsville, AL 35805 205-881-9933 flames@ternioncom http://www.ternion.com PLATFORM: HP, SGI, SUN, Power PC and Windows NT. DESCRIPTION: FLAMES is a simulation system with applications that support scenario definition, scenario execution, scenario post-processing and scenario visualization. These applications are called FORGE, FIRE, FLARE and FLASH, respectively. The applications supplied with FLAMES can be customized, and new FLAMES-based applications can be developed. Users can simulate the behavior of systems by exploiting the software supplied with FLAMES or by writing their own code. A FLAMES-Vega interface is available to provide customers with the ability to visualize and interact with FLAMES scenarios using Vega's 3-D graphics. This also enables users to attach realistic, sophisticated behaviors to objects visualized in Vega. The National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC) uses FLAMES. In a demonstration in April 1997, NAIC showed how FLAMES provides a 2- D overview and a 3-D window and lets users visualize air engagements, assess radar performance, etc. System requirements: * * * Price: A run-time license for an interactive version of FLAMES on a UNIX workstation costs around $14,500. Annual maintenance (15%) is required. Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). Demonstration, April 1997. PRODUCT NAME: Fledermaus SOURCE: Interactive Visualization Systems ADDRESS: 559 Montgomery Street Fredericton, N.B. Canada E3B 2X6 506-454-8005 http://www.omg.unb.ca/ivs PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Fledermaus suite of software tools allows both pre-planned and interactive fly-throughs of large, multi- parameter, 3-D data sets. Fledermaus provides automatic level-of-detail switching and includes tools for point query, interactive data editing, interactive data coloring and cross-section delineation. Different surfaces of the same area can be superimposed or shown side by side. Full-color stereo viewing is possible with the use of LCD glasses. Output can be saved as standard video or stereo video. Fledermaus has been used in a technology demonstration for the St. Louis District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. System requirements: Silicon Graphics Indigo2 Extreme or better. Price: $10,000. Source of information: USATEC Draft Report "Geospatial Data 3-D Visualization," March 1995. Vendor literature (acquired 02-95). PRODUCT NAME: Flight Unlimited II SOURCE: Looking Glass Technologies ADDRESS: 100 Cambridge Park Drive Cambridge, MA 02146 617-441-6333 cs@lglass.com http://www.lglass.com PLATFORM: DOS, Windows 95 and Macintosh DESCRIPTION: Flight Unlimited II is a game that uses real-world imagery. It was developed with Kinetix's 3D Studio MAX. The game uses the ZOR 3-D graphics engine. A cache system takes data from the CD-ROM and displays it at 15 frames per second at a pixel resolution of 640 x 400. There is a choice of five planes: Decathlon Bellanca, Extra 300S, Grob S-103, Pitts S-2B and Sukhoi SU-31. There are 33 lessons to teach players how to perform acrobatic maneuvers. Five different cockpit views and seven external camera views are available. Players can fly through over 8,500 square miles of four- meter resolution imagery of the San Francisco Bay area, with all buildings and objects higher than ten stories rendered as 3-D models. Terrain data are available for eleven locations, including Bordeaux, France and parts of Alaska, Arizona, California, Maine, New Hampshire, Virginia. Flight Unlimited II includes interactive radio communications with the tower. Several of 256 pre-recorded phrases are spliced together on the fly, depending on the situation (e.g., take-off, landing, flying over restricted areas, etc.). System requirements: For Macintosh: A 66-MHz 601 with a 256K Level 2 cache, System 7.5 or higher, 8 MB of RAM, a 2 x CD-ROM drive, 25 MB of disk space and a popular controller device (e.g., Thrustmaster). For DOS: A 33-MHz 486+ running MS-DOS 5.0+, with 8 MB RAM (12 MB required for 1024 x 768 mode), 25 MB of disk space, a 2 x CD-ROM drive, DOS CD-ROM extensions 2.1+ and an MS-compatible mouse. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 05-97). Digital Magic, May 1997. PRODUCT NAME: FLITESOFT SOURCE: RMS Technology ADDRESS: 124 Berkley Avenue P.O. Box 249 Molalla, OR 97038 800-533-3211 72163.3342@compuserve.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: FLITESOFT is a flight planning system. Flight plans can be flown in a graphic environment that displays the ground elevations and weather systems that would be encountered in real flight. Users can enter data and check waypoints on FLITESOFT's spreadsheet-like Worksheet, and changes are automatically depicted on FLITESOFT's graphic Chart. On the Chart, data can be added or removed, and user can zoom in or out and measure distances. An optional ChartMaster CD adds details to the Chart, such as background terrain elevation coloring, major highways, rail lines, power lines, water features, cities and obstructions. The Flight Profile provides a side view of the flight over a cross section of the terrain elevations. Checks are made and warnings given when necessary for a variety of possible problems (e.g., inadequate clearance, obstructions at takeoff or landing points, special use airspace, weather enroute and currency of information). FLITESOFT's VISTA module adds a moving map display to plot the user's position. VISTA is compatible with popular LORAN and GPS units. The Virtual Flight module uses topographic data and 3-D graphics to generate accurate cockpit views of the terrain throughout the U.S. FLITESOFT checks every flight for terrain clearance. The graphic planning screen includes a scale to measure the distance between two points as well as the highest terrain elevation for that leg. Spot elevations can also be determined for any point in the conterminous U.S. System requirements: 486/50-MHz PC running Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, with 8 MB of RAM and 8-20 MB of hard disk space. Price: FLITESOFT Professional: $198. FLITESOFT Commercial: $398. FLITESOFT Worldwide Commercial: $598. VISTA: $198. ChartMaster CD: $29.95. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). Special note: A 3.5" Flitesoft demo diskette is available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: Flyby SOURCE: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center ADDRESS: Severe Storms Branch/G12 NASA/GSFC Greenbelt, MD 20771 301-286-8724 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Flyby was developed by NASA primarily for visualizing satellite data that have been pre-processed by Khoros, a public domain image processing package. Landsat and some specialized data formats are currently supported. System requirements: Any SGI machine. Price: Free to government agencies. Source of information: USATEC Draft Report "Geospatial Data 3-D Visualization," March 1995. PRODUCT NAME: FLY! SOURCE: PCI ADDRESS: 1925 N. Lynn St. #803 Arlington, VA 22209 703-243-3700 sales@pci.on.ca PLATFORM: UNIX machines by DEC, DG, IBM, HP, SGI and SUN; PCs running Windows 3.1, Windows 95, Windows NT and OS/2; Macintosh DESCRIPTION: FLY! generates perspective scenes interactively using imagery and elevation data. FLY!'s capabilities include: - interactive control of position, direction, elevation, ground speed and look angle - view cones of 30 to 120 degrees, horizon tilt of 0 to 30 degrees, foreground zooming - dynamic resizing of rendering window - several rendering modes - direct access to PCIDSK, ERDAS (.lan and .img), BMP, DTED, USGS DEM, GRASS, DGN, SPANS, TIFF and other formats - saving of movie loops in JPEG, TIFF, PPM and Parallax Movie formats - stereoviewing via anaglyph images or SGI Liquid Crystal technology FLY!'s multi-threaded, integer-based rendering algorithm uses voxel technology that enables perspective scenes to be drawn at the theoretical speed limit of the platform. The program requires about 5.2 bytes of RAM per pixel of imagery (e.g., 21 MB for a 2K x 2K image) - this is so there is enough space in memory for FLY! to build its level-of-detail pyramids. Users can choose among rendering modes; higher quality rendering improves the appearance of the terrain, but slows down interactive visualization. For the most visually appealing fly- through, one might desire to make a smooth-mode JPEG movie overnight. 3-D buildings can be added to scenes, but can't be textured. A user can create a flight path by adding points visually to a 2-D overview. Ground speed and elevation can be adjusted with a slider bar. Elevation options include absolute, relative and no collision. A 3-D view is displayed for each waypoint as it is added. The look angle can be adjusted with a dial, and the ground speed can be adjusted with a slider bar. The coordinates of each waypoint are listed, and any waypoint can be visited simply by highlighting its position in the list. Flight paths can be saved for re-use. A user can also type coordinates into a list, rather than choose waypoints visually. PCI is providing copies of ACE, ImageWorks and FLY! for the Laptop Visualization Demonstration (LVD), part of the Army Space Exploitation and Demonstration Program (ASEDP). System requirements: Workstations and PCs with 8- or 24-bit color. Price: UNIX: $3,995. PC and Macintosh: $1,500. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 01-97). PRODUCT NAME: form.Z SOURCE: AutoDesSys ADDRESS: 2011 Riverside Drive Columbus, OH 43221 614-488-8838 formz@autodessys.com http://www.formz.com PLATFORM: Macintosh and Windows 3.1/95/NT DESCRIPTION: form.Z is a general purpose solid/surface modeler and 3-D CAD system that includes digital terrain modeling tools. It has an interactive graphic interface, associated multiple windows, dynamically generated 3-D solids and surface objects, undo/redo options, a variety of display options in perspective or axonometric views, and more. Terrain models can be created from mesh, stepped and triangulated contour models, and then trimmed to the shape of a site. Contour models can be combined to model rivers, roads and flat areas. A set of spherical objects includes platonic solids, lathed and geodesic spheres, etc. Mesh models can be created, edited and interactively reshaped, trimmed, split and stitched. Objects can be generated and edited both interactively and via numerical input. Boolean operations (union, intersection and difference) can be applied to 2-D and 3-D surfaces. Lighting and shadowing are controlled by latitude, date and time as well as by point light source. Transformations can be recorded as editable macros. Preview options include wireframe, hidden line, surface rendering and Z-buffer rendering with smooth shading, soft shadows, hard shadows and anti-aliasing. form.Z imports and exports IGES, PICT, DXF, EPS, FACT, RIB, STL, TIFF, Illustrator, 3DGF, 3DMF and OBJ files. Cartesian axes can be switched, and separate files can be created by object, layer, color or group when exporting DXF, FACT, RIB and 3GDF files. FormZ RenderZone is an integrated package with all of the standard formZ modeling tools as well as a set of rendering options based on the LightWorks rendering engine. There are seven levels of rendering: flat, Gouraud, Phong, preview, z- buffer, full z-buffer, preview ray-trace and full ray-trace. All levels can be rendered with one or more lights, which can be distant, spot or point light. Texture mapping can be procedural or pre-captured, environment mapping, bumps, foregrounds and backgrounds. Reflections, refractions and transparencies can be applied at the full Z-buffer and ray trace rendering levels. Images can be rendered up to a maximum of 16,000 x 16,000 pixels. System requirements: Macintosh II or Quadra with a 68881 or 68882 math co-processor, 4 MB RAM (8 MB recommended), 8 MB hard disk and System 6.04 or later. 32-bit QuickDraw is also recommended. form.Z also runs on a Power Macintosh with 8 MB RAM (16 recommended) and an 8-MB hard disk. Price: form.Z 2.8 for Windows: $999. RenderZone 2.8 for Windows: $1,399. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PC Graphics & Video, August 1996. PRODUCT NAME: GAIA SOURCE: Geometria Systems ADDRESS: Atidim, Bldg. 10 P.O. Box 58021 Tel Aviv 61580 Israel (972) 3 492191 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: GAIA is a 3-D surface modeling program designed for civil engineering, environmental engineering, and digital terrain modeling. The system allows the user to manipulate DTMs in real time. Walk-through sequences can be composed, and many viewing methods are supported. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: IRIS Partner Catalog, Fall 1992. PRODUCT NAME: GameGen II SOURCE: MultiGen ADDRESS: 550 S. Winchester Blvd. Suite 500 San Jose, CA 95128 408-261-4100 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics and Windows NT DESCRIPTION: GameGen II enables developers to build optimized 3- D worlds in the OpenFlight format, with the specialized attributes and organization required to maximize real-time performance on selected target platforms including PC, Macintosh, Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation. GameGen II uses OpenFlight, MultiGen's scene description database format. OpenFlight helps maximize graphics performance using level-of-detail, model morphing and culling volume control. It also has memory saving techniques like model instancing and visual property palettes. OpenFLight can also be optimized for real-time culling methodologies such as Z-buffering, BSP trees and fix listing. It supports dynamic effects and event logic with degrees of freedom, state switching, collision volumes, flipbook animations and linkages. Database assets built using AutoCAD, 3D Studio, Alias PowerAnimator and Adobe Photoshop can be imported into GameGen's authoring environment. GameGen II's GUI enables drag-and-drop editing, a custom tool icon window, multiple views and multiple open files. Software partner compatibility includes MaK Technologies' DIS network application tools, Paradigm's AudioWorks 2 and Vega, and direct support for the Nintendo 64 and Gemini GVS simulation run- time application tools. System requirements: * * * Price: The NT version includes three components: Author ($7,500), ModelMaker ($2,500) and BSP-Maker ($2,500). The SGI price is $12,500 for all three components. Source of information: Computer Graphics World, October 1996. Interactivity, October 1996. PC Graphics & Video, September 1996. Real Time Graphics, July 1996. PRODUCT NAME: GameWare SOURCE: Wavefront Technologies ADDRESS: 530 E. Montecito St. Santa Barbara, CA 93103 805-962-8117 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: GameWare provides developers with graphics tools to create games containing realistic 3-D objects and terrain, 3-D synthetic actors with realistic motion and special effects. Open architecture allows developers to integrate their existing software tools with GameWare. In addition to modeling, animation and rendering capabilities, GameWare includes Kinemation, which provides motion control by integrating forward and inverse kinematics. The Dynamation option uses the principles of physics to ensure that special effects are realistic. Dynamation comes with a library of effects, called Clip F/X, that enable the creation of phenomena such as explosions, clothing, plants and terrain. A new interface for real-time motion capture and viewing is provided with Version 3.0 for industry-standard devices such as the Polhemus Ultra Track and Ascension's Flock of Birds. A PC Connect option is available to connect existing PC tools to the SGI workstation that is used to run GameWare. System requirements: Available for all SGI platforms. Price: GameWare 3.0 starts at $10,000. GameWare 3.0 Pro costs $30,000. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, August 1995. Special note: TVD has a GameWare video. POC is Tom Witte, 703- 428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: GAS SOURCE: COSMIC ADDRESS: 382 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30602 706-542-3265 service@cosmic.uga.edu http://www.cosmic.uga.edu PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Graphics Animation System (GAS) is a menu- driven program providing fast, simple viewing capabilities as well as more complex features for rendering and animation. It is used to display 2-D and 3-D objects (including wire-frame, solid, hidden surface and shaded models) along with computed data, and to record animation sequences on video digital disk, videotape and 16-mm film. Objects can be scaled, rotated, translated, mirrored, colored, and combined with legends and text. System requirements: 4 MB display list memory, 32 bit planes and Z-buffering. Price: * * * Source of information: NASA Tech Briefs, July 1992. PRODUCT NAME: GEMINI Terrain SOURCE: Asplan Viak IT ADDRESS: Gamlehaugveien 20 N-5042 Fjoesanger Norway +475 910044 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: GEMINI Terrain is a software tool intended for use in the planning of construction projects. Some of its features are: - 3-D perspective visualization and removal of hidden lines. - A library for 2-D and 3-D presentation. - Contour maps, cross-sections and profiles. - Input data from contour maps, scattered points and terrain lines. - Triangulation. - Data exchange via DXF. System requirements: DOS 2.11 and later, 640 KB RAM and a math co-processor. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: GenaCivil SOURCE: Genasys II ADDRESS: 2629 Redwing Road Third Level Fort Collins, CO 80526 303-226-3283 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations DESCRIPTION: GenaCivil is civil engineering software package that lets CAD users operate in a GIS environment. An article in the May 1995 issue of Earth Observation includes pictures of 3-D visualizations made with GenaCivil, including a forestry impact study, a golf course design and a subdivision grading plan. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: EOM, May 1995. PRODUCT NAME: GenaMap SOURCE: Genasys II ADDRESS: 2629 Redwing Road Third Level Fort Collins, CO 80526 303-226-3283 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations and PCs DESCRIPTION: GenaMap is a topological, vector-based GIS that integrates with GenaCell for raster and cell processing (including digital elevation modeling, 3-D visualization and hill shading), GenaRave for raster-to-vector data conversion, and GenaCivil for civil engineering solutions. GenaMap's seamless spatial database allows direct querying of the entire database and any number of thematic map layers. Spatial analysis capabilities include polygon overlay, proximity analysis, network analysis, and distance and area calculations. GenaMap's integration capability includes the data input formats DXF, DLG3, SIF, IGES, TIGER, DIME, DEM and USGS. The GenaMap Interactive User System (GENIUS) is an interactive menu development system that provides a graphical user interface for developing menu-driven applications. Loral has customized GenaMap applications to develop a prototype called the Geographic Related Information System (GRIS) to meet terrain evaluation needs of the U.S. Army. GRIS was designed to shorten the information gathering, analysis and dissemination phases of the commander's decision-making process for improved command and control of support units. GRIS combines tactical data with GIS capabilities and analytical tools developed by Loral. GRIS features include 4-bit Arc Digitized Raster Graphics (ADRG), raster and vector overlays of NIMA products such as Interim and Tactical Terrain Data (ITD and TTD), and Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED), tactical unit symbol display and manipulation and terrain visualization. Terrain analysis capabilities include observation views and firing fans, lines of sight, ground profiles, concealment, obstacles, and ground and flight distances between points. System requirements: Adheres to industry standards of X-Windows, Motif, ANSI, TCP/IP and NFS, and supports direct links to Oracle, INGRES, INFORMIX, ALLBASE and other relational database management systems. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: GeoDEX SOURCE: Intergraph ADDRESS: Huntsville, AL 35894 205-730-8302 http://www.intergraph.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: GeoDEX enables a user to access feature, image and elevation data in their native formats. The initial release will import VMAP 1, CIB, CADRG, DTED 1, MGE, ARC/INFO, ARCShape and .dgn files. Data can be registered and integrated by means of on-the-fly projection transformations. Users will be able to generate buffer zones, query data, make map overlays, perform terrain analysis, generate 3-D static views, etc. GeoDEX outputs data in OpenFlight format. Additional modules are planned. System requirements: * * * Price: "A few thousand" dollars (quoted 04-97). Source of information: Vendor literature, (04-97). PRODUCT NAME: Geo-KIT SOURCE: Geodynamics ADDRESS: 304 Inverness Way South Suite 300 Englewood, CO 80112 303-790-0101 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations and PCs DESCRIPTION: Geodynamics' Cartography and Imagery Toolkit (Geo- KIT) is an integrated spatial data system that offers a set of cartographic visualization, image analysis and data production tools, designed to meet the needs of both end users and system developers. Geo-KIT's functions include 3-D perspective views of terrain and features with imagery draped over terrain, and 2-D plan views for terrain intervisibility analysis or microwave analysis, and terrain profile views. The user can specify projections and datums. Simultaneous cursor tracking and readout is provided in both plan view and perspective view windows. Sensor simulations include SAR, FLIR and real beam ground mapped radar. Imagery analysis capabilities include multispectral data fusion (SPOT and Landsat), resource discrimination, feature enhancement and feature extraction. Geo-KIT's open architecture utilizes standard cartographic data, such as NIMA DTED, DFAD and ADRG, as well as USGS DEM, SPOT and Landsat. System requirements: * * * Price: Data import components for ADRG, ADRI, DFAD and DTED cost $600 each. The terrain compression/decompression component costs $750. 2-D Plan view options start at $500. The terrain intervisibility option costs $700. 3-D perspective view options range from $2,000 to $2,500, as do sensor prediction options. A DEM, Landsat or SPOT import component will cost $600 each. Image registration costs $750, and image rectification costs $1,500. Image drape over terrain costs $2,000. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: GEOREF GIS SOURCE: GEOREF Systems ADDRESS: 151 Frobisher Drive Suite D-216 Waterloo, On N2V 2C9 Canada 519-747-7623 info@georef.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: GEOREF GIS is used for a wide range of GIS applications. Modules can be selected to suit the user's requirements. The software includes modules for digital mapping, 3-D terrain modeling, spatial network analysis, data management, image processing, feature extraction and more. The Winter 1994 issue of IRIS Universe contains an award- winning perspective view that was created using GEOREF software. Multispectral imagery of Guelph was radiometrically and geometrically corrected using GEOREF's GeoIMAGE, and the resulting image was mapped onto a DEM using GEOREF's GeoTIN. System requirements: Any SGI computer running IRIX 5.3. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 10-97). IRIS Universe, Winter 1994. PRODUCT NAME: GeoServer SOURCE: Autometric ADDRESS: 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 703-658-4000 http://www.autometric.com PLATFORM: HP, Sun, and SGI DESCRIPTION: GeoServer Core is a spatial data processing toolkit for streamlining applications development. Technical features include the following and more: - support for ANSI-standard SQL databases (such as Oracle or Sybase) - a high speed spatial and relational query engine - user-defined spatial query templates - an integrated, topological 3-D vector data model - DFAD, WVS and TIGER formats GeoServer Display is a rapid visualization development toolkit for high performance spatial data applications. Technical features include: - ADRG, DTED, DFAD, SPOT, Landsat and DEM formats - seamless views of large databases - 2-D or 3-D visualization - data fusion and integration - user-customized displays - cartographically correct displays - orthoimage display capability System requirements: Client/server structure supports TCP/IP and UNIX on HP, SGI and SUN. Price: $5,000 (quoted on 17 November 1993). Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 11-93). PRODUCT NAME: GeoTerrain SOURCE: Bentley Systems and GEOPAK ADDRESS: 690 Pennsylvania Drive Exton, PA 19341 800-BENTLEY http://www.bentley.com PLATFORM: * * * DESCRIPTION: GeoTerrain lets users create surface models from a variety of data sources, including direct import of MicroStation GeoGraphics features and a utility for formatting ASCII data. 2- D and 3-D data (e.g., spot heights, breaks, boundaries, contours and voids) can be extracted from MicroStation Design files. Users can define ranges of data (e.g., height ranges, slope and aspect ratios, slope degrees and slope percentages) and display them as themes. Triangulated irregular networks (TINs) can be edited and displayed. GeoTerrain also performs volume calculations. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 05-97). PRODUCT NAME: GeoTIN SOURCE: GEOREF Systems ADDRESS: 151 Frobisher Drive Suite D-216 Waterloo, On N2V 2C9 Canada 519-747-7623 info@georef.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: GeoTIN provides tools to capture and interactively manage 3-D triangulated irregular network data. GeoTIN can create, manipulate and edit terrain models. GeoTIN provides point sampling functions to tie scattered data points together to form a network of optimal triangles. Users can generate 2-D or 3-D views of points, triangles, break lines, heights, contours, etc. Floods can be simulated. System requirements: Any SGI computer running IRIX 5.3. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 10-97). PRODUCT NAME: GeoView SOURCE: Scientific Software Group ADDRESS: P.O. Box 23041 Washington D.C. 20026 703-620-9214 PLATFORM: Macintosh DESCRIPTION: GeoView draws contour maps, 3-D maps, overlays, trend surface maps, volume differential maps, etc. in black and white or in color. Maps can be saved in PNTG, PICT or DXF formats. GeoView accepts data in ASCII text format with data fields consisting of site name and X,Y and Z coordinates. Data point locations can be input as latitude/longitude or UTM with one Z value per record and up to 5,000 records per map. Maps are rendered with a resolution of 600 X 800 pixels in up to 15 scrollable windows. System requirements: Macintosh Plus with 4 MB RAM. GeoView is System 7.1 compatible. Price: $600. Source of information: Environmental, Engineering, Water Resources Software & Publications, 1993-1994. PRODUCT NAME: GINO-C Bundle SOURCE: Bradly Associates ADDRESS: Manhattan House 140 High Street Crowthorne Berkshire RG45 7AY England +44 (0) 1344 779381 sales@bradassoc.co.uk http://www.bradassoc..co.uk PLATFORM: Windows 3.1/95/NT, Cray, DEC, HP, IBM, SGI and SUN. DESCRIPTION: The GINO-C Bundle comprises GINO-C ( a toolkit containing graphics routines), GINOGRAF (a toolkit for displaying 2-D data) and GINOSURF (a toolkit for dislaying 3-D data). The bundle includes over 450 functions for 2-D and 3-D visualization. 2-D graphics capabilities include line graphs, curve-fitting, scatter diagrams, vector diagrams, etc. 3-D GIS data can be displayed as contour maps, surface projections and cross sections. Parts of a picture can be manipulated independently from others (e.g., visiblity, color, etc.). Libraries of picture elements can be created and controlled hierarchically. Vectors, arc, polygons and text can be displayed in 3-D and can be transformed by rotating, shifting, scaling and shearing and viewed with zoom, disortion, perspective and parallel projections. System requirements: * * * Price: Windows: $1,195. UNIX: $2,395. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: GINOSURF SOURCE: Bradly Associates ADDRESS: Manhattan House 140 High Street Crowthorne Berkshire RG45 7AY England +44 (0) 1344 779381 sales@bradassoc.co.uk http://www.bradassoc..co.uk PLATFORM: Over 25 platforms, including DOS, Windows, SUN, SGI, DEC, Cray, etc. DESCRIPTION: GINOSURF consists of a comprehensive library of routines that are callable from FORTRAN, C and other high level languages. The software is designed to provide facilities for the graphical display of 3-D data. Surface data can be supplied as a function, the nodes of a rectangular grid, or as a set of randomly spaced points. Comprehensive interpolation methods provide conversion between random, functional, rectangular and triangular data sets into the format suitable for display. The user is provided a high level of control for specific interpolation needs. GINOSURF's visualization features include: - 2-D and 3-D visualization as contour, surface and cross-section plots - hidden line algorithms for surfaces - perspective projections of contour slices and surfaces - draping of 4-D data over surfaces - triangulation for contours - display of contours on surfaces Drawing routines can be accessed with a single subroutine call. Facilities allow a user to control styling of all aspects of an image, including frame type, scaling and labeling of axes, line styles and annotation. The latest release of GINOSURF includes data handling facilities that can utilize triangulated data structures in order to minimize the level of interpolation needed to display 3-D data. GINOSURF software requires GINO-F. GINO-F supports over 200 output devices and all major graphics protocols, including HPGL2, DXF, CGM, PostScript and X Windows. System requirements: * * * Price: DOS/Windows: $410. UNIX/OpenVMS: $870. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: GLMX SOURCE: Computing Devices International ADDRESS: 8800 Queen Avenue South BLCN3F Bloomington, MN 55431 612-921-6667 john.r.gokey@cdev.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Geo-Located Multi-source Exploitation (GLMX) system creates geo-registered 3-D site models using digital imagery, creates 2-D and 3-D site views, and renders views in different perspectives or as overlays draped onto digital terrain data. GLMX supports 3-D modeling from 2-D image sources, image annotation and presentation tools, model-supported image exploitation, mission planning and rehearsal, support to guided munitions, model-supported reduction of image transmission volume, model-based battle damage assessment, generation of unclassified image-derived products from classified sources and generation of exportable multimedia products for use on other platforms. GLMX can be used to: perform multi-image registration to create baseline camera models by selecting tie points on multiple images and entering scale information; tie site model coordinates to geographic coordinates, create 3-D color-coded site models; generate a camera model for a new image by use of measured image coordinates with 3-D coordinates obtained from previously used images; add, modify or delete objects and annotations in the site model in multiple layers; create files or hardcopies of images with site models overlaid; visualize site models from user- defined perspectives; create and display fly-though scenarios of site models; perform image enhancement; perform electronic light table functions; and create color-coded annotations. GLMX 3-D models can be produced and registered with imagery from multiple sensors, digital map data, DTED and intelligence data. Supported input formats include ADRG, DTED, NITF 2.0, SUN raster and TIFF. Output formats include 3-D site models, NITF 2.0, QuickTime movies and SUN raster. GLMX is in use or planned to be in use at Armstrong Lab, DARPA, Eglin AFB, NAIC, NEL, NGIC and NPIC. System requirements: Silicon Graphics Indigo2 Extreme running IRIX 5.3, with 64 MB RAM and 300 MB swap space. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 07-97). "Pathfinder 97 Crosswalks Candidate Tools, 10-13 September 1996." PRODUCT NAME: GPS Solution Pak SOURCE: Ashtech ADDRESS: 1170 Kifer Road Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-524-1460 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The GPS Solution Pak is a collection of five independent modules: Contour, Volume, Mapping, COGO and 3-D. The Contour Module creates a DTM of GPS-derived 3-D stations, from which contour lines can be generated. Points are stored with unique point number, northing, easting, elevation and description. The Volume Module enables users to use any ASCII points file to calculate and analyze the amount of cut-and-fill at a site, using GPS-derived positions and elevations. The Mapping Module allows users to create lines and arcs automatically, using field-collected coordinate point descriptors. The COGO Module supports functions such as curve solutions, offsets, cul-de-sacs, line solutions, field traverses, parking lots, area calculations, inverse/traverse, street intersections, and more. The 3D View Module enables the user to generate, view and plot 3-D color-coded perspective views and DTM slope vectors from any DTM surface. DTM slope area reports can be generated to assist in site evaluation. System requirements: At least a 386 running DOS 3.3 or higher with 4 MB RAM, a 387 coprocessor and a mouse. Price: $4,500. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: GRASS SOURCE: USACERL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 9005 Champaign,IL 61826-9005 217-373-7220 PLATFORM: PC, Silicon Graphics, Concurrent, Data General Aviion, IBM RS/6000, DEC, Intergraph and Macintosh DESCRIPTION: The Geographical Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) is a public domain raster GIS, and vector GIS, image processing, and graphics production system. It was developed by the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories (USACERL). Users have included the USDA Soil Conservation Service, USGS, NOAA, NASA and others. GRASS provides 2-D and 3-D display, profiles, histograms, pie charts, graphs and screen dumps. Imagery commands provide tape handling for multiple formats, scene and sub-scene extraction, color enhancements, image registration, terrain correction, classification, filtering, histograms, etc. Raster analysis capabilities include filters, overlays, proximity analysis, measurements, line-of-sight, rotation, cost analysis, network analysis, elevation transformations and import/export. Vector capabilities include digitizing, grid generation, topological linking, transformation to raster, contour labeling, etc. GIS operations include surface generation, statistical comparison, reclassification, transformation to raster and vector, coordinate registration, database searches and retrievals, proximity analyses and import/export. The March 1993 issue of IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications describes the use of GRASS for 3-D visualization to assess the accuracy of digital elevation models. The May 1993 issue of Geo Info Systems provides examples of 3-D maps created using the d.3d module, which allows the user to control numerous viewing parameters, such as vertical exaggeration, viewing position, and spacing of the lines used to draw the view. According to the magazine, GRASS is "capable of producing outstanding three-dimensional surface maps." The article "Surfaces and Modeling" in the Spring 1993 issue of GRASSCLIPPINGS illustrates the use of GRASS along with SG3d as a visualization tool. The issue also summarizes a project to animate a fly-through of the plains and mountain regions surrounding the watershed of Boulder, Colorado. GRASS and proprietary software from Pixel Kitchen were used to add color, shading and features such as streams and lakes to the wireframe DTM to create realistic scenery. A series of views were imaged and recorded in sequence to provide the animation. SG3d has been enhanced in GRASS 4.1 to use lighting models, draped imagery and draped vectors. The Fall 1993 issue of GRASSCLIPPINGS discusses the use of GRASS to generate surfaces with a changing parameter, surfaces interpolated from time series of measured data, and surfaces produced from process-based models. The issue also discusses the creation of 3-D perspective views using GRASS, CAD data and photography. GRASS has been integrated into the Marines' Intelligence Analysis System. The Air Force has used GRASS to design air-to- ground training ranges, using weapons footprint data to estimate favorable target locations based on minimum impact on critical areas and maximum utilization of all range targets. The Army has used GRASS to support combat operations, update aviation maps, and to analyze bathymetric trends. GRASS received the 1993 Federal Laboratory Consortium Award for Excellence in Technology Transfer. System requirements: UNIX; a compiled graphics library such as X-Windows, SunView, etc.; 256 colors; 8 MB of RAM; mouse; 300 MB hard disk. Price: GRASS is available from USACERL without charge. GRASS 4.1 for Silicon Graphics workstations costs $1,249 if purchased from G.W. Hannaway and Associates. Source of information: Vendor literature. USACERL literature. PRODUCT NAME: GRIDS SOURCE: Lockheed Martin ADDRESS: 1260 Crossman Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089 408-734-5400 PLATFORM: SGI or HP DESCRIPTION: The Graphical Range Interactive Display System (GRIDS) is the visualization component of an integrated range package. It is DIS-compatible, and is designed to work with Loral's Tracking and Participant Event Reporting System (TAPER). Using TAPER, it can project data received from live instrumented systems into the DIS battlespace. It can also display virtual entities that are being generated by DIS-compatible systems. TAPER and GRIDS form the core of the Mobile Automated Information System (MAIS). GRIDS consists of several Ada modules. It provides library functions for models, displays, interfaces to data sources, audio visual synchronization, map and image conversion and custom applications. GRIDS reads DTED and DFAD data as well as MultiGen terrain data formats. The system draws 3-D terrain and allows the user to overlay maps and images. It comes with a library of 2-D and 3-D models for displaying aircraft, ground vehicles, ships, terrain and features. GRIDS can also handle special effects PDUs, including engagement, weapons fire, smoke and obscuration. The system provides multiple viewpoint options. Users can also bring up 2-D graphs or text information windows to obtain additional information. GRIDS also provides for line-of-sight calculations and display. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: GPS-Driven Battlefield Visualization; Draft Phase I SBIR A93-353; MRJ, Inc.; October 28, 1994. Real Time Graphics, June 1994. MultiGen literature (obtained 02-94). PRODUCT NAME: GridVis SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com PLATFORM: Amiga DESCRIPTION: GridVis is a suite of four programs (each also available separately) for mapping and contouring. The Grid program accepts random XYZ data in ASCII format and generates output files for use in the Contour and 3D-Mesh programs. The PostIt program generates control point posting maps. Output from PostIt and Contour can be combined to create contour maps. Any CAD package that supports the DXF file format can read GridVis DXF files. System requirements: Amiga 500,1000,2000 or 3000 with 1 MB RAM (3MB recommended). A hard disk, math coprocessor and 68030 CPU are recommended. Price: $300, or $125 each for separate modules. Source of information: RockWare Scientific Software,1993. PRODUCT NAME: GRIDZO SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: GRIDZO, a component of the ROCKWORKS software system, includes the following capabilities and more: - Variety of gridding algorithms. - Number of control points and grid dimensions limited only by RAM. - Control point filtering by location or by value. - Contour mapping with control over line and label style, color, spacing, etc. - Direct control point Delaunay contouring with smoothing and labeling. - Control point maps. - Mathematical and statistical functions. - Logical functions. - 3-D views including mesh and raised contour maps. - 2-D views including draped and floating maps. - X and Y plot scales in user-defined, English or metric units. - Menu-driven user interface. - ROCKWORKS output, editing and translating utilities. GRIDZO reads XYZ files created by DIGITIZE, ROCKBASE or LOGGER. Output graphics files are compatible with all ROCKWORKS applications. Grid files can be reformatted to SURFER, spreadsheet and other formats. System requirements: For IBM: DOS 3.x, 640K RAM, 10 MB hard disk space, and CGA/EGA/VGA or Hercules monochrome graphics. The Macintosh version requires 1 MB RAM. Price: GRIDZO 6.0: $379 (through Rockware). Source of information: Dynacomp Catalog No. 38. Rockware Earth Science Software, 1994. PRODUCT NAME: Griffon SOURCE: Autometric ADDRESS: 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 703-658-4000 http://www.autometric.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Griffon is a softcopy photogrammetry package for imagery mensuration, 3-D modeling and terrain mapping. Intended applications include mission planning, precise targeting, simulator database generation, and solids modeling. Griffon's capabilities include: - Triangulation of SPOT imagery, aerial photography, and close range photography. - Automatic digital elevation model extraction. - Import of NIMA DTED and USGS DEM. - Orthorectification. - Monoscopic and stereoscopic mensuration and geopositioning. - Interactive perspective viewing. - Use of ADRG and ADRI. - Geocoding of raster maps. - Monoscopic or stereoscopic delineation, editing and storing of 3-D models (with the 3-D modeling option). Options are available for terrain modeling, close range photogrammetry, 3-D modeling, and other sensor models. The April 1994 issue of SIGNAL states that Griffon is primarily targeted at defense customers such as intelligence agencies, mission planners and simulation /modeling. It also notes that Griffon includes a close-range photogrammetric capability, enabling users to work in pure Cartesian space. This permits, for example, 3-D modeling of the interiors of buildings. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 01-94). SIGNAL, April 1994. PRODUCT NAME: GTView SOURCE: Georgia Tech Research Institute ADDRESS: www.gtri.gatech.edu PLATFORM: * * * DESCRIPTION: GTView was developed at the Center for Geographical Information Systems and Spatial Analysis Technology within the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). The software was used to develop a full-color, simulated fly-through of the 1996 Olympic whitewater course. The simulation integrated Landsat imagery, high-altitude and low-altitude aerial photography and USGS DEM data. Roads, towns and other topographical features were accurately portrayed. ERDAS Imagine software was used to develop the databases. The fly-through followed a pre-defined path and was recorded to video. Four minutes of animation were created. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: GTRI literature (obtained 10-96). Computer Graphics World, September 1996. PRODUCT NAME: GVS SOURCE: Gemini Technology ADDRESS: 8 Pasteur Suite 150 Irvine, CA 92718 800-827-1980 sales@gemtech.com http://www.gemtech.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics, Kubota Pacific Kenai and DEC Alpha DESCRIPTION: The Gemini Visual System (GVS) is an application programming interface (API) for virtual reality and visual simulation applications. GVS software sits atop GL/Open GL. It reduces the development time for 3-D applications by eliminating the need to call low-level GL functions. There are two basic GVS SIMation software packages available: GSIM-4D, a complete, integrated package which includes the primary software plus all of the developer toolkits and a complete module of pre-assembled database models in the GVM database format ready for use; and GB-4D, a basic modular version which includes the primary software facilities. GVS' essential software elements (included in both packages) include facilities for channels, cameras, objects, database import (including DTED, DEM and DFAD), scene management, materials, textures, light sources and fog. Developer toolkits include modules for remote ethernet communications, guest drawing, shared memory, performance statistics, surface interaction, trails generation, GVS-to-MultiGen linking, runway scene generation, and data recording and playback. GVS includes tools for determining the distance to any pixel on the screen. Line-of-sight ranging is accurate to the Z-buffer precision. In conjunction with the GVS Surface Facility, the surface composition type of the ranged pixel can also be determined. (Polygons or groups of polygons within a database can be marked according to user-defined composition.) GVS supports MultiGen's .flt format (V11 and higher), Alias Open Model format, and AutoCAD's DXF format. GVS also supports IRGen, which allows users to convert databases designed in the visible domain into infrared versions. Sample database models include a 100 km x 100 km mountainous generic database for helicopter flying, a 50 km x 50 km Yellowstone digital terrain database with satellite image texture overlay, a 50 km x 50 km North Korean digital terrain database with satellite texture overlay, a Desert Storm terrain database for tank battle demo, etc. Gemini provides a library of models for use by application developers. Standard models are provided at no extra cost. Custom database models can also be developed for users. Models are distributed in two database formats: GVM - the internal database format of GVS, and MultiGen's Flight format. Sample models include F-15, F-16, and MiG-27 fighter aircraft; Apache, Chinook, and Hind-24 helicopters, M-1 and T-62 tanks; and explosions, flares, towers, buildings, etc. GVS has been used for the generation of real-time 3-D display systems for the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Air National Guard and Marine Corps air combat training systems. GVS has also supported proof-of-concept avionics testing for the F-22. GVS has been used to produce heads-up displays and out-the-window imagery on the F-22 simulator. Hughes Training chose GVS for a tank simulator for the U.S. Army Tank Command. Gemini has also delivered an SGI Onyx-based system to Lockheed Advanced Development Company, including an air-to-air refueling database, an aircraft carrier operations database, and a database of the airfield in Palmdale, California. System requirements: * * * Price: $12,995 for the basic package (GB-4D), $39,000 for a full feature package (GSIM-4D). Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: GWN-DTM SOURCE: GWN Systems ADDRESS: 11133-124 Street NW #200 Edmonton, Alberta Canada, T5M 0J2 403-452-0090 gwn@gwnsys.ca PLATFORM: Windows 3.1/95/NT, HP 9000, SUN SPARC, NEC DESCRIPTION: GWN-DTM is a comprehensive terrain modeling and design package with features for contouring, site design, cross sections, slope analysis and earth works. It is part of an integrated set of programs that are interactive within AutoCAD and MicroStation. GWN-DTM contains a series of integrated modules designed for mapping and design applications within the disciplines of engineering, surveying and mapping. Functions provided include data manipulation, terrain model generation, contouring, profiling, cross-sectioning, volumetrics, 3-D display, slope analysis, and more. The software can process over one million spatial points without the need to subdivide the data. Version 6.0 uses double precision and includes capabilities for integrated volume computation, adding a triangle and a point within a triangle and more options for overlay grid output. There are new functions for computing volumes by the grid method, importing terrain models by polygon and importing terrain models by elevation bands. Vertices can be edited graphically, triangle facets can be deleted graphically, and triangles can be added - all without regenerating the terrain model. System requirements: MicroStation 4.0, 5.0 or 5.5; or AutoCAD R12 or R13; with 4 MB RAM under MicroStation on a PC, 2 MB RAM under AutoCAD on a PC, or 16 MB RAM under UNIX (HP-UX v. 9.0 or SUN OS4.x). Price: PC version 6.0.3: $3,500. UNIX version: $5,000. Annual updates cost $500. Source of information: Professional Surveyor, May/June 1997. Vendor literature (updated 11-96). CADENCE, June 1996. PRODUCT NAME: HELISIM SOURCE: Virtual Prototypes ADDRESS: 5252 de Maisonneuve W. Suite 318 Montreal, Quebec Canada H41 3S5 514-483-4712 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: HELISIM is a reconfigurable, extendable, DIS- compliant simulator for rotary-wing aircraft. HELISIM provides modeling of flight dynamics with six degrees of freedom, and its GUI facilitates the linking into multiple simulation environments. The GUI can be configured to accommodate different helicopter models. HELISIM can be integrated with VAPS and STAGE to provide a realistic rendition of flight in a real-time, tactical environment. Blade-flopping and shaft rpm are modeled as independent variables. System requirements: * * * Price: $30,000. Source of information: Military Training Technology, February/March 1997. Silicon Graphics World, December 1996. PRODUCT NAME: HELSIM SOURCE: NASA/Ames Research Center ADDRESS: MS 210-9 Moffett Field, CA 94035 415-604-5424 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: HELSIM is a real-time 3-D helicopter flight simulation program that displays a UH-60 helicopter flying over terrain generated from NIMA data. Features include multiple viewing perspectives, adjustable lighting conditions, flight history recording and playback, rudder controls, etc. HELSIM has been used as a tool for concept verification and tuning of automatic obstacle-avoidance guidance algorithms, and has been implemented on networked workstations for interactive 3-D simulation of nap-of-the-earth (NOE) flight. This simulation tool uses 3-D graphics to depict the helicopter, terrain, and objects such as trees, houses and telephone poles. The terrain and obstacle models are texture- mapped for realism. The dynamics of the rotorcraft and the functional capabilities of the range sensors are simulated to provide all of the components for guidance function evaluation. Three different perspectives can be displayed simultaneously. The cockpit view shows terrain as seen by the pilot, with head-up display symbols superimposed over the scene. The interactively adjustable birds-eye view displays the helicopter along with its surrounding terrain. The wingman view simulates views as seen from another helicopter that is closely following the first. The multiple viewing capabilities are controlled through a user interface panel consisting of widgets such as buttons, dials and sliders. The system also permits interactive adjustment and monitoring of selected parameters. System requirements: HELSIM has been implemented on an SGI 4D VGX workstation with 32 MB RAM. Price: * * * Source of information: Silicon Graphics Applications Directory, May 1991. PRODUCT NAME: HI-VIEW SOURCE: PCI Enterprises ADDRESS: 2300 N Street, NW Suite 725 Washington, DC 20037 202-785-8281 PLATFORM: SUN, Silicon Graphics and IBM workstations DESCRIPTION: HI-VIEW is a software product for the generation of digital orthoimages and digital elevation models from scanned aerial photographs and satellite images. HI-VIEW consists of two complementary modules: Terrain Database Generation and Terrain Visualization. The Terrain Database Generation module provides for automatic generation of raster digital elevation models (DEM) from stereo images, import of DEMs in various raster formats, DEM editing, orthoimage generation, output to GIS and seamless integration with the HI-VIEW Terrain Visualization module. The Terrain Visualization module provides for image and raster DEM import, interactive 3-D visualization, fly-through of large data sets and real-time shading and color manipulation. Options include stereo viewing, video recording and support for devices such as Logitech's 3-D mouse. System requirements: 32 MB RAM and 800 MB disk space (for full SPOT scene processing). Price: Terrain Database Generation Module: $14,950. Terrain Visualization Module: $9,950. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 05-94). Real Time Graphics, December 1994. PRODUCT NAME: IDIMS SOURCE: Terra-Mar Resource Information Services ADDRESS: 1710 S. Amphlett Blvd. Suite 215 San Mateo, CA 94402 415-655-2565 terra_mr@ix.netcom.com PLATFORM: Workstations DESCRIPTION: Workstation IDIMS (Interactive Digital Image Manipulation System) consists of an extensive BASE package (data I/O, display, image enhancement, mosaicking, filtering, etc.) and many additional modules. BASE IDIMS reads Landsat TM, SPOT, VICAR and AVHRR files, and can read generic bsq, bil, bip, ASCII, TIFF and unknown formats. The GIS UTILITIES module reads DTED and DEM data and supports overlay analysis, line-of-sight analysis, etc. The GEOCORRECTION module supports image-to-image and image-to-map registration, projection conversion, control point editing and warping with user-supplied transformations. The TERRAIN VIEW module enables the user to merge digital elevation models with imagery to support 3-D terrain analysis. Perspective views can be generated from any reference point and from any viewing angle. Users can fly through data in straight lines, segmented lines and circles and can specify pan angles from a pivot point. Movie loops can be captured and played back. Other available modules include SPECTRAL ANALYSIS, MULTI- SPECTRAL TRANSFORMATIONS, ADVANCED MATH, ADVANCED FILTERING, ADVANCED GEOMETRIC and GLOBAL LINKS. The ADVANCED GEOMETRIC module includes the capability to create stereo pairs. The GLOBAL LINKS module includes a live link to Genasys software and the capability to read ARC/INFO files. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 08-94). PRODUCT NAME: IDL SOURCE: Research Systems ADDRESS: 2995 Wilderness Place Suite 203 Boulder, CO 80301 303-786-9900 info@rsinc.com http://www.rsinc.com PLATFORM: DEC VMS, ULTRIX, and Alpha; HP 9000 Series 700,IBM RS/6000, SGI, SUN, Convex, Macintosh and PC DESCRIPTION: IDL (Interactive Data Language) combines programming with data analysis and visualization features. Users can create custom functions, procedures and graphics programs to solve analysis and visualization problems. IDL offers flexible data I/O, analysis techniques and publication-quality output tools. Typical application areas include image processing and remote sensing. IDL operators, functions and procedures work on scalars, vectors and arrays with no change in notation. Mathematical capabilities include FFT, convolution, transcendental functions and Bessel functions. The statistical library includes univariate and multivariate routines including multiple regression, cluster analysis and non-parametric statistics. Users can view and manipulate 3-D volumes using Z-buffered graphics and iso-surface capabilities. Images can be processed and displayed via IDL's filtering, enhancement and thresholding techniques. Extensive color table manipulation routines are included. Plotting capabilities allow creation of contours, 2-D plots, wireframes and shaded surfaces. Data can be displayed simultaneously in image, wireframe and contour form. Routines for ten map projections with inverses, and image warping to arbitrary transformations are included. Users can fit surfaces to irregularly gridded data points quickly using methods based on Delaunay triangulation. IDL can read and write formatted or unformatted data with generalized I/O facilities. Procedures for reading and writing PICT, TIFF and X11 bitmaps are included. The standard data formats CDF, netCDF and HDE have been added for global change and remote sensing applications. Publication-quality output can be produced in PostScript, HPGL, CGM, EPSI, GIF and PICT formats. IDL's compound widgets can be made to work like a single, simple widget and can be reused in future programs. C programs can call IDL routines and pass data to and from IDL. A binary save-and-restore capability lets developers distribute custom IDL applications without revealing their source code. Plotting and visualization features include new gridding routines using Delaunay triangulation. X-Y plots, contours, and surfaces can now be created despite missing data. There is support for several standard NASA data formats. Power Mac version 3.6 includes JPEG compression for standard image file formats and a widget builder that automatically generates code when working via the GUI application builder. IDL 4.0 brought additional math and statistics, application connectivity that allows users to call external programs or embed IDL as a graphics engine, and scientific improvements. Version 4.0.1 added improvements to GUI controls, mapping functions, license management and documentation. IDL 5.0 includes IDL Insight, a pre-built GUI that lets users access IDL functionality without having to write code. IDL 5.0 also supports OpenGL graphics, and offers interactive and object-oriented graphics capabilities. An IBM Visualization Data Explorer (DX) module has been created to allow IDL to be used in conjunction with DX. LinkIDL was developed jointly by IBM and RSI, and uses communications tools built into both software packages (DX 2.1 and IDL 3.6). LinkIDL is available free to users of IDL and DX on UNIX platforms. The module and examples are directly available from either IBM or RSI. Venusian digital elevation models have been rendered in IDL, using data collected by NASA's Magellan satellite. The Center for the Study of Earth from Space has used IDL to develop interactive visualization software. Researchers at NOAA have used IDL to create circulation models and to map the atmosphere. System requirements: UNIX or VMS, X or SunView, Motif or Open Windows, 7 to 25 MB of disk space and 16 MB of RAM. IDL for Windows requires a 386+ PC running Windows 3.1 or higher, and at least 8 MB of RAM. Price: UNIX and VMS workstations versions start at $3,000. The Convex version costs $25,000. IDL for Windows, Windows NT, Macintosh and Power Macintosh costs $1,500. Source of information: GIS World, May 1997. PRODUCT NAME: IDRISI SOURCE: Clark University ADDRESS: Graduate School of Geography 950 Main Street Worcester, MA 01610 508-793-7526 idrisi@vax.clarku.edu PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: IDRISI is a raster-based spatial analysis and image processing system. It is a set of modular programs, including core modules, Analytical Ring modules, and Peripheral modules. Capabilities are provided for project management, display, data entry, attribute data management, spatial data management, image processing, database query, map algebra, distance operations, context operations, statistical analysis, file conversion and import/export. The CONVERT module converts between image storage formats supported by IDRISI. Files may be converted to any combination of the byte, integer and floating point data types and the ASCII, binary and run-length encoded file structures. The SURFACE module computes slope, aspect, and hill-shading indices. VIEWSHED determines points of intervisibility for user- defined viewpoints. TREND computes a quadratic or cubic trend surface from a set of irregular cell control points by least- squares methods. IDRISI supports resampling, pixel duplication, pixel thinning, concatenation of multiple images and extraction of sub- images. A LANDSAT module facilitates downloading of LANDSAT data. The ORTHO module offers 3-D display of image attribute values. An optional function for draping a second image allows the creation of realistic views of terrain. For example, hill- shading values computed from the SURFACE module can be draped over a DEM. The Peripheral module provides for file exploration and conversion, and for import from and export to other software and to and from other formats. Modules are available for converting generic files to IDRISI format, and for converting BIL and BIP image files to IDRISI format. ARC/INFO, ERDAS, ATLAS GIS, GRASS, MAP, MICROPIPS, ODYSSEY, OSUMAP, TIFF, DLG, DEM, DXF, CTG and other formats are supported. There is a module that reads and converts USGS DEM files to IDRISI format. Both 1: 24,000 and 1: 250,000 scale files are supported. Geodetic support includes forward and backward ellipsoidal projection, image resampling and full datum transformation using the Molodensky and NADCON procedures. System requirements: PC with DOS 2.11 or later, 512K RAM, hard disk with 3.6 MB for the program (and 5 MB for tutorials), EGA, VGA, SVGA or 8514/A graphics adaptor. A math co-processor is highly recommended. IDRISI for Windows requires a 386+ running Windows 3.1 or later, 4 MB RAM and an 8-bit SVGA adapter. Price: IDRISI 4.1 (government): $320. IDRISI for Windows (government): $495. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 04-95). PRODUCT NAME: ILWIS SOURCE: ITC ADDRESS: ILWIS Group Hengelosetraat 99 P.O. Box 6 7500 AA Enschede The Netherlands +31 (0)53 4874337 ilwis@itc.nl http://www.itc.nl/ILWIS PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The Integrated Land and Water Information System (ILWIS) is a geographic information system (GIS). Version 2.02 of ILWIS for Windows allows the integration of satellite imagery or other raster data along with multiple vector layers to provide a 3-D view of the area of interest. System requirements: * * * Price: Dfl. 7000. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: IMAGINE SOURCE: ERDAS ADDRESS: 2801 Buford Highway NE Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30329-2137 404-248-9000 http://www.erdas.com PLATFORM: DEC Alpha, HP 9000, IBM RS/6000, Intel PC (Windows 95/NT), SGI, SUN SPARC DESCRIPTION: ERDAS IMAGINE is a remote sensing, image processing and GIS software package. IMAGINE imports 35 data formats and features unlimited image size, automated mosaicking capacity, geographically linked viewing windows with virtual roam, support for multi-sensor/cross sensor data fusion, a flow chart-style interface for GIS modeling and a customizable GUI. Modules integrated into the IMAGINE environment include OrthoMAX for orthorectification, DEM creation and stereoviewing; Restoration, for image correction and enhancement; AutoWarp for autonomous image registration and overlaying; Perspective View, for 3-D visualization; the Radar processing module; Image Catalog, an image library and information management and retrieval system; the Vector module, for dealing with ARC/INFO's format; and the Developer's Toolkit. The Perspective View add-on module enables users to interactively create 3-D plots of surface data from any perspective, and to drape a second image over that surface. Mouse movements provide total control over viewing geometry, including viewing position, target point, viewing angle and elevation. The AutoWarp module offers automatic image rectification and registration, and allows users to compare and analyze Landsat, SPOT and ADRG data. AutoWarp permits all combinations of same sensor or multisensor image-to-image and image-to-map rectification, registration and display. Imagery analysis is facilitated by using blend/fade and swipe overlaying techniques on registered image pairs. IMAGINE 8.2 includes features and enhancements such as: automatic map sheet extraction at USGS standard scales; automatic feature extraction and ARC coverage updating; spectral, spatial and surface profiling capabilities; prepackaged JPL and USGS hyperspectral libraries, blend/fade, swipe and flicker viewing options; real-time shaded relief capabilities; movie creation and editing; JPEG compression; USGS DOQ, GRASS, PCX and Sun raster import; improved image enhancement capabilities; new radar filters; etc. ERDAS Imagine is the core software for the Digital Topographic Support System (DTSS), fielded to Division-level and Corps-level terrain teams. Imagine is also the terrain viewer for the Air Force component of the Joint Mapping Tool Kit (JMTK). Imagine was used during Prairie Warrior 97. It is also part of the U.S. Military Academy's Geographic Sciences Lab. System requirements: For SGI: 320 MB of disk space, 4 mm DAT or QIC drive, 100 MB swap space, 32 MB RAM (64 MB for 24-bit displays), OSF/Motif, and IRIX 5.3. Price: IMAGINE VISTA for Sun or SGI: $3,000. Modules: Vector, $5,000; Restoration, $3,000; etc. IMAGINE STANDARD: $8,000. IMAGINE VISTA for Windows-NT: $2,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 12-94). PRODUCT NAME: IMAGINE OrthoMAX SOURCE: ERDAS ADDRESS: 2801 Buford Highway NE Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30329-2137 404-248-9000 http://www.erdas.com PLATFORM: SGI and Sun SPARCstations DESCRIPTION: OrthoMAX is a softcopy terrain mapping and ortho- rectification module, available as an add-on to ERDAS IMAGINE. OrthoMAX works with aerial photography and SPOT data, but additional sensor models can be added as needed. After triangulation, all sensors are handled in the same way. Other capabilities include automatic extraction and interactive editing of DEMs, orthorectification, and interactive perspective viewing. During triangulation, OrthoMAX can register from one to over 100 images to ground control using a least squares bundle adjustment. Statistical techniques including error propagation reports are used throughout the process. A preprocessor function predicts initial estimates for all sensor exterior orientation parameters and all pass point parameters. SPOT data come with all of the ephemeris and support data required for parameterization of the sensor. Triangulation of aerial photographs requires nominal interior orientation information such as camera focal length and fiducial coordinates. A proprietary digital stereo correlation algorithm is used to collect points on registered stereopairs. Points are directly collected at the desired ground spacing. Throughput varies between 80 and 100 points per second on SGI and SPARC 10 hardware. DEMs can be interactively edited and verified. OrthoMAX accepts single or multiband imagery with any DEM. The input DEM, input images and output orthoimage can be in different projections or datums. Photogrammetric workstation capabilities include a floating cursor, stereoscopic roaming and zooming in multiple windows, and editing of DEMs over registered stereopairs. X, Y and Z coordinates can be obtained from the floating cursor. Users can choose a terrain-following cursor. Perspective scenes can be generated by allowing orthoimagery to be draped over DEMs. Users can select the desired viewing angle and scale while visualizing an interactive wireframe representation of the DEM on the screen. Silicon Graphics' texture mapping hardware is exploited if present. Version 8.2's key enhancements include IMAGINE 8.2 compatibility; seamless upgrade to SoftPlotter 1.5; support for Solaris 2.4, SunOS 4.1.3 and IRIX 5.3; and support for images in TIFF format. The Argonne National Laboratory has selected OrthoMAX to develop high-resolution digital elevation models from low-altitude stereo pairs for an endangered species habitat study. System requirements: For SGI: R3000 or R4000 with ERDAS IMAGINE 8.1, 200 MB disk space, 4 mm DAT drive, 300 MB swap space and 64 MB RAM. Price: Basic: $7,500. Elevation Extraction: $7,500. Surface: $7,500. Vector: $5,000. Professional (includes Basic, Elevation Extraction and Stereo Viewing & Editing): $25,000. Source of information: EOM, December 1995. Vendor literature (updated 12-94). PRODUCT NAME: IMAGINE Virtual GIS SOURCE: ERDAS ADDRESS: 2801 Buford Highway NE Suite 300 Atlanta, GA 30329-2137 404-248-9000 http://www.erdas.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: IMAGINE Virtual GIS provides real-time terrain fly- throughs and GIS analysis. (Note: Virtual GIS is not to be confused with the Army Research Laboratory's VGIS.) Virtual GIS' capabilities include: - Real-time fly-throughs of user-defined flight paths plus the ability to drape and query multiple GIS layers. (For real-time performance, elevation models must be decimated to 256 x 256 or smaller. - ARC/INFO coverage viewing and query. - Geographic linking of 3-D and 2-D viewers. - Blending and fading of two images. - Haze simulation. - Stereo viewing - full screen or window. - Contrast enhancement and filtering. - Ability to change symbology and colors in the 3-D viewer. The next release of Virtual GIS will include support for SGI's Octane's texture lookup tables and convolution filtering capabilities. Operators will be able to apply convolution kernels to imagery as they fly through the terrain, with texture lookup tables providing real-time updating for the color schemes used to display the imagery. Octane's multiprocessing capabilities will allow Virtual GIS to distribute the workload of paging imagery from the disk and rendering the 3-D scene simultaneously. At SGI's 1997 Defense Simulation and Imaging Conference (DSIC 97), ERDAS Imagine Virtual GIS Version 8.3 (beta) was demonstrated both on an Indigo2 and on an Octane. The ERDAS representative performed an edge detection process on his database and immediately flew through the results. The Octane- based demonstration featured a SPOT/Landsat merge of the Korean DMZ, and also a Laguna Beach database. The demonstrator brought up the inquire cursor and linked the 3-D window's 3-D pointer to the 2-D overview. He also popped up a HUD and flew in the 3-D window toward targets that were pointed to in the 2-D window, which contained a TLM. He also performed a line-of-sight from a selected bridge toward a mountain top, and brought up a spatial profile of the just-calculated LOS in a separate window. All three windows were then linked. A Windows NT version of the ERDAS Imagine product line (including Virtual GIS) will be released in July 1997. Supposedly, the Virtual GIS module has been tested on a PC with nothing more advanced than a Matrox Millennium graphics card. Virtual flight is accomplished by degrading the image while the user is in motion; full resolution is restored whenever the flight pauses. In other words, the user will experience blurred imagery during interactive flight. Also available with Version 8.3 will be the Virtual World Editor, which will enable users to optimize their data for real-time simulation. System requirements: 64 MB RAM, 91 MB disk space, 128 MB swap space, CD-ROM drive, X11/Motif, OpenGL, stereo ready hardware. Price: $4,000. Source of information: Vendor demonstration (05-97). SIGNAL, May 1997. Vendor literature (obtained 10-95). PRODUCT NAME: IMPACT Pro SOURCE: TARDIS Systems ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1251 Los Alamos, NM 87544 505-662-9401 http://www.tardisys.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: IMPACT Pro is an integrated image data analysis system. Its modules include image processing; 2-D analysis procedures for edge, shape and surface characterization;, object counting and analysis; a neural network graphic form analysis classification system; an image comparator for anomaly detection; 3-D mapping utilities; a fractal analysis system for point, line, edge and surface measurement and modification; and a color mapping system that handles grey scale, pseudo and 24-bit color. IMPACT Pro uses a virtual memory manager that can access four GB of disk space. Up to 100 different images can be opened and processed simultaneously. Information can be displayed in line plots, 2-D ,mappings or in 3-D projected form. 3-D mapping utilities include stereoscopic perspective projections (with hidden surface and light source raytrace reflectance schemes), reiman mapping, 3-D random dot stereograms and the 3-D reconstruction of stereopairs. IMPACT Pro can be used to create 3-D perspective views from USGS DEM data. IMPACT Pro can read image files in ASCII, binary or fixed format. It can read and write TIFF, PCX, PICT, WPG, BMP, GIF, SUN raster and JPEG files. It can read USGS DEM and ERDAS formats, and import and export gray scale or RGB binary files. ASCII data can be read in columnar form. System requirements: DOS 2.1+ and 50 MB of disk space. IMPACT Pro uses virtual memory to supplement any amount of RAM; however, 16-32 MB of RAM is recommended for processing 1024 x 1024 24-bit color images. Price: $2,500. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: IMSL/IDL SOURCE: IMSL ADDRESS: 9990 Richmond Avenue Suite 400 Houston, TX 77042-4548 713-784-3131 PLATFORM: SUN, DEC, HP and SGI DESCRIPTION: IMSL/IDL combines IMSL's C/Math/Library with the RSI's IDL visualization system. IMSL/IDL has an array-oriented command language that permits experimentation with numerical data in a variety of interactive graphics formats. It allows simultaneous X, Open Look, or SunView windows to be open. The widget set allows development of GUI-type interfaces in Motif or Open Look. IMSL/IDL offers access to the IMSL software library, and like RSI's IDL, its capabilities include 3-D mesh/surface plots, 3-D contour plots, interactive graphics, colorization of graphics, shading, light source control, image processing, animation, and more. System requirements: * * * Price: $2,490 per system. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: iNTegrator SOURCE: Evans & Sutherland ADDRESS: 600 Komas Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84108 801-588-1000 http://www.es.com PLATFORM: Windows NT/OpenGL DESCRIPTION: iNTegrator is a software environment for database management of files created with other 2-D and 3-D software, content integration (including terrain modeling and level-of- detail) and real-time rendering. Formats supported include Kinetix 3D Studio MAX, Softimage, MultiGen, Strata Studio Pro, ESRI ARC/INFO (for terrain source editing), Adobe Photoshop (for texture creation and editing), GDE SOCET SET (for photogrammetric modeling and feature extraction) and VERSANT ODBMS (for object management). System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Interactivity, April 1997. PRODUCT NAME: IRGen SOURCE: Technology Service ADDRESS: 2950 31st Street Suite 200 Santa Monica, CA 90405 310-450-9755 uri@tsc.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics and Windows 95/NT. DESCRIPTION: IRGen is an infrared (IR) modeling tool that generates databases for real-time simulation of IR sensors. It supports real-time features such as textures, shading and fog. IRGen accepts as input visual simulation databases in MultiGen's Flight format. IRGen's output can be used with simulations based on Performer, GVS or Visionworks. IRGen computes surface temperatures and radiances and converts radiances to image gray shades. Each polygon in the database is labelled in MultiGen with a material code identifying its thermal characteristics. IRGen computes the temperature, radiance and apparent gray shade for each polygon in the scene. The user has complete freedom to modify materials and objects in order to create different databases. In addition, the user can specify the thermal environment and sensor characteristics. IRGen can predict the thermal signature of ground vehicles, airborne targets, terrestrial and sky backgrounds, etc. Options include special effects tools for modelling objects such as rotor blades, smoke, engine exhaust and hot spots. The texture option allows the user to create IR textures and use them in databases to enhance realism and accuracy. IRGen accepts scanned images from MultiGen or generates its own texture maps, adjusting the radiance appropriately. The DFAD option allows IRGen, working through MultiGen, to access DFAD automatically. IRGen uses the DFAD surface material and feature identification codes to assign thermal properties to materials in a scene. IRGen reads .flt files created by MultiGen. In the input flight file, the user must specify an IR material code for each polygon in the database. IRGen outputs a second flight file in which the polygon color has been replaced by an IR gray shade. A detailed summary file containing surface temperature data is also created. System requirements: Any Silicon Graphics workstation. Price: For SGI: from $25K to $48K. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 12-96). PRODUCT NAME: ISM SOURCE: Dynamic Graphics ADDRESS: 1015 Atlantic Avenue Alameda, CA 94501 510-522-0700 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics, DECstation Ultrix, IBM RS/6000, SUN SPARC, Data General AViiON, VAX and VAXstation DESCRIPTION: Interactive Surface Modeling (ISM) is a graphics software package designed for surface modeling, mapping, visualization and analysis. Data used by the program include: - remotely sensed surface and property X, Y and Z values - geological and concentration data from wells - fault (discontinuity information - surface and property data from existing maps - cultural data ISM-Basic includes an internal file management system, graphic editing, gridding, base mapping and contour mapping. Other options are available for faulting, volumetrics, trend surfaces, multi-surfaces, perspective, and more. The perspective option enables the user to generate annotated perspective views of a surface. Viewing position is specified either by vertical and horizontal angles or by entering specific X, Y and Z values to define the eye point and the center of the viewed area. Perspective view types include mesh, contour, mesh and contour, and contour keys. Companion products to ISM include Interactive Coordinate Transformation (ICT), Interactive Formula Processor (IFP), Specialized Gridding Set (SGS), and more. Most ASCII data files output by other systems are directly usable by ISM. Grids from other systems can be written into ISM format using a subroutine provided with the software. The companion product Digital Data Import (DDI) translates and samples grids from the DEM format into the ISM format, as well as translating the DLG culture data format into ISM annotation files. System requirements: 4 MB RAM (8 MB RAM recommended). Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (dated). PRODUCT NAME: IVM SOURCE: Dynamic Graphics ADDRESS: 1015 Atlantic Avenue Alameda, CA 94501 510-522-0700 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics, DECstation 5000, IBM RS/6000 DESCRIPTION: Interactive Volume Modeling (IVM) is a program for modeling, visualizing and analyzing the spatial distribution of properties within 3-D space. The modeling component utilizes scattered data (geo- referenced X, Y, Z and P, where P is the property value) to produce a three-dimensional grid model. With the graphic component the user can manipulate the three-dimensional model in real time with techniques that include iso-peeling, slicing and rotation. Supplemental map annotation showing roads, boundaries, land use, streams, text and other cultural information can be added. Analytical operations available include 3-D volumetrics, trend gridding, grid operations, model editing and 2-D surface/structure map extraction and truncation. A 3-D cursor enables digitizing and editing of 3-D lines for data capture and display of lines. IVM software has been used too develop 3-D models of contaminant plumes at Vandenberg Air Force Base. This application supported hydrogeologic assessment and remediation activities. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (dated). PRODUCT NAME: JetFighter III SOURCE: Mission Studios ADDRESS: Inverness, IL 847-202-3951 http://www.missionstudios.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: JetFighter III (JF3) is a game in which the user assumes the role of a fighter pilot stationed aboard an aircraft carrier. Two planes are available: the F/A-18 Hornet and the F- 22N Lightning II. The game is campaign-based, covering (but not limited to) three regions: Argentina, Chile and Cuba. The real-world terrain database contains more than 3.5 million square miles and also includes parts of Florida, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and South America. Features such as power lines and airports are accurately modeled and placed. There are more than 90 missions, with tasks ranging from routine surveillance and air support to aerial combat and attacks on ground targets. There is also a free flight mode. Onboard ordnance includes cannons, air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles and bombs. JF3 supports four graphics resolutions: 320 x 200, 640 x 350, 640 x 400 and 640 x 480. There are many viewing options (e.g., wingman view, missile view, tactical view, fly-by view, etc.). Features include a scrolling virtual cockpit, functional gauges, terrain masking (to cloak enemy radar), and incoming AAA trails. The visual display includes dynamic time-of-day effects, translucent clouds, haze, smoke, fire, etc. System requirements: A 486 (P133+ recommended) running MS DOS 5.0 or higher with 8 MB RAM (16 MB required for 640 x 480 resolution), 30 MB disk space, a quad-speed CD-ROM drive and 256- color SVGA graphics. Price: $50. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 02-97). PRODUCT NAME: Joint Mapping Tool Kit SOURCE: NIMA ADDRESS: NIMA Liaison to Army 703-695-0120 wandlessa@nima.mil PLATFORM: SUN and HP DESCRIPTION: The Joint Mapping Tool Kit (JMTK) provides MCG&I capabilities to the Global Command and Control System (GCCS) on the Defense Information Infrastructure (DII) Common Operating Environment (COE). JMTK uses ERDAS Imagine as its terrain viewer. JMTK version 1.0.0.10 was delivered to DISA on 15 April 1997. Version 3.0.0.0 on DII/COE version 3.2 is scheduled for release on 3 October 1997. System requirements: SUN SPARC 10, 20, 1000 and 2000 running Solaris 2.5.1; and HP TAC III and TAC IV running HP 10.20. Price: * * * Source of information: MAPLINES No. 14. PRODUCT NAME: Khoros SOURCE: Khoral Research ADDRESS: 6001 Indian School NE Suite 200 Albuquerque, NM 87110 505-837-6500 info@khoral.com http://www.khoral.com/ PLATFORM: DEC, SGI, SUN and PC DESCRIPTION: Khoros provides a set of programs for information processing, data exploration and data visualization. Its visual programming environment offers tools for image display and manipulation, animation, 2-D and 3-D plotting, and volumetric and geometric rendering. Wright Labs has used Khoros for automatic target recognition efforts involving infrared and synthetic aperture radar data. Other users have included Night Vision Lab, the National Security Agency, Sandia National Laboratory, etc. USGS Bulletin 2103 describes a project in which ARC/INFO, Khoros and Surveyor software were used to merge terrain data sets and to produce simulated fly-throughs. System requirements: A DEC Alpha AXP running OSF 1.30+, a SUN SPARC running Solaris 2.4+ or SunOS 5.4+, an SGI machine running IRIX 5.2+ or a 486+ PC running Linux 1.2.13+; with 16 MB RAM (32 recommended), 250 MB disk space (500 recommended), and 32 MB swap space (64 recommended). Price: Khoros Pro 2.2: $549. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 05-97). USGS Bulletin 2103 (1994). PRODUCT NAME: KSAT SOURCE: Kaman Sciences ADDRESS: Systems & Software Dir. 4410 E. Fountain Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80933 719-591-3629 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: KSAT allows users to view accurate 3-D displays of satellite motion. The package includes the complete unclassified NORAD satellite catalog, along with geographic and political boundaries. The sun's position and the Earth's illumination are also modeled accurately. The satellite catalog can be customized by defining new satellites with any orbital characteristics desired. Users can define new sensors at any location, with any coverage characteristics. KSAT's orbit propagator is accurate to within one pixel on the display. Users can filter the NORAD catalog so that only satellites of interest (e.g., those with particular orbital elements, missions or countries of origin) are displayed. KSAT's see-and-be-seen option can be used to display satellites that will pass over a given point on the Earth within a specified time interval. For example, if a mission planner wants to know which reconnaissance satellites will pass over Sarajevo within the next 24 hours, KSAT will automatically identify those satellites and display their motion. Users can define an angular field of view for a satellite. The orbiter is said to pass over a site if that site falls within the vehicle's field of view. This lets mission planners know which space assets can view a particular point on the Earth. Ground mission planners can use this feature to avoid detection by imaging satellites, while space mission planners can use it to evaluate the adequacy of coverage. This option can also help determine communications coverage for a theater of operations. Several methods can be used to represent satellites on the display screen, including single pixel, satellite number, and continuous trail. Users can select any perspective in space to observe the simulation. One can zoom and rotate to change perspective, follow a satellite around the Earth, change position relative to the orbital plane, and zoom in or out. KSAT can also show the ground track of the satellite nadir. The user can specify an angular field of view about the nadir, and KSAT will represent the field of view as a fixed-angle cone. System requirements: SGI Indigo Elan or larger, running IRIX 3.3.2 or later. Price: * * * Source of information: SIGNAL, July 1993. PRODUCT NAME: LANDCADD SOURCE: LANDCADD International ADDRESS: 7388 S. Revere Parkway Building 900 Englewood, CO 80112 303-799-3600 PLATFORM: IBM RS/6000 and PC DESCRIPTION: LANDCADD is a series of integrated modules, available individually or as a complete set, including the Site Design Series, Terrain Series, Civil Series, and Irrigation Series. The software uses AutoCAD as its graphics engine, and features cascading menus, dialogue boxes and icon menus. LANDCADD installs completely inside AutoCAD. Users can access the entire AutoCAD menu at any time, or access any LANDCADD module from a common menu. The software can be run with any third-party AutoCAD application software. Users can select any type of units and can convert back and forth between units. 3-D perspective views can be generated by specifying the observer's position, direction of gaze, and focal length of lens. Walk-throughs can be generated, and the results can be viewed directly in AutoCAD or replayed by animation packages. The Site Design Series includes modules to allow the user to design in plan view and 3-D simultaneously. In the Site Planning and Landscape Design module the site can be viewed in multiple windows, with changes made in any one window automatically reflected in all windows. Features are included for site layout and dimensioning, topography, buildings, etc. Users can simulate the growth of plants over time, using a database of about 1,000 plants provided with the Plant Specifier module. The Terrain Series includes modules that allow contour mapping and terrain modeling. The Quadrangle module provides capabilities for TINs, processing unlimited points, superimposition of plan view entities onto the terrain surface, generation of 3-D contours, cross sections, 3-D gridded terrain models, sub-surface volumes, dynamic molding of the terrain surface, drawing roads in 3-D, etc. The Site Analysis module uses any 3-D terrain model and has capabilities for slope analysis, visibility determination, shadow analysis, multi-point viewsheds, and direct links to ESRI's ArcCAD. ArcCAD users can query and analyze LANDCADD's digital terrain information. LANDCADD now has a Site Designer product that does not require AutoCAD. Site Designer provides site planning and landscaping tools, including dimensioning, building footprints and topography. Plant growth simulation is also provided. System requirements: AutoCAD Release 12, DOS 2.0 or later (DOS 6.0 and Windows 3.1 recommended), 4 MB RAM (8 MB for Windows), 80 MB hard disk (200 recommended), VGA or better, and math co- processor (for 386). Site Designer requires a 386 with Windows 3.1 and 8 MB of RAM. Price: LANDCADD Complete: $5,995. Terrain (Quadrangle, Site Analysis, Earthworks): $2,495. Site (Site Planning & Landscape Design, etc.): $1,995. Modules can also be purchased individually, from $595 to $995. Source of information: A/E/C Computer Solutions, Jan-Feb 1995. Vendor literature (updated 04-94). PRODUCT NAME: LandForm95 Southern Rockies SOURCE: Rapid Imaging Software ADDRESS: P.O. Box 8219 Albuquerque, NM 87198 505-888-7232 info@landform.com http://www.landform.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT DESCRIPTION: LandForm95 Southern Rockies is a real-time 3-D terrain viewer. It allows users to fly through topographic data sets. The user sets the viewpoint, then the program loads the appropriate data and projects the scenes. The user controls the latitude, longitude, altitude, heading, pitch and roll. Altitude can be absolute or relative to the ground surface. The user also controls the polygon count, which affects rendering speed. LandForm95 Southern Rockies comes with topographic data for New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona, at three-arc-second resolution. Place names and linework for major roads and water bodies are included. LandForm95 Southern Rockies can read USGS one-degree and 7.5-minute DEM files. Land surface models can be exported as 3-D VRML 1.0 models. System requirements: A 486+ running Windows 95 or NT 3.5.1+, 8 MB RAM, 10 MB hard disk space and a 16- or 24-bit color display adapter. The software supports but does not require an OpenGL accelerator board. Price: $95. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: LandForm/Pro SOURCE: Rapid Imaging Software ADDRESS: P.O. Box 8219 Albuquerque, NM 87198 505-888-7232 info@landform.com http://www.landform.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT DESCRIPTION: LandForm/Pro is a developer's kit for 3-D terrain visualization. It allows users to fly through topographic data sets. The user sets the viewpoint, then the program loads the appropriate data and projects the scenes. The user controls the latitude, longitude, altitude, heading, pitch and roll. Altitude can be absolute or relative to the ground surface. The user also controls the polygon count, which affects rendering speed. LandForm/Pro can import NIMA DTED and USGS DEM (one-degree and 7.5-minute) elevation data. Landsat and SPOT (Level 1 and Level 2) imagery can be overlaid onto the land surface. User- defined (BMP) imagery and GEOTIFF imagery are also supported. Land surface models can be exported as 3-D VRML 1.0 and VRML 2.0 models. LandForm/Pro can also read geographic names database (GNIS) files. System requirements: A 486+ running Windows 95 or NT 3.5.1+, 8 MB RAM, 10 MB hard disk space and a 16- or 24-bit color display adapter. The software supports but does not require an OpenGL accelerator board. Price: $995. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: LANDview SOURCE: COMPUneering ADDRESS: 113 McCabe Crescent Thornhill, ON L4J 2S6 Canada 905-738-4601 PLATFORM: Macintosh DESCRIPTION: LANDview is a contouring and terrain modeling module for LANDesign. LANDview imports 3-D data, triangulates the data and creates contour maps and terrain models, using the TIN method. A TIN is created from imported data points. Objects can be placed in different layers. Elevations can be edited and TINs can be recalculated. Breaklines, layers, data and maps can be edited. Objects can be colored and shaded according to the user's wishes. Models and contours can be exported as PICT files. QuickTime movies (such as terrain fly-throughs) can be played with LANDview, and can be created by other programs that can import models from LANDview. DXF import and export is optional. Exporting the terrain in DXF format allows other programs to color, shade, rotate, animate or otherwise enhance the data. A Volumetrics (cut-and-fill calculations) module is also optional. System requirements: Macintosh Plus or later with 1 MB RAM. Price: LANDview Prices begin at $195 ($995 for unlimited points). The Volumetrics module and the Import/Export module cost $300 each. LANDesign costs $595. Source of information: RockWare 1996/97 Earth Science Software. Vendor literature (obtained 12-94). PRODUCT NAME: LI Contour SOURCE: AB Consulting (also Simplicity Systems) ADDRESS: 3939 North 48th Street Lincoln, NE 68504-1401 402-464-8021 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: LI Contour is designed to generate contour maps from 3-D coordinate data. Coordinates can be input by hand or loaded from coordinate files previously stored on disk. Up to 5,400 data points are supported. Features include TIN surface modeling, breakline capabilities, 2-D and 3-D graphics. 3-D maps can be viewed from any user specified position. All maps can be previewed on the screen prior to printing, plotting on popular plotters, or transferring to CAD programs. System requirements: A 386+ with 2 MB of RAM. Price: LI Contour Version 5.0: $395. Annual updates cost $75. AB Consulting offers free demo programs. Source of information: Professional Surveyor, May/June 1997. Vendor literature (updated 09-94). PRODUCT NAME: LI Contour V+ SOURCE: AB Consulting (also Simplicity Systems) ADDRESS: 3939 North 48th Street Lincoln, NE 68504-1401 402-464-8021 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: LI Contour V+ uses a triangulated digital terrain model to generate contour maps and to perform surface comparisons for volumetric calculations. It has all the surface modeling and contouring capabilities of LI Contour, and adds the ability to compare two surface models to calculate the volumetric difference. Output includes the total volumes of cut and fill, and a printout of the amount of cut and fill at each point. Intermediate generation of cross sections or grid cells are not needed. Maps can be plotted directly or be exported to Generic CADD, AutoCAD, or any DXF-based CAD program. System requirements: A 386+ with 2 MB of RAM. Price: LI Contour V+ Version 4.0: $595. Annual updates cost $75. Source of information: Professional Surveyor, May/June 1997. Vendor literature (updated 07-95). PRODUCT NAME: LI Discover SOURCE: AB Consulting ADDRESS: 3939 North 48th Street Lincoln, NE 68504-1401 402-464-8021 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: LI Discover supplements the output capabilities of LI Contour. It contains standard mapping capabilities (contouring, 3-D surface grids, etc.) plus additional graphic tools and types of maps. It explores the features of triangulated surface models for drainage, slope, elevation analysis and population densities. LI Discover also has an interactive graphic editor called the 3-D Animator, which includes all the 3-D viewing functions of LI Contour, but provides additional commands to facilitate the determination of the best viewing perspective. System requirements: LI Contour, 640 K RAM, EGA or VGA, Microsoft-compatible mouse. Price: LI Discover Version 3.0: $195. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: Lightscape Visualization System SOURCE: Lightscape Technologies ADDRESS: 1054 South DeAnza Blvd. San Jose, CA 95129 800-859-9643 info@lightscape.com http://www.lightscape.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics, Windows NT DESCRIPTION: The Lightscape Visualization System (LVS) combines radiosity technology with an integrated ray tracer and a physically-based lighting interface. Radiosity accurately calculates the intensity of light throughout a 3-D environment, allowing subtle lighting effects (e.g., soft shadows and color bleeding between surfaces). Lighting information is precalculated and stored as an integrated part of model surfaces. Once the radiosity solution has been determined, the user can move interactively through the fully rendered 3-D environment. Users can generate 3-D models that can be interactively walked through and explored. High-quality animation frames can be generated at real-time rates. Users can also attain true global illumination effects such as indirect diffuse lighting, soft shadows and color bleeding. LVS is designed to work with and enhance existing 3-D CAD, commercial animation and simulation applications. Users can import existing 3-D geometry (DXF and 3DS on NT platforms, and DXF and OBJ on SGI platforms). LVS also offers Performer, Softimage, Wavefront and Inventor translators. LVS models can be saved in Open Inventor format, which is easily translatable to VRML. Version 3.0 has a Mesh-to-Texture tool that converts a scene's radiosity solution (i.e., the polygon mesh representing the surfaces and light intensity, color, shading and shadows related to those surfaces) into texture maps, resulting in a model with a photorealistic appearance, despite a reduced polygon count. This enables developers to maintain low geometric complexity but high visual richness. Version 3.0 also includes a Softimage importer and improved support for 3D Studio R4 files, enabling LVS to maintain material properties, texture mapping, lights and camera paths. The LVS radiosity solution can now be exported to VRML and Open Inventor. System requirements: For PCs: Lightscape recommends a Pentium with 64 MB RAM, running Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.5 or 4.0. Price: LVS 3.0 for Windows NT/95: $495 (till 31 March 1997). Source of information: 3D Design, March 1997. Military Training Technology, February/March 1997. Computer Graphics World, January 1997. CADENCE, June 1996. NewMedia, January 1996. Special note: TVD has a Lightscape demo CD-ROM. POC is Tom Witte, (703) 428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: LightWave 3D SOURCE: NewTek ADDRESS: 1200 SW Executive Drive Topeka, KS 66615 913-228-8000 800-TOASTER http://www.newtek.com PLATFORM: Amiga, PC, Macintosh and Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: LightWave 3D (LW3D) lets users model, render, create surfaces and animate 3-D graphics from a single interface. The program offers selectable ray tracing, inverse kinematics, etc. There are two modules: Modeler (for creating objects), and Layout (for scene composition, animation and rendering). LW3D supports 3-D DXF import and export; 2-D import of IFF, TGA and PCT; and 2-D export of IFF, raw, TGA, ALS, BMP, CIN, JPG, PIC, PXR, QRT, 6RN, SGI, SUN, TIF, VTI, ILA, XWD and YUD formats. Version 5.0 includes OpenGL and QuickDraw3D support for real-time shaded views. The product comes with a CD-ROM containing license-free objects, images, textures and scenes. Version 5.0 comes with over 100 third-party plug-in tools. A plug-in called Relief converts DEM files into LightWave Object (LWO) format. Users can design landscapes several ways: Gray Scale to LWO, DEM to LWO, and DEM to BMP and Random Landscape Generator (RLG). Gray scale to LWO lets users convert gray scale BMP files into landscape objects. DEM to LWO lets users import USGS DEM files and create landscapes. DEM to BMP lets users create image maps of DEM data for use as texture maps on landscapes. RLG lets users create topographical landscape elements (e.g., mountains, valleys, canyons, craters, etc.). System requirements: For the Macintosh: Power PC with System 7.5+, 32 MB of RAM and QuickDraw3D 1.5. For the PC: Pentium, DEC Alpha or MIPS R4400+, Windows 95 or Windows 3.5+, 16 MB RAM (Win 95) or 32 MB RAM (Win NT). For SGI: R4400+, IRIX 5.2+, 32 MB RAM. For Amiga: 68030+, Workbench 2.1+, 16 MB RAM. For all: 10 MB disk space, CD-ROM drive. Price: LW3D 5.0 for Amiga, Intel and DEC Alpha: $1,495. LW3D 5.0 and 5.5 for SGI: $3,995. Relief: $229 from International Software Engineering (906-475-4713, ise@haja.com, http: //www.haja.com). Relief can be downloaded from the ISE web site, and can be used 14 times for $35. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). Interactivity, December 1996. Computer Graphics World, October 1996. PC Graphics & Video, October 1996. PRODUCT NAME: MacGeoPak SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com PLATFORM: Macintosh DESCRIPTION: MacGeoPak is a discounted software bundle that includes seven geoscience programs: MacGRIDZO, DIGITIZE, MacLOGGER, MacSection II, MGAP, Rosy and Stereo. MacGRIDZO (more fully described elsewhere in this survey) is a surface modeling and contour mapping program that creates 2-D and 3-D contour maps, solid color maps and shaded relief plots from coordinate data. System requirements: * * * Price: $899. Source of information: 1995 RockWare Earth Science Software Catalog. PRODUCT NAME: MacGRIDZO SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com PLATFORM: Macintosh DESCRIPTION: MacGRIDZO is a gridding, contouring and basemap plotting package. Several gridding algorithms (inverse distance, moving weighted least squares, polynomial fitting) are available for creating continuous surfaces from up to 32,000 randomly distributed points. Users control grid dimensions, densities and weighting factors. Contour maps can be generated at any contour interval. Users can create three kinds of 3-D perspective plots (mesh diagrams, raised contour maps and shaded relief maps) and view them from north, south, east or west. Input can be simple ASCII text files, as well as files produced by spreadsheet programs. 3-D and contour maps can be output to the screen, to supported printers, and to DXF or PICT files. System requirements: Macintosh with MAC OS 6.0.5 or higher and one MB of disk space. Price: $399. Source of information: GIS World, September 1995. RockWare Earth Science Software, 1994. PRODUCT NAME: MACS SOURCE: Sterling Software ADDRESS: 1404 Fort Crook Road South Bellevue, NE 68005 402-291-8300 dave_boyd@itd.sterling.com http://www.itd.sterling.com PLATFORM: HP, Intel, SGI, SUN DESCRIPTION: The Mapping Applications - Client Server (MACS) is a component of a common operating environment designed to provide geospatial display and analysis tools to a variety of users and mission applications. It allows multiple systems to communicate with a single map process, enabling the creation of an integrated battlefield situation display. MACS provides an applications programming interface (API) for rapid integration of mission applications with minimal coding. MACS supports overlay of application data including image footprints, tracks and symbology; a variety of geospatial analysis functions including distance calculations (ground and air), intervisibility profiles, terrain masking, minimum/maximum terrain elevations, visibility shadow, line of sight, surface material code analysis and perspective views with image overlays; along with image registration and analysis tools. MACS provides for the combined display of multiple sources of mission data, enabling the user to view imagery and associated data in the context of other intelligence products. Input formats include DCW, ADRG, DTED, DFAD, ITD, WVS, CADRG and CIB. Output formats include CMS, GIF, XPM, Postscript and HPGL. MACS/CMTK is operational at STRATCOM, Rome Laboratories and current Combat Intelligence System (CIS 1.1.1) sites. System requirements: An Intel PC running Linux, a SUN SPARC running SunOS 4.1x or Solaris 2.x, an HP running HPUX 10.0x, or an SGI running IRIX 5.3; 64 MB of RAM; 85 MB of disk space and 128 MB of swap space. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). Pathfinder 97 Candidate Tool Form. PRODUCT NAME: MAGIK SOURCE: Merit Technology ADDRESS: 5068 W. Plano Parkway Plano, TX 75093 214-248-2502 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: MAGIK is a software toolkit comprised of modular routine libraries and support programs designed for use in mapping, 2-D and 3-D analysis, and perspective visualizations. MAGIK has four subsystems: MAGIK-SCENE for out-the-window visualization, MAGIK- MAP for digital map display, MAGIK-VIEW for 3-D perspective visualization, and MAGIK-IMAGE for digitized paper map display. MAGIK-VIEW is an optional graphic development toolkit that supports the creation of 3-D perspective terrain visualization systems for applications such as mission planning, simulation and briefing/debriefing. MAGIK-VIEW contains tools for the generation and management of digital terrain and feature databases. The terrain database can be built from NIMA DTED or USGS DEMs. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Silicon Graphics Applications Directory, May 1991. PRODUCT NAME: MakePath/Flight DIrector SOURCE: Virtual Reality Labs ADDRESS: 2341 Ganador Court San Luis Obispo,CA 93401 800-829-VRLI PLATFORM: PC, Amiga DESCRIPTION: MakePath/Flight Director allows the user to create complex animation sequences for VistaPro. The user has full control over acceleration, banking and pitch. Smooth animation motion models are provided, including dune buggy, glider, jet, cruise missile, helicopter and motorcycle. A user can also create his own model. A user can define a flight path by drawing a line with the mouse or by editing the entire route. The user can also control his speed and how closely he follows the contours of the landscape. The wireframe preview mode allows users to preview their entire animations. Looping animations can be made, and the landscape can be spun in front of the observer. System requirements: For IBM: VistaPro, a 386+ with DOS 3.0+, 4 MB RAM, VGA, a mouse and a hard disk. For Amiga: VistaPro, 3 MB RAM. Price: $69.95 ($40 through Media Magic). Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: MapInfo Professional SOURCE: MapInfo ADDRESS: One Global View Troy, NY 12180-8399 800-327-8627 http://www.mapinfo.com PLATFORM: Windows 3.1/95/NT DESCRIPTION: MapInfo is the cornerstone of the MapInfo family of products. It is a Windows-based GIS package that lets users access and visualize data in popular database formats (e.g., Microsoft Access, Excel, Informix, Lotus 1-2-3, Oracle, SQL Base and Sybase). MapInfo Professional provides tools for SQL querying and geographic analysis. The product ships with more than 90 maps and hundreds of demographic data sets. MapInfo supports several raster image file formats, including .bmp, .gif, .jpeg, .pcx, SPOT, .tga and .tiff. It supports window capture in .bmp, .wmf, .jpeg, .tiff, Photoshop 3.0 and portable network graphics formats. MapInfo itself does not perform 3-D visualization, but it is compatible with other products (e.g., Surfer, SurfLink and Vertical Mapper) that do. For example, SurfLink provides an interface between MapInfo and Surfer for Windows. System requirements: MapInfo Professional 4.1 for Windows 95 requires a 486+ PC with 8 MB of RAM, 22 MB of disk space, VGA or better graphics and a CD-ROM drive. Price: MapInfo Professional 4.1 costs $1,295. A bundle including MapInfo Professional and Vertical Mapper costs $1,995. A bundle including MapInfo and SurfLink costs $1,225. A bundle including MapInfo, Surfer and SurfLink costs $1,625. Source of information: Geo Info Systems, September 1997. Government Technology, July 1997. Vendor literature (obtained 07-97). PRODUCT NAME: MapView 3-D SOURCE: Philosoft ADDRESS: * * * PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: MapView 3-D is a software tool for instruction in 3-D topography. Users can draw contour maps and display them in 3-D. Profiles and cross-sections can also be generated. Map drawing and map exploration exercises are included. Users can become familiar with determining point heights, calculating line distances, estimating grid coordinates, calculating hill gradients, drawing profiles, finding profile locations, determining point of view and following bearing and distance to a target. System requirements: 640K RAM, DOS 3.3+, EGA/VGA and a mouse. Price: $89. Source of information: Media Magic, 1994. PRODUCT NAME: Map Wizard for Windows SOURCE: Micropath ADDRESS: 2023 Montane Drive East Golden, CO 80401-9123 303-526-5454 microinfo@micropath.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Map Wizard for Windows converts USGS 30-meter DEMs to SURFER .GRD files or generic XYZ ASCII files in UTM or geographic coordinates, and in miles or kilometers. DXF output is also supported. Map data selections are indexed by state. Users can search by DEM (USGS 30-meter ASCII digital elevation model), DLG (USGS 1: 24,000 digital line graph) or map (USGS 7.5-minute quadrangle); by latitude/longitude; or by file name. 3-D representations of 30-meter DEMs can be displayed, tilted, rotated and scaled. Users can also select subsets, convert subsets, find elevations and control colors. System requirements: 386 or higher running Windows 3.1 or later, 4 MB of RAM and 15 MB of hard disk space. Price: $250. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 1995). Special note: TVD has a 3.5" demo diskette. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: Marine Doom SOURCE: Marine Corps Modeling and Simulation Management Office ADDRESS: Modeling and Simulation Management Office Quantico, VA barnett@mqg-smtp 3.usmc.mil http:/138.156.15.33/doom/doom/html PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Marine Doom is a project of the Marine Corps Modeling and Simulation Management Office (MCMSMO). The MCMSMO has adapted the game Doom II for training four-man fire teams. The game teaches concepts such as mutual fire team support, protection of the automatic rifleman, the proper sequencing of an attack, ammunition discipline and succession of command. Doom II's characters have been replaced by armed Marines and enemy soldiers, and real-world representations have been used to create backgrounds that reflect real-world tactical situations. The game's combat environment includes buildings, bunkers, holes, berms, tactical emplacements, concertina wire, etc. The terrain can include ditches, hills and other small features. Players use digitized images of M16A1 rifles, M249 squad automatic weapons and M67 fragmentation grenades against enemy troops in a variety of terrain and building configurations. The simulation can be configured for a specific mission, e.g., rescuing American hostages held in an overseas embassy. The Corps has the capability to incorporate digitized embassy floor plans into Doom for use in training for rescue missions. Doom supports four players on a network. Players receive a text file that specifies training objectives and provides information on the potential enemy and friendly units. Each of the four team members has a different view of the battlefield on his screen. Observers can view an overhead schematic of the battle site on a mapping module. The team leader can pause the simulation at any point to evaluate a phase of the operation. Users must purchase version 1.9 of the commercial game Doom II, and add the Marine code (available from the MCMSMO's web page) to run the tactical simulation. The Marine software cannot run without the original commercial package. Plans call for fielding Doom at Marine learning resource centers. System requirements: Doom II version 1.9, Dehacked 3.0 and the marine1.wad file. Price: * * * Source of information: Real Time Graphics, August 1996. Advanced Imaging, July 1996. MCMSMO web page (accessed 07-96). SIGNAL, July 1996. PRODUCT NAME: Mathematica SOURCE: Wolfram Research ADDRESS: 100 Trade Center Drive Champaign, IL 61820 217-398-0700 PLATFORM: PC, Macintosh, Sun, HP, IBM, SGI, DEC and NeXT DESCRIPTION: Mathematica provides an extensive numerical library, and includes the capability for numbers of arbitrary precision. Basic math functions are available, along with matrix operations, Fourier transforms, function fitting, integration, root finding, differential equations, minimization and linear programming, and number theoretic functions. Mathematica also supports symbolic computation in the areas of algebraic simplification, polynomial factoring, symbolic integration, algebraic equation solving, matrix operations, and list processing. Like IDL, Mathematica has capabilities for 3-D mesh/surface plots, 3-D contour plots, interactive graphics, colorization of graphics, shading, light source control, image processing, animation, and more. System requirements: Mathematica 2.2 is available in a version that is optimized for the PowerMacintosh. Price: UNIX: $1,995 ($1,500 for SGI users if purchased through SGI's Expressware). Version 2.2 for the Macintosh: $595. Source of information: Computer, July 1994. PRODUCT NAME: Mercury SOURCE: Sense8 ADDRESS: 100 Shoreline Highway Suite 282 Mill Valley, CA 94941 415-331-9148 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Mercury allows users to develop virtual environments on PCs. Applications can be developed to load existing AutoCAD or 3D Studio models and to interact with them in real-time. Programmers can use Mercury's C language interface to add complex dynamics (e.g., vehicles driving over terrain). Mercury's functions are broken down into the following classifications: - Universe: This contains all entries, which can be added or removed by the simulation manager. The sequence of events in the simulation loop can be defined by the user. - Objects are graphical entities that can be dynamically created or loaded from Autodesk or Wavefront model files. - Polygons can be dynamically created and texture-mapped using various sources of image data. Rendering modes include wire- frame, smooth shading and texture. - Lights can be dynamically created or loaded from a file. - Viewpoints: Users can have multiple viewpoints, attached to multiple sensors. - Sensors: Devices can be connected to lights, objects, viewpoints. etc. - Paths: Objects or viewpoints can follow predefined paths that can be dynamically created and interpolated. - Terrain: Terrain can be generated randomly or be based on real data. Terrain-following is supported. - Portals: New worlds are automatically loaded upon passing through user-defined portals. - Animation: These are sequences of model files that are treated as individual entities. Mercury comes with examples that can be used as starting points for application development. Two of these are tfollow.c, which shows how to use terrain-following functions to create a vehicle that can drive over hilly terrain; and pathdemo.c, which shows how to create interpolated paths and to control the movement of one's viewpoint or objects along a path. 3-D models of houses, vehicles, etc., are also provided, along with more than 100 textures, including trees, grass and water. System requirements: PC with VGA/SVGA. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: MET SOURCE: Harris Corporation ADDRESS: Information Systems Division P.O. Box 98000 Melbourne, FL 32902-9800 407-984-5692 PLATFORM: SUN and SGI DESCRIPTION: The Multi-image Exploitation Tool (MET) is a photogrammetric toolkit that features autonomous registration on multiple images with multiple sensors. MET also contains tools for mensuration, projection and annotation. MET's Data Ingest module provides the capability to ingest images in standard distribution formats from tape, disk or CD- ROM, and to convert the images and support data into MET's internal formats. Inputs include NITF 2.0, NITF 2.0 SDE, PID, FID, SRP, CPE, EOSAT Fast Format, SPOT A and B, SAR RF, SUN raster, raw raster, CCF, ADRG, DTED, RTED and JSTARS. Output formats include CCF, SUN raster, raw raster, NITF 2.0, ERDAS Imagine EHFA 8.x, EPS and JSTARS. Multiple images can be loaded simultaneously, and complex sequences of operations can be saved as sessions for easy recall. Display capabilities include single image, multiple image mosaic, left/right swipe, image sequence, change detection, color image, Landsat fusion and stereo (for users appropriate hardware). Cursor position (latitude, longitude, elevation and GSD) is shown at the bottom of the image display window. The location of the cursor can also be shown in UTM and line/sample coordinates. Images can be scaled, rotated, centered and reprojected. Eleven map projections and over 190 datums are supported. Perspective views can be created, with fixed or moving camera positions. System requirements: A SUN (SunOS 4.1.x and Solaris 2.4 or 2.5) or SGI (IRIX 5.3) workstation with 64 MB RAM, 128 MB of swap space and up to 650 MB of disk space (for all options). Price: * * * Source of information: Pathfinder 97 Candidate Tool Form. Vendor literature (obtained 09-96). PRODUCT NAME: MetaVRSG SOURCE: MetaVR ADDRESS: 37 Elm Street Brookline, MA 0214-6813 617-739-2667 wgsmith@metavr.com http://www.metavr.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The MetaVR Virtual Reality Scene Generator (MetaVRSG) is a software developers kit (SDK) designed for simulation and game development. The MetaVRSG SDK is a software source code and library environment built around Microsoft's Direct3D and Direct Sound SDK. It provides visualization and simultaneous networking of hundreds of multi-player entities in a real-time environment, replete with audio. It includes network latency recovery mechanisms, IP multicast capabilities, and tools for generating and texturing polygonal models. MetaVRSG provides user-configurable game protocol data unit (PDU) creation and a Microsoft Gameport interface for game controllers. There are tools for generating 3-D models from 2-D perspective data, and tools for specifying event-based texture animations for explosions, dynamic weather, etc. System requirements: SDK comes with 640 x 480 and 800 x 600 3Dfx graphics accelerators. Price: $32,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 02-97). PRODUCT NAME: MetroSim SOURCE: Coryphaeus ADDRESS: 985 University Avenue Suite 31 Los Gatos, CA 95030 408-395-4537 sales@cory.coryphaeus.com http://www.coryphaeus.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: MetroSim is a tool for interactive visualization of architectural plans, structural designs and land use layouts. It is designed for modeling realistic urban scenes that incorporate buildings, roads, rivers, trees, vehicles, etc. MetroSim integrates Coryphaeus' Designer's Work Bench (DWB) for 3-D modeling, texturing and optimization; a DXF Translator for importing existing DXF files, such as AutoCAD blueprints; and EasyScene for real-time simulation. EasyT (for importing, editing and exporting terrain databases) is optional. MetroSim has been used by transportation engineers in California to examine various designs for a proposed bridge over San Francisco Bay. System requirements: * * * Price: $25,000. Source of information: CADalyst, October 1997. Government Technology, July 1997. Vendor literature (obtained 05-97). PRODUCT NAME: MEU-31 SOURCE: MaK Technologies ADDRESS: 380 Green Street Cambridge, MA 02139 617-876-8085 katz@mak.com http://www.mak.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: MaK Technologies received a contract for the design and development of an amphibious assault video game through the DoD's Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program. Up to $800K of SBIR funds will support the project. The game will be used for training and education to enhance amphibious warfare capabilities in the areas of command and control, maneuver, firepower and logistics. Current plans call for the user to be able to select either a fun mode or a more realistic mode, which will adhere closely to military tactics. Commercial release is scheduled for December 1999. System requirements: * * * Price: Around $60. Source of information: Digital Magic, June 1997. SIGNAL, June 1997. Silicon Graphics World, June 1997. PRODUCT NAME: MGE SOURCE: Intergraph ADDRESS: Huntsville, AL 35894 205-730-8302 http://www.intergraph.com PLATFORM: Intergraph UNIX workstations and PCs DESCRIPTION: The Modular GIS Environment (MGE) has tools for spatial database creation and management, analysis and output. It uses an interface built on interactive graphics and a commercial relational database of the user's choice (Informix, Ingres, ORACLE or DB2). The core product provides geographic data input, project and feature definition, data query, and graphic representation capabilities. It can be enhanced with add-on modules for specialized applications such as spatial query and analysis, photogrammetry, image processing, surveying, digital terrain modeling, and cartographic output. The core environment facilitates the integration of these application modules. MGE Terrain Modeler (MTM) is used to model and analyze terrain data. Input is accepted from a variety of sources, including photogrammetric, surveying and commercially available data, such as USGS and NIMA digital data. The DTM Translators module translates commercially available elevation data into Intergraph terrain data formats. DTMs generated from these data can be triangle-based or grid-based. Attributed thematic layers for slope, aspect, elevation and intervisibility can be produced. Data are immediately available for terrain analysis queries in the Analyst and Grid Analyst modules. Display features include perspective views, shaded relief, color-filled contours and labeled contours. MGE Imager is used for enhancement and analysis of remotely sensed raster data integrated with vector data sets. Projection Manager converts coordinates between map projections and geodetic datums, and integrates foreign data. More application modules are available. MGE can import and export AutoCAD DWG data. MGE 7.0 includes a new magnetic model, the 1995 revision of the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF). Along with other enhancements, MapInfo translators are included in MGE 7.0. The Canadian Department of National Defence Mapping and Charting Establishment (MCE) uses MGE to produce hardcopy anaglyphs for the purpose of visualizing the battle space. Images are orthorectified using ImageStation Image Rectifier (ISIR), and mosaicked together using ImageStation Imager (ISI). The corresponding elevation data are used to construct the DTM in MGE Terrain Modeler (MTM). ISIR is used to create a second image, or stereo mate, which is shifted according to elevation. MGE Map Finisher is used to superimpose a grid, add a legend, etc. MGE is part of the U.S. Military Academy's Geographic Sciences Lab. The Spring 1997 issue of Intergraph's Global Link newsletter includes a perspective view of Kabul, Afghanistan, that was created by CIA cartographers from DTED using MGE Terrain Analyst. System requirements: 16 MB RAM and MicroStation. MicroStation PC requires a 386+ with 8 MB RAM, 12 MB disk space, a math co- processor and database software (PC Oracle 5.1.C, dBase III+, dBase IV or Foxbase). MGE Modeler requires 32 MB RAM and 540 MB disk space. Price: About $7,000. MicroStation Version 5 for Windows/DOS costs $3,790. Source of information: Global Link, Spring 1997. Global Link, Winter 1996. PE&RS, May 1995. Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: MicroDEM SOURCE: University of Wisconsin ADDRESS: State Cartographer 550 N. Park Street Room 160 Science Hall Madison, WI 53706-1404 608-262-3065 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: MicroDEM, written by Peter L. Guth of the U.S. Naval Academy, is a program for experimenting with and viewing digital elevation models (DEMs). An abbreviated version is available through the Wisconsin State Cartographer's Office. A variety of viewing options and analytical functions are provided, such as line-of-sight, perspective view, and wireframe fly-through. MicroDEM can also interface with several GPS units, allowing movements on the ground to be displayed on a DEM. Four sample DEMs are included with the software as provided by the Wisconsin SCO. MicroDEM is part of the U.S. Military Academy's Geographic Sciences Lab. System requirements: IBM-compatible PC, EGA or VGA, and several MB of hard disk space. Price: $10. The program may be copied for non-commercial purposes. To obtain the full set of files, documentation and latest version, send $25.00 to Peter L. Guth at 107 Claude St., Annapolis MD 21401-1207. Source of information: Software documentation (Version 6.50). Wisconsin Mapping Bulletin, July 1993. Special note: TVD has a copy of the Wisconsin SCO version. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: MicroStation Masterpiece SOURCE: Bentley Systems ADDRESS: 690 Pennsylvania Drive Exton, PA 19341 800-778-4274 http://www.bentley.com PLATFORM: SGI, HP, DEC Alpha, IBM RS/6000, SUN SPARC and Intergraph Clipper workstations; Macintosh and Power Macintosh; and DOS, Windows and Windows NT PCs. DESCRIPTION: MicroStation Masterpiece is designed to give CAD users photorealistic rendering and animation. The software's capabilities include ray tracing, radiosity and engineering animation. Users can generate and analyze photorealistic still or animated images during the design phase. MicroStation Masterpiece was developed with the MicroStation Development Language (MDL) and works with MicroStation Modeler, MicroStation V5 and MicroStation Review. The package includes an image library and rendering tools that include material assignment, lighting editors and FlyThrough Producer. The newest release includes new tools to animate the design environment and design geometry. Lighting can move during animation, while light intensities, colors, beams and targets can be altered. Material settings can be modified. There is also a new ability to embed animations within animations. Procedural textures have also been added. System requirements: * * * Price: $1,450 (for MicroStation users). $1,950 (standalone - bundled with MicroStation Review). Source of information: MicroStation World, Summer 1996. PRODUCT NAME: Mirage Visual System SOURCE: Marconi Simulation and Training ADDRESS: John Sutcliffe Building Fulmar Way Donibristle Ind. Park Nr. Dunfermline, Fife Scotland KY11 5JX +44-(0)-383-821921 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Marconi's Mirage Visual System runs independently of Performer. It features proprietary real-time scheduling and scene management techniques to maintain update rates up to 60 Hz. Multi-channel, multiple viewport generation is built into the software. Simultaneous multi-sensor simulation is supported. Special effects are optimized for fast run-time performance. The software also supports the dynamic retrieval of sections of large databases. The Mirage Visual System is compatible with MultiGen's .flt format through version 14.1. The software is also SIF-compatible and uses proprietary terrain formats for certain applications. About thirty licenses have been sold as of February, 1995. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Real Time Graphics, February 1995. PRODUCT NAME: ModelGen2 SOURCE: MultiGen ADDRESS: 550 S. Winchester Blvd. Suite 500 San Jose, CA 95128 408-261-4100 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: ModelGen2 is designed for entertainment, virtual reality, architectural walk-throughs, CAD visualization, etc. It contains tools for editing and optimizing visual databases. Features include: - Geometry and structure editing. - Texture creation, editing and application tools. - Virtual reality attributes. - AutoCAD DXF import to convert CAD data to 3-D models suitable for real-time display. - Complete compatibility with OpenFlight Format. - Hundreds of free models and textures. The Terrain Option contains tools for automatic generation of 3-D polygonal terrain databases from digital sources such as NIMA DTED and USGS DEM. The digital data are extracted from 9- track source tapes or CD-ROMs and written to disk, whereupon the user can retrieve individual cells from the DTED/DEM files. The gaming area is first viewed as color-coded contours, from which a subset can be chosen for transformation into a 3-D polygonal scene. A Delaunay transformation algorithm converts terrain post data into continuous 3-D polygonal topography with a UTM projection. Data can be textured automatically during the polygon conversion process. Users control the resolution of the contour display, the color of the polygons based on elevation, the geographic extent, the resolution of the transformed polygonal scene, the number of levels of detail, coastline preservation, and error correction criteria. The Instrumentation Option provides tools for modeling 3-D instrumentation and controls. The Behavior Option gives the user the ability to define the behavior of objects in the virtual world. The Audio Option lets the user interactively define and edit sounds and to locate them statically or attach them to moving objects within the database. Many textures are provided with the software, and additional textures can be bought on CD-ROM, acquired through use of a MultiGen license with scanner support, or imported as RGB files in TIFF or PICT formats. System requirements: * * * Price: $14,900 (quoted 01-94). Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 12-94). PRODUCT NAME: ModelView SOURCE: Intergraph ADDRESS: Huntsville, AL 35894 205-730-8302 http://www.intergraph.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT DESCRIPTION: ModelView is a visualization tool designed for CAD rendering and animation. It lets AutoCAD and MicroStation users transform 3-D representations into photorealistic images. ModelViewFlyThrough lets users record animations directly to .avi files or ModelView .vfa files while running within AutoCAD R13 or MicroStation. Animations can be accelerated by using MOGLE within MicroStation or AutoGL within AutoCAD. 3-D B-spline curves are used to generate smooth animations. ModelView 3.5 reads MicroStation .dgn; AutoCAD .dwg, .dxb and .dxf; and .sat file formats. For a railroad route widening project, Swedish Rail has used Intergraph's InRail for terrain modeling and ModelView for visualization. System requirements: * * * Price: ModelView Professional: $1,395. ModelView Advantage: $495. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 05-97). PRODUCT NAME: Modular Mission Support System SOURCE: OSC/Fairchild Defense ADDRESS: 20301 Century Boulevard Germantown, MD 20874 301-428-6477 http://www.fds.com http://www.orbital.com PLATFORM: Windows NT DESCRIPTION: The Modular Mission Support System (MMSS) consists of COTS system software, common core application software and application-unique software. The software can be provided as selectable modules so that the user may purchase only those modules that meet his needs. MMSS can also interface with other systems for exchanging intelligence, imagery and position data. Geo-referenced MCG&I data are used to present a background over which data are displayed and from which geo-referenced data such as routes can be derived. Supported NIMA standards include ADRG, CADRG, CIB, DTED and DCW. NATO's ASRP and SPOT and Landsat imagery are also supported. Supported Fairchild Defense products include AeroMap, MultiMap and OrbImage. Fairchild Defense also offers database preparation services to support MMSS software. Users can select, re-center and zoom (2x, 4x, 8x and 16x). When a requested map or image is not currently loaded, the system informs the user which medium the database is on. Database coverage can also be displayed. Multiple display windows can be opened in any module. The basic application supports the generation of overlay data. Overlay support includes text annotation, lines, polygons, user-defined symbols and line-of-sight/intervisibility overlays. Real-time updates of icons or symbols are supported for real-time tracking applications. The Perspective View module produces perspective views for any location for which DTED and satellite imagery are available. The Sun-Shaded DTED module produces perspective views by shading DTED with a light source positioned behind the user-specified viewpoint. The Radar Prediction function generates predictions based on terrain elevation. The Mission Fly Through module provides the capability to preview missions by generating movies. Image frames of 640 x 400 pixels can be displayed at a rate of four frames per second when reading from a file previously stored on magnetic disk. The process requires two steps. First a sequence of images is generated by flying over the desired terrain and creating perspective views to be stored on the hard disk. Next, the sequence is played back using VCR-like functions. The Enemy Order of Battle (EOB) and Operational Scenario function displays locations of ground-based threat systems, the forward line of own troops (FLOT), safety corridors and no-fly zones. There are also capabilities for threat scenarios, threat masking overlays, RECCE photographs and target status. Targets can be queried for location, type, etc. The Route Planning module provides functionality to generate and evaluate mission plans for different aircraft. Users can set waypoints and draw routes superimposed on digital maps and imagery. Mission parameters such as Start Taxi and Takeoff (STTO), time, distance, fuel flow, heading and Time-on-Target (TOT) are automatically calculated. Users can set wind speed and direction to obtain true air speed for a defined ground speed. The Autorouter module automatically generates route segments that minimize exposure to enemy ground-based threat systems and considers factors such as EOB, weather conditions, aircraft performance, target locations and attack constraints. MMSS supports a variety of data exchange methods, including LAN standards such as TCP/IP, Ethernet and PC/NFS; and point-to- point standards like RS-232 and Kermit. System requirements: A 90+ MHz Pentium running Windows NT/95, 16 MB RAM (32 MB recommended for fly-through generation), 1 GB disk space, quad-speed CD-ROM, 1.44 MB floppy disk drive, a 17" SVGA monitor with a 256-color driver, a mouse and a SCSI interface. Price: $10,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 02-96). PRODUCT NAME: Moving Vehicle Simulator SOURCE: N.C.C. ADDRESS: 55 Hamasger Street Tel Aviv 67217 Israel (972) 3 5618391 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Moving Vehicle Simulator is network-based simulation software. It displays 3-D vehicles driving on realistic-looking terrain using terrain elevation data. Trainees can use their workstations to drive their vehicles freely while the system receives vehicle position and location, and produces both an out-the-window display for all the other trainers and a bird's eye view of the same world state. The system can also simulate a group of moving vehicles according to specific vehicle characteristics. Users can drive any vehicle, change viewing/driving direction, perform the vehicle's physical actions, and change the terrain data. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: IRIS Partner Catalog, Fall 1992. PRODUCT NAME: MPS SOURCE: Naval Postgraduate School ADDRESS: Computer Science Department Monterey, CA 93943-5100 408-646-2305 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Moving Platform Simulator (MPS) is a networkable simulator that displays 3-D vehicles driving or flying over terrain generated from elevation data. The system receives platform position and location via Ethernet and produces a visual display that corresponds to the current world state. From any workstation, a user can enter any vehicle involved and look out its windows. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: SGI Applications Directory, May 1991. PRODUCT NAME: MSTS-A SOURCE: USARSPACE ADDRESS: 719-554-8710 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Multi-Source Tactical System-Army (MSTS-A) is a system designed to receive, process, correlate and display near real-time ELINT; real-time GPS locations and AWACS data. These data are automatically overlaid onto imagery, ADRG or WDBII map background data. The ELINT symbology depicts radar surveillance and weapon system ranges in 2-D and 3-D. These capabilities are intended to provide situational awareness and to facilitate threat avoidance. MSTS-A also receives and displays secondary imagery, can display terrain in 3-D, allows the operator to fly through the terrain, and enables the user to create video loops of 3-D fly- throughs. More specifically, MSTS-A consists of WINGS 2.1 software along with ECAT by McDonnell Douglas. WINGS can be evoked from within ECAT. By considering the engagement rings generated by ECAT, route planners can avoid troublesome areas. One can examine a target area in WINGS, and evoke ECAT to read an intelligence message associated with it. ECAT also shows available MC&G coverages for a given area. The Air Force began the MSTS-A initiative, but it has been incorporated into the U.S. Army Space Command's Army Space Exploitation Demonstration Program (ASEDP). System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: MSTS-A demonstration, June 1995. USARSPACE information paper. PRODUCT NAME: MultiGen SOURCE: MultiGen ADDRESS: 550 S. Winchester Blvd. Suite 500 San Jose, CA 95128 408-261-4100 cchristian@multigen.com http://www.multigen.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: MultiGen is a 3-D modeling system designed for the rapid generation of visual simulation databases. MultiGen's tools facilitate the rapid construction of 3-D models (e.g., aircraft, tanks, runways, buildings, etc.). A digitizing tablet interface supports input from maps or drawings. The modeler can view his work in solid, fully shaded 3-D at all times. The DTED option supports the rapid, automatic generation of terrain polygons from gridded data such as USGS DEMs or NIMA DTED. Included in this option are tools for viewing contours, a choice of mesh or Delaunay conversion algorithms, and flat, conical or curved earth transformations. The DFAD option allows NIMA Digital Feature Analysis Data (DFAD) to be converted automatically into a 3D visual scene. The user can interactively control the conversion by performing a search and simplification of raw DFAD data, and by choosing simple projection or library model substitution. Scenes generated from DFAD can be viewed immediately and enhanced using MultiGen's editing tools. The texture option provides texture creation, editing and mapping capabilities. Image processing tools such as gamma correction, filters and masks, and warping methods are included, as are interactive application tools. MultiGen is compatible with SGI's Performer, which can accept MultiGen databases and transparently manage the traversal and scene management functions for the user. Translation modules permit MultiGen databases to be used on a variety of image generators, including those from Evans & Sutherland, Star Technologies and General Electric. Version 14.0 includes several new or improved features: Road Tools, Virtual Reality Option, Sound Option, automatic LOD generation, LOD morphing, a texture editor, a SIF option and network licensing. Road Tools are rule-based tools that adhere to actual civil engineering/highway construction rules. The Virtual Reality Option allows the user to define links between objects in the database, such as between a switch and a light. The Sound Option allows users to interactively position sounds in the 3-D database with directionality, volume, and attenuation. The automatic LOD generator provides a facility to decimate high-resolution polygonal models to automatically create lower levels of detail. LOD morphing improves the visual effect and load management issues related to LOD switching. The texture editor has been rewritten to provide a more convenient front-end to the existing toolset. The 2851 SIF option, which handles import of gridded data, cultural features, models and textures, has also been enhanced. Polygonal databases can be created from SIF data or AutoCAD DXF data. Export of SIF models is now available. MultiGen's OpenFlight scene description database specification is now in the public domain. MultiGen is also working with MaK Technologies to supply extensions to OpenFlight. The current version is available on MultiGen's TakeFlight and Silicon Graphics' WebForce sites on the World Wide Web. The specification is also available on SGI's Performer 2.0 CD-ROM. MultiGen has been used to build a virtual MOBA (Military Operations in Built-up Areas) training site based on a mockup village at Fort Benning. The virtual village is contained within an 8k x 8k terrain database and provides the basis for simulating small unit operations in urban settings. The village model consists of more than 2,300 polygons and contains 13 buildings, with exteriors and interiors fully modeled and textured. Textures were also applied to terrain features such as trees, rocks and roads. The Naval Research Lab (NRL) has used MultiGen to build models for its Virtual Workbench. MultiGen II Pro is being used for Mountain Top Computing's EarthMaker application. System requirements: * * * Price: $39,800 for MultiGen; $12,000 each for texture, DTED, DFAD and Project 2851 import/export options. Source of information: Real Time Graphics, April/May 1997. Take Flight, November/December 1996. Silicon Graphics World, January 1996. Special note: TEC's Digital Products Center uses MultiGen. A possible POC is David Brierly, 703-428-7420. PRODUCT NAME: MultiGen GO SOURCE: MultiGen ADDRESS: 550 S. Winchester Blvd. Suite 500 San Jose, CA 95128 408-261-4100 cchristian@multigen.com http://www.multigen.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: MultiGen GO is an integrated product for real-time image generation. Features include large area database management, lightpoints and special effects (e.g., fire, smoke, flares, tracers, etc.). GO supports relocatable objects with up to 100 simultaneous moving models and articulations, data smoothing and position prediction. GO provides out-the-widow and sensor visual simulations, including night vision goggles, electro-optical with automatic contrast enhancement, black hot/whit hot, quantization and software focusing. Both synchronous and asynchronous communications are supported, with local shared or reflective memory and a simple functional interface. System requirements: * * * Price: $15,000 per graphics pipe for SGI Onyx platforms and $10,000 for SGI Octane and O2 systems. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, October 1997. PRODUCT NAME: MultiMap SOURCE: Fairchild Defense ADDRESS: 20301 Century Boulevard Germantown, MD 20874 301-428-6711 PLATFORM: Sun4/SPARCstation, SUN 3, SUN 386i, DEC VAXstation, IBM RS/6000 DESCRIPTION: MultiMap software grew from Fairchild's support for aircraft mission planning. MultiMap manages three databases: the Geographic Data Base, the Overlay Data Base and the Places Data Base. These databases are georeferenced by latitude and longitude and are geographically correlated to each other. The Geographic Data Base consists of one or more of the following types of data: - raster-scanned paper maps and charts. - NIMA ADRG - USAF Mission Support System (MSS) II data - NIMA World Vector Shoreline - NIMA DTED and USGS DEM - colorized representations of DTED and DEM - Landsat and SPOT imagery - other sources (foreign maps, special imagery, orthophotos, etc.) MultiMap supports the Mercator, Transverse Mercator, Lambert Conformal, polar stereographic, polyconic, ARC and Miller map projections. Embedded modules are provided for importing NIMA ADRG and DTED. Geographic functions include the calculation and display of coordinates, elevation, range, bearing, vector, point-to-point line-of-sight and area line-of-sight. Terrain profiles can be plotted. Also, given the position of a viewer and a target, MultiMap can generate an out-the-cockpit perspective view, by draping SPOT imagery over DTED. Given the corner coordinates, MultiMap can also determine the highest elevation in a polygon and move the cursor to that point. MultiMap provides the management and display of raster and vector maps, management of overlays, and interactions with the Ingres RDBMS for the Danish Army Command, Control and Information System. System requirements: Recommended configuration for a Sun SPARC 20: 32 MB RAM, 1 GB hard disk, CD-ROM and 8-mm tape drives. Price: * * * Source of information: CECOM (C2SID)/BCBL Mission Planning/Rehearsal User Assessment (31 October 1995). Vendor literature (dated). PRODUCT NAME: MUSE SOURCE: National Imagery and Mapping Agency ADDRESS: Director NIMA Order Fulfillment ATTN: ISDFR, STOP D-11 4600 Sangamore Road Bethesda, MD 20816-5003 800-826-0342 http://www.dma.gov/DMAMUSE2 PLATFORM: SUN, Hewlett-Packard, Silicon Graphics, Windows PC, Macintosh System 7 DESCRIPTION: The Mapping, Charting & Geodesy (MC&G) Utility Software Environment (MUSE), now in version 2.0, is the result of a program to develop common DoD MC&G software. The purpose of the MUSE program is to provide a digital topographic data demonstration capability that is available on low-end platforms throughout DoD, and to provide algorithms and source code to be used in developing MC&G extraction and exploitation software. The MUSE 1.0 CD-ROM allows users to filter NIMA raster products and prototypes (ADRG, CADRG, CAC, CRG and CIB) into common commercial and government spatial and graphic data formats (i.e., BMP, ERDAS, GRASS, MUSE, TIFF, etc.). MUSE 1.0 also includes software to filter DTED into DoD and commercial formats, and to extract vector coordinate strings from thematic layers of VPF products and prototypes (DCW, DNC, VMAP and WVS). Software to display all of the aforementioned products and prototypes is also provided. MUSE also includes two Army applications (Line-of-Sight (LOS) and 3-D Perspective Scene (3DSCENE)), a bit-map display program, VPFVIEW software and other miscellaneous software for exploiting digital topographic data. System requirements: * * * Price: MUSE can be obtained free from NIMA. Source of information: TEC Fact Sheet (January 1996). PRODUCT NAME: NetImmerse SOURCE: Numerical Design Limited ADDRESS: 415-328-4388 sales@ndl.com http://www.ndl.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: NetImmerse is an object-oriented toolkit for creating interactive 3-D graphics applications. It runs on top of Direct3D (immediate mode), 3DR, OpenGL or RenderWare. NetImmerse has facilities for networking, 3-D spatialized sound, real-time scene management and terrain generation. Special effects (fire, explosions, smoke trails, fog, etc.) are supported. Features for real-time scene management include automatic level-of-detail management of geometry, texture maps and shading effects, including frame-rate regulation; hierarchical culling for visibility, shading, picking and collision detection; hierarchical transformations for object articulation; instancing; texture and geometry caching; etc. NetImmerse's optional Terrain Generator creates terrain during interactive simulation. Inputs are DTED and geo-specific or geo-typical texture. In real-time, the Terrain Generator tessellates the database with a smoothly morphing, anti-aliased, continuous level of detail. Terrain polygon budgeting is dynamically tunable, either automatically or under application control according to available system resources. Applications will run on standard PCs, but will take advantage of graphics hardware and MMX extensions present. Specialized sort/render modules effectively combine as appropriate to display each component of the scene as efficiently as possible. NetImmerse can import 3D Studio, OpenFLight and VRML 2.0 files. Users can write behaviors in C, C++ and Java. System requirements: * * * Price: NetImmerse starts at $20,000. Complete royalty-free source code is available for $80,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 05-97). PRODUCT NAME: NPSNET Visual Simulation System SOURCE: Naval Postgraduate School ADDRESS: Computer Science Department Spanagel Hall Monterey, CA 93943-5118 408-656-2305 npsnet@cs.nps.navy.mil http://www.npsnet.cs.nps.navy.mil/npsnet/ PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: The NPSNET Visual Simulation System is a real-time, interactive distributed simulation system that was developed by students at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). The system was written in C++ and uses SGI's Performer. NPSNET reads MultiGen Flight formatted databases and is DIS-compliant. The system can also read in SIMNET models. NPSNET includes expert systems that control autonomous forces. Stereoscopic views can be generated by the software and displayed using StereoGraphics' CrystalEyes system. A modified version of NPSNET has been used in a dismounted infantry capability and walk-in synthetic environment demonstration at the 1994 Individual Combatant Modeling and Simulation Symposium, held at Fort Benning. The project involved NPS, the University of Utah, Sarcos and the University of Pennsylvania. System requirements: NPSNET runs on SGI Reality Engine class computers. Price: NPSNET source code is in the public domain. The full source code is available by anonymous ftp from: http://www.cs.nps.navy.mil/research/npsnet/distribution/page.html Source of information: NPS literature (acquired 10-97). GPS-Driven Battlefield Visualization; Draft Phase I SBIR A93-353; MRJ, Inc.; October 28, 1994. Real Time Graphics, June 1994. PRODUCT NAME: Omni SOURCE: Autometric ADDRESS: 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 703-658-4000 omni@cs.autometric.com http://www.autometric.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Omni is part of the Edge Product Family (EPF). As a standalone product, it is a modeling and simulation package for precise sensor, satellite, air and ground-based object modeling. Omni can be used interactively to generate real-time simulations in 3-D, and is used for orbital analysis, mission planning (including timing questions, sensor volumes, ground coverage, visibility, etc.), sensor coverage analysis, situational awareness, viewing multi-spectral images, etc. Simulations can animate multiple, accurate perspective views from any location to any other location in 3-D space, using any simulated time span. Simulations can include Earth at varying levels of detail, satellites with their orbit traces, ground swaths and visibility lines, celestial bodies, sensors, etc. 3-D views are updated to adjust for changing positions of every object included in the simulation. The field-of-view can be zoomed down to .0001 degrees and can be displayed interactively from any angle or location. Omni's inputs include GeoSphere data, World Data Bank II, satellite imagery (e.g. Landsat), terrain data, and more. Satellite positions are calculated by the SGP4 propagation algorithm used by NORAD and U.S. Space Command. Omni 2.2 includes greater control over editing, importing, exporting and display of simulation objects. The Sensor-Data Matrix allows users to define brightness values on objects and brightness thresholds on sensors, to better model object detections by considering variables such as size, heat and communications capabilities. Version 2.2 also provides enhanced Imagery/DTED and Real-Time Socket options. The Imagery/Terrain option provides for the display of Wings Mission Rehearsal scenery and DTED files within the 3-D environment, and allows sensor-ground station intervisibility and terrain masking studies. Omni is used by the U.S. Air Force's Space and Reconnaissance Demonstration Center, located within the Pentagon. Omni is also being used for the JFACC Situational Awareness System (JSAS). JSAS encompasses receipt and correlation of ELINT, AWACS and other forms of data through Talon Vision; UAV live feeds, standard NIMA data and imagery in standard formats (e.g., NITF, SPOT, Landsat, etc.); 3-D visualization of satellites, aircraft and ground defense systems; etc. System requirements: * * * Price: $20,000 for the base model. Imagery/DTED import and display option: $10,000. Real-Time Socket I/F: $10,000. Government customers get a 10% discount. Source of information: JSAS literature (obtained 05-97). Vendor literature (updated 05-96). PRODUCT NAME: Paint the Night SOURCE: U.S. Army CECOM Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) ADDRESS: 10221 Burbeck Road STE 430 Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 703-704-3185 lorenzo@nvl.army.mil PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: Paint the Night (PTN) is NVESD's DIS-compatible, thermal scene generation simulation system. PTN integrates real- time sensor effects, atmospheric effects and other special effects in a high-resolution synthetic thermal scene, providing realistic electro-optic simulations for DIS exercises. Currently, PTN includes 3-D thermal modeling, 2-D thermal texture generation, thermal atmospheric effects, effects for first and second generation thermal sensors, optimized scene rendering, high-resolution terrain, and aspect-unique trees. NVESD considers PTN to be a low-cost, flexible, modular system with potential applications such as multi-sensor target acquisition, training, development of tactics and doctrine, etc. According to NVESD personnel, commercial source code has been adapted and modified enough so that PTN can be considered "mostly home-grown" now. Coryphaeus' Designer's Workbench (DWB) is used to "build targets," and Coryphaeus' EasyScene provides PTN's 3-D display. The DIS interface is provided by Aladdin ES 4.1. PTN was demonstrated at 1997's SGI-hosted Defense Simulation and Imaging Conference (DSIC 97). The custom database demonstrated at DSIC 97 contained a 12-km x 16-km area, divided into 4-km x 4-km blocks. The elevation grid had eight-meter postings. In-house software is used to convert DTED to Wavefront's .obj format. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: NVESD literature/demonstrations (05-97). PRODUCT NAME: PAMAP GIS SOURCE: PAMAP Technologies ADDRESS: 6772 Oldfield Road Suite 200 Victoria, B.C. Canada V8M 2A2 604-652-8895 PLATFORM: SUN and PC DESCRIPTION: PAMAP GIS/AVS incorporates Advanced Visual Systems' Application Visualization System (AVS) into PAMAP GIS. This gives PAMAP's GIS software advanced visualization capabilities. AVS provides PAMAP GIS with superior visualization of 3-D data and the ability to combine GIS data with external data for display. The system is flexible in terms of customization and the incorporation of object-oriented graphical programming. PAMAP gives AVS transparent links to internal as well as external databases, and the ability to access geo-referenced data. Enhancements with version 4.1 include a common open software environment, and new programming and spatial data visualization capabilities. Version 4.2's enhancements include Windows standard print device drivers producing Postscript output. System requirements: For DOS machines: 80286+, 2 MB RAM, math co-processor, 100 MB hard drive, a floppy drive, two serial and one parallel port, EGA or VGA, DOS 3.0 or higher. For Sun-4 or SPARCstations: 256 color monitor, 12MB RAM, 300MB disk storage, 1/4-inch high density cartridge tape, Sun OS with OpenWindows 2.0. Price: * * * Source of information: EOM, July 1995. Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: PC-DTED SOURCE: U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center ADDRESS: DCAC - Special Studies Division 7701 Telegraph Road Alexandria, VA 22310 703-428-6838 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: PC-DTED was designed to quickly display National Imagery and Mapping Agency DTED Level 1 from CD-ROMs. It is not a 3-D visualization tool, but is included in this survey due to its value as a means to verify the quality of digital elevation data, which are required for 3-D terrain visualization. Users can view DTED as color-coded elevation ranges or as numerical values. Full-resolution DTED (each screen pixel corresponding to an elevation post) can be displayed by specifying a center point for an area, or by displaying a larger area and then relocating the cursor to a new center point. The program can also display overviews showing color-coded elevation data from all cells on a CD-ROM. The latitude, longitude and elevation of the cursor's footprint are updated as it roams around an areal overview. At any time, users can choose to examine the values in the 9 x 9 matrix which makes up the cursor's footprint on the screen. By changing colors and modifying ranges, users can examine the terrain in different ways. This has led to the discovery of many areas that contain spurious data (replete with seams, discontinuities and corn rows); thus, the software has emerged as not only a 2-D display program, but as a useful quality control tool, as well. PC-DTED has been distributed to Army terrain teams, major commands, the materiel development community and academia. System requirements: * * * Price: Free. Source of information: Digital Data Digest, Fall 1995. Software demonstration, August 1994. PRODUCT NAME: PCMS SOURCE: Petrospec Computer Corporation ADDRESS: 1222 E. Arapaho Road #302 Richardson, TX 75081 214-644-3278 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The Personal Computer Mapping System (PCMS) is an integrated software package of processing, analysis and display modules. Users can communicate with PCMS through an interactive control panel interface. Most processes are controlled by a single panel which displays and explains the options and parameters. The Base System contains modules to input and manage data, produce basemaps and to produce grids and contour surfaces. Gridding is based on moving least squares methods and biharmonic filtering. Maps can be displayed on the monitor or output to a variety of hardcopy devices. Approximately 50 surface operations are available, including addition of two surfaces, computing derivatives and more. Frequently used map projections and spheroids are available for conversions between geographic and rectangular coordinates. UTM, TM and polyconic projections are included. Grids can be drawn on basemaps. The Base System Upgrade expands the set of gridding methods and includes cross sections, coordinate transformations and 3-D wireframe drawings. Other upgrades are available for contour gridding, line gridding, lease drawing and labeling and volumes. An AutoCAD interface converts PCMS files into DXF files. System requirements: PC with 640K RAM, 20 MB hard disk, math co- processor and graphics adapter. Price: PCMS for Windows: $6,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (received 03-94). PRODUCT NAME: PEGASUS SOURCE: Scientific & Technical Analysis Corporation (STAC) ADDRESS: 11250 Waples Mill Road Suite 300 Fairfax, VA 22030 703-277-7203 amcasey@stacinc.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT. DESCRIPTION: PEGASUS is an orbital analysis and satellite simulation tool. It performs vehicle flight analysis (satellite orbital, missile and aircraft track motion), including vehicle- to-target and vehicle-to-vehicle interaction. PEGASUS provides multiple-vehicle, multiple-site simulation with space-borne and ground-based access windows. PEGASUS produces collector-to-target access/interaction data (e.g., access times, geometries and quality). With this data, users can generate reports such as geolocation graphs, flight tables and visibility/access tables. The new capability for 3-D visualization lets the user display the simulation from several user-specified perspectives: vehicle-fixed, site-fixed, Earth-centered inertial and Earth- centered fixed. Day/night lighting effects can be invoked to provide a more realistic view of the Earth. The display of ground and orbital tracks can also be toggled on or off. Users can zoom in, pan and rotate via the mouse. PEGASUS has been used by the CIA to model collector-to- target interaction. System requirements: * * * Price: Under $10,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (received 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: Performer SOURCE: Silicon Graphics ADDRESS: 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA 94039 800-800-7441 http://www.sgi.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Performer is a subroutine library that runs on top of OpenGL. It is used to facilitate the development of real- time, visual simulation applications. Performer enables programmers to maximize the graphics performance of their code. The software comes with header files and object code libraries for C and C++ users, code samples, a fly-through demonstration program, utility library routines and source code. Performer is compatible with current and future releases of MultiGen's .flt format, as well as AutoCAD's .dxf, WaveFront's .obj, Coryphaeus' .dwb, Inventor's .iv, Superviewer's .sv, and other formats. An S1000 Loader will be bundled with Performer 2.0; this will enable the leveraging of SIMNET databases. Performer itself has no modeling functions; SGI encourages the use of IRIS Inventor to build 3-D models. Performer supports parallel implementation of application processing, cull traversal, and drawing. Splitting applications and running each on a separate CPU offers potential speed-up factors of three or more. Performer comes with a sample visual simulation program (Perfly) that provides a model for building real-time applications. Perfly demonstrates terrain-following, eyepoint calculation, control input, performance monitoring and a flexible graphical user interface. Several databases and source code for database loaders are also included. Performer 2.0 comes with enhanced support for OpenGL, a new interface for C++ programming, a module that lets developers optimize applications for SGI's Impact, a morphing function that smoothly transitions between 3-D models as they approach and retreat from view, a database paging feature that lets developers fly through visual databases that are larger than the total memory available, and native support for 64-bit applications. Many third-party vendors have used Performer to create their own added-value products (e.g., Division's dVISE, Coryphaeus' EasyScene and Paradigm's Vega). As of February 1995, approximately 1,000 development copies of Performer have been sold. System requirements: Any Silicon Graphics workstation. Price: $1,495. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, October 1995. Vendor literature (updated 02-95). PRODUCT NAME: PhotoVR SOURCE: StrayLight ADDRESS: 150 Mount Bethel Road Warren, NJ 07059 908-580-0086 gardner@intersource.com http://www.intersource.com/~gardner/gallery.html PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: PC-based PhotoVR is a photorealistic VR engine which is used to create and explore 3-D virtual environments. It features 8 frames per second interactive motion and freedom of view in 3-D environments containing up to 100,000 polygons with texture maps, reflections, multiple lights, transparency, bump maps and shadows. Users can create 3-D designs with CAD or animation software, and then import them into PhotoVR to navigate the 3-D environment interactively in real time. PhotoVR directly imports 3-D designs from standard packages such as AutoDesk's 3D Studio, as well as AutoCAD with AutoShade. Designs can also be directly imported from Topas Animator. In each case, designs are imported with all shading settings intact, including lights, textures, colors, reflections, shadows, procedural textures, and bump maps. PhotoVR's interactive speed remains constant regardless of scene complexity. Typically, the software delivers 8 frames per second for changing the user's direction of view and 3-4 frames per second for motion within a scene. This speed remains constant whether a scene has 10 polygons or 10,000 polygons. Support is provided for HMDs, video tape recorders, NTSC and VGA monitors. Input devices include Logitech 6D, SpaceBall, Polhemus Isotrak, Ascension Bird, trackball, joystick and mouse. Version 1.4 offers full screen motion video, CD-quality stereo audio, and real-time computer animation playback. System requirements: PhotoVR is delivered as an ISA single slot board. It requires a 386 or 486 with 4 MB of RAM and at least 100 MB of disk space. Price: $995 to $2,995. Source of information: A/E/C Computer Solutions, January- February 1995. PRODUCT NAME: Plan Plus SOURCE: The Logic Group ADDRESS: P.O. Box 50499 Austin, TX 78763 512-451-5707 ashley@logicgroup.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Plan Plus is a comprehensive planimetering program. It takes the features from the DOS programs PLANPLOT, Complex Plan, Radial Plan and PLANGRID and adds more features to provide a Windows planimetering program. Plan Plus includes PLAN for digitizing and viewing results, and adds features such as computation of well-bore drainage from volumetrics, computations of volume between digitized top and bottom structure maps, viewing of maps in 3-D and rotating these maps, analysis of complex maps containing multiple hills and sink holes, printing/plotting maps at different scales, creating DXF and HPGL plot files to import into AutoCAD or other programs, discretizing contour values based on user-defined grids, and checking digitization by comparing trapezoid and vertical slice volume methods. Extra contours are generated automatically if a map does not have evenly spaced data. 3-D maps can be displayed and viewed from different angles, and with different line resolutions and height scales. Cross- section and isopach maps can also be displayed. Images can be saved on the Windows Clipboard or read into other programs such as Word or Corel Draw. System requirements: * * * Price: $2,000. Source of information: EOM, December 1995. Vendor literature (updated 11-95). PRODUCT NAME: PLOT3D SOURCE: COSMIC ADDRESS: 382 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30602 706-542-3265 service@cosmic.uga.edu http://www.cosmic.uga.edu PLATFORM: SGI, Cray, Convex, DEC, HP and Alliant DESCRIPTION: PLOT3D is an interactive graphics program designed for the visualization of computational fluid dynamics grids and solutions. First, a program such as NASA's 3DGRAPE helps the user to generate computational grids to model an object and its surrounding space. After grids have beenn designed and parameters have been specified, a flow-solver program such as INS3D is used to solve the system of equations governing flow. With the solution file and a grid file containng up to 50 grids as input, PLOT3D can display up to 74 functions, including shock waves, surface pressure, velocity vectors and particle traces. These 74 functions are organized into five groups: grid functions, scalar functions, vector functions, particle trace functions and shock locations. Graphical capabilities vary among available implementations. However, the visual representations of objects and flow fields consist of points, lines and polygons with every implementation. Point scan be represented with dots or symbols; color can be used to denote data values; perspective is used to indicate depth. System requirements: UNIX or VMS. Price: $400 for program, $65 for documentation. Source of information: Software Technology Update, Winter 1993. PRODUCT NAME: PolyTRIM SOURCE: University of Toronto ADDRESS: Centre for Landscape Research 230 College Street Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 1A1 416-978-7197 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: PolyTRIM is a toolkit that was created by the University of Toronto's Centre for Landscape Research. The software combines visualization, modeling, scripting and interactive multimedia capabilities. It enables users to move through landscape models consisting of terrain surfaces and 3-D objects. The July 1995 issue of GIS World describes how PolyTRIM has been used to create 3-D objects such as buildings and texture- mapped trees from 2-D numeric data in an ARC/INFO database. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: GIS World, July 1995. Landscape Architecture, January 1994. PRODUCT NAME: PowerAnimator SOURCE: Alias/Wavefront ADDRESS: 110 Richmond Street East Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C1P1 800-447-2542 info@aw.sgi.com http://www.aw.sgi.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: PowerAnimator has two options: PowerModeler and Advanced Animation. Worlds - a plug-in for PowerAnimator - is in beta testing. Worlds is Alias/Wavefront's "first foray into terrain." It can read image and elevation data (NIMA DTED and USGS DEM) to create real-world terrain scenes. Another Alias/Wavefront product called TerraForma can be used to generate artificial terrain via procedural methods (fractals, tesselated NURBS, etc.). PowerAnimator Worlds includes tools for creating 3-D, textured polygonal terrain scenes, based on image data and elevation data. Tools for building BSP tree structures from polygonal models are also included. Users can also manage, preview and export level-of-detail structures, including camera- to-object switching distances. In an October 1997 demonstration, a representative of Alias/Wavefront used PowerAnimator to open a terrain scene (USGS DEM-based, with several building models). An aircraft was inserted into the scene, and a procedural sky was added. A curved flight path was created so that the plane could fly around a ridge. He animated the plane to demonstrate its smooth flight along the path, then a rolling motion was included so that the plane would bank around the corner. Graphs of the motion data could be viewed and analyzed. A particle emitter tool was used to add visually appealing thrust effects to the back of the plane. The animation was then saved in VRML format. Alias/Wavefront software provides radial menus, one per mouse button. Experienced users can work very quickly, executing functions by simply holding down keys and moving the mouse in different directions. These menus can be customized to include the frequently performed functions of individual users. Alias/Wavefront software is currently being used at DIA, NIMA, NRO and numerous other government agencies. System requirements: Alias/Wavefront products run on the entire line of Silicon Graphics computers. Price: PowerAnimator costs $7.5K (GSA). Advanced Animation also costs $7.5K, and the Worlds plug-in costs $2K. PowerPack (all of Alias/Wavefront's products) costs $30K. Source of information: Vendor demonstration, October 1997. Vendor literature (acquired October 1997). PRODUCT NAME: PowerScene (aka CVPS) SOURCE: Cambridge Research Associates (CRA) ADDRESS: 1430 Spring Hill Road Suite 200 McLean, VA 22102 703-790-0505 PowerScene@cambridge.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: PowerScene's development was funded by the Naval Air Systems Command. The software generates geo-specific perspective scenes for tactical simulations to support situational awareness, orientation, planning and training. The goal is to produce a system that can be integrated with future avionics and on-board computers to produce out-of-the cockpit views replete with feature, target, threat and threat envelope displays. PowerScene processes a heads-up perspective view coordinated with a plan view. Displays of 640 x 480 (NTSC-compliant) up to 1280 x 1024 are rendered with 24-bit color and a field of view that is controllable over a range of 2 to 90 degrees. The plan view shows imagery with an overlaid grid and point, line and area features along with own-craft position and the footprint of the perspective view. PowerScene accepts viewpoint information from a variety of sources, and provides switching among them. It accepts pre- calculated flight path points, viewpoints updated in real time through an integrated flight dynamics model, and viewpoints controlled by the user through the GUI. Viewpoints have been controlled over SIMNET from UAV flight simulation interfaces with offsets for heading, pitch and roll set relative to platform position and orientation; from the aerodynamics models of tactical trainers; and from head tracker outputs of helmet- mounted display systems. Database tools are included with PowerScene. (There is no capability for orthorectification, however.) PowerScene accepts NIMA DTED and USGS DEM elevation data. It also accepts ADRI, digital PPDB, SPOT, Landsat, NITF, TRIFID TrueVue, SIF, DIWS, ADRG, CADRG, VPF, DCW and digitized imagery from NAPP, NHAP, and other sources. PowerScene supports both static and dynamic models. Versions 11 and 14 of MultiGen's Flight format (FLT) are supported. DXF models are supported via FLT, and Wavefront (OBJ) models are supported via Designer's Workbench. CRA prefers to modify models to implement additional levels of detail. Models can be textured if the host platform has at least 16 MB of texture memory. Photo-textured 3-D cultural features such as buildings are not currently depicted. Database generation takes two steps: reading the data from the distribution medium, and transforming the data into PowerScene's internal tessellated format for dynamic paging. The software features algorithms that allow unlimited database sizes. Portions of large databases are retrieved dynamically during simulated fly-throughs, so database size is limited only by disk space availability. Simulated flight at 30 Hz can be maintained with scenes rendered out to the horizon. PowerScene provides representative terrain texture, geo- specific terrain texture, synthetic texture, and flat or smooth shaded polygons. To improve rendering efficiency, users can invoke reduced fidelity for portions of the scene that lie outside the region of interest or that lie away from the user's direction of gaze. Time-of-day effects include sunrise, day, sunset, and night. Clouds and distance-proportional haze are also provided. Water can be rendered with representative texture. PowerScene renders dynamic objects with transient effect characteristics and dynamics provided from external systems such as SIMNET. These effects include articulated photo-textured objects with real-time movement and transient effects such as gunfire, explosions, fire and smoke. PowerScene's software environment comprises UNIX, ANSI C, GL, Ethernet and TCP/IP, X-Windows and Motif. The software runs in a distributed environment. The current (as of May 1996) release (Version 4.2) of PowerScene uses OpenGL. Inter- operability has been demonstrated with COMPASS, EADSIM, TAMPS 5.0, TAMPS 6.0 and (via COMPASS) SOFPARS, AFMSS and CAPS. PowerScene has been used by pilots at Aviano Air Base to preview missions over Bosnia. It has also been used to facilitate peace negotiations by helping leaders to visualize political boundaries, land cover and infrastructure. PowerScene has been integrated with NTSC's HOTAS Tactical Trainer and SIMNET/DIS, where it has been used in SERCES exercises. It was also involved in STOW-E and JWID 95. As of July 1995, 18 PowerScene systems have been installed at 14 sites for the Army, Air Force, Navy, NIMA, etc. (Note: The Air Force refers to PowerScene as Contingency Visualization Planning Support (CVPS)). PowerScene Version 4.335 was demonstrated on both an Infinite Reality system and on an O2 at SGI's 1997 Defense Simulation and Imaging Conference (DSIC 97). The O2 platform was used to display familiar SPOT imagery of Bosnia, so that attendees could be reminded about PowerScene's involvement in the Dayton peace negotiations. The Infinite Reality system was used for a very impressive fly-through of Denver, using one-meter panchromatic data and five-meter Indian multispectral data (provided by SpaceImaging EOSAT). Downtown Denver was populated by numerous untextured building models that had been exported from SOCET SET. System requirements: A generalized configuration consists of an SGI Onyx Reality Engine (RE), one or more Indy-series computers, a B&G Systems flybox throttle and stick unit, and optional peripherals. Typical systems include an Onyx with two or more CPUs, RE2 graphics and two or more raster managers, at least 8 GB of hard disk space, an 8-mm tape drive, a 21" color monitor, a keyboard and a mouse. Price: PowerScene is considered proprietary, but source and object code licenses are available to government users under certain criteria. CRA offers both hardware and software support. As of May 1996, CRA quoted a price of $400K, plus $25K per year for software support. An RE2 configuration with color printer, vault, Sirius video, etc. costs about $380K. As quoted in June 1996, a Maximum Impact system (including one year's maintenance from SGI and one year's software support from CRA) costs $125K. CRA encourages customers to buy hardware from them, but it's not required. There is a requirement to buy annual software maintenance from CRA. According to CRA, there are two or three updates per year. Source of information: Vendor demonstration, May 1997. Vendor discussion, June 1996. Vendor demonstration, May 1996. Vendor literature (updated May 1996). IEEE Computer Graphics & Applications, January 1996. EOM, January 1996. PRODUCT NAME: PV-WAVE SOURCE: Visual Numerics ADDRESS: 9990 Richmond Avenue Suite 400 Houston, TX 77042-4548 713-784-3131 info@boulder.vni.com http://www.vni.com PLATFORM: UNIX workstations and PCs DESCRIPTION: PV-WAVE is a visual data analysis environment that integrates graphics, data analysis, image processing, data animation and application development. It has tools to help users import data in any format, reduce and analyze data, display 2-D and 3-D graphics, animate data, customize applications and present findings in hard copy. PV-WAVE's primary use is the visualization of complex databases as 3-D color plots. Display modes include 3-D mesh surface plots, raster images, contour maps and volumetric displays, with various coloring and shading options. Tools are provided to perform image profiles, magnify and warp images, control brightness, contrast, rotation, etc. Complex databases can be manipulated with a wide variety of display formats. PV-WAVE provides a great variety of features for connectivity and integration, data analysis and manipulation, 2-D and 3-D plotting, 3-D surface display, N-dimensional visualization, volume visualization, general graphics utilities, image processing, data I/O and application development. Numerical analysis is made possible by adding the NAG Workstation Library, allowing access to subroutines and functions through a seamless link. Gridding is accomplished by adding GTGRID. Source data can be entered in many ways. PV-WAVE can read ASCII data, native binary, 8-bit images, 24-bit images, TIFF files and Sun Raster files. The ASCII input function can read both free and fixed formats. Custom input formats can be created so that nonstandard binary or image data can be read. Version 6.0 includes and extended programming language with new data types and manipulation features, cross-platform compatibility, and a new options programming interface. The Personal Edition of PV-WAVE is a native 32-bit application for Windows 3.1. Version 6.1 includes Image Processing 1.0, GTGRID 2.0, on- line documentation, improved Internet connectivity and Web- related enhancements. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Measurement Technology Center (MTC) has used PV-WAVE to visualize and analyze large, multi-dimensional data sets. System requirements: 35 MB of disk space, 16 MB of RAM. Point & Click requires UNIX workstations with X Window capabilities. Motif, Open Look and SunView versions are available. Command Language runs on all major UNIX workstations and all DEC VMS platforms. Personal Edition: 386/25 MHz PC running Windows 3.1, 8 MB RAM, 20 MB disk space and a math co-processor. Price: Version 6.1 for UNIX: $3,995. Version 6.0 for Windows: $1,995. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, October 1997. NASA Tech Briefs, November 1995. Vendor literature (updated 10-94). PRODUCT NAME: PV-WAVE Advantage SOURCE: Visual Numerics ADDRESS: 9990 Richmond Avenue Suite 400 Houston, TX 77042-4548 713-784-3131 PLATFORM: UNIX, VMS, NT DESCRIPTION: PV-WAVE Advantage features the integration of IMSL's math and statistics libraries into Precision Visuals' PV- WAVE CL, which is also available as a stand-alone product. Features include a widget toolkit for GUI customization, run-time licensing, on-line documentation in Frame, and Z-buffered graphics. PV-WAVE can also directly link with leading databases as well as with user interface development, symbolic computation, desktop publishing, and gridding packages. Numerical functionality includes linear systems of equations, approximation and interpolation, differential equations, Eigensystem analysis, optimization, analysis of variance, random number generation, and more. Some options are Database Connection, and Maple. Database Connection is an interactive link to commercial databases like Oracle and Sybase. Users can open, query, select, subset and import data directly from the database into PV-WAVE Advantage. The Maple option lets users work with exact numbers instead of numerical approximations. Users can symbolically derive equations using Maple, and then graphically analyze or plot the equations using PV-WAVE Advantage. Other options include PV-WAVE: GTGRID, for interpolation and extrapolation techniques to produce gridded datasets, surfaces and contours; and PV-WAVE: UIM/X, which provides tools for creating interactive user interfaces. The Signal Processing Toolkit is an add-on module with functions for radar, sonar, acoustics, telecommunications, seismology, remote sensing, etc. Version 5.0 includes a source code debugger, improved mapping functionality and HDF/netCDF file support. (HDF/netCDF is a flexible file format that lets users store different types of scientific data generated by different platforms.) The debugger's capabilities include the display of source code currently being executed; the ability to edit source code from within the debugger, save it, recompile it and continue debugging; etc. Sixteen map projections are included, as well as 3-D elevation plats and filled contours. A world map database is built-in, from which users can plot grid lines, points, contours, vectors, images and text. Pre-coded routines can be used to retrieve latitude and longitude from the map. System requirements: 24 MB of RAM, 35 MB of disk space. Price: PV-WAVE Advantage 5.0: $6,995. Database Connection: $995. Maple: $1,995. Windows NT version: $2,995. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 10-94). Special note: PV-WAVE demos are featured on the Hot Mix 7 CD-ROM by SGI. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: PX/IRIS Explorer SOURCE: DuPont Pixel Systems ADDRESS: 2010 North First St. Suite 403 San Jose, CA 95131 800-542-1484 PLATFORM: Sun workstations DESCRIPTION: PX/IRIS Explorer is DuPont Pixel's implementation of SGI's IRIS Explorer software. The software is based on PX/IRIS GL, an implementation of SGI's IRIS GL 4.0 that supposedly provides five times the performance of Sun's XGL. Users can achieve greater performance levels and 24-bit display capabilities by upgrading their systems with a DuPont Pixel accelerator. PX/IRIS Explorer allows users to create or tailor applications without programming. Interoperability across multiplatform networks enables users to exploit the software without need for data transfer or conversion. Users can manipulate pre-written functional modules to build applications. Each module performs a self-contained function such as data input, format conversion, rendering, image processing, or computation. Advanced users can create new modules using the Module Builder software engineering environment provided. These modules can be incorporated into existing applications or can be made available to other users. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: The Sun Observer, October 1993. PRODUCT NAME: Quick Immersion SOURCE: MetaVR ADDRESS: 37 Elm Street Brookline, MA 0214-6813 617-739-2667 wgsmith@metavr.com http://www.metavr.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Quick Immersion enables a user to produce MetaVR MDB databases from NIMA DTED Level 1, for use in MetaVR's Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG). When a user with a DTED CD-ROM specifies latitudinal and longitudinal extents, a VRSG-compatible (MDB-format) database is automatically created. System requirements: * * * Price: $2,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 02-97). PRODUCT NAME: QuickSurf SOURCE: Schreiber Instruments ADDRESS: 5500 Greenwood Plaza Dr. Suite 225 Englewood, CO 80111 303-843-9400 sales@schreiber.com http://www.schreiber.com PLATFORM: PC, SGI and SUN DESCRIPTION: QuickSurf is a 3-D irregular surface modeling and analysis system. It converts surface mapping data into contours, grids and TINs. The program is compatible with major civil engineering, surveying and mapping systems available for AutoCAD. Standard features include processing of control points; posting of elevations at control points; contour labeling, smoothing, indexing and hachuring; profiles based on GRID, TIN or contours; cross-sections and volume calculations; automatic or user-defined grid cell size and number of intervals; and output to DXF format. QuickSurf can handle data sets of 1.5 million points or more. Features include draping of 2-D data onto 3-D surfaces; slope analysis; rubber sheeting for overlays of maps of different sizes, shapes and projections; surface operations utility for grid mathematics; and wrap/unwrap for modeling of spherical surfaces. Surface modeling methods include Delaunay triangulation, gridding to TINs, gridding with polynomials, kriging and trend. Input for modeling is accepted from ASCII files generated by COGO programs, data collectors, spreadsheets and databases. Recent releases allow users to color surfaces by slope, elevation, visibility, light, or the Z values of another surface. Complete integration with AutoCAD effectively eliminates shelling and DXF files. A SHOW capability allows the user to view a TIN, grid, or contours upon command. QuickSurf has been used to generate terrain models and visual simulations for the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. The January 1994 issue of Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing describes a study in which QuickSurf was used to derive a DEM. System requirements: 386+ PC with 4 MB RAM, hard disk, graphics card, math co-processor and AutoCAD Release 11/12-386; or a SUN SPARC or SGI Indigo workstation. QuickSurf for Windows does not require AutoCAD. Price: Version 5.1: $1,195. QuickSurf for Windows: $1,195. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). CADENCE, June 1996. PRODUCT NAME: RadarVision SOURCE: PSI ADDRESS: 5720 Oberlin Drive San Diego, CA 92121 619-597-3020 jrk@photon.com http://www.photon.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: RadarVision is a COTS radar scene simulation module for Paradigm's Vega. RadarVision is designed to provide a pixelized radar cross section (RCS) map of user-specified areas of interest from 0.1 to 30 GHz, in four polarization pairs (VV, VH, HV, HH). The RCS map will represent an ideal synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image that can be input as a clutter map into a non-imaging radar sensor model. RadarVision will simulate an RCS map for radars operating against synthetic environments comprised of natural backgrounds, cultural features and mobile objects. Output from RadarVision will be quantitative as each pixel will be expressed in units of dBsm. RadarVision will include the ability to represent chaff, sea clutter, radar shadowing and blocking, and texturing. RadarVision will consist of a run-time library and will use SensorVision's Texture Material Mapper (TMM) tool to classify all textures in a scene as materials. It will use four input databases along with Vega functions to generate the pixelized RCS map of the desired area in real time. In addition to Vega's standard input database of polygons and textures, RadarVision will use: - material-coded textures (generated using TMM, whereby a user converts each image texel from RGB into a linear combination of three materials) - a database of mean backscatter coefficients for natural terrain (soil, rock, asphalt, etc.). This will allow simulation of high-resolution, real-time radar scenes for all radar frequencies, polarizations and incident angles) - a database of RCS values as a function of frequency, polarization and geometry for each feature in the scene. The RCS for cultural features will be modeled with offline radar scattering codes. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: RadarWorks SOURCE: PSI ADDRESS: 5720 Oberlin Drive San Diego, CA 92121 619-597-3020 jrk@photon.com http://www.photon.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: RadarWorks is an internal development project that will simulate three radar ground mapping modes: real beam ground map, Doppler beam sharpening and synthetic aperture radar. It will use the RadarVision RCS map as input. RadarWorks is scheduled for a September 1997 release. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: RapidScene SOURCE: Evans & Sutherland (E&S) ADDRESS: Simulation Division 600 Komas Drive Salt Lake City,UT 84108 801-588-1530 bluker@es.com http://www.es.com PLATFORM: SUN DESCRIPTION: RapidScene is the software component of the ENVISION program's turnkey, field-deployable mission rehearsal system. It accepts SOCET SET input and also generates perspective scenes from E&S ESIG-4000 run-time databases. Scenes can be viewed on a monitor, printed on an image printer or written to a video recorder for playback at video rates. Users can visualize pre-modeled databases from any viewpoint. The viewpoint can be controlled interactively or via a predetermined path. Wireframe fly-throughs run at 30 Hz; textured static scenes take a few seconds. Models can be selected, placed and relocated from a model library. Visibility, illumination and weather effects can be modified. In April 1994, TEC members attended briefings on RapidScene Version 0.1, in which a fly-through of a dense urban database was demonstrated. A 30-Hz wireframe fly-through appeared in a small window, with occasional generation of textured static scenes, each of which required 10 to 20 seconds to render. The operator drove in wireframe mode at real-time rates throughout the city, pausing occasionally to generate fully textured perspective scenes at desired locations. In February 1997, RapidScene for Freedom Series 1.0 (RapidScene software running on a SUN computer equipped with an E&S Freedom graphics accelerator board) was demonstrated at Hurlburt Field. A small sample database was provided, containing terrain and a few models of buildings and trees. The user's viewpoint can be controlled via cursor position on a 2-D overview or a 3-D perspective window. Image quality can be set to "reasonable," "good" or "best." Terrain and features can be rendered in wireframe, shaded or textured mode. The interactive visualization occurs in near real-time, but slows according to image quality and rendering mode. In April 1997, the National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC) demonstrated RapidScene 2.3 on a SUN Ultra1 with a Creator3D board. A very small database (a patch of terrain with a few building models and tree models) was rendered in 3-D. However, because the system lacked the Evans & Sutherland Freedom board, RapidScene's 3-D view was interactive only in wireframe mode. Textured 3-D scenes were static only. System requirements: The field-deployable system requires a SUN workstation and several specific peripherals. (The version demonstrated for TEC members in 1994 was running on a SUN SPARC 10 with 128 MB of RAM.) Price: Software only: $50,000 (quoted in April 1994). The entire field-deployable configuration (SUN ZX graphics accelerator, VCR, video mixer, image printer, etc.) was quoted at $175,000 in April, 1994. A configuration that included one license of RapidScene/Freedom software, one Freedom 3400 graphics accelerator and one GB of texture memory was quoted at $99,000 in October 1996. Source of information: Demonstration, April 1997. Demonstration, February 1997. Vendor literature (updated 10-96). Demonstration, April 1994. PRODUCT NAME: RealiMation SOURCE: DEK Software International ADDRESS: 1843 The Woods II Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 609-424-6565 sales@realimation.com http://www.realimation.com PLATFORM: Windows 95/NT and Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: RealiMation Space Time Editor (STE) is a 32-bit application for building 3-D simulations. Its output can be viewed with RealiView, a license-free viewer for DOS, Windows 95 and Windows NT. RealiView can operate as a standalone application or as a plug-in to Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer. RealiMation STE is renderer-independent. It supports 3Dfx, Direct3D, Intel 3DR, OpenGL, RenderWare, Rendition Verite, and other hardware and software rendering technologies. Users can select a renderer to suit their application, switch renderers on the fly, and even view the output from two renderers simultaneously. Users can create their own models, or they can import and edit 3DS, DXF, MicroStation and VRML files. Modeling tools allow editing and optimizing of faces, edges and vertices. Surface normals inverted during importation can be corrected. Texture and motion can be applied to models. Texture tools let users apply BMP, PCX and JPEG files onto models using planar, cylindrical or spherical mapping. The virtual world can be optimized for run-time efficiency. Finished models can be adapted to lower levels of detail and switched, based on viewing distance or projected model size, on a per-model basis. Behaviors and actions can be assigned to models, cameras, light sources, etc. Cameras can track models, follow models, or move freely under user control. Terrain- hugging 3-D fly-throughs can be created. RealiMation will become part of the SIMTools development environment for real-time 3-D applications. SIMTools will use RealiMation as its cross-platform software graphics rendering engine. With RealiMation, SIMTools will execute on any Windows- compatible graphics board or image generator. System requirements: * * * Price: RealiMation STE: $499. RealiMation Visualization, Simulation, and Games Development Toolset: $9,950. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 10-97). INTERACTIVITY, May 1997. PRODUCT NAME: REALTIME SOURCE: StereoCAD ADDRESS: 655 S. Fair Oaks Avenue Suite A-117 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-245-5201 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: REALTIME is a 3-D visualization product by the maker of RT Texture for Windows (see entry). System requirements: * * * Price: $995. Source of information: CADalyst, September 1995. PRODUCT NAME: RenderStar 4 SOURCE: RenderStar Technology ADDRESS: P.O. Box 50330 Provo, UT 84606 800-763-7787 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: RenderStar 4 (RS4) is a visualization and animation tool that runs inside AutoCAD. It features Z-buffer technology and uses the entire 24-bit color range. Features for walk- through and fly-by animations include wireframe preview, camera twist and graphic viewer. Effects include colored bit-maps, transparency, shadow- casting light sources, colored lights and halos. Users can define cameras, light sources and sun location. Settings can be quickly previewed. Sun shadows are automatically generated when the user selects a city from the included database and adds a date and time. RS4 reads 3DS (3D Studio) files (including material definitions) and can convert 3DS geometry into AutoCAD geometry, including layer and object information. RS4 includes a library of more than 300 pre-defined materials for direct use. Materials can be edited in the materials editor, which features auto-fit, automatic reflection, bump mapping and environment mapping. RS4's interface makes use of AutoCAD dialogue boxes and can read AutoCAD DXF and DWG files. TGA, GIF, PCX, PS, BMP, FLC and FLI formats are supported for bit-maps and for output. System requirements: AutoCAD Release 13 for Windows. Price: Version 1.05: $495. Source of information: CADalyst, April 1995. Special note: A RenderStar 4 3.5" demonstration diskette is available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: RightView SOURCE: Hughes Training ADDRESS: Building A-30 M/S 142 P.O. Box 6171 Arlington, TX 76005 817-695-2103 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: RightView is a real-time graphic application designed to run on top of SGI's Performer. It is a generic visual simulation system. The software's capabilities include infrared simulation and terrain-following radar and consideration of environmental properties. Large-areal database paging from disk is supported. RightView includes an efficient t-meshing algorithm, uses a Hughes internal database format and outputs in .prf format. Hughes has demonstrated RightView using a one-meter database comprised of elevation data textured with 29 Palms imagery supplied by the Army. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (received 02-95). Real Time Graphics, February 1995. PRODUCT NAME: RMX SOURCE: Amerinex A.I. ADDRESS: 409 Main Street Amherst, MA 01002 413-256-8941 http://www.aai.com PLATFORM: SUN workstations DESCRIPTION: Raster Map Exploitation (RMX) provides an interface for the access, display and manipulation of color raster map information. Map display and support utilities provide the backdrop for user applications which require the overlay of spatial data onto a map background. Primary input consists NIMA ADRG on CD-ROM. RMX can determine the contents of an ADRG CD-ROM, extract 24-bit imagery of the user's area of interest, provide an overview image and a full resolution image, and store imagery on a hard disk as 8-bit, IFF-formatted files. A file manager graphically manipulates map images and displays map image file and descriptive information. Maps can be displayed in a window which can be resized and scrolled. Scale can be magnified or reduced. WGS 84 coordinates and ground distances can be displayed. Map images can be converted from 24-bit to 8-bit formats, and IFF-formatted files can be converted to Rasterfile (SUN format), KBVision format or raw (binary pixel values). The DTED manipulation option enables the user to read NIMA DTED tapes, extract an area of interest from the DTED file and output an IFF file, resample the IFF file to a user-defined resolution, and drape an ADRG image over the 3-D DTED elevations (using the SUN image processing board). System requirements: SUN workstation with X-Windows, UNIX and C; a high resolution, color display; and CD-ROM and high capacity disk drive(s). Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (dated). PRODUCT NAME: ROCKWORKS SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: ROCKWORKS is an integrated collection of geoscience software packages that share files and a common user interface and produce compatible graphics. Programs include DIGITIZE (a digitizing utility); GEOPAL (geological utilities including 3-D View, coordinate conversions, etc.); GRIDZO (3-D gridding and contouring); LOGGER (log-plotting); ROCKBASE (base mapping and more); ROCKSOLID (solid modeling); ROCKSTAT (statistical calculations); ROSE-PC (rose diagram, histogram plotting, etc.); and STEREO (3-D orientation and plotting). Each program is also available individually. Version 7 includes PCX graphics support, polyline support for DXF, and other enhancements. System requirements: 386 or higher with 2 MB RAM, 10 MB hard disk, VGA or better, and DOS 3.x or greater. Price: $495. Source of information: 1995 RockWare Earth Science Software Catalog. Special note: A set of ROCKWORKS 3.5" demonstration diskettes is available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: RT Texture for Windows SOURCE: StereoCAD ADDRESS: 655 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Suite A-117 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-245-5201 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: RT Texture for Windows offers real-time walk- throughs of textured 3-D models. The software is written in C++ and uses Intel's 3DR graphics library. (3DR is a scaleable 3-D graphics library that runs native on the Pentium processor). No special graphics accelerator is required. On a 486 system, full- screen 16-bit performance reaches 5,000 polygons per second with fully textured models. Users can import NFF, DXF or 3DS files and interactively navigate throughout in wireframe, shaded or textured modes. Movement within RT Textures is controlled through the mouse, puck, stylus or keyboard. Walk-throughs can be recorded. The program renders any untextured materials based on the AutoCAD color of entities that are imported through the DXF file interchange. An interactive color editor in RT Texture offers colors beyond AutoCAD's palette. 3DS textures are importable. The next version of RT Textures will include an AutoCAD interface and other formats, including JPEG. Enhancements in RT Texture for Windows 1.1 include texture by layer inside AutoCAD, support for AutoCAD Release 13 and 3D Studio Release 4, support for all AutoVision and 3d Studio versions of textured 3DS files, additional navigation controls and an improved GUI. The next version of RT Texture for Windows will coincide with the next 3DR release, anticipated to be near the end of July 1995. Version 2.0 will feature faster object rotation and a Universal Texture Editor, and will support file formats such as TIF and GIF. A separate program called RT Texture File Viewer V1.0 is available for $100, and can be used simply to display files. This program will be built into the next version of RT Texture for Windows. System requirements: RT Texture for Windows requires a 386+ PC with 2 MB RAM. Price: RT Texture for Windows 1.1: $495. Source of information: Real Time Graphics, July 1995. Vendor demonstration (06-95). Vendor literature (obtained 06-95). PRODUCT NAME: RT Texture Lite SOURCE: StereoCAD ADDRESS: 655 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Suite A-117 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 408-245-5201 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: RT Texture Lite is a reduced-functionality version of RT Texture for Windows (see previous entry). System requirements: * * * Price: $99. Source of information: CADalyst, September 1995. PRODUCT NAME: SAGE SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: SAGE is a raster-based GIS designed for generating and analyzing spatial models. Among SAGE's capabilities are: terrain analysis (determination of slope, aspect and hillshade), visibility analysis (including screening effects), distance measurement (Euclidean and non-Euclidean), generation of optimal paths, simulation of surface run-off, etc. Maps can be displayed in 2-D or 3-D and saved as PCX files. ASCII data can be directly imported, but SAGE is meant to obtain data from SAGE Capture, a separate program. SAGE Capture converts 2-D and 3-D vector DXF files to raster grid maps for input to SAGE, and translates between raster GIS and image processing packages. Formats supported include ASCII, CSV, PC- MAP, ARC/INFO, IDRISI, ERDAS, TerraScan and VistaPro (export only). The connection to VistaPro lets users create animations so that they can fly through their GIS data. A product called SAGE Lite offers identical functionality, except that there is a limit of 65,537 cells (e.g., a 256 x 256 matrix). System requirements: SAGE and SAGE Capture require 500 KB RAM each. Price: SAGE and SAGE Capture cost $480 each. A SAGE Bundle (one copy of SAGE and one copy of Sage Capture) costs $750. SAGE Lite costs $190. Source of information: RockWare Earth Science Software, 1995. PRODUCT NAME: SAIM SOURCE: Syseca Computing Systems and Services ADDRESS: * * * http://www.syseca.thomson-csf.com PLATFORM: * * * DESCRIPTION: The Systeme d'Aide a l'Interpretation Multicapteur (SAIM) is designed to serve as an interface between aircraft sensors and the French Air Force's intelligence chain. SAIM is modular, to enable a range of applications from receiving intelligence data and imagery to processing imagery and facilitating mission rehearsal. SAIM can incorporate a photogrammetric workstation for extracting 3-D coordinates, enabling the creation of 3-D target models. These models can be textured and integrated with orthophotos for realistic depictions of sites. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: SIGNAL, October 1997. PRODUCT NAME: Satellite Tool Kit SOURCE: Analytical Graphics ADDRESS: 660 American Avenue King of Prussia,PA 19046 800-220-4STK info@stk.com http://www.stk.com PLATFORM: Sun, HP and SGI workstations; PCs DESCRIPTION: Satellite Tool Kit (STK) is an interactive software tool for visualization and analysis of the relationships involving satellites, orbits, launch vehicles, ground stations and targets. Users can access satellite data, determine sensor coverage and swath, establish ground station coverage, study lighting conditions, calculate satellite position and attitude, propagate orbits and more. STK's Visualization Option (STK/VO) enhances capabilities for 3-D analysis, modeling and presentation. STK/VO provides a 3-D graphical interface for visualization and analysis of satellites, ground stations, targets, and sensors already created by STK. Time-dependent geometric relationships can be observed in 3-D. Spacecraft maneuvers can be planned and replayed. Solar illumination of planets and spacecraft can be observed. Instantaneous and time-lapse sensor footprints and volumes can be observed. Ground station and target visibility volumes can be visualized. Analysis and animation sequences can be captured on videotape. For example, given a mountain to the west, a user can model terrain masking for calculating visibility to a given satellite. Data sources include NASA's Bright Star Catalog, World Data Bank II, and GeoSphere. Live data can be fed into STK for real- time display using the Inter-Process Communication (IPC) module. STK/VO also includes earth texture maps, pulsed beams for sensors to indicate direction, extensive vehicle attitude modeling and selectable orbit and ground track display. STK 2.1 includes a vehicle attitude modeling capability, new buttons for animation and zoom, and a ground distance measurement capability. STK's Chains module helps answer questions such as: - When can two satellite sensors simultaneously see a target? - When can two sensors on the same satellite simultaneously see a target and a ground station? - When can a ground vehicle or aircraft see at least four GPS satellites? - When can a ground station see a particular satellite? - When is a given ground station in view of the Landsat Thematic Mapper sensor? The Navigator module provides the ability to compute orbit maneuvers. Users can combine multiple maneuvers into complex scenarios that can be readily compared. Navigator's targeting capabilities allow mission planners to optimize the placement and duration of multiple burns, using criteria such as fuel use, energy change and other properties. The Optional Comm module helps users assess potential communications links among satellites and air, land and sea systems. It lets users analyze the effects of parameters that impact communications. Users can define the operating characteristics of receivers and transmitters, and attach them to satellites, ground stations, sensors or to any other existing objects in STK. Potential access among receivers and transmitters can be calculated and characterized. Users can also model several different antenna types, including dipole, helix, horn, parabolic, Gaussian and custom. The Missile Flight Tool (MFT) module generates high-fidelity missile trajectories. Integrated with STK via the IPC module, MFT allows users to analyze and visualize relationships among all of the phases of missile flight. STK has been used to determine the location and orientation of space shuttle cameras. Using STK's IPC module to connect to the World Wide Web, students used shuttle telemetry to determine the center latitude and longitude of each photograph. The STK/VO option was used to provide 3-D displays of the shuttle's position relative to Earth, in near real-time. STK customers have included the Army, Air Force, Navy, NASA, NSA, USGS, Department of Energy, national laboratories and the intelligence community. System requirements: A SUN or HP workstation with an Evans & Sutherland Freedom Series graphics accelerator, or any SGI workstation. PC version: 486 or Pentium PC running Windows 95 or Windows NT, 8 MB RAM. STK/VO for a PC requires a 166-MHz Pentium (Pro recommended), 64 MB RAM and any Glint 500TX-based graphics board. Price: Government pricing starts at $9,049 for STK, and $24,846 for STK/VO. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). EOM, September 1996. Silicon Graphics World, August 1996. Special note: TVD has a video that portrays military applications of STK/VO. TVD has also performed a hands-on evaluation of STK. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: Scenario Viewing System SOURCE: Southwest Research Institute ADDRESS: 6220 Culebra Road San Antonio, TX 78238 512-684-5111 info@swri.org http://www.swri.org PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Scenario Viewing System (SVS) is a real-time, interactive simulation system, designed to enable the user to preview anticipated operational scenarios. The system features 3-D displays of terrain and objects, an interactive 3-degrees-of- freedom flight model, heads-up display (HUD) simulation, rendering of NIMA DTED, display rates of 15 frames per second, and user controls for record, playback, fast forward, rewind, restart and freeze. SVS performs real-time Ada-based simulation modeling and avionics display modeling. Any type of platform and sensor system can be modeled. The flight dynamics model computes the position, yaw, pitch and roll of the aircraft for each frame, based on user controls. Aircraft parameters such as weight and thrust can be adjusted. The HUD includes velocity, scale, pitch/roll bar, G-load, Mach, and steering points. Altitude above terrain is computed and displayed in each frame to provide correlation between the terrain and the flight path. System requirements: POSIX 1003.1, X Windows XPG33, IRIX 4.0, GL graphics. Price: The SVS is a prototype. Source of information: Vendor literature (dated November 1992). PRODUCT NAME: Scenery Animator SOURCE: Natural Graphics ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1963 Rocklin, CA 95677 916-624-1436 PLATFORM: Amiga and Macintosh DESCRIPTION: Scenery Animator is a 3-D terrain generation program that can create real-world landscapes from USGS DEM data, imported gray-scale maps, or from its own fractal terrain generator. Both animations and static scenes can be rendered. Dithering algorithms can be used to generate apparent detail to about six inches. User-specified landscape features include vegetation, soil, snow, rock, both random and manual tree placement, lakes and rivers (with or without waves), sun position, cloud cover, night skies and stars (accurately located). Several landscapes (Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Oahu, Mt. St. Helens and the moon) are included with the program, and more than 20 additional ones are available separately. Users see the landscape via an orthographic view with color- coded elevations, a perspective view, and a floating control palette that provides numerical controls for precise positioning. The windows complement each other, providing tools for visual and coordinate positioning as well as feedback during navigation. 3-D models can be imported, positioned and rendered in landscape scenes. Once loaded, models can be positioned by clicking over a map of the landscape. The software can rotate, resize and animate these 3-D objects. The Preview window is used to adjust the camera placement and to view the animation path using simple, shaded images. An overhead topographic view is also available for depicting contours and for facilitating the determination of initial and final camera positions and in-between points. The animation path can be linear or curved. The user can adjust the camera's height, pitch and roll. The focal length can be adjusted to simulate normal, telephoto and fish-eye fields-of-view. Time-lapse effects can be created by animating the clouds and the position of the sun. Water levels can be adjusted to simulate flooding. Scenery Animator 4.0 can create 24-bit IFF files for single- frame recording purposes, as well as 16-color, 32-color, DCTV, 8- bit and 18-bit frames and animations. Using an Amiga 1200 or 4000, both 18-bit and DCTV true-color animations, over-scanned and interlaced for video purposes, can be played back in real time at 30 frames per second. PCX frames can be rendered as well. Resolutions for both frames and animations can range from 320 x 200 pixels to 1,536 x 482 pixels. The Macintosh version supports QuickTime, TIFF and PICT formats. System requirements: Amiga: AmigaDOS 2.0 or higher, 3 MB RAM. Macintosh: System 6.0.7 or higher, 4 MB RAM and a color monitor. Native Power Macintosh and 680X0 versions are available. Price: Amiga version: $99.95. Macintosh version: $120.00. Currently, 30 additional landscapes are available at $10 each. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 02-95). PRODUCT NAME: SeaFlight SOURCE: Triton Technology ADDRESS: 125 Westridge Drive Watsonville, CA 95076 408-722-7373 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SeaFlight simulates a submersible in flight at high speeds over the seafloor. Its purpose is to render a mosaicked side scan sonar image in 3-D using bathymetry for seafloor elevations, and merge it with 3-D graphics for pre-route surveying and mensuration of underwater structures. The merging of mosaicked side scan sonar imagery with bathymetry results in a data set called Bathimagery. Bathimagery is displayed in 24-bit color or gray-scale. A fog bank feature creates a realistic perspective view of the horizon as viewed from inside the submersed vehicle. Elevation data must be in gridded format; this is usually accomplished by another software product called APGRID, a PC-based product limited to 100,000 data points. Import of DTED or DEM data is not supported. Flight is simulated in mono 3-D or stereo 3-D using CrystalEyes stereo glasses. A spaceball provides interactive control in either pilot or script modes. A flight script is defined by the user to plot a course-made-good (CMG). Altitude, bearing, speed and CMG can be modified interactively using the spaceball or keyboard. Pilot interaction overrides the flight script and provides continuous control. A primary application of SeaFlight is pre-route corridor selection for pipeline and cable surveying. SeaFlight's own modeling tools can be used to create 3-D models of pipelines, platforms and other underwater structures. The interactive interface provides drag-and-drop functionality for placing, moving and editing objects. SeaFlight also provides mensuration tools for reporting coordinates, point-to-point distances, bearings and heights. System requirements: SGI Crimson VGXT, IRIX 5.2, 16 MB RAM, Spaceball, mouse, CrystalEyes, 1.2 GB internal disk drive, 1.3 GB internal CD-ROM and 1.3 GB internal rewritable optical drive. Price: About $35,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 01-95). PRODUCT NAME: SEE-BED SOURCE: Sirius Solutions ADDRESS: One Research Drive Technology Innovation Centre Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Canada B2Y 4M9 http://www.sirius.ns.ca PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SEE-BED is a multidimensional, interactive data editing and visualization application designed for validating, editing and displaying large, dense data sets. It was designed for use with hydrographic multi-beam or side-scan data sets that are geocoded. The software could conceivably be used by anyone who wishes to view large, dense terrain data sets in 3-D. Custom options are available according to the needs of individual users. SEE-BED's visualization capabilities include 3-D perspective views, 2-D plan views, 2-D and 3-D profiling, 3-D mouse-driven rotation/translation/zoom, etc. Grid cells can be variably sized. The physical surface can be animated. SEE-BED reads input files in ASCII format. Overlapping data sets can be merged. Data can be extracted according to geographic region or other criteria. The May 1997 issue of SIGNAL includes a SEE-BED screen capture of an image constructed using sonar data of the sea floor. Millions of soundings were binned into cells to create a grid, to which a surface was applied. Color shading was used to indicate features such as depth, sea floor classification, etc. System requirements: For V3.2: Indigo XS24 or better with 32 MB RAM. Price: $29,500. Source of information: SIGNAL, May 1997. Vendor literature (dated 10-94). Special note: A SEE-BED video is available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: SensorVision SOURCE: PSI ADDRESS: 5720 Oberlin Drive San Diego, CA 92121 619-597-3020 jrk@photon.com http://www.photon.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SensorVision adds a sensor view to a Vega view. It lets users choose frequencies between 0.42 and 14 microns for real-time, quantitative, sensor image visualization. Environmental surfaces are represented by polygons and textures, and the atmosphere is represented by a fog function. The MOSART Atmospheric Tool (MAT) provides SensorVision with its atmospheric quantities (taking into account observer altitude, line-of-sight range and elevation, solar/lunar elevation and solar/lunar azimuth), and material surface temperatures (taking into account altitude, slope, azimuth and time of day). MAT is a pre-process. It assigns a temperature to each vertex in each polygon, and performs trilinear interpolation. As long as values are pre-calculated using MOSART, users can change their atmospheric state on the fly. MAT calculates surface temperatures, but the model is one-dimensional - lateral heat conduction is not treated. Users are advised not to use SensorVision to represent the temperature of vehicles in operation. The Texture Material Mapper (TMM) supplies classified textures and radiance textures. TMM automates the process of classifying image textures as materials. It lets users associate image texture RGB values with materials in a library, with up to three materials per texel. A sample material reflectance database of 95 materials (35 kinds of soils, 15 kinds of vegetation, 16 kinds of construction materials, 13 composites and 16 paints) is provided. Planned enhancements of SensorVision include: - the implementation of 3-D textures (non-uniform sky radiance on a per-frame basis, directional reflectance and emittance and specular dependence on incidence angle) - enhanced thermal modeling, to include internal thermal processes (e.g., in running vehicles) and heat sinks - thermal shadows - large-area database management with texture clip-mapping (currently, the entire database must be loaded in memory at the beginning of the simulation) - "fully robust" non-real-time rendering with ray tracing (for shadowing and multiple reflections), for people who need high accuracy and don't mind recording animations at about one frame per minute and then playing them back SensorVision is being evaluated at Edwards AFB. POC is Keem B. Thiem, 805-275-9436. The focus is on the database development process and the accuracy of atmospheric and material values. SensorVision 2.1.1 has been released. Owners to date include the Air Force (Eglin AFB, Edwards AFB, Wright Labs and Armstrong Labs), Navy (NAS China Lake), Army (Redstone Arsenal) and the Defense Special Weapons office. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: SensorWorks SOURCE: Photon Simulations ADDRESS: 5720 Oberlin Drive San Diego, CA 92121 619-597-3020 jrk@photon.com http://www.photon.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SensorWorks is a real-time sensor effects module. It adds sensor effects to SensorVision-rendered images. SensorWorks adds effects based on user-selected characteristics specific to a particular sensor, such as jitter, detector sensitivity, gain, noise and optical blur. SensorWorks 1.0 is in beta testing and is scheduled for a 30 May 1997 release. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: SG3D SOURCE: USACERL ADDRESS: P. O. Box 9005 Champaign, IL 61826 217-373-7220 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SG3D is a tool for viewing spatial data in 3-D. Required inputs include the name of a GRASS raster file containing category values representing the vertical axis, and the names of either one or three raster maps to supply surface RGB color values. The vertical axis may represent true elevation values or any continuous data surface. Via the mouse, users can move around the data space and view the surface from any height, direction and perspective. As the user repositions his viewpoint, the surface is animated using a wire-mesh representation. Once positioned, the surface can be drawn with a wide range of resolutions, using polygons only or polygons with a grid draped on top. Users can position a simulated light source when viewing terrain in 3-D, enabling them to highlight specific features or to enhance fine details. Option settings, light position and viewing position can be saved in a GRASS database file for later reloading. 3-D data querying is possible. Other program features include background color choices and an option that allows users with fast graphics systems to animate a fully-rendered polygonal surface instead of the default wire-mesh surface as the viewing position changes. The article "Surfaces and Modeling" in the Spring 1993 issue of GRASSCLIPPINGS contains examples of the use of SG3D as a visualization tool. System requirements: Silicon Graphics workstations running IRIX 3.X or 4.01. Price: * * * Source of information: GRASSCLIPPINGS, Spring 1993. GRASSCLIPPINGS, Summer 1992. PRODUCT NAME: SGM SOURCE: Stratamodel ADDRESS: 7500 San Felipe Road Suite 500 Houston, TX 77063 713-781-5119 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SGM is a geological analysis and visualization package. The software incorporates gridded subsurface horizons from commercial mapping packages and reservoir characterization data from a variety of sources to generate a comprehensive, 3-D geological model. Users can rotate and manipulate stratigraphic slices, produce cross-sections, etc. The August, 1993 issue of Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing describes how SGM has been used to create 3-D displays of geological information combined with USGS DEM data to assist in petroleum exploration. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: PE&RS, August 1993. PRODUCT NAME: SIMDAS SOURCE: Southwest Research Institute ADDRESS: 6220 Culebra Road San Antonio, TX 78238 512-684-5111 PLATFORM: * * * DESCRIPTION: SIMDAS is a modeling, simulation and visualization system oriented toward electronic warfare (EW). It has been used as a mission planning tool by EW analysts at the Joint Electronic Warfare Center (JEWC). EW and other intelligence information is modeled and visualized along with the terrain in 2-D or 3-D. SIMDAS has been used to visualize go/no-go regions, air defense density, countermeasure insertion effects, etc. Users can specify terrain, cultural and parametric data. SIMDAS uses DTED, ADRG and World Data Bank II to generate terrain and map backgrounds. The software is portable; it requires only re-compiling on the user's platform of choice. A demonstration in March 1994 featured SIMDAS' line-of-sight (LOS) and terrain masking applications. LOS from a radar site in Germany was performed, using ADRG as the background. Three radar sites near Denver were also modeled, with terrain represented by shaded DTED. Regions were color-coded according to the elevation at which one could be seen. Future plans call for SIMDAS to incorporate more animation features, to provide automatic real-time data input and monitoring and to provide support for VPF, DCW, ARC/INFO and Relational World Data Bank II. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Presentation given at the Advanced Information Processing & Analysis Symposium, 23 March 1994. PRODUCT NAME: SIMTools Environment SOURCE: Science Applications International (SAIC) ADDRESS: 3-D Worlds Enterprise 4501 Daly Drive Suite 309 Chantilly, VA 20151 888-SIM-SAIC SIMTools@aol.com htp://members.aol.com/simtools PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: SIMTools is a suite of Windows NT-/Windows 95-based software tools for the creation and execution of networked real- time simulations for mission rehearsal, training, virtual prototyping, analysis, collaborative decision making, etc. SIMTools products include Environment, Flight and VR Stealth. SIMTools Environment integrates the SIMTools core architecture with Virtual Prototypes' Scenario Toolkit and Generation Environment (STAGE). This combination allows users to define and execute interactive simulations and dynamic tactical scenarios. Users are provided with the tools to build complex tactical databases containing entities such as planes, ships, trucks and missiles for the robust execution of real-time virtual simulation environments. The rapid prototyping of weapons systems is supported. SIMTools Environment imports NIMA DTED. It can be linked to SIMTools VR Stealth for real-time 3-D visualization, or to SIMTools Flight for immersive aerial combat simulation. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 02-97). PRODUCT NAME: SIMTools Flight SOURCE: Science Applications International (SAIC) ADDRESS: 3-D Worlds Enterprise 4501 Daly Drive Suite 309 Chantilly, VA 20151 888-SIM-SAIC SIMTools@aol.com http://members.aol.com/simtools PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: SIMTools is a suite of Windows NT-/Windows 95-based software tools for the creation and execution of networked real- time simulations for mission rehearsal, training, virtual prototyping, analysis, collaborative decision making, etc. SIMTools products include Environment, Flight and VR Stealth. SIMTools Flight is an immersive cockpit simulation environment. It consists of the SIMTools core architecture and a flight simulation package containing sensors, aerodynamics, controls, avionics, weapons and a visual system. Users can select an unclassified F-16 configuration or another U.S. or international airframe model, and can maneuver and engage both air and ground targets. SIMTools Flight comes with 3-D models, terrain databases and tactical scenarios. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 02-97). PRODUCT NAME: SIMTools VR Stealth SOURCE: Science Applications International (SAIC) ADDRESS: 3-D Worlds Enterprise 4501 Daly Drive Suite 309 Chantilly, VA 20151 888-SIM-SAIC SIMTools@aol.com http://members.aol.com/simtools PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: SIMTools is a suite of Windows NT-/Windows 95-based software tools for the creation and execution of networked real- time simulations for mission rehearsal, training, virtual prototyping, analysis, collaborative decision making, etc. SIMTools products include Environment, Flight and VR Stealth. SIMTools VR Stealth is a system for observing and moving through a 3-D virtual battlespace. It depicts air, ground, sea and space entities of a distributed simulation. Users can attach to and look at any entity or point in the simulation, using multiple camera windows on a single screen. Users can also display sensor volumes, create additional virtual entities, attach to events automatically, fly freely and generate environmental effects (fog, clouds, etc.). Input data come from NIMA products, digital imagery, etc. The terrain and 3-D models are developed using MultiGen; the 3-D rendering is done with OpenGVS by Gemini. The package includes the SIMTools real-time software module, a real-time 3-D API, a 3Dfx real-time 3-D graphics accelerator card (30Hz update rate, texture mapped graphics performance exceeding one million triangles per second and texture mapped fill rates exceeding 90 megapixels per second, Z-buffering, alpha-blending, LOD mip-mapping, antialiasing, etc.) and a Pentium PC (see system requirements). SIMTools VR Stealth is also integrated with the REAL3D family of graphics systems from Lockheed Martin. This version is known as SIMTools VR Stealth REAL3D R3D/PRO-1000. System requirements: The system includes a 166-MHz P5, 64 MB RAM, 4 GB hard disk space, 4 PCI bus slots, dual 17" monitors, and a 3Dfx 3-D graphics accelerator card. SAIC is the exclusive distributor of 3Dfx products for the government market. Price: Introductory beta price: $20,500 (includes hardware). Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 02-97). M&AE, October 1996. Real Time Graphics, August 1996. SIGNAL, August 1996. PRODUCT NAME: SitePro SOURCE: Environmental Software ADDRESS: 714-379-7000 http://www.envsoft.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: SitePro integrates data management, CAD, GIS, surface mapping, graphics and automated reporting under one user interface. Users can integrate, manage and interpret regional and site-specific data including images, maps, drawings, observations and analyses of physical and chemical conditions in soil, air and water. Mapping capabilities include layering, stacking, labeling, scaling and symbology. Many gridding algorithms are available, including kriging. SitePro can produce contours and 3-D surface meshes. Capabilities for statistics and trend analysis are included. SitePro supports data exchange to and from other CAD, GIS and spreadsheet programs. Supported formats include, ASCII, DWG, DXF, JPEG, GIF, XLS, WKS, etc. System requirements: A 66-MHz 486 or Pentium PC running Windows 3.11, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows 95 or Windows NT; with 24 MB of RAM (32 MB for NT); 50 MB of disk space; and a 1.44-MB floppy drive (CD-ROM drive preferred). Price: $2,295. Source of information: CADalyst, May 1997. Vendor literature (obtained 04-97). PRODUCT NAME: SiteView SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: 297 Boston Post Road Suite 203 Wayland, MA 01778 508-358-8061 marketing@consolve.com http://www.consolve.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: SiteView is a 3-D visualization program intended for environmental and geoscience applications. Multi-temporal and multi-source data can be combined to form a site model, which can be refined as the user visualizes and analyzes the data. SiteView accepts data from spreadsheets, databases, from numerical models, and from 2-D and 3-D CAD files in DXF format. Users can limit the import selection to a specified number of rows from a text file. Imported data can then be mapped into visual objects. Graphic overlay information can be imported in the form of 2-D or 3-D DXF layers. SiteView handles AutoCAD Release 12 and 13 DXF files, but some restrictions limit the types of entities that can be imported. Spatial data are imported as tab-delimited ASCII files. A typical record contains xyz coordinates plus the point's name or an attribute that could be text or a value. Output file formats include PostScript, EPS, CGM and HPGL. SiteView can be used to perform 3-D solid modeling, multiple iso-shells, 2-D and 3-D DXF rendering, surface modeling and stratigraphic modeling. The user can alter rendering attributes and viewing positions, as well as toggle between orthographic and perspective views. Objects can be queried for attribute values by selecting the graphic elements within a 3-D view. SiteView was reviewed in the December 1995 issue of CADalyst. System requirements: A 33+MHz 486+ PC with 16 MB RAM, 20 MB swap space, 5 MB hard disk space, VGA or better, Windows 3.1, 95 or NT, and the Win32s 32-bit enhancement to Windows (provided with SiteView). Price: PC: $995. Source of information: RockWare 1996/97 Earth Science Software Catalog. CADalyst, January 1996. GIS World, October 1995. PRODUCT NAME: SiteWorks SOURCE: Intergraph ADDRESS: Huntsville, AL 35894 800-345-4856 info@intergraph.com http://www.ingr.com PLATFORM: Windows NT, DOS, CLIX, UNIX DESCRIPTION: SiteWorks is a surface modeling and analysis package that focuses on civil engineering applications. It runs as an integrated module under MicroStation or AutoCAD. 3-D wireframe views and 3-D shaded relief views can be generated with SiteWorks. Users can drape lines and polygons over surfaces and, with additional software, bitmaps can also be draped. Users can edit grids to form artificial surfaces (e.g., earthworks and road cuts/fills), perform surface-to-surface operations, and can alter triangle elevations directly or raise and lower areas as needed. Some surface and volume modeling functionality is built in, but viewshed analysis requires an add- on module. Flow lines, watershed boundaries and ridge delineation require a hydrological add-on. SiteWorks can read ASCII, AutoCAD DXF and Windows Metafile vector data; and ASCII, USGS DEM and AutoCAD DXF gridded data. System requirements: For the PC: a 386, 486 or Pentium with 16 MB RAM (24 MB recommended), at least 10 MB of disk space and a CD-ROM drive. The software runs under either MicroStation or AutoCAD. Price: SiteWorks for MicroStation: $2,500. (MicroStation costs $2,500, also.) SiteWorks for AutoCAD: $1,495. Source of information: GIS World, December 1996. PRODUCT NAME: Smart Terrain SOURCE: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory ADDRESS: Battelle Boulevard P.O. Box 999 MSIN:K9-55 Richland, WA 99352 509-372-6052 js_risch@pnl.gov PLATFORM: Intergraph TDZ DESCRIPTION: Smart Terrain is a PC-based terrain visualization system under development by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (a facility operated by Battelle Memorial Institute for the Department of Energy) for U.S. Army I Corps at Fort Lewis. The existing prototype enables the draping of raster data onto terrain models for real-time fly-throughs. Smart Terrain uses C++ wrappers around OpenGL function calls. The prototype uses a grid-based approach in which lower- fidelity representations (used for representing distant terrain) are generated by resampling the full-resolution terrain grid at larger and larger sampling intervals. Smart Terrain's user interface consists of two primary windows: a 3-D view that includes a status bar displaying the current bearing, elevation and MGRS coordinates of the viewpoint; and a plan view of the area surrounding the current 3-D viewpoint location. The view shown in the 3-D window can be steered by positioning the cursor in the window and pressing one or more mouse buttons. Various display, rendering and environmental control functions can be accessed via drop-down menus. Users can select low or high resolution mode. The program incorporates an accurate solar illumination model. System requirements: Intergraph TDZ with 100-MHz Pentium CPU running Windows NT with 64 MB RAM, 2 GB disk space and a CD-ROM drive. Price: $10,000. Source of information: Personal correspondence with Principal Investigator (John Risch, 509-372-6052, js_risch@pnl.gov), 02-96. Special note: TVD has a videotape in which Smart Terrain is used to fly through satellite image data and DTED Level 1 data. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. Smart Terrain POCs include COL Larry Bruns (CDR, 201st MI BDE, 206-209-1994) and Randy Woodson (Program Manager, 206-967- 8511, r_woodson@ccmail.pnl.gov). PRODUCT NAME: SOCET SET SOURCE: GDE Systems ADDRESS: 16259 Technology Drive P.O. Box 85468 San Diego, CA 92186 619-592-5153 helava@GDEsystems.com http://www.gdesystems.com PLATFORM: SUN, Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: SOCET SET resides on TEC's Digital Stereo- Photogrammetric Workstation (DSPW) as part of the Terrain Information Extraction System (TIES). SOCET SET's functions are to import, preprocess, display and extract information from imagery. It can be used for orthorectification, image mosaicking, geopositioning, terrain and feature extraction, etc. This summary focuses on SOCET SET's Perspective Scene function, which allows the creation of 3-D scenes displaying terrain, features and imagery from a user-specified viewpoint. After the viewer's location and orientation have been specified, the scene is rendered by draping imagery over the digital terrain model (DTM) and the features that are visible to the viewer. Users can render single scenes or can create animated fly- throughs made of hundreds of scenes. Imagery can be draped over a DTM only, or over a DTM and features. Features can be rendered from imagery, with generic textures, with solid colors, or with shading based on a given sun angle. Image texture to be draped over a DTM can come from several images. Users can specify which image to use for each feature, or can let the selection process be automatic. A fly-through's viewpoint can follow a simple tangent line along the flight vector, or it can including pivoting and locking onto targets. Users can vary their field of view and resolution. 3-D visualization is not interactive. Several steps are needed for perspective scene generation: delineation of the fly-through route, determination of the look angles, selection of the DTM files, imagery and feature files, and establishment of the size and appearance of rendered scenes. Scenes are displayed one at a time as they are rendered, and are saved as individual disk files. At SGI's 1997 Defense Simulation and Imaging Conference (DSIC 97) GDE's SOCET SET Version 3.2 was demonstrated on an Octane system. Evans & Sutherland's RapidScene was running in a window on the same machine, concurrent with SOCET SET. SOCET SET can output models in DXF, ArcGen, DGN and ASCII formats. SOCET SET is part of the U.S. Military Academy's Geographic Sciences Lab. System requirements: SUN or SGI workstation with 128 MB RAM, 200 MB disk space for software (2 GB recommended for data), 300 MB swap space, and a stereo-capable monitor. Price: $40,000. Source of information: Vendor demonstration (05-97). "Pathfinder 97 Crosswalks Candidate Tools, 10-13 September 1996." DSPW Users Manual. CAWS Volume I, Issue 3. Special note: SOCET SET has been evaluated by the National Exploitation Laboratory. A copy of their report is available through TVD. SOCET SET has also been evaluated through Pathfinder 97; this report is also available. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: SoftPlotter SOURCE: Autometric ADDRESS: 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 703-658-4000 http://www.autometric.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SoftPlotter is available as an upgrade from the IMAGINE OrthoMAX product line. Its functions include aerotriangulation, automated terrain model extraction with interactive stereoscopic editing, orthorectification and 3-D feature data extraction. DXF, DGN, KDMS, TERRAMODEL, ARC/INFO and ERDAS IMAGINE formats are supported. Version 1.5 includes new orthophoto mosaicking capabilities, with automatic radiometric matching and geometric feathering. Release 1.5 also offers increased processing performance, subpixel cursor measuring, project definition parameters, point- and-click backup and restore, import and export of ASCII data and enhanced stereoscopic terrain data editing GeoCatalogue 2.0 will ship with SoftPlotter 1.5. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: GIS World, October 1995. Vendor literature (obtained 04-94). PRODUCT NAME: SPANS SOURCE: TYDAC ADDRESS: 1925 N. Lynn Street Suite 803 Arlington, VA 22209 703-527-0550 info@tydac.com http://www.tydac.com PLATFORM: PCs (Windows 3.1, Windows 95 or OS/2) and UNIX workstations (DEC, HP, IBM RISC/6000, SGI and SUN) DESCRIPTION: The SPANS suite of spatial analysis software is designed to be a comprehensive package for importing, analyzing, modeling and exporting major geographic data types. It is a hybrid raster/vector solution. The product family includes SPANS Cartographer, SPANS Mineral Exploration, SPANS Pioneer, SPANS Prospector and SPANS Topographer. This summary focuses on the technical features of SPANS Topographer. Users of SPANS Topographer can interpolate surfaces from point data, using linear or non-linear interpolation models to from triangulated irregular networks. Surface derivatives such as slope, aspect and angle of incidence can be calculated. Local operations such as smoothing, edge detection, edge enhancement and texture analysis can be performed on data. Operations can be applied to thematic data to determine indices such as landscape complexity. Users can generate maps that display the visible and non- visible portions of a surface, for a given observer position and viewing geometry. Areas of interest can be zoomed. Perspective models of surface data can be generated. Users can define viewing geometry, zoom factor and vertical exaggeration, either by numerical specification or interactive modification. Thematic layers can be draped over surfaces. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 01-97). PRODUCT NAME: Spatial Explorer SOURCE: Schreiber Instruments ADDRESS: 4800 Happy Canyon Road Suite 250 Denver, CO 80237-1074 303-759-1024 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Spatial Explorer is designed to visualize complex 3-D spatial data, especially for subsurface investigations related to environmental contaminant distribution, civil engineering design, mine design, and petroleum exploration. Users can construct 2-D and 3-D cross-sections, fence diagrams, block models and 3-D wellbore diagrams. Spatial Explorer runs seamlessly within AutoCAD Release 12. Schreiber's QuickSurf is not required, but the program is aware of QuickSurf's presence and can take advantage of it if it is loaded. System requirements: AutoCAD. Price: $495. Source of information: POB, February/March 1995. Silicon Graphics World, January 1995. EOM, January 1995. PRODUCT NAME: SSV SOURCE: Sterling Software ADDRESS: 1121 San Antonio Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 415-964-9900 PLATFORM: DECstation 5000, HP 9000 Series 700, IBM RS/6000 and SGI DESCRIPTION: SSV, the Sterling Scientific Visualization System, is a comprehensive visualization package providing modeling, rendering, viewing, animation, particle tracing, secondary computations on the input results, video and film output, and other functions. Version 2.1 offers ViewPaths - a technique that lets the user's viewpoint fly through his data. Each version of SSV is a native implementation which uses the full capability and features of the individual platform. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (dated). PRODUCT NAME: STAGE SOURCE: Virtual Prototypes ADDRESS: 5252 de Maisonneuve W. Suite 318 Montreal, Quebec Canada H41 3S5 514-483-4712 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI), PC DESCRIPTION: The Scenario Toolkit and Generation Environment (STAGE) is a development environment to facilitate the creation of simulation and training applications. Users can define complex, interactive scenarios integrating tactics with the physical environment, resulting in the replication of real world dynamics for real-time, man-in-the-loop training or decision support systems. STAGE is mainly used to build and execute scenarios. It is available as a turnkey system or as an off-the- shelf tool. As an off-the-shelf software package running on commercial workstations, STAGE can be interfaced with virtual and/or real hardware devices. Users can modify scenarios or create new ones by selecting targets and their attributes from menu lists. New targets and weapon systems can be created and added to the database. A pictorial user interface allows intuitive operation without programming. A STAGE user configures a scenario by defining targets, choosing and defining maps and environments, and creating simulation flow control and simulation events. The user then integrates dynamic models; previews and validates the scenario; initializes the scenario and runs the simulation; and finally, reviews the results using recording and playback tools. STAGE has four components. The Database Editor (DE) is a pictorial interface for defining, validating, and storing parameters, data and paradigms for controlling virtual world execution. The System Manager entails user interface support and utilities to control run-time execution. The Universal Tactical Environment consists of run-time simulation models that generate the real world dynamics. Ownership features higher fidelity models for direct operator interaction. A Development Interface (DI) allows developers to customize the data structures and user interfaces of the DE to incorporate third-party models. No programming is necessary for this customization. STAGE features an open configuration, distributed architecture, hardware independence, a graphical user interface, and compatibility with standards such as UNIX, US Air Force MODSIM, US Navy UTSS, US Army DIS, and US Air Force Project 2851. STAGE can be interfaced to external software and simulation models from existing simulators, real or simulated equipment, virtual equipment created using VPI's VAPS software, and VPI's FLSIM product for flight simulation. Three versions of STAGE are available: STAGE Designer, featuring the full capability to define and execute a virtual scenario; STAGE Developer, which adds the capability of integrating user-defined functions and models and to interface with externally developed simulation models; and STAGE Runtime, which allows a user to run a previously established STAGE configuration but lacks a facility to modify parameters or create new configurations. STAGE Runtime allows scenarios to be previewed, validated, initialized and executed as needed. An option designed specifically for Army applications is available. STAGE has been used at Fort Rucker, Fort Sill, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, TACOM, MICOM, White Sands Missile Range and other installations. The U.S. Air Force Theater Air Command and Control Simulation Facility has used STAGE in its theater missile defense research. STAGE was used as the host environment generator for the ground war. STAGE is also used by the Israeli Defense Forces. Virtual Prototypes demonstrated STAGE software at a Silicon Graphics-hosted conference in May of 1996. The demonstration featured a 2-D battle scenario in one display with a 3-D fly- through in a second display. DTED (users can specify the post spacing) and DFAD data were used in the scenario; the fly-through used Gemini's JAFAR product. STAGE is being used on a Pentium-based PC with a 3Dfx graphics accelerator board to create tactical scenarios for SAIC's SimTools common software environment. STAGE has also been integrated with SGI's Performer, Paradigm's Vega and Gemini's GVS. System requirements: Silicon Graphics workstations. Price: A full development kit for STAGE 1.0 costs $95,000. Source of information: Vendor demonstration (05-97). Real Time Graphics, April/May 1997. Military & Aerospace Electronics, October 1996. Special note: TVD has a Virtual Prototypes video and copious STAGE literature. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: Stealth SOURCE: MaK Technologies ADDRESS: 380 Green Street Cambridge, MA 02139 617-876-8085 katz@mak.com http://www.mak.com PLATFORM: SGI and Windows 95/NT DESCRIPTION: Stealth enables users to fly or drive through DIS environments while providing 3-D out-the-window views of the terrain. Remote vehicle behavior and effects are realistically depicted. Different flight/attach modes are provided. The system is remotely controllable, and it supports GUI or keyboard interface. The product is compatible with MultiGen OpenFlight databases. There are eleven different view modes. Users can attach to or track a DIS entity, or attach to one entity while tracking another. Users can choose entities from a list via the GUI or keyboard, and selected groups of entities can be kept in view. Hot keys enable the user to toggle among different view modes. A user can click on an entity in a scene, thereby automatically attaching to it. Mode and current position can be saved and recalled via hot keys. A heads-up-display provides location, orientation and other user-defined information. Stealth uses VR-Link to listen to a DIS exercise or DIS traffic. It depicts the position and orientation of all DIS entities and places ground entities on the terrain, with optional ground clamping. Effects such as smoke, flame, and muzzle flashes are shown. Electromagnetic sensor fields are represented as configurable translucent volumes. SGI's Multi-Channel Option is supported. Visual parameters such as fog, time of day, clipping lanes, wireframe/texture toggle and field of view can be controlled from the GUI or from the keyboard. Stealth includes executables for DIS 2.0.3 and 2.0.4, configuration files for setting Stealth parameters and for mapping DIS entity types to MultiGen models, and application source code. It also comes with two versions of a Fort Hunter- Liggett terrain database, and dozens of vehicle models. System requirements: VR-Link and Performer 1.2. It runs on the entire SGI product line. The PC version requires an Intel Pentium (75+ MHz) running Windows 95 or NT, with 32 MB of RAM, 20 MB of hard disk space, a CD-ROM drive and a 3Dfx Interactive Obsidian graphics accelerator board. Price: For SGI and Windows 95/NT: $2,000. VR-Link also costs $2,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: StrataVirtual 3D SOURCE: Strata ADDRESS: 2 W. Saint George Blvd. Suite 2100 St. George, UT 84770 800-STRATA3D http://www.strata3d.com PLATFORM: PC and Macintosh DESCRIPTION: StrataVirtual provides a real-time environment for navigating 3-D models that have been generated by StrataVision or by StudioPro. Navigation can be accomplished five ways. Horizontal travel moves the camera forward, backward, left and right. Object Rotate rotates the model relative to the camera. View Rotate rotates the camera relative to the model. View move moves the view, allowing the camera to move vertically. The only menu options are for anti-aliasing, z-buffering and background painting. There is no provision for recording a flight path, and no plan view. On 8-bit monitors, the program works in gray scale only; 16- bit or 24-bit monitors are required for color. System requirements: * * * Price: $299. Source of information: NEWMEDIA, May 1995. PRODUCT NAME: StrataVision 3d SOURCE: Strata ADDRESS: 2 W. Saint George Blvd. Suite 2100 St. George, UT 84770 800-STRATA3D http://www.strata3d.com PLATFORM: PC and Macintosh DESCRIPTION: StrataVision 3d is a 3-D modeling, scene composition and rendering program for the PC (SV3d PC) and Macintosh (SV3d Mac). Its motion scripting utility can be used to animate 3-D objects, multiple light sources and camera views simultaneously. Photo-realistic images can be used as backgrounds or as reflective texture maps. SV3d PC is compatible with TIPS, Lumena, Rio, CorelDraw, Photostyler, etc. Imported files can include DXF objects or texture maps in 32-bit TGA, TIFF and PCX formats. Images can be output as PCX, 32-bit TGA, TIFF, FLC or FLI files. SV3d PC's rendering options include texture mapping, transparency, shadows, reflectance mapping and custom environment reflections. Bump maps can be simulated with texture maps. Transparent backgrounds can be created via the alpha channel. A library of 50 textures and 20 metallic shades is included. 3-D tools include page turning effects, contour mapping, grid transformations, etc. Animation tools include keyframing, unlimited cameras, velocity and acceleration control, etc. Animation sequences can be previewed with the Picture Show option. Files can be imported into SV3d Mac in DXF, IGES, Super3D text, Swivel 3D, MiniCad+, PICT, Illustrator and EPS formats. Images can be exported as DXF, EPS, PICT, TIFF or RIB files. QuickTime animation and PICS files can be used as surface maps. SV3d Mac 2.6 includes alpha channel support, faster screen redraw, improved ray tracing, improved memory management, improved DXF import/export, export of EPS, improved animation interpolation, etc. Optional modules offer textures and fractal terrain generation. Version 4.0 includes a Boolean editor that lets users add or subtract objects to create complex shapes. More textures are included, and the new RenderScript polygonal renderer creates Bezier regions and turns 3-D models into PostScript representations. SV3d Mac has been used along with NIH's Image (a public domain image processing program) to visualize the surface of Mars. Users imported PICT images and interpreted the gray values as elevation data to build a 3-D model. Elevations were scaled based on the spatial dimension versus the range of sample values in the image. The Transform option in the modeling menu was used to scale the values and achieve the desired level of exaggeration. Using the Texture menu, another PICT file was imported and interpreted as a texture map to overlay on the 3-D model. The scene could be oriented to any desired view, and animation sequences could be defined using menu options. SV3d was used to create fly-throughs of St. Petersburg, Russia to promote the 1994 Goodwill Games. The software has also been used to create terrain for the game Myst. System requirements: For the Macintosh: FPU, 5 MB RAM, and System 6.0.5 or better. For the PowerMac: 8 MB RAM, System 6.0.5 or later. For the PC: 386 or 486 with 4 MB RAM, VGA or SVGA, DOS 5.0 or later, math coprocessor, and mouse. Price: SV3d PC 6.5: $695. SV3d 4.0 for the PowerMac: $695. (Image 1.49 costs $100 through the National Technical Information Service.) Source of information: NewMedia, April 1995. Vendor literature (updated 10-93). Special note: An SV3d Mac demo diskette is available. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: StudioPro SOURCE: Strata ADDRESS: 2 W. Saint George Blvd. Suite 2100 St. George, UT 84770 800-STRATA3D http://www.strata3d.com PLATFORM: PC and Macintosh DESCRIPTION: StudioPro is a modeling, rendering and animation program intended to serve as a higher-end alternative to StrataVision 3d. StudioPro includes RayPainter, which lets users render objects with media such as watercolor, drybrush, ArtDeco, etc. A CD-ROM of sample models, textures and backgrounds is included. Special effects extensions include explosions, shattering, and atomization, each with adjustable parameters such as source, gravity, and life span. Other animation extensions include bounce, ease-in/out, auto-bank and point-at. 3D Sculptor allows image manipulations, such as spline and vertex editing via click and pull. A 2-D sculpting tool takes flat drawings created in the program or imported from other programs and turns them into 3-D objects. StudioPro for the Mac supports .dxf, IGES, .eps, PICS, PICT, Super 3D, Swivel 3D, TIFF, .rib, Illustrator 3.0 and QuickTime files. Image can be saved as PICT, TIFF, EPSF and StudioPro files. The PC version reads TrueType fonts, PCX, DXF and 32-bit TGA files and exports PCX, TIFF, 32-bit TGA and FLC files. System requirements: For Windows: 20 MB of RAM and 24 MB of disk space. For Macintosh: 32 MB of RAM and 29 MB of disk space. Price: $1,495. Source of information: Digital Magic, April 1997. AV Video, February 1995. Vendor literature (updated 10-94). PRODUCT NAME: SunVision SOURCE: SunExpress ADDRESS: P.O. Box 4426 Bridgeton, MO 63044 800-873-7869 PLATFORM: SUN SPARCstation DESCRIPTION: SunVision is an integrated visualization package that includes capabilities for image processing, volume rendering and analysis, photorealistic rendering, and interactive display of 3-D data. SunVision is designed for developing applications in scientific visualization, including remote sensing, seismic interpretation, and others. The SunIPLib image processing library contains more than 90 image processing routines. SunVoxel provides interactive volume rendering techniques. SunMovie enables users to display sequences of previously computed frames. Other features include a colormap editor; utilities; and filters for importing and exporting data, shared file formats and data types. All tools are implemented with a reconfigurable user interface called SunVIF, which allows users to create custom interfaces and to integrate home-grown routines into SunVision applications. System requirements: Sun SPARC System, Solaris 1.x, OpenWindows 3.x. Price: SunVision CD, single-user RTU license and documentation: $2,400. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: SURF SOURCE: COSMIC ADDRESS: 382 East Broad Street Athens, GA 30602 706-542-3265 service@cosmic.uga.edu http://www.cosmic.uga.edu PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: SURF enables the interactive input of grid and solution files from the PLOT3D/AMES program, uses those files in the interactive creation of wire-frame, shaded and function- mapped images, and then outputs ARCGraph standard files that can be animated by use of GAS software. System requirements: IRIX operating system, 4 MB RAM, 32 bit planes, z-buffering, z-clipping, floating point hardware support, Silicon Graphics include files (such as stdio.h and gl.h). Price: Program $1,000.00; documentation $17.00. Source of information: COSMIC 1992. PRODUCT NAME: SURFACE SOURCE: High Sierra Technologies ADDRESS: P.O. Box 8296 749 Kelly Drive Incline Vil., NV 89452 702-832-0792 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations DESCRIPTION: SURFACE is a 4-D modeling software toolkit containing software libraries, programs and examples. It is designed to facilitate conceptualization of multi-dimensional data through Cartesian representation and 3-D graphics. The user can rotate the graphics window to find the appropriate view for analysis. SURFACE's 4-D Graphics Utilities' voxel display software allows up to 270,000 voxel points, which can be grouped in up to 5000 objects. Features include full rotation, translation and scaling controls; Z-axis ordering and slicing; and zoom controls. System requirements: X11 and one or more CPSI SuperCard Array Processors. Price: Scientific Sensor Support Tools: $4,500. Advanced Acoustic/ElectroMagnetic Application Tools: $8,500. 4-D Graphics Utilities: $2,500. Multi-Processor Management Utilities: $2,500. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: SURFACE III SOURCE: Kansas Geological Survey ADDRESS: 1930 Constant Avenue Lawrence, KS 66047 913-864-5674 PLATFORM: Macintosh, PC, SUN SPARC, AViiON, RS/6000 and SGI DESCRIPTION: SURFACE III can be used for gridding, contouring, polynomial trend analysis and 3-D perspective views. XYZ data can be read in from text files and gridded using several methods. Pre-gridded data (e.g. DEMs) can also be read in and contoured. Grids can be added, subtracted, multiplied and divided. Display options include contour maps, color-or pattern-filled maps, 3-D perspective diagrams, data point postings and map overlays. Geographic and UTM coordinates are supported. Contour lines can be exported in BNA, DXF, PICT or EPS formats. System requirements: Macintosh requirements: 1 MB of RAM and 2 or 3 MB of hard disk space. Price: Macintosh version: $229. Source of information: SCITECH Solutions for Science, Vol. 35. PRODUCT NAME: SURFACE III+ SOURCE: Kansas Geological Survey ADDRESS: 1930 Constant Avenue Lawrence, KS 66047 913-864-5674 PLATFORM: Macintosh, PC, SUN SPARC, AViiON, RS/6000 and SGI DESCRIPTION: SURFACE III+ provides gridding, contouring, polynomial trend analysis, and 3-D perspective maps. Other features include kriging, semivariograms, frequency histograms, error analysis, etc. UTM-to-geographic coordinate conversion is supported. The program can export in BNA, DXF, EPS, HPGL, and PICT formats. Version 2.5.3 provides multi-variable star and arc postings, import from ARC/INFO and export of contours to ARC/INFO, and support for unequal contour levels. System requirements: * * * Price: Macintosh version: $379. UNIX version: $1,949. Source of information: SCITECH Solutions for Science, Vol. 35. PRODUCT NAME: SURFER SOURCE: Golden Software ADDRESS: P.O. Box 281 Golden, CO 80402 800-972-1021 info@golden.com http://www.golden.com PLATFORM: Windows 3.1/95/NT DESCRIPTION: SURFER produces full-color 3-D surface and contour maps from 3-D data sets. Users can specify post data points, contour intervals and labeling, color contours and surfaces, smoothed or unsmoothed lines, and independent scaling in all three dimensions. Surface plots can be created with stacked contours or mesh, with perspective or orthographic projections, rotation and tilt to any angle, and optional hidden line removal. Residuals, surface areas, volumes and cross-sections can be computed for any contour map and 3-D surface. Data can be loaded into SURFER's spreadsheet from a Lotus or ASCII text file, or from the keyboard. There is no limit on input data, and grid file sizes can exceed one million nodes. Inverse distance, kriging, minimum curvature, polynomial regression, radial basis, Shepard's method and other interpolation routines can be used for irregularly spaced data. SURFER can generate shaded relief and image maps. Shaded relief maps use a 3-D shading effect that is controlled by defining the azimuth and inclination of a light source, so maps are color-shaded based on the slope and orientation of the surface. Image maps are continuous-spectrum color relief maps in which colors are assigned according to Z-values. SURFER can import and export maps in DXF, BNA, GSB, WMF, TIFF, BMP, PCX, TGA, GIS, LGO and other formats. Maps can be created from USGS DEM files. System requirements: For Windows: Windows 3.1, VGA or better, 2 MB RAM (4 recommended) and 5 MB hard disk space. SURFER 6 runs under all Windows platforms and ships with 32-bit versions for use on Windows 95 and Windows NT computers, and a 16-bit version for Windows 3.1. Price: SURFER for Windows: $499. $475 from the Scientific Software Group, 703-620-9214, info@scisoftware.com, http://www.scisoftware.com. $399 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 36. Source of information: SCITECH Solutions for Science, Vol. 36. Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: SurfLink SOURCE: HSI GeoTrans ADDRESS: 46050 Manekin Plaza Suite 100 Sterling, VA 20166 703-444-7000 http://www.hsigeotrans.com PLATFORM: Windows 3.1/95/NT DESCRIPTION: SurfLink provides a seamless interface between the MapInfo GIS and Surfer for Windows. SurfLink lets users create contour maps from within MapInfo Professional, using Surfer 6.0 for Windows. Starting from MapInfo, SurfLink steps users through the Surfer interface so they can select from Surfer's gridding and custom mapping options. SurfLink prompts users for information (e.g., file names, contour levels, fill types, etc.) so they can generate colorful contour maps. Once the contour map is created, SurfLink created the requisite MapInfo tables so that the contour map can be integrated with MapInfo data. System requirements: SurfLink requires Surfer 6 and MapInfo 4.0 to run. Price: SurfLink costs $175. A bundle including Surfer 6.0 and SurfLink costs $575. A bundle including MapInfo and SurfLink costs $1,225. A bundle including MapInfo, Surfer and SurfLink costs $1,625. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 05-97). PRODUCT NAME: SURVCADD SOURCE: Carlson Software ADDRESS: 22 East Third Street Maysville, KY 41056 606-564-5028 carlson@may-uky.campus.mci.net PLATFORM: SUN, HP and PC DESCRIPTION: SURVCADD consists of several modules that work within AutoCAD: COGO/Design, DTM/Contour, Section/Profile, Hydrology and Mining. The system uses AutoCAD as its graphics engine and drawing editor. The screen and tablet menus are similar in form and function to the standard menu that is provided with AutoCAD. SURVCADD's DTM/Contour module provides contour generation from 3-D meshes (triangular or rectangular), surface-to-surface volumetrics via the TIN method, automated break/barrier line definition, interpolation of elevation points, generation of 3-D mesh surface models, slope zone analysis, surface area analysis, average elevation analysis, elevation zone analysis, spot elevations and automatic point elevations from design features, terrain modeling utilities, and more. System requirements: A 486+ running DOS, Windows 3.1, Windows NT or Windows 95; or a UNIX workstation. 32 MB RAM and AutoCAD 12/13 are also required. Price: DTM/Contour for Windows: $1,000. Bi-annual updates cost $150. Source of information: Professional Surveyor, May/June 1996. Vendor literature (updated 7-96). PRODUCT NAME: Surveyor SOURCE: Jet Propulsion Laboratory ADDRESS: 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA 91109-8099 http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov PLATFORM: SGI and SUN DESCRIPTION: Surveyor is a public domain terrain fly-through software package that can distribute rendering to multiple machines. The size of the images that Surveyor can process is limited only by the size of the operating system's virtual memory address space, not by array size or the size of the system swap space. A database pyramid of Video Image Communication and Retrieval (VICAR) files is formed by precomputing a series of reduced-resolution images scaled down from an original by user- selectable filters. USGS Bulletin 2103 describes a project in which ARC/INFO, Khoros and Surveyor software were used to merge terrain data sets and to produce fly-throughs. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 2103. PRODUCT NAME: S-PLUS SOURCE: Statistical Sciences ADDRESS: 1700 Westlake Ave. N. Suite 500 Seattle, WA 98109 206-283-8802 PLATFORM: SUN SPARCstation, DECstation, DEC Alpha, HP 9000, IBM RS/6000, SGI, PC DESCRIPTION: S-PLUS provides an interactive environment for graphical data analysis, statistics and computational programming. It can be used as an application package or as a development environment for custom data analysis and graphics applications. Selected features include: - Data analysis and statistics. - 2-D plotting. - 3-D plotting (contour plots, 3-D data spinning, mesh surface plots with user-selected perspective), image plots, etc.) - Interactive graphics/data visualization. - Graphics device support (X11, OPEN LOOK, Motif, Apollo, SunView, PostScript, HPGL, etc.) - I/O (ASCII files, keyboard input, binary files from user- written Fortran or C programs). S-PLUS 3.1 includes faster performance, additional math functions, quality control charting, color PostScript support, and compatibility with S+INTERFACE, a toolkit for building custom applications with S-PLUS. S-PLUS for ARC/INFO unites ESRI's GIS technology and S-PLUS' graphical data analysis capabilities to provide integrated analysis and data visualization tools. As of December 1995, S-PLUS has an installed base of about 8,000 users. NASA has used S-PLUS for determining the effects of clear-cutting in the Amazon region. System requirements: For UNIX: 16 MB RAM, 65 MB disk space and 64 MB swap space. For 386/387 PCs: Windows3.1 or higher, 8 MB RAM, and 25 MB disk space. For 386/387 PCs running DOS: DOS 3.1 or higher, 4 MB RAM, 25 MB disk space and EGA or VGA. Price: $960 to $3,700 for single users. Source of information: SunExpert, December 1995. Vendor literature. Special note: S-PLUS videos are available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: TECHBASE SOURCE: RockWare ADDRESS: The RockWare Building 2221 East Street Suite 101 Golden, CO 80401 800-775-6745 rockware@rockware.com http://www.rockware.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: TECHBASE is a database management system designed for engineering or scientific data. A program to create and modify database structures is included. Standard ASCII text files can be read. Reports can be generated that write database values to a file for export to other programs. Math and boolean logic calculations are available. Options include two graphics applications packages. TAP- Graph produces gridded contour maps, base maps and random contour maps. It also digitizes point, line and polygon data, and constructs cross sections. TAP Graph II provides expanded font, marker and pattern libraries. It also creates 3-D perspective views and allows interactive polygon graphics editing. TAP-Convert is an application package for coordinate and GIS conversions. Included are coordinate and map projection conversions, a converter for DEM files, and a converter for DLG files. System requirements: 386 or better PC, 640K RAM, hard disk, math coprocessor and graphics card. Price: TECHBASE: $800. Selected application packages: TAP- Graph: $800. TAP Graph II: $1,200. TAP-Model: $4,300. TAP- Convert: $700. TAP-Surface: $5,000. Source of information: RockWare Scientific Software,1992/1993. PRODUCT NAME: TECH-CON SOURCE: Technical Advisors ADDRESS: 5918 Lilley Road, #1 Canton, MI 48187 800-521-9958 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: TECH-CON is a menu-driven system designed to produce contour maps from coordinate data. The software can also calculate cut-and-fill volume differences between surfaces. Both 2-D and 3-D graphics are provided. Breakline capabilities ensure accurate contours across ditches, roads and other discontinuities. Contour intervals can be customized. Contour maps can be plotted or displayed on the screen. Maps can be previewed on screen prior to printing, plotting or transferring to CAD programs. 3-D maps can be viewed from any user-specified position. A temporary elevation factor can be applied globally to all surface elevations for 3-D exaggeration. Two surface models can be compared to perform volume calculations. TECH-CON can accept 3-D coordinates (up to 5,400 points) from TECH-MAC software, from ASCII files or from manual input. A coordinate editor is included. DXF file transfers are supported. English or metric units can be used. System requirements: A 386+ DOS PC, 640K RAM, a graphics adapter, a math co-processor and a mouse. Price: TECH-CON V5.0: $495. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: TECKON SOURCE: Scientific Software Group ADDRESS: P.O. Box 23041 Washington D.C. 20026 703-620-9214 PLATFORM: PC and Macintosh DESCRIPTION: TECKON is a contouring and analysis package consisting of five interacting modules, each of which can run independently of the others. TKON2I performs 2-D contouring of up to 10,000 irregular data points. TKON2R performs 2-D contouring of regular data, and can handle grids of up to 500 X 500 points. TKON3D performs 3-D contouring of regular data. 3-D maps produced by TKON3D can be viewed from any direction. TKONC produces cross-sectional views of contoured surfaces using gridded data files. TKONV estimates the volume contained between two contoured surfaces, using gridded data. System requirements: * * * Price: TECKON package: $850. TKON3D: $300. Source of information: Software Bulletin, 1994-95. PRODUCT NAME: TECPLOT SOURCE: Amtec Engineering ADDRESS: P.O. Box 3633 Bellevue, WA 98009 800-676-7568 tecplot@amtec.com http://www.amtec.com PLATFORM: SGI, SUN, HP, IBM and DEC workstations; and PCs with Windows 3.x/95/NT DESCRIPTION: TECPLOT is a program for the visualization and analysis of engineering and scientific data. It can create triangular meshes from random data points. Users can generate contour plots and light source-shaded 3-D surfaces from randomly ordered data. Non-rectangular and multiple data sets can be handled simultaneously, without an interim step for interpolation. TECPLOT can deal with large data sets, with up to 2,048 variables per point. As many as 64 windows with 12 data sets can be used simultaneously to create different plots, which can be overlapped or superimposed on one another. TECPLOT accepts ASCII files, spreadsheet print files, NASA- PLOT3D files, TECPLOT Binary Formatted files, and plain binary data files. Users can zoom in to any portion of a plot and then return to a previous view or a full view. The view can be translated, rotated and scaled interactively. Previewing and animation facilities are available. The 3DV extension adds capabilities for visualizing volumetric data as iso-surfaces and arbitrary slices. TECPLOT+3DV allows users to plot 3-D volume data and perform volumetric operations such as iso-surface extraction, 3-D volume streamlines, and arbitrary 3-D data slicing. Volumetric data can be defined in multiple, non-rectangular, ijk-ordered and finite element grids. Users can perform 3-D gridding and interpolation from randomly ordered data points. The U.S. Geological Survey has used TECPLOT to analyze groundwater data, and oceanographers at Oregon State University have used it to create large-scale ocean models. System requirements: PC: 386+ running Windows 3.1x/95/NT, 8 MB RAM (16 MB for NT) and 8 MB of disk space. UNIX: IRIX 5.2+, Solaris 2.4+, HP-UX 9.0+, IBM AIX 3.2.5+, Digital UNIX 3.2+, Ultrix 4.3+ or Linux 1.0+; 12 MB RAM and 25 MB disk space. Price: Windows 3.1x/95/NT on Intel PCs: $995. ($969.95 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 36.) Windows NT on DEC Alpha, Linux on Intel PCs and Solaris x86 on Intel PCs: $1,795. UNIX: $2,195 ($2,089.95 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 36.) DOS TECPLOT: $595 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 36 ($649 for 32-bit). DOS TECPLOT+3DV: $749 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 36 ($795 for 32-bit). Source of information: SCITECH Solutions for Science, Vol. 36. Vendor literature (updated 02-97). NASA Tech Briefs, September 1996. Special note: TECPLOT demos are featured on the Hot Mix 7 CD-ROM by SGI. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: TEM SOURCE: PEO C3S ADDRESS: Robert Smith 601-634-2792 PLATFORM: HP, SUN and PC DESCRIPTION: The Terrain Evaluation Module (TEM) is an evolutionary digital map display and terrain evaluation capability for Army Battlefield Command Systems (ABCS), sponsored by the PEO for Command, Control and Communications Systems (PEO C3S) and the Project Manager for Common Software. It is the terrain viewer for the Army Tactical Command and Control System (ATCCS). TEM is intended to enable commanders to perform in-depth evaluation of the terrain in their areas of operation. The software uses standardized algorithms to produce tactical decision aids (TDAs) that enhance the commander's understanding of the terrain. TEM provides capabilities for terrain data query (e.g., display of LOC information), intervisibility (e.g., display of areas within range of a selected weapon) and mobility (e.g., display of helicopter avenues of approach). TEM's graphic capabilities include map background, tactical overlays, terrain overlays, terrain evaluation and terrain visualization. TEM's 3-D terrain visualization capabilities include wireframe, draped E-Map and draped overlays. TEM uses MCS E-Map data, ADRG, ITD, DTED, and other NIMA products. The software includes the TEM GIS, NRMM-II, TIREM, LOSAC, ALBE and other TDAs as appropriate. TEM's main screen includes buttons labeled File, View, Evaluate, Query, 3D, Preferences and Admin. The View button includes Map Controls, Overlay Controls, Inset Map, Query Tool, Coordinate Calculations and Miscellaneous Symbols. Map Controls includes tools for Pan, Pan Step, Jump To: , Contrast, Gray Scale, Map, Scale and Zoom. The 3D button brings up the 3D Control Panel window. Users can set parameters such as altitude, azimuth, decline, FOV, exaggeration and range. Users can also choose their elevation data, background color and wire mesh rendering. Single Views and Planned Flight are supported. The Evaluate button brings up a Terrain Categorization window, that includes tools for Observer LOS, Weapon LOS, Radio LOS, Aerial Detection, Helicopter Approach, Speed and Reason Mobility, Path Distance, Azimuth and Distance and Mobility Corridors. The Query button brings up Query Tool and Execute Query. Query Tool includes Predefined Queries, Drainage, Transportation, Slope_Soil_Veg, Soil, ITD_Transportation, ITD_Slopes, ITD_Veg, ITD_Soil, Elevation, Elevation2, Elevation5, ElevationAll, veg_and_hydro, ras_slope, DFAD, SIF and Why. Execute Query executes the query that the user has selected. The Preferences button includes Datums, Coordinate System, Home Location/AOI and Form Position. Supported coordinate systems include MGRS, UTM, geographic and GEOREF. The Admin button includes Map Management, which allows the user to import DTED, DFAD, ITD, EMAP, SIF and archival data. System requirements: CHS 1 (HP 300 series) with 6- or 8-bit graphics, 24 MB RAM and 500 MB disk space; also HP 400 and 700, Sun SPARCstations and LCUs (SCO UNIX 486 PCs). Price: * * * Source of information: TEC Fact Sheet, January 1996. Demonstration, June 1995. Special note: The proponent for TEM E/OPS is the U.S. Army Engineer School. The actual developer is USAWES. POC for the software is Robert Smith (601-634-2792). TEC POC for TEM is Denise Hovanec (703-428-6505, dhovanec@tec.army.mil). PRODUCT NAME: Terrain SOURCE: Terra-Mar ADDRESS: 1710 S. Amphlett Blvd. Suite 215 San Mateo, CA 94402 415-655-2565 terra_mr@ix.netcom.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Terrain is a 3-D landscape modeling module for use with Terra-Mar's MicroImage software. Terrain creates 3-D landscape models using multispectral imagery from sources that include Landsat, SPOT, AVHRR, and airborne scanners in conjunction with corresponding digital elevation models (DEMs). Imagery is draped over the DEMs to create 3-D views of selected areas. The location of the observer, the angle of view, the vertical exaggeration and the model magnification can be controlled by the user. Other available functions include histogram stretch, viewshed analysis, zoom, pan, resampling methods, band selection, ground control point selection, warping, etc. Terrain features a menu-driven user interface. Function- specific pop-up menus guide the operator through the selection of model parameters and the selection of image and DEM files to be used for creation of 3-D visualizations. System requirements: 640K RAM, math coprocessor, mouse, frame buffer (512 or 1024 x 32 bits). Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: TERRAIN RS SOURCE: Ramtek ADDRESS: 1525 Atteberry Lane San Jose, CA 95131 408-954-2700 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations DESCRIPTION: TERRAIN RS is remote sensing applications software with an array of functions to manage and process digital data. These functions range from data handling routines for ease of access through pre-processing operations such as principal components analysis to generation of a perspective view. TERRAIN RS features capabilities for capturing, enhancing and interpreting satellite imagery, aerial photography and airborne video data. 1-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit floating point and 64-bit complex data are supported, along with a number of industry standard data exchange and satellite formats. All data can be geocoded to allow multi-source imagery and ancillary information to be combined. Capabilities include annotation, bitplane manipulations, color transformations, contrast enhancement, density slicing, digital terrain modeling (including perspective modeling, rotation and solar shading), filtering, Fourier operations, geometric correction, image classification, image statistics, mathematical operations and mensuration. TERRAIN RS supports 24- bit true color and 8-bit monochrome, pseudocolor or dithered color windows simultaneously. TERRAIN RS has been integrated with TYDAC's SPANS GIS. Users can process satellite or aerial images and simultaneously access GIS software. This provides access to detailed information without having to transfer to other application programs or to reformat data. System requirements: At least 32 MB RAM. Price: $7,500. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: TERRAMODEL SOURCE: PLUS III Software ADDRESS: One Dunwoody Parkway Suite 250 Atlanta, GA 30338 770-396-0700 800-235-4972 Sales@plus3.com http://www.plus3.com PLATFORM: PC, HP 9000, DG AViiON, SUN SPARC DESCRIPTION: TERRAMODEL is a land-modeling system designed for civil engineers, surveyors and photogrammetrists. Other available modules include Drafting, DTM Cross Sections, Geodetic Survey, 3D View, Mapping, Kork Transfer, MicroStation Transfer and more. An image manager is available that allows a raster image to be used as a background reference. A 32-bit version is available. TERRAMODEL for Windows is compatible with TERRAMODEL projects completed in earlier DOS and UNIX versions. The roadway module is now fully integrated with the surface module. Whenever the surface model is altered, the design (including cut-and-fill calculations) is updated automatically. TERRAMODEL's 3D ToolPak enables it to work with ESRI products such as ARC/INFO, ArcCAD and ArcView. In addition to reading ASCII coordinate data, TERRAMODEL can import and export AutoCAD R12-compatible DWG and DXF files. TERRAMODEL can also read and write MicroStation design (DGN) files, and can read and write 3-D surfaces generated in ERDAS IMAGINE. Version 9.30 includes new support for the transfer and translation of Geotronics data collection files. TERRAMODEL was reviewed in the April 1997 issue of Point of Beginning. The April 1997 issue of Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing includes graphics of digital terrain models and contours that were generated from airborne laser survey data using TERRAMODEL. TERRAMODEL has also been reviewed in the March 1997 issue of Professional Surveyor. System requirements: For the PC: a 386+ running Windows 3.x or 95, 8 MB of RAM, 40 MB of disk space, a math coprocessor, VGA and a mouse. Price: $5,995. Source of information: Professional Surveyor, May/June 1997. Point of Beginning, April 1997. PE&RS, April 1997. Professional Surveyor, March 1997. PRODUCT NAME: TerraSoft DTM SOURCE: Digital Resource Systems ADDRESS: 402-495 Dunsmuir Street Nanaimo, B.C. V9R 2V2 604-753-7122 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: TerraSoft DTM is a tool for constructing perspective views and performing visual analysis. Viewing parameters can be interactively controlled using a dynamically linked plan, profile and preview. Changes made to viewing parameters such as direction, angle or elevation are immediately reflected in all three views. Bitmapped images can be captured and used in other Windows applications. TerraSoft also offers tools for building and analyzing surface models using raster and TIN methods. Analytical capabilities include mapping slope and aspect, displaying viewsheds, performing Voronoi analysis, and delineating catchment basins. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Earth Observation, February 1993. PRODUCT NAME: TerraVision SOURCE: SRI International ADDRESS: 333 Ravenswood Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 415-859-6153 leclerc@ai.sri.com http://www.ai.sri.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: TerraVision was designed and implemented by SRI for the Multidimensional Applications and Gigabit Internetwork Consortium (MAGIC) project. MAGIC was an information superhighway project funded by DARPA, and involved a gigabit-per- second ATM-based network. TerraVision is an interactive terrain visualization system that allows users to move about 3-D graphical representations of landscapes created from elevation data and imagery in real time. Imagery is rectified and mosaicked using a system called TerraForm, also designed and implemented by SRI. The processing is currently performed on a CM-200 at the Army High Performance Computing Research Center. TerraVision uses image pyramids (tiled, multi-resolution hierarchies). Specifically, it uses a composite dataset called a GeoPyramid, comprising a DEM pyramid and a rectified image pyramid. The latter is warped so that its pixels are in direct alignment with the DEM data. TerraVision has algorithms that pre-fetch and display only those parts of the database required for a given viewpoint, enabling users to roam about large (consisting of tens of GBs) databases at arbitrary speeds and from arbitrary vantage points. A map view allows a user to see the geographic extent of the entire dataset, with the part currently being viewed overlaid onto it as a rectangle. An overview of the imagery can be viewed in conjunction with the registered map. Users can pan and zoom over the imagery while viewing the corresponding area on the map, and can click on the map with the mouse in order to relocate immediately to a new position. Terrain can simultaneously be viewed in 3-D. As with the 2-D view, the user can change viewpoints by pointing to a location on the map. Users can choose to simulate different times of day. Fog can also be simulated. Models of buildings and vehicles can be superimposed onto the terrain. Real-time feeds of vehicle positions from portable GPS receivers can be superimposed on the display. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: TerraVision II SOURCE: SRI International ADDRESS: 333 Ravenswood Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 415-859-6153 leclerc@ai.sri.com http://www.ai.sri.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: TerraVision II is the primary application of the Multidimensional Applications and Gigabit Internetwork Consortium II (MAGIC II) project - a collaborative three-year effort involving industry, academia and government. It is an extension of the TerraVision application (see previous page) that was created for the original MAGIC project. MAGIC II will address scaling issues in networks that support widely distributed data handling systems and applications. Areas of research will include new techniques for interconnecting geographically disparate high-speed networks, wireless access to real-time visualization, dynamically configured large-scale processing and storage systems, real-time access to sources of image data and new approaches to organizing and presenting geospatial data. In MAGIC II, there will be many networks and people participating in distributed applications. Users will work on high-performance machines connected to a high-speed network, or mobile computers connected by wireless links. There will be support for rapid-response applications such as mission planning. TerraVision II will enable users to browse among large 3-D datasets that are widely distributed throughout a network. The datasets will consist of 3-D terrain data, imagery of various types, 3-D building models, weather data, vector data, etc. TerraVision II will handle dynamic redirections to the current locations of datasets, and will fuse imagery in real-time. TerraVision II will use composite datasets containing many image pyramids, each of which can be created and stored independently at different sites. VRML files will act as links to hold them together. Correspondence between terrain grid points and image points will be stored explicitly in the VRML files. The prototypical VRML file created for MAGIC II will represent a square area of terrain. It will contain elevation data (x,y,z coordinates for each point), links to image pyramids (covering the area at a range of resolutions, and used as texture maps to be draped over the terrain), auxiliary information (descriptions, or links to VRML files containing descriptions, of features such as buildings, roads, rivers, etc.), and up to four level-of-detail (LOD) links to other VRML files. The LOD links will be activated only when one gets sufficiently close to a specified point in the scene. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Real Time Graphics, March 1997. Vendor literature (obtained 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: TIIP SOURCE: U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC) ADDRESS: USATEC Engineering Center 7701 Telegraph Road Alexandria, VA 22315 703-428-6737 fpessaro@tec.army.mil PLATFORM: UNIX workstations DESCRIPTION: The Topographic Imagery Integration Prototype (TIIP) is the result of a U.S. Army Europe initiative to generate terrain information over sparsely mapped areas, to support training and mission rehearsal/contingency operations. The system is an integrated mix of COTS and government-owned hardware and software. TIIP draws from several TEC in-house developments, including the Modernized Imagery Extraction System (MIES) for national imagery support, the Terrain Information Extraction System (TIES) for data generation, the Quick Response Multi-color Printer (QRMP), DrawLand terrain visualization software and the Multi- Spectral Imagery Processor. TIIP is configured in three segments: the Data Generation Segment for importing imagery (e.g., Landsat, SPOT, national, etc.) and generating terrain elevation data; the Data Analysis Segment for producing line maps, tactical decision aids, etc.; and the Data Output Segment. TIIP can produce products that vary in sophistication from image maps to contoured orthophoto maps to animated 3-D fly-throughs. The first TIIP system was delivered to the 30th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) at Fort Bragg in March, 1995. Systems also reside at the 29th Engineer Battalion (Topographic) at Fort Shafter, HI and at USAREUR. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: USATEC literature (01-96). Special note: A TEC POC for TIIP is Fred Pessaro (703-428-6737, fpessaro@tec.army.mil). PRODUCT NAME: TIN Master SOURCE: Lamutt & Associates ADDRESS: 7114 W. Jefferson Ave. #112 Lakewood, CO 80235 303-986-4909 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: TIN Master provides interactive TIN model editing and manipulation, local retriangulation, interactive feature lines, cross-sections and 3-D perspectives. Points and triangles can be added, moved and deleted. System requirements: * * * Price: $995 to $2,000. Source of information: A/E/C Systems Computer Solutions, November-December 1996. PRODUCT NAME: TITAN SOURCE: Western Technical Products ADDRESS: 4209A West 6th Avenue Eugene, OR 97402 800-221-5072 PLATFORM: * * * DESCRIPTION: TITAN DTM & Volumes is a terrain modeling software product that operates inside AutoCAD. It is compatible with any surveying or COGO software that produces 3-D autoCAD points. It also accepts 3-D points from Survey Solutions software. Digital terrain modeling capabilities include coloring DTMs by elevation, slope, or cut-and-fill. Elevations can be exaggerated to magnify surface features. TIN and contouring capabilities are also included. System requirements: Requires AutoCAD. Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 06-94). PRODUCT NAME: TNTmips SOURCE: MicroImages ADDRESS: 201 North 8th Street Lincoln, NE 68508-1347 402-477-9554 PLATFORM: Workstations from SUN, IBM, DEC, HP, DG and SGI; Macintosh, Amiga, and PCs (386+) running Windows DESCRIPTION: TNTmips is an integrated system for mapping, image analysis, GIS, CAD, interactive spatial database management, and AM/FM. Raster, vector, CAD and database materials are integrated, and conversion between data types is supported. Raster images of one to 128 bits per cell can be processed. Images of any size can be analyzed and displayed. Mosaicking, tiling and interactive color image editing are supported. Spatial filtering and Fourier analysis can be performed. Stereo image analysis can be used for creation of DEMs and orthophotos. TNTmips imports 33 raster and 30 vector formats, including ERDAS, ARC/INFO, MOSS, DLG, DEM, TIF, DXF and others. 3-D perspective color images can be displayed with vector/CAD overlays. Raster-to-CAD and raster-to-vector conversions are facilitated. Raster, vector, and CAD objects can be warped. Surface fitting to vector and CAD objects can be done using contours and random points. Vector and CAD data can be edited by drawing on color images of any size. Vector and CAD attributes are kept in associated internal or external databases. Extensive map projection support is provided. GIS functions such as buffer zones and intersections are provided, as well as automated interpretation methods such as maximum likelihood, neural nets, K-means and fuzzy C-means. Relational database queries are also supported. TNTmips supports 64-bit systems and the ability to hide specific layers of information. Geographic locking provides automatic updating of concurrent displays in multiple windows showing common geographic areas. Actions such as zoom, scroll and slide are automatically applied to other windows showing images of the same area even if the displays differ in map projection, scale and extent. Other new features include a faster algorithm for computing vector buffer zones, a means to correct lens distortion in Russian Priroda images and direct use of SPOT and EOSAT images from CD-ROM. Version 5.0 provides faster image displays, due to improved raster data structures. Direct color displays of multiple raster component can now be generated with color models other than RGB; including HIS, HBS, RGBI and RGBB. A new spatial filter improves the resolution of color images. System requirements: Any color display board supported by Windows 3.1 or an X Window server. A 486/33+ PC with 8 MB RAM and a 100 MB hard drive is suggested. For the Macintosh, 8 MB RAM and 100 MB hard drive are also recommended. For color UNIX workstations, 16 MB RAM and 400 MB hard drive are recommended. Price: From $4,000 for NT. Source of information: GIS World, September 1996. PE&RS, July 1995. EOM, July 1995. Vendor literature (updated 02-94). PRODUCT NAME: Toolmaster SOURCE: Advanced Visual Systems ADDRESS: 300 Fifth Avenue Waltham, MA 02154 800-635-6358 PLATFORM: Cray, Convex, DEC Alpha OSF, VAX VMS, Alph Open VMS, HP-UX, IBM AIX, SGI, Sun Solaris and SunOS DESCRIPTION: Toolmaster is an application-level visualization library for analyzing and presenting numeric data. It supports C-language programming, and its graphics tools allow an application developer to integrate visualization and presentation techniques into the application program. Application subroutine libraries include support for the display of raster images, wireframes, 3-D shading, contour maps, grid maps and cartographic projections (including UTM, Mercator, Lambert Conformal and others). As of December 1995, Toolmaster has an installed base of about 1,500. Geophysicists at the National Geodetic Survey have used Toolmaster-agX on Sun SPARCstations to chart the surface of the ocean floor. System requirements: 16 MB RAM and 71 MB of disk space. Price: $2,400 for a single user. Source of information: SunExpert, December 1995. PRODUCT NAME: TOPOSKIMMER SOURCE: SyVareTec ADDRESS: 6946 Gayle Lyn Lane Colorado Springs, CO 80919 719-520-3070 syvaretec@aol.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Steve Cary designed TOPOSKIMMER for Army units at and below division level, so that individual companies and battalion staffs could explore the terrain on which they would be fighting. TOPOSKIMMER generates perspective and block views of terrain using NIMA DTED Level 1 on CD-ROMs. It breaks 1-degree x 1- degree Level 1 DTED files into quarters, and allows users to look from one quadrant into another. TOPOSKIMMER's Fly-Over Perspective View feature enables users to enter a starting location, directions of view and travel, speed and altitude. Speed, direction and altitude can be changed during fly-throughs. A 486DX66 PC will generate a TOPOSKIMMER view about every two seconds. A horizontal series of perspective views can be generated automatically to form a panoramic mosaic. Terrain can be exaggerated vertically. New features in Versions 1.2 and 1.3 include PCX file output for reading into other graphics programs; 2-D, top-down contour plots (user chooses scale and interval); intervisibility plots (radial or cross-section); almost 200 datums; input/output in MGRS or geographic coordinates; and elevations in feet or in meters, and above sea level or above ground level. Copies of TOPOSKIMMER have been sold to the 2nd Armored Division, the 3rd ACR, the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, and other units. System requirements: A 286+ PC with DOS 5.x and VGA. TOPOSKIMMER works completely within the 640K DOS limit, but the author recommends at least a 386DX50 with a math coprocessor. Price: $180. Source of information: Vendor literature (acquired 05-95). Special note: TVD has a demonstration copy of TOPOSKIMMER. POC is Tom Witte, (703) 428-7177). PRODUCT NAME: TopoVision95 SOURCE: Rapid Imaging Software ADDRESS: P.O. Box 8219 Albuquerque, NM 87198 505-888-7232 info@landform.com http://www.landform.com PLATFORM: Windows 95 and NT. DESCRIPTION: TopoVision95 is a 3-D topographic data viewer, providing users viewing access to USGS one-degree and 7.5 arc- minute DEM data. Users select the geographic region of interest and the desired level of detail. Users also control the latitude, longitude, altitude, heading, pitch and roll. VRML 1.0 models of areas of interest can be created. System requirements: A 486+ PC running Windows 95 or Windows NT, with 8 MB RAM, 10 MB hard disk space and an 8-bit or better color display adapter. Price: $65. A two-week trial version is free. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). PRODUCT NAME: TOPSCENE SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Vought Systems ADDRESS: NAVAIR PMA205 703-604-2245 x3005 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: The Tactical Operation Preview Scene (TOPSCENE) is a deployable training system designed to enable aircrews to plan and rehearse missions over contingency areas. Pilots are able to practice high-frame-rate fly-throughs of hostile territory in simulations that include terrain, imagery and 3-D cultural features such as buildings. Model 3500 provides interactive flight through imagery- derived terrain and cultural features at 30 Hz. The system includes a two-processor (R4400) SGI Onyx, supplemented with six Lockheed Martin Vought Systems accelerator boards. Terrain imagery is stored on video disks. The proprietary boards, not the Onyx hardware, are used for texturing. (76 MB of texture memory are available, expandable to 152 MB.) Cultural data are stored on the Onyx. Windows and menus, such as the "Instructor/Operator Screen Main Menu" with "Menu options" and "Active Initial Conditions," come from an SGI Indy computer which is also part of the system. Mission preview and rehearsal are performed at the operator station using a throttle, control stick and a monitor. The system interfaces with a planning system that enables aircrews to plan routes and missions in a particular geographic area. Submenus permit selections from various scenarios. Information can be overlaid on the terrain video for a heads-up display. Freeze and replay keys enable the operator to stop the scenario for analysis or replay. Users can choose from four fields of view during virtual flight. Operators can place points in a scene, record their coordinates, and manually enter these coordinates into a file called the "Turnpoint Scratchpad." A 2-D outline of the database, including these points, can be displayed. As the operator flies his chosen route from point to point, the next target point on the 2-D view blinks to facilitate visual orientation. In 3-D, the targets are represented as lollipops. Threat sites are displayed as white diamonds, with red domes representing lethal areas and yellow domes depicting detection zones. Planned routes can also be flown automatically. Radar warning receiver (RWR) capabilities are available. As the user flies through an optical image in 3-D, a simulated radar overview appears in a window. A simulated view through night vision goggles (NVG) is also available. The level of light can be increased or decreased; decreasing the level increases the noise in the scene. Audio warning tones are planned, but are not yet available. TOPSCENE Model 4000 will use a four-processor (R10000) SGI Infinite Reality with 64 MB of texture memory. It has all the features of Model 3500, with the addition of continuous time-of- day and horizon glow; various light sources including local lights, spot lights and nocturnal lights; clouds; effects such as fire, explosions, smoke, flak, missile trails, tracers, debris and heliblades; and collision detection. The single-rack, all- COTS Model 4000 is scheduled to be fielded in 1997. The Model 400 is due in August 1997, and will use an SGI Octane to achieve simulated interactive flight at reduced frame rates. TOPSCENE is compatible with MODSAF and DIS, and has been integrated with the Tactical Aircraft Mission Planning System (TAMPS), the Joint Services Imagery Processing System (JSIPS-N) and the Joint Maritime Command Imagery System (JMCIS). Improvements scheduled for FY 97 include a JSIPS-N (SOCET SET) interface, an AFMSS/COMPASS/AC2ES interface, ENEWS and flat panel display integration, a PINPOINT interface, a moving map display, and a CIB CD-ROM capability. Database generation systems are located at the Naval Strike Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, NV and at Lockheed Martin Vought Systems in Dallas, TX. As of April 1996, seventeen deployable systems are operational, and sixteen are under contract. Users include the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. System requirements: Model 3500 consists of a two-processor SGI Onyx VTX running IRIX 5.3, six proprietary accelerator boards, an SGI Indy and a disk storage chassis containing five 4.3-GB hot swap drives. Model 4000 will use a four-processor SGI Onyx Infinite Reality with twelve 4.3-GB hot swap drives. Model 400 will use an SGI Octane with 200 GB of removable digital storage. Price: Model 3500: $522,000. Model 4000: $560,000. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 09-96). Vendor demonstration (03-95). PRODUCT NAME: Transform SOURCE: Fortner Research ADDRESS: 100 Carpenter Drive Sterling, VA 20164 800-252-6479 nfo@fortner.com http://www.fortner.com PLATFORM: Macintosh, SGI, IBM, DEC, SUN, HP DESCRIPTION: Transform visual data analysis software lets users create color raster images, line graphs, surface plots, contour plots and vector plots from 2-D data arrays. Transform can read ASCII files, 2-D/3-D generic data; HDF, TIFF and FITS images; 2-D and 3-D HDF data; MATLAB, GIF, PBM, XWD, PICT and PICS files (Mac only); GRASS files (UNIX only); and 2-D matrices. Data or images can be exported to disk as HDF data or image files, ASCII text files, TIFF files, PICT files (Mac only), PostScript files, or raw image files. Interactive image tools include selection of minimum and maximum data values, resizing of image regions and placement and resizing of image overlays. Graphing capabilities include simple, scaled and interpolated raster images; wireframe or color-filled surfaces; automatic or user-specified contour plots; vector plots and line graphs. Data analysis and manipulation tools include trigonometric, mathematical, complex number and kernel functions, and built-in matrix transformation functions. Selected values or regions can be extracted. Missing values can be filled in. Data can be smoothed or resampled. The value corresponding to a selected point on an image can be automatically displayed. Transform supports Mathematica's MathLink. A macro scripting language lets users automate repetitive tasks such as importing, manipulating and exporting data; creating plots, adding labels, etc. Users can create annotated movies that can be played, rewound, stopped, and stepped forward or backward. Version 4.0 includes projections and 2-D warped grids, improved data management with support for HDF browsing and editing, DICOM support, cross-platform compatibility, and more. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has used Transform for oceanographic visualization. System requirements: UNIX: 16 MB RAM, 8-bit color. Macintosh: 4 MB RAM, 2 MB disk space, 68020+, color monitor and System 7.0+. PC: 8 MB RAM, 10 MB disk space, 8-bit color, 386+ and Windows 3.1/NT/95. Price: UNIX, Macintosh and Windows: $595 ($559 from SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. Vol. 36). SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 36 also offers a Visualization Suite (Transform, Plot and Slicer) for $679.95. Source of information: SciTech Solutions for Science, Vol. 36. Vendor literature (updated 01-97). PRODUCT NAME: TruFlite SOURCE: Martin D. Adamiker ADDRESS: Kapellenweg 14 A-5082 Groedig Austria 011-43-6246-73042 http://www.truflite.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: TruFlite is a landscape rendering package designed to render raster images over elevation matrices. There is no limit to the number of polygons that can be rendered. The program comes in 16-bit and 32-bit versions. The 16-bit version can handle files up to 16 MB; the 32-bit version is limited only by the Windows system being used. TruFlite produces single-frame images in TGA and YUV formats; and animations in MPEG, FLI/FLC, MOV and AVI formats. To create a fly-through, a user traces the camera's path over the landscape (by dragging the waypoints) and then sets the number of frames desired. The program's interface allows the user to control camera height and to dictate the smoothness of the camera's roll as it encounters corners. TruFlite includes modules to convert USGS DEMs (one arc- second and three arc-second) into TGA files. Minimum input to the program consists of a TGA file of an elevation matrix and the coordinates of the eye or camera. The user controls height, pitch and heading. Image texture in the form of TGA files can be draped over elevations. Other graphics and text can be transparently placed onto images. The user can also control the location and contrast of incident light, and effects such as fog and dust. Users can preview their scenes in wireframe mode. The TruFlite CD-ROM includes sample images and animations and a help file. System requirements: A 386+ PC running Windows 3.x, Windows 95 or Windows NT; 4 MB RAM and a 256- color display. The preferred platform is a Pentium with 16 MB RAM and 24-bit color. Price: $295. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 10-96). GIS World, October 1996. PRODUCT NAME: UNIGRAPH+ 2000 SOURCE: UNIRAS ADDRESS: 300 Fifth Avenue Waltham, MA 02154 800-635-6358 PLATFORM: UNIX workstations from IBM, HP, SGI and DEC; supercomputers from Cray and Convex; VAX/VMS and IBM CMS/MVS DESCRIPTION: UNIGRAPH+ 2000 is point-and-click and command- driven visual data analysis and presentation system, enabling users to access large amounts of commercial or technical numerical data from files or databases; to edit, enhance and operate on the data; to analyze and visualize large data volumes in many forms, from charts to multi-dimensional images; and to produce presentation-quality output. Data access features include support for column, grid and block data types; and report, ASCII and binary data input. Numerous scientific and statistical functions are provided. Data interpolation features include cubic spline, polynomial curve fitting and grid-to-grid fitting. Display techniques include 2-D and 3-D curve charts, 2-D grid maps, 2-D 3-D and 4-D color shaded contour maps, projected 2-D color shaded contour maps, and multiple projected 3-D and 4-D contour maps. Multiple data sets can be overplotted. New features with version 1.3 include polar line, polar area and polar scatter charts. Numerous other features are available for analysis, axis generation, color handling, annotation, file handling and hard copy output. System requirements: UNIX, VMS or CMS/MVS. Price: Version 1.3 is $4,200 on a workstation and $36,400 on a supercomputer. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: VAPS SOURCE: Virtual Prototypes ADDRESS: 5252 de Maisonneuve W. Suite 318 Montreal, Quebec Canada H41 3S5 800-321-6424 PLATFORM: SGI and SUN DESCRIPTION: The Virtual Applications Prototyping System (VAPS) lets users build and animate large, complex, visual applications. VAPS lets users visualize operating environments with executable specifications, and convert real-time data into animated displays. VAPS features rapid prototyping with pictorial programming. Users define the interface, connect objects to data sources or destinations, and then animate the graphics to test and validate the specification with user interaction. VAPS' executable specifications don't distinguish between simulated and real data; the source of data is independent of the prototype. VAPS connects to simulation models by supporting TCP/IP and UDP/IP communications over an Ethernet link. A user's specifications can communicate simultaneously with several simulators on the same network, as well as with each other. VAPS 3D Editor and VAPS 3D Animator enable the user to build and animate 3-D objects in 3-D scenes. Gemini Technologies' GVS can be used to integrate 3-D out-the-window scenes with VAPS, and Magik Scene from Merit Technologies can be used to display 3-D simulations overlaid with VAPS. VAPS 3.1 includes more than 200 enhancements, with emphasis on additional capabilities for the C Code Generator. Version 3.1 is also available for Sun workstations. EUROCOPTER Germany has integrated VAPS with diverse hardware and software in a dome simulator to design and test helicopter crew station displays. Wright Patterson Air Force Base uses VAPS for its Advanced Multi-Purpose Support Environment (AMPSE) system. Honeywell has used VAPS to create cockpit display systems. System requirements: * * * Price: Prices start at $16,500. NIMA DTED Import: $4,000. Source of information: Vendor literature. The Sun Observer, November 1994. Silicon Graphics World, August 1994. Special note: TVD has a Virtual Prototypes video and copious product literature. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: Vega SOURCE: Paradigm Simulation ADDRESS: 14900 Landmark Blvd. Suite 400 Dallas, TX 75240 214-960-2301 marketing@paradigmsim.com http://www.paradigmsim.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Vega is an environment for virtual reality and real-time simulation applications. It is designed for non- programmers, but an optional C programming API is available for technical programmers. Vega is modular and uses Silicon Graphics' Performer and GL libraries. Control of the software is managed through LynX, an X-Motif-based GUI. Vega includes implementations of VisionWorks and AudioWorks. Performer is included, along with other tools for visual and audio database development. Basic Vega contains a real-time execution core and support for multiple processes, level-of- detail (LOD), animation, time-of-day effects, MultiGen file loaders, etc. The Large Area Database Management Module features rapid disk paging of terrain files and a user-selectable paging algorithm. The Terrain LOD Module features tiles that support multiple LODs. The user can define the tile size and the switching distance, based on range, pixel size or aspect. Terrain may be gridded or based on Delaunay triangles. Flight (MultiGen), DXF (AutoCAD), OBJ (Wavefront) and Inventor formats are supported. The Special Effects Module contains a user-configurable library of time-based algorithmic effects, including explosions, smoke, trailing clouds, contrails, craters, fires, dust, tracks, flares and tracers. Vega Marine is for realistic maritime simulation. It generates a real-time dynamic ocean, modeled as a textured 3-D surface with user-definable wave heights and periods. Users can also create buoys, eddies, stern wakes, bow waves, constant tension lines, crew members overboard, etc. Changes in Vega 1.2 included asynchronous intersection testing; support for flat, spherical or ellipsoidal (e.g., WGS 84) databases; addition of Large Area Database Management (LADBM) as a module; support for Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS); a new Terrain Fade Level of Detail (TFLOD) module; spline fog; color tables (useful for pseudo IR); user class instances; observer tether offsets; etc. The TFLOD module allows the user to control the fading and LOD ranges of objects independently. New features in Vega 3.0 include Active Preview, which lets users create and manipulate Vega class instances interactively through LynX and provides immediate graphic and rendering feedback; clip map support for asynchronous loading of textures from disk and applying unlimited texture to existing objects; directional horizon glow, which renders cloud color according to sun position; and dynamic video resolution support, which dynamically reduces screen resolution on fill-demanding applications on a frame-by-frame basis. An ephemeris model computes correct sun and moon positions based on current time of day, day of year and observer location. There are two new modules: Vega Navigation and Signal Lighting (NSL) and Vega Class Recorder (VCR). Vega Special Effects now renders textured and particle-animated special effects, and Vega Marine now offers true 3-D sinusoidal and trochoidal ocean models, sea state-dependent textures and improved multi-processor support. Paradigm and Clarus AB have released Vega-VR Peripheral and Vega-Drive. Vega-VR Peripheral provides an interface for commercial tracking systems, gloves and helmet-mounted displays. Vega's LynX interface offers access to the parameters of the devices - gloves, 6-D mice, and 3-D joysticks. Vega-Drive provides integrated environments for driving simulations. The LynX interface gives access to parameters such as gravity, wheel friction, wind resistance and centripetal forces. Other factors can be developed, such as driver interaction with the steering wheel, throttle, brake pedal, clutch and gear sticks. AudioWorks effects such as engine and road noise, wind and train sounds have been added for realism. Applications have included the Navy's E-2C/C-2A Operational Flight Trainer and the Forward Advanced Simulation Trainer (FAST), the Marines' Team Target Engagement Simulator (TTES) and SAIC's Warbreaker visual simulation system. Vega was chosen for the Anti-Armor Advanced Technology Demonstration (A2ATD), part of the Battlefield Distributed Simulation - Developmental (BDS-D). Vega was also used for the Magic Edge X-21 Hornet simulator. System requirements: * * * Price: Prices start at $3,495. Vega NSL costs $10,595. Vega VCR costs $3,495. Source of information: Real Time Graphics, January 1997. IRIS Universe, Fall 1995. Silicon Graphics World, October 1995. Vendor literature (updated 03-95). PRODUCT NAME: Vertical Mapper SOURCE: Northwood Geoscience ADDRESS: Ottawa, Canada 613-233-7554 info@northwoodgeo.com http://www.northwoodgeo.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Vertical Mapper is a grid-based spatial analytic application for MapInfo Professional. It is a contour modeling and display system that transforms point data into continuous regions in raster or vector format. Data files can be queried, and mathematical operations can be performed on single or multiple grids. Users can estimate values between points, overlay grids and calculate values for each cell, create continuous thematic maps, generate regions to query and update layers of information, create images with gradient-based color and shaded relief and provide 3-D views. Vertical Mapper supports 3-D DXF export. Version 1.5 supports 3-D perspective views of grid files, and allows draping of any MapInfo window containing lines, filled lines, filled regions, text or raster images onto the rendered surface. New features also include capabilities for generating viewshed and intervisibility maps, translators for various digital elevation data and tools for aggregating data and performing statistical analyses. System requirements: Vertical Mapper works with any system running MapInfo 3.0x or 4.0 for Windows. Price: Version 1.5 for Windows: $895. A bundle including MapInfo Professional and Vertical Mapper costs $1,995. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 07-97). EOM, June 1997. Special note: TVD has a Vertical Mapper demonstration disk (version 1.1). POC is Tom Witte, (703) 428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: VGIS (also see BPV) SOURCE: Army Research Laboratory ADDRESS: Information Processing Branch AMSRL-IF-PA 2800 Powder Mill Road Adelphi, MD 20783 301-394-3684 grills@arl.mil PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: The Virtual Geographic Information System (VGIS) resulted from a collaborative effort involving Georgia Tech, the University of Minnesota, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Army Research Laboratory's (ARL) Information Processing Branch. (Note: VGIS is not to be confused with ERDAS Imagine Virtual GIS.) VGIS' polygon-based rendering engine was designed for high resolution data. Level-of-detail control provides higher resolution near the viewer. VGIS' paging engine was designed to access a cache of data (too large to store in RAM) stored on disk and then to maintain a cache in RAM from which the renderer can pull data. Thus, as a user flies through a scene, more terrain is loaded as needed. Despite the actual size of a database, the textured areal extent of a scene will be only what can be accommodated by the platform's texture memory. VGIS' code is multi-threaded and can effectively use up to four processors. VGIS' data manager is supposed to accept data from correlated sources and manage large databases of imagery, elevations, vector features, intelligence and weather. Graphical models of friendly and hostile vehicles can be inserted into the scene and animated using DIS-compliant data for direction and speed. The viewpoint can be attached to a particular vehicle. Intervisibility plots, masking plots and threat domes are available. Annotation can be done over the network. Time can be controlled with a virtual wheel/dial. Time of day can also be set, and fog conditions can be specified. ARL's VGIS has two variants. One is currently in use at CECOM and is called Battle Planning and Visualization (BPV), which includes some battle planning tools on top of VGIS. The other is supported by Battle Command Battle Lab (BCBL) and is located at Research Triangle Institute (RTI). A mission planner is built atop this version. In June 1995, TEC members viewed a demonstration of CECOM's VGIS-based BPV Concept Demonstrator, an SGI Onyx Reality Engine workstation networked with a lower-end SGI Elan system. A custom-built database with 8-meter elevation postings was used for a sample mission to secure an airfield. Mission planning information had been uploaded from AMPS. Tanks moved according to the mission plan, and the action was controlled interactively. Mission time was continuously displayed. A 2-D, zoomable image overview showed the user's route, representing vehicles with dots and troop locations with unit symbols. New AMPS AH64D mission waypoints were input, and the flight path on the 2-D overview was redrawn to reflect the change. VGIS is being used for development by CECOM and others. It has been used in exercises such as Prairie Warrior, and at places such as Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and the National Training Center. System requirements: VGIS is written in OpenGL and runs on any SGI OpenGL platform that supports texture mapping. It is being ported to a Sun OpenGL environment. Price: VGIS software is government owned. Source of information: Correspondence with VGIS' author, May 1996. CECOM C2SID/BCBL Mission Planning/Rehearsal User Assessment, 31 October 1995. Demonstration at CECOM, June 1995. PRODUCT NAME: VI2STA SOURCE: International Imaging Systems ADDRESS: 1500 Buckeye Drive Milpitas, CA 95035 408-432-3400 PLATFORM: SUN SPARCstation, HP Apollo and SGI workstations; 386/486 PCs with Solaris DESCRIPTION: VI2STA is a set of software modules for the processing and analysis of remote sensing data. Version 1.2 incorporates over 300 functions, including image enhancement, interactive image warping, automatic mosaicking, classification, DEM generation and editing, 3-D perspective view and direct links to GenaMap GIS. The interactive warp function can perform up to a fifth order warp and can zoom and minify with three modes of interpolation. Users can also now save images with associated graphics burned in. LUTs can now be reset through cascading menus. An ERDAS translator module allows users to read and write ERDAS formats 7.5 and earlier. Satellite data are accepted in 26 different formats, and 24 map projections are supported. There is an option for stereo viewing and editing. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 04-95). PRODUCT NAME: Virtual Environment Navigator SOURCE: MicronGreen ADDRESS: 4300 NW 23rd Avenue P.O. Box 147050 Gainesville, FL 32614 904-376-1529 http://www.microngreen.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The Virtual Environment NAVIGATOR is a real-time interactive software tool for exploring virtual environments. The software can import DXF (2-D and 3-D), 3DS files with animations, and VRML files. NAVIGATOR requires no programming. It can run as an ADS application inside AutoCAD, or it can be run alone. The user interface includes several flying paradigms and editing tools for flying and interacting with models. Features include hand tools, script files, geometry cycling, level of detail, interactive lighting control and multimedia linkage between objects and external text, still graphics, motion files (AVI, .fli and others) or sound. Head-mounted devices and 6-D tracking are supported. System requirements: 486+ PC running DOS Windows 3.x, Windows NT or Windows 95. Price: $250 to $1,495, depending on features. Source of information: Virtual Reality Special Report 1996 Buyer's Guide. A/E/C Systems Computer Solutions, July/August 1994. PRODUCT NAME: Virtual Simulator SOURCE: Eagle Point ADDRESS: 4131 Westmark Drive Dubuque, IA 52002 800-678-6565 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Virtual Simulator (VS) lets users walk through, drive through, tunnel under or fly by 3-D CAD models at over 150,000 polygons per second without being limited to predetermined paths. VS supports the importing of DXF files and also directly uses AutoCAD DWG files. From inside AutoCAD, VS allows the user to apply bit-map textures to individual entities or an a by-layer basis. VS supports only the Windows BMP file format for textures. Color from the AutoCAD palette are mapped to all entities that don't have a texture material assigned. VS itself has no facility for manipulating colors and textures; these must all be assigned within AutoCAD before starting VS. The user must also insert lights in the AutoCAD session; these are automatically translated into the rendering file format. Within VS, light manipulation is limited to turning them on and off. The mode of movement is set using pull-down menus on the viewing screen. The left mouse button controls movement, while the right mouse button controls height. The April 1995 issue of CADalyst contains a review of Virtual Simulator. System requirements: AutoCAD Release 12 for DOS or Windows and 8 MB RAM. Price: $495. Source of information: CADalyst, April 1995. PRODUCT NAME: Virtual Viewer SOURCE: CadPLUS ADDRESS: P.O. Box 30167 Albuquerque, NM 87190 800-423-8127 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Virtual Viewer (VV) lets a user import a 3-D file from AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, 3D Studio or any other DXF-compatible system; apply textures and colors; and create real-time fly- throughs. A basic AutoCAD interface lets a user enter VV while working on a 3-D model in AutoCAD. VV uses Targa files for rendering textures, and it comes with 78 bit-map files for material textures, backgrounds and clip art that can be applied to elements in the model. VV uses DXF files and imports 3DS files from 3D Studio. Importing a file into the program automatically converts it into the native file format that is needed internally. Once imported, a model can be saved in Neutral File Format (NFF) for re-use. The NFF file is stored on disk in an ASCII text format that can be viewed and edited. The VV interface for AutoCAD for Windows allows the user to minimize an AutoCAD session and start VV. It then automatically imports the 3-D model that is currently loaded. By default, VV renders the model with the colors of the entities that are assigned within AutoCAD, using the standard AutoCAD palette. VV can also assign bit-map textures by layer. Colors and textures can also be assigned inside VV. All movement controls are accessible from VV's control panel. Possible movements include Walk, Fly, Orbit and Birdseye. Walk puts the user at eye level, as if strolling with a video camera. Fly gives unlimited movement. Orbit takes the user on a path around the model of interest. Birdseye sets the viewpoint down, as if one is flying overhead. An initial viewpoint angle is established that is appropriate for the chosen method. The user can adjust viewing height and angle on the fly. Holding down the left mouse button begins movement, which continues until the button is released, making it easy to pause the animation at any point. System requirements: AutoCAD Release 12 for Windows or AutoCAD LT. Price: $295. VV is also available from Palisades Research (310- 459-7528), for $279. Source of information: The CAD Catalog, Vol.8. Vendor literature (obtained 04-95). PRODUCT NAME: Virtual Workbench SOURCE: Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) ADDRESS: Washington, DC 20375 202-767-0275 tate@ait.nrl.navy.mil http://ww.ait.nrl.navy.mil/vrlab/ PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics (SGI) DESCRIPTION: Also known as the Responsive Workbench, the Virtual Workbench is a five-year development project with funding from the Commandant's Warfighting Laboratory (CWL) and the Office of Naval Research. The Virtual Workbench was built by NRL's Information Technology Division. The system is currently based on a four-CPU, SGI Onyx Infinite Reality computer. The rendering software is based on SGI's Performer. The Virtual Workbench provides a capability to visualize and interact with computer-generated, stereoscopic scenes in a tabletop environment. Right and left eye images are projected onto a mirror, so that users wearing stereoscopic shutter glasses can observe a 3-D image above the tabletop. Group members can observe the 3-D scene as manipulated (via tracked glove or laser pointer) by the group leader. Point-of-view tracking maintains the proper perspective. Thus, the Virtual Workbench provides a multi-user, shared environment for collaboration. Supposedly, a capability for speech recognition can be added. The Virtual Workbench was used in the Hunter Warrior/Sea Dragon Advanced Warfighting Exercise (AWE) during March 1997. Terrain of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twenty- nine Palms, CA, was depicted, and there were near real-time data feeds from JMCIS. Items depicted in the Hunter Warrior scenario included areas of interest, targets, cache areas, sensors (infrared, seismic, acoustic and magnetic), troops (squads, platoons, etc.) and vehicles (humvees, trucks, etc.). Most of the modeling was done with MultiGen software, but some portions were done using SGI's Inventor. The Virtual Workbench will be used in the Urban Warrior AWE in 1999, and in the Capable Warrior AWE in 2001. There are plans to incorporate satellite and reconnaissance imagery overlays, 3-D weather effects, sensor coverages (e.g., infrared coverage in dense urban environments), visualization of communications occlusion areas, representations of navigability, representations of uncertainty (e.g., reliability of current position estimate base on time of last report), and distributed collaboration. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Presentation given at the 1997 Symposium on Advanced Information Processing and Analysis (AIPA97), March 1997. PRODUCT NAME: VirtuoZo SOURCE: VirtuoZo Systems ADDRESS: 964 St. Andrews Lane Louisville, CO 80027 303-661-0768 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: VirtuoZo is a software suite that accepts scanned stereo photography or stereo SPOT imagery as input and produces orthorectified imagery, digital terrain models and contour maps as output. Dynamic 3-D stereo visualization is also possible. The software was written in C at the Wuhan Technical University of Surveying and Mapping in the People's Republic of China. VirtuoZo processes 24-bit BIP digital images with no reformatting. TIFF files can be accepted and reformatted from within the software. Users can view the results of every stage of the photogrammetric process, including raw images, epipolar images in stereo, orthoimages and contours. Mono and stereo perspective views are possible. The software allows interactive editing of matching (x-parallax) results. System requirements: 32 MB RAM, 1 GB hard disk space and 24-bit graphics. Price: $50,000 for the entire system, including orthophoto production, DEM generation, 3-D viewing and fly-through. Source of information: Vendor literature (obtained 10-95). PRODUCT NAME: Virtus WalkThrough Pro SOURCE: Virtus ADDRESS: 118 MacKenan Drive Suite 250 Cary, NC 27511 800-847-8871 info@virtus.com http://www.virtus.com PLATFORM: Macintosh, Power Macintosh, Windows PC DESCRIPTION: WalkThrough Pro lets users walk through 3-D visualizations of drawings and landscapes in real time. Objects are created in Design View, and interacted with in Walk View. Users control the camera's position and rotation, and move around via the mouse. One can walk forward and backward and rotate left and right at different rates. There are tools for drawing, connecting, rotating, scaling, skewing and modifying attributes of objects. Objects can be layered and edited in the Surface Editor, manipulated in the Tumble Editor and illuminated in the Object and World Lighting Editors. A texture mapping feature lets user enhance 3-D environments with surface details (e.g., bricks, windows and doors). QuickTime movies can be used as surfaces. A library of objects (mostly architectural) and textures is included. Users can make recordings for playback and output in PICS and QuickTime format (Mac) or FLI/FLC and AVI format (Windows). The program comes with sample environments and recordings. Files can be imported in DXF and exported in 2-D and 3-D DXF, Illustrator 1.1, VRML, TIFF, PICT and BMP formats. Files are cross-platform compatible between Mac and Windows versions. Users can select objects and surfaces in a 3-D window, embed textures when saving a file, and create a custom screen with graphics and text for each file. Users can also incorporate Virtus 2-D surface feature galleries and 3-D object galleries into Walkthrough Pro scenes. Collision detection, a magnifying tool and a smooth shading option are available. VRML export allows users to author 3-D environments for the World Wide Web. Split-screen stereo viewing for head-mounted displays and VR glasses is supported. The software ships with a copy of Virtus Player, a freeware publishing utility that lets user open any Virtus model and freely navigate in and around it. System requirements: Macintosh: PowerBook, Quadra, Centris or Power Macintosh with 8 MB RAM and System 6.0.5 or later. PC: 386+ with 8 MB RAM and Windows 3.1+. Price: WalkThrough Pro 2.5: $495. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 11-96). Computer Graphics World, December 1995. PRODUCT NAME: Visible DTM SOURCE: VisiSoft ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1437 Dayton, TX 77535 409-258-2630 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: Visible DTM enables the AutoCAD user to generate digital terrain models and contour maps from 3-D points. The surface model can be represented as a TIN or a regular grid. Contours can be generated from either model. The software includes capabilities for breaklines, contour labels, hatching, smoothing, volumes, profiles, and is compatible with AutoShade. Data for the surface model can come from an AutoCAD drawing, surveying instruments, databases, spreadsheets, and text files. The user retains complete control (i.e., smoothing, weighting, etc.) over the model. The surface modeling and contouring process is accomplished through a four-step process of triangulation, analysis (calculation of first and second derivatives at each control point), gridding (using a high order polynomial formula), and contouring (using linear interpolation on the digital terrain model). Some of the program's features are: automatic or user defined grid size, extraction of profiles and cross sections, volume calculations, rubber sheeting to overlay maps, slope analysis, draping 2-D data onto the digital terrain model, and many more. The surface may be painted according to elevation, slope, visibility, etc. System requirements: IBM PS/2 or AT compatible, 386 or 486 with AutoCAD 386 Release 11. Price: $995. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: VISION* SOURCE: GeoVision Systems ADDRESS: 5251 DTC Parkway Suite 200 Englewood, CO 80111 303-796-8200 PLATFORM: SUN SPARC, IBM (RS/6000), DEC ULTRIX and VMS DESCRIPTION: VISION* is a GIS that uses a commercial relational database management system (RDMS) to store data. Its all- relational structure integrates spatial and non-spatial data into the RDMS, making use of the leading commercial products and functionality. VISION* also integrates the access, display and editing of a variety of image types, such as satellite maps or site photographs. Data are organized into layers, so that a user sees only the relevant data. Graphics are driven from the database with the ability to generate unique user or application- driven views of the same database information. The VISION* system is highly modular, with distinct functions isolated to separate the modules. Some modules are separately priced. Customers can develop their own applications with application development tools that are provided. The DTM module creates a 3-D surface using points derived from database features such as spot heights, sample locations, triangulation points, contour lines, streams, and shorelines. DTM can display surfaces in 2-D or 3-D, and can perform perspective views and shaded relief. The Plot module supports scaling, rotating, and coordinate transformations. VISION* translates AMF, DLG-3, DTED, DXF, GBF/DIME, GDT Zip code, Scitex, TIGER, WDB II, WILD Stereoplotter and Zeiss Stereoplotter formats into its own GINA format. Translation to and from Australian Map Standard, IGES 3 and SIF is supported. System requirements: SunOS, VMS, ULTRIX or AIX. Price: Some modules are independently available and are priced separately. Per-module prices range from $1,000 to $10,000. A typical minimum configuration for four to five workstations would cost less than $50,000. Training and support would add 20% to 30% to that cost. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: VisionForm SOURCE: Kinetic Visuals ADDRESS: 355 Van Ness Avenue Suite 200 Torrance, CA 90501 310-782-1334 jas@kvis.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: VisionForm is an animation package that supports vehicle simulation, vehicle dynamics analysis, avionics and mechanical design simulations, and the display of terrain data. VisionForm supports the creation and execution of a Scene Description File (SDF). To display animation, it interprets the VisionForm Simulation Language, controls the display sequencing and produces the optimal rendering speed. The 3-D Curve Editor can be used for creating custom motion paths. Traversal paths can be used to describe a 3-D course for an object and/or camera view to travel. Tasks like moving a camera along a predefined path while automatically tracking an object moving under external or predefined control can be configured. The Voyager option animates motion data input from test results or external simulations. Large motion data files can be animated by non-programmers. Motion data can be viewed forward and backward interactively, from movable and multiple positions. Parameters can be displayed during animation. VisionForm provides a flexible formatting structure that can be configured to match many data formats, such as matrices and Euler angle orderings. The optional Virtual Universe module serves as a large-scale database manager for terrain elevation data as well as large groups of static and dynamic geometric objects. Terrain data may originate from NIMA DTED, USGS DEMs, or custom data files, such as generated from AutoCAD. Color or texture information can be automatically computed from an elevation color file using optional time-of-day shading. The Virtual Universe module converts and displays satellite and aerial imagery such as Landsat or SPOT overlaid onto digital elevation data. Surface color can be derived from imagery. Image overlay does not require texture mapping hardware, and there are no limitations on the overlaid image resolution or the size of terrain data files. High update rates are sustained for displaying objects and terrain through automated level-of-detail switching and data culling. During animated rendering, a declutter algorithm selects the appropriate version of graphic data according to the view distance. Along with Voyager, ground- based vehicular motion and mechanical in-flight dynamics can be combined into an integrated animated display. System requirements: Any Silicon Graphics workstation. Price: Prices start at $5,000. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: VisionWorks SOURCE: Paradigm Simulation ADDRESS: 14900 Landmark Blvd. Suite 400 Dallas, TX 75240 214-960-2301 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: VisionWorks (VW) is a real-time image generation package designed for aircraft, control tower, truck, tank and submarine simulations. VW includes SGI's Performer software, and operates on top of both GL and Performer. VW utilizes multi- processing when available, and the real-time UNIX kernel for optimal host CPU and graphics interaction. Up to 16 independent channels per machine are supported. Channels can be created, removed and modified during real-time operation. Programming features include a C prototype library, sample source code applications and sample vehicle dynamics models. Rendering features include variable channel resolution, automatic level of detail switching, selective texture mapping and anti- aliasing, and perspective parameter changes. Real-time controls include eyepoint and moving object updates, automatic eyepoint tracking and time of day changes. Database queries such as ground collision detection, object collision detection, line of sight collision, and range detection are provided, as well as area of interest query about a point, query of polygon properties, and object query of position and model. The database is compatible with MultiGen, and supports unlimited object articulation and unlimited levels of detail. The user-expandable special effects library includes smoke, explosions, fire, flash, transparent rotor blades, tracers, and dynamic control of color, position and scale. Up to 256 different atmospheric properties can be defined per scene. Overload processing features include level of detail switching, texture range switching, object and terrain anti- aliasing, programmable frame rate clamping, texture and anti- aliasing priority per polygon and graphic overload analysis. A separate product called AudioWorks supports the creation of 3-D sound databases, and enables the user to place sound- emitting objects into 3-D visual databases. VW has been used to link moving objects dynamically to the terrain database created for Paradigm's F-18X flight simulator. System requirements: Any SGI computer. Price: Run-time environments cost from $3,000 for low-end SGI computers up to $10,000 on high end machines. Development environments cost from $5,000 for low end SGI products to$15,000 for Reality Engine products. Any Paradigm Standard Model Library costs $1,000; a Paradigm Complex (textured) Model Library costs $2,500. AudioWorks starts around $6,000. Source of information: Silicon Graphics World, January 1995. Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: VistaPro SOURCE: Virtual Reality Labs ADDRESS: 2341 Ganador Court San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 800-829-VRLI http://www.vrli.com/vrli PLATFORM: PC, Macintosh, PowerMac and Amiga DESCRIPTION: VistaPro is a landscape rendering package. Users can explore real-world landscapes using DEMs or create imaginary ones with a fractal terrain generator. Users can also generate frames for animated fly-throughs, and can change the vegetation, weather and more. The user has full control over 3-D position and orientation, and can also control the focal length of his camera's viewpoint. A 3-D wireframe preview allows modification of camera settings until the desired view is obtained. The user can zoom in on areas of interest. Lighting positions are unlimited. Users can also define colors and features such as shadows, tree types, tree lines, snow level, waves, clouds, haze, lakes, rivers, buildings, roads, grass, etc. Artificial fractal detail can be added to landscapes. VistaPro includes a 3-D stereo capability and fractal texturing. Images can be saved in 256-colors, ranging from 320 x 200 to 1024 x 768 pixels (in the PC version). The 3-D projection engine displays hundreds of thousands of polygons per image. VistaPro provides script support for animations which can be played directly off the hard disk. VistaPro 3.0 comes with 19 landscapes, including Mt. Fuji, Big Sur, Crater Lake, the Matterhorn and others, along with billions of randomly generated fractal landscapes. Numerous other landscapes are available separately as VistaPro Scapes, at $25 per set for Amiga and $35 per set for IBM. Landscapes have 30 meter resolution, but the appearance of finer resolution can be obtained by interpolation. The VistaPro for Windows CD-ROM contains VistaPro with DXF export capabilities, animations, 400 MB of landscape sets, sound files, direct printer support (BMP 24, Targa 24 and PCX) and the ability to render images in the background. The VistaPro for PowerMac CD-ROM includes Makepath Flight Director, more than 400 MB of landscapes, sample QuickTime movies, Adobe Acrobat Reader, music files, a PICT map indexing feature and the ability to generate left and right images for 3-D stereo viewing. System requirements: PC version: 386+ with 4 MB RAM, a 3 MB hard disk, VGA or SVGA (VESA driver is required), and a mouse. Windows version requires Windows 3.1. Mac version: System 7.0+, QuickTime, 4 MB RAM and a 32-bit color monitor. Amiga version: 3 MB RAM. An accelerator is recommended. Price: VistaPro disk: $129.95. VistaPro CD-ROM: $149.95. Source of information: RockWare Earth Science Software, 1995. Vendor literature (updated 06-94). Special note: A VistaPro demo diskette is available through TVD. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: VISTAWORKS SOURCE: LORAL AdvancedDistributed Simulation ADDRESS: 13810 SE Eastgate Way Suite 500 Bellevue, WA 98005 206-746-6800 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: VISTAWORKS is primarily used for visualization of SIMNET databases. The software includes the Simulation Network Interface Package (SNIP), for access and integration to DIS, SIMNET and LAN networks; STEALTH, a vehicle dynamics application for unlimited 3-D eyepoint movement within virtual worlds; vehicle dynamics models (sample software for ground vehicles, rotary and fixed wing aircraft, etc.); the CLIP image generator interface; the Real-Time Director; the S1000 Virtual World Design Tool Set for creation, modeling and editing of terrain databases, ground culture and dynamic entities; the Database API, for access to S1000 databases; and Database Libraries, virtual environments containing topography, texture maps, ground culture and vehicles. VISTAWORKS is optimized for SGI's Onyx computer. Rendering features include level-of-detail (LOD) control, dynamic paging for large terrain databases, dynamic entities with articulated parts, out-the-window and magnified sights, a thermal sensor mode, laser ranging, height above terrain reporting, collision detection, intervisibility, ballistics, dynamic time of day, haze, illumination, horizon glow, multiple local illumination sources, animated sequences, rotating billboard models, and 2-D graphics overlays such as reticles, gauges, maps, etc. VISTAWORKS provides for model geometry creation with LOD, texture application and surface attribute assignment. It also allows automatic feature placement, canopy creation, automated road and river network creation and hierarchical data definition and storage. Terrain can be represented as a regular grid or a TIN. Both Cartesian and UTM coordinates are supported. Input data formats include NIMA DTED and USGS DEM, NIMA ITD, TIGER, TGA for texture maps, and more. Output formats include those used by the GT100 and GT200 image generators, Plan View Display (PVD), SAF, ModSAF, ADDWAMS and S1000 API. VISTAWORKS is compatible with DIS and SIMNET network protocols and provides geographical range filtering of Protocol Data Units (PDUs). VISTAWORKS has been used for the Anti-Armor Advanced Technology Demonstration (A2ATD), part of the Battlefield Distributed Simulation - Developmental (BDS-D). The M1A2 Tank Simulator system used VISTAWORKS on a RealityEngine2 Onyx configuration with eight R4400 processors. System requirements: SGI Onyx RE2 or Indigo2 Extreme single and multi-pipeworkstations. Price: Complete Developers License for SGI Onyx RE2 or Indigo2 Extreme: $25,000. A run- time visualizer costs $8,350. Source of information: USATEC Draft Report "Geospatial Data 3-D Visualization," March 1995. Vendor literature (updated 05-94). PRODUCT NAME: Visualization Data Explorer SOURCE: IBM ADDRESS: P.O. Box 218 Route 134 and Taconic Parkway Yorktown Hts, NY 10598 800-388-9820 ext. 200 ibmdx@watson.ibm.com http://www.almaden.ibm.com PLATFORM: IBM, SGI, DEC, SUN, HP and Data General AViiON DESCRIPTION: Visualization Data Explorer (DX) is a toolkit for visualization and analysis. It consists of modules for turning data into graphics. Users create graphics by selecting modules, placing them on a "canvas" and connecting them with "wires." DX handles 2-D and 3-D data types. Based on the data type, a module determines which algorithm to use. If a module receives 2-D data, it will produce contours; if it receives 3-D data, it will produce isosurfaces. Data can be a regular grid, deformed quadrangles or triangles. Supported data types include byte, cell-centered and irregular cubes. DX has on-line tutorials, a Data Prompter for guiding users through the data import process, and General Array import facilities. The import module supports Common Data Format, Network Common Data Format, Hierarchical Data Format - Scientific Data Set, DX native format, rgb, TIFF, and many publicly contributed data format filters. DX includes a perspective "camera" for control over depth perception, and a color bar for interpreting images. Control panels enable users to add features to images which appear in separate windows when finished. The General Array Importer accepts data from existing applications, such as spreadsheets and images. Images can be output in PostScript and TIFF formats. DX is available for Symmetrical Multi-processing (SMP). DX for SMP allows the handling of larger data sets, and offers improved interactive performance through parallel processing - modules will execute in parallel on all of the available processors of symmetrical multiprocessors. DX can be used in conjunction with IDL. Developed jointly by IBM and RSI, LinkIDL uses communications tools built into both software packages. LinkIDL is available free to users of IDL and DX on UNIX platforms. The module and examples are directly available from either IBM or RSI. Import and conversion tools are available for USGS DEM, DLG and ModFlow data, ERDAS .lan files, and ESRI ARC/INFO data. A module (dx2vrml) is freely available for exporting DX objects into VRML. The DX module Reduce can be used to reduce a model's polygon count before conversion to VRML. Rubbersheet, Refine, and vtkDecimate can be used to render a digital terrain model, convert the quad mesh into a triangle mesh, and then to reduce the resolution. DX was selected for the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program, which provides visualized data on the World Wide Web daily. DX provides automated production of processed images; on-demand, Web- accessible visual images; automated movie production; and hardcopy generation. The dx2vrml module is used to produce global models of environmental datasets and port them as VRML geometry for use with VR systems. The Theory Center at Cornell University maintains a repository of macros, data and modules. The public repository is ftp.tc.cornell.edu (128.84.201.1). System requirements: DX 2.1 isavailable for SGI Onyx (IRIX 5.2), SUN SPARC 10 (Solaris 2.3), and DEC 3000 AXP (OSF/1 Version 2). Price: Node locked: $5,900. Floating: $7,400. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). Science Information Systems Newsletter, Volume IV, Issue 40, 1996. PRODUCT NAME: Visual World SOURCE: DCS ADDRESS: 1330 Braddock Place Alexandria, VA 22314 703-683-8430 rblizek@dcscorp.com http://www.dcscorp.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: Visual World is a Performer-based, DIS-compliant, real-time visualization application that features dynamic paging of geometry and texture. Coupled with DCS' terrain database construction techniques, Visual World provides correlated multispectral views for mission rehearsal. DCS has also developed a package called VS2, that combines Visual World, MultiGen, COTS GIS tools and validated sensor signature prediction algorithms for the purpose of rapid database construction. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Take Flight, November/December 1996. PRODUCT NAME: Voxel Analyst SOURCE: Intergraph ADDRESS: Huntsville, AL 35894 800-345-4856 http://www.intergraph.com PLATFORM: Windows 95 and NT DESCRIPTION: Voxel Analyst (VA) is designed for volume modeling, analysis and visualization. It provides tools for loading, modeling, analyzing, manipulating and plotting 3-D scientific data. Data can be imported from external 2-D and 3-D modeling packages in standard ASCII format, and sparse data can be loaded and numerically modeled using several algorithms. Graphic components such as cross-sections, cutting planes, chair displays, isosurfaces and isosolids can be generated and edited interactively. VA's multi-threading allows graphics display and computation to be done simultaneously on multi-processor machines. VA runs stand-alone, and can import or export data in AutoCAD, MicroStation and ASCII formats. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: EOM, October 1995. PRODUCT NAME: VoxelGeo SOURCE: Vital Images ADDRESS: 505 N. Fourth Street Fairfield, IA 52556 515-472-7726 PLATFORM: SGI and SUN DESCRIPTION: VoxelGeo is a geoscience-oriented product that offers two kinds of 3-D visualization: volume rendering and geometric rendering. Volume rendering is used to visualize 3-D seismic data directly, and geometric rendering (modeling) is used to build and examine 3-D interpretations of data. VoxelGeo's fast rendering speeds it highly interactive visualization tool. Well tracks can be displayed as polylines embedded inside a 3-D seismic image. Simultaneous control of the opacity of appropriate seismic amplitudes can provide information for optimally positioning future wells. The GeoDigitizer module creates faults and horizons from polyline tracing and editing. Interpolation permits efficient surface rendering of the faults and horizons which can be edited further, once embedded in the 3-D image of the seismic data. Faults, horizons, wells and other interpreted geometric objects can be interactively translated, rotated and zoomed in a separate 3-D image of the seismic data. This separate window, called GeoView, can be used to select and pick polylines belonging to any given fault. The GeoMap module can be used for 3-D time-coded mapped representation of horizons and faults. GeoManager is a Motif- based control panel for efficient management of geometry files. GeoPicker is designed for fast, automatic picking of seismic amplitude volumes. Version 2.0 has a new OpenInventor-based user interface and includes capabilities for perspective rendering, real-time stereo and 3-D animations. System requirements: 128 MB of main memory, Freedom accelerator for SUN. Price: $35,000. Source of information: EOM, December 1994. PRODUCT NAME: VoxelView/Ultra SOURCE: Vital Images SOURCE: Vital Images 505 N. Fourth Street Fairfield, IA 52556 515-472-7726 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: VoxelView/Ultra is a scientific visualization program that features volume rendering capabilities. For example, using seismic and geological data, scientists can create pictures of layers of rock and view the interior of the Earth. Users can write their own C code and integrate it with VoxelView/Ultra. Documented, sample source code is provided. An animation feature permits rotation of objects through 360 degrees at ten-degree intervals, and allows users to view the data as a loop or a back-and-forth display, or to use the mouse to control the cycle of frames. The animation can be saved to disk. For more sophisticated animation, an optional tool called VoxelAnimator must be purchased. VoxelAnimator lets the user create animation sequences by saving different views and renderings and playing them back. Interpolation can be used to ensure smooth transitions between different pictures. The embedded geometry feature lets users read in geometry from a file, and embed it within a data set. Separate tools are available for preprocessing and filtering of data. VoxelAnalyzer lets users measure their data. Path lengths and areas of regions can be computed. Some statistical information can be supplied, and histograms can be displayed. Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have used VoxelView/Ultra to study the behavior of vortices. System requirements: SGI IRIS 4D VGX or VGXT POWERVISION series, Crimson 4D/VGX or VGXT, Indigo R3000 or R4000 XS24 or Elan, Personal IRIS 4D/35 Elan. 32 MB RAM, 100 to 200 MB disk space, IRIX 4.0.x, DAT or 1/4" SCSI tape drive. Price: $30,000 for VoxelView/Ultra. $5,000 for VoxelAnimator. Source of information: Vendor literature. PRODUCT NAME: VRSG SOURCE: MetaVR ADDRESS: 37 Elm Street Brookline, MA 0214-6813 617-739-2667 vrsg@metavr.com http://www.metavr.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: The Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) uses the Direct3D (D3D) API for textured, real-time visualization of virtual worlds described by the DIS 2.0.4 standard. VRSG generates and receives necessary DIS packets to provide real-time visualization of entity interaction, terrain and weather phenomena at 30-Hz update rates. VRSG can display up to 120 simultaneous ground and air vehicles on a terrain database that is interoperable with Modular Semi-Automated Forces (ModSAF). VRSG is also interoperable with the ModSAF Plan View Display (PVD). The MetaVR application appears as an arrow on the ModSAF PVD when used in DIS Stealth mode. VRSG databases are kept in MetaVR's proprietary MetaDatabase (MDB) format, which can be generated from ModSAF's Compact Terrain Data Base (CTDB) format or from DTED. The conversion of DTED to MDB is an off-line process. MultiGen Flight and 3D Studio formats can also be converted to MDB off-line. VRSG software retrieves database segments from disk storage as a simulation progresses, enabling the system to work with databases of large areal extent. Users have control over the mapping of entity appearance. Three entity class types are supported: vehicle, helo, tank and bubble (a translucent sphere useful for representing range vulnerabilities to threats). The entity models library includes U.S. ground domain objects (e.g., M-1 Abrams tank, MLRS, etc.), U.S. air domain objects (e.g., F-18, F-16, F-15, A-10, AH-64, etc.), Russian-built weapons, and generic models. Animation textures are included, and users can associate munitions firings with animation sequences. VRSG supports graphics accelerator cards such as the 3Dfx- based Obsidian 4220 and Righteous 3D boards. The software development environment is based on the Microsoft Enterprise Edition of Visual C++ version 4.2. The primary user control device is the SpaceOrb 360 controller. Some of VRSG's features are: - compliance with DIS 2.0.4 - absolute terrain correlation with ModSAF CTDB - support for 3-D graphics accelerators that use D3D - ModSAF PVD interoperability - dynamic environmental effects - ability to save screen snapshots to the Windows 95 clipboard - ability to save and recall viewpoints and configurations - choice of coordinate systems - support for UDP multicast, broadcast or point-to-point - teleportation to user-specified points in the database - ability to specify field-of-view, distance to horizon, fog density and presence of clouds - multiple attachment modes (compass, tether, orbit, mimic, track) - selectable resolution (640 x 480 or 800 x 600) VRSG is part of TEC's Rapid Terrain Visualization project. System requirements: A P5/200-MHz or better running Windows 95 with 32 MB RAM, 30 MB disk space, a 3-D graphics accelerator card that supports D3D and a free PCI slot. Price: VRSG: $1,050. MetaVR sells the 3Dfx Obsidian 4220 and the SpaceTec SpaceOrb 360 for $950 and $145, respectively. MetaVR also sells complete systems, starting at $5,000. Source of information: Real Time Graphics, April/May 1997. Vendor literature (updated 02-97). Special note: TVD owns a copy of VRSG. POC is Vineet Gupta (703-428-6838). PRODUCT NAME: VST SOURCE: Vexcel ADDRESS: 2477 55th Street Boulder, CO 80301 303-444-0094 PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics, SUN DESCRIPTION: The Vexcel Stereo Toolkit (VST) is based on RSI's IDL software, and is designed to support the generation, editing, analysis and visualization of DEMs and orthoimages for radar, electro-optical and photographic stereo imagery for remote sensing applications. Inputs include digital source imagery and ancillary sensor and platform data. Outputs include DEMs, orthoimage maps, perspective views, anaglyphic stereo images, color composite images and shaded relief maps. VST's features include: - automated image matching - softcopy 3-D stereo - photogrammetric set-up, orientation, and space intersection - radargrammetric stereo parallax and intersection algorithms - single image othorectification using DEMs - radiometric slope corrections for radar images - support for ten map projections - several gridding methods - resampling for warping large images - DEM quality control - orthographic and perspective view generation - image cube visualization - contour map generation - 8-bit and 24-bit color and file conversion for TIFF, GIFF, XWD, XDR, and PICT - an open data format for import/export. System requirements: 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended). Price: Entry system: $3,995 ($5,995 with source code). Light Table (LT) costs $6,000, and Shape-from-Shading (SFS) and Radar Simulation (RSIM) cost $750 each. A package including VST, LT, SFS and RSIM costs $9,995. Source of information: Vendor literature (received 11-93). PRODUCT NAME: VTree SOURCE: CG2 ADDRESS: 200 Randolph Avenue Suite 203 Huntsville, AL 35801 205-533-2703 info@cg2.com http://www.cg2.com PLATFORM: Windows NT DESCRIPTION: VTree is an OpenGL-based Application Programmer's Interface (API) for Windows NT platforms. VTree was developed in C++ and is designed for 3-D graphics applications requiring real- time response and high frame rates. VTree-based applications include an A-10 flight simulator, a T-72 tank simulator and DIScretion. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Vendor literature (released 12-96). PRODUCT NAME: VUE3D SOURCE: ISTAR ADDRESS: Espace Beethoven Bat. 2 Route des Lucioles Sophia Antipolis 06560 Valbonne, France (33) 93 95 72 30 PLATFORM: SUN DESCRIPTION: VUE3D is marketed by the French company ISTAR as geographical data editing and visualization software. The product can be used to generate perspective views using orthorectified SPOT imagery and SPOT-derived DEMs. There are also capabilities for linear feature extraction, vector data editing and display, topological graphic editing, etc. VUE3D supports the following exchange formats: raw raster, ERDAS, PCI, SPOT images on CD-ROM, ARC/INFO and MOSS. System requirements: * * * Price: An evaluation copy costs 990 French francs. Source of information: Vendor literature (received 02-95). PRODUCT NAME: WalkAbout SOURCE: Robert McNeel & Associates ADDRESS: 3670 Woodland Park N. Seattle, WA 98103 206-545-7000 mcneel.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: WalkAbout lets users move around and through flat- shaded 3-D models interactively inside AutoCAD. Walk-through mode lets users walk forward, backward, left, right, up or down. Fly-over mode enables movement over, under, around, closer to and farther away from the model. Perspective views can be created and saved for plotting or rendering at any time. The display can be in black and white or in AutoCAD object colors. WalkAbout software runs completely inside AutoCAD. There are no file size limitations. System requirements: WalkAbout requires AutoCAD Release 12 or 13 for Windows. A 486/66 or faster processor is recommended. Price: $95. ($250 bundled with McNeel's Facade product.) Source of information: The McNeel News, September 1995. PRODUCT NAME: WalkThrough SOURCE: Autodesk ADDRESS: 111 McInnis Parkway San Rafael, CA 94903 800-964-6432 http://www.autodesk.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: WalkThrough is a stand-alone visualization tool that lets users navigate through 3-D models in real time. (Version 1.1 lets users animate and navigate through models created with AutoCAD R12-R14.) It is designed for quickness, not photorealistic rendering or broadcast-quality animation. Users can move through a scene, pause, look around, and change the height of their viewpoint and the focal length of their virtual camera. Viewing modes include wireframe, solid and textured. There is also a plan view. Solid colors or images can be used as backgrounds. WalkThrough supports BMP, TGA and JPEG texture file formats. There is a library of common construction materials (e.g., brick, tile, wood, shingle, etc.). Materials can be imported and applied to objects. Layers can be turned on and off, and lights can be adjusted. The program supports texture masks for realistic vegetation and other objects. For example, a user can open doors, move furniture and apply various finishes and lighting to the scene. Sounds can also be attached to models. Users can record animations for subsequent playback, generate AVI files from recorded walk-throughs and print hard copies of the rendered scene. WalkThrough reads and writes AutoCAD DWG and DXF file formats. System requirements: A Pentium-based PC with 16-32 MB RAM running Windows 95/NT with 40 MB of disk space and 32 MB of swap space, with 8-bit or 16-bit (recommended) color. Price: WalkThrough 1.1: $199. Source of information: CADalyst, November 1997. PRODUCT NAME: WALKTHRU SOURCE: Jacobus Technology ADDRESS: 7901 Beechcraft Avenue Gaithersburg, MD 20879 301-926-0802 info@jacobus.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: WALKTHRU PC is an interactive, real-time 3-D visualization system oriented toward architecture, engineering and construction. The software allows users to interact with objects within their 3-D computer models. Dynamic viewing features include direction and speed of travel, head movement, zoom in/out, perspective/orthographic viewing, wireframe mode, flat/smooth shading, specular highlighting, clipping, backface removal, etc. Motion control features include independent or constant object motion, interactive object motion, multiple object motion, and user- defined object motion menus. Interference detection features include static and dynamic checking, surface or local range block clearance checking, and hard or soft interferences. Other capabilities are available for display controls, object attribute Query, annotation and dimensioning, texture application, record/replay, frame-by-frame output to video, mensuration, multiple light sources, etc. CAD interfaces support MicroStation, IGES, AutoCAD DXF and ASCII neutral file formats. Output capabilities include record and playback, Targa display, output to video, and Targa 24. System requirements: 386/486 PC, 8 MB memory (16 MB recommended), math coprocessor, 3-button mouse, VGA, and a high resolution multisync monitor (1280 x 1024, 60 Hz, non- interlaced). Version 3.4 requires 24-bit graphics and a Z- buffer. Price: $3,990. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 10-97). PRODUCT NAME: WINGS Mission Rehearsal SOURCE: Autometric ADDRESS: 5301 Shawnee Road Alexandria, VA 22312 703-658-4000 wings@autometric.com http://www.autometric.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: WINGS Mission Rehearsal is part of Autometric's Edge Product Family (EPF). Users can interactively fly through multi-resolution terrain, imager and map data. WINGS focuses on accurately representing the environment, not on emulating a specific vehicle. A typical WINGS screen contains a low-resolution 2-D overview, a full resolution 2-D subset (the user's area of interest), and a 3-D perspective view of the same subset for interactive fly-throughs. Users can specify look-at points, as well as look-from points. Sensor options include EO and NVG (night vision goggles). Both static and interactive target analyses are supported. Import capabilities include SPOT, Landsat, ADRG, ADRI, DTED, SIF, GTDB, DXF, SGI RGB, NITF, SoftPlotter and ERDAS Imagine. Options include a Socket Interface for injecting objects in near-real-time into visualization displays, and a Near-Real-Time Threat Interface for parsing and displaying ELINT information. Version 2.1 includes the WINGS Toolshop, which allows external applications and the ability to manipulate scenes, view locations, and insert annotation and models while providing user feedback. Version 2.2 added multi-resolution 2-D views with continuous zoom and fade, interactive 3-D recording, image registration, and raw SPOT, Landsat and ADRI import. It also allowed DXF model import and flight with videotape creation from movie loops or 3-D recordings, and a more flexible DIS interface. Version 2.2.1 offers easy-to-use ADRG/image blending through the use of a virtual dial. Users can select a threat site with the cursor and interactively extend a radius from it in rubber band fashion. As the radius is manipulated interactively, a gauge displays its length. These values can also be specified by keying them in. Sensor volumes can be depicted as wire-frames or solids, in various colors. The Multi-Source Tactical System (MSTS-A) consists of WINGS along with ECAT by McDonnell Douglas. WINGS can be evoked from within ECAT. The system was designed for "situational awareness for threat avoidance by transport aircraft." By considering "engagement rings" generated by ECAT, route planners can avoid troublesome areas. One can examine a target area in WINGS, and evoke ECAT to read an intelligence message associated with it. ECAT also shows available MC&G coverages for a given area. WINGS has been used in Operation Desert Storm; Team Spirit; REFORGER; Ulchi Focus Lens; Blue, Green and Red Flag; and for operations in Bosnia and Haiti. System requirements: * * * Price: WINGS 2.1: $24,900. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-95). MSTS-A demonstration, June 1995. Special note: A WINGS videotape is available. POC is Tom Witte, 703-428-7177. PRODUCT NAME: World Builder SOURCE: Digimation ADDRESS: 1000 River Bend Drive Suite L St. Rose, LA 70087 800-854-4496 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: World Builder is a landscape generator that can create fully textured 3-D worlds filled with mountains, canyons, lakes, rivers, trees, wind-blown grass, rippling water, etc. Users can build their own landscapes from spline-based ridge or contour lines, or they can import terrain data from USGS files. The World Builder CD-ROM comes with a catalog of trees, ferns, bushes, grasses, rocks, etc. Objects can be distributed automatically throughout the landscape or within user-defined areas. Skies are customizable procedural textures; sunrise, noon, sunset and night can be simulated. Grasses can be varied according to height, angle, color and clumpiness. Water can intersect the scene at any height. World Builder reads 3D Studio (3DS) files, enabling users to import 3DS objects. Animated 3DS 3-D sequences can be composited into World Builder environments. System requirements: 486 with 8 MB RAM. Price: $1,495. Source of information: PC Graphics & Video, February 1996. PRODUCT NAME: World Construction Set SOURCE: Questar Productions ADDRESS: 1058 Weld County Rd 23.5 Brighton, CO 80601 303-659-4028 WCSINFO@QuestarProductions.com http://www.QuestarProductions.com PLATFORM: Intel and DEC Alpha Windows 95/NT DESCRIPTION: World Construction Set (WCS) is a stand-alone terrain rendering and animation program. WCS offers anti- aliasing, box filtering, Z-buffered edge softening, multi-pass anti-aliasing with sub-pixel effects, field rendering and user- controlled motion blur. WCS can animate more than one hundred different Motion, Color, EcoSystem, Cloud and Wave attributes. The keyframe animation system is spline-based, with precise control of keying, tension, continuity and bias on each channel individually. A Z- Buffer Compositor helps users to combine WCS imagery with that of other 3-D applications, such as 3D Studio MAX (3DS MAX) and LightWave 3D (LW3D). This means that 3DS MAX and LW3D objects can be placed in front of and behind WCS terrain. WCS can read USGS 30-meter and 90-meter DEMs, VistaPro binary DEMS and DTED. The DEM Converter module can be configured to read regular-interval data so users can create their own DEMs. WCS can write files in TGA, IFF and Sculpt/raw/RGB formats. The WCS DEM Designer helps users build landscapes from scratch by draping a sheet across points in 3-D space. These points can be created by the user or imported from a file (e.g., DXF). Users can define contours, ridgelines, peaks, dips, valleys, watershed/drainage basins, etc. If contour data are imported in vector form, users can assign elevations to the contours and create a DEM. WCS can export scenes in LW3D format. Landscapes are saved as objects consisting of 3-point polygons. The Scene file contains camera and focus point motions, sun-light position, haze distances and other animation information. Object and scene files exported in LW3D format can be integrated into LW3D for rendering by using the Z-Buffer Compositor plug-in. Trees are composed of textures applied to generic 3-D forms. Users can create their own, and add them to the foliage library included with WCS. Trees cannot be exported. Version 2.2 includes evolving clouds, cloud shadows, haze, fog, reflective water with waves, breakers, beaches, tides and realistic ecosystem placement based on rules of nature cloud feathering, improved reflections, improved anti-aliasing, an expanded tree model library and support for a wider variety of OpenGL hardware. System requirements: Amiga: A 68040+ CPU running AmigaOS 2.04+ with 8 MB RAM (an extra 8 MB recommended for reflections and clouds) and 10 MB disk space. Windows: An 80486+ running Windows 3.51+ or Windows 95 with 16 MB RAM (an extra 8 MB recommended for reflections and clouds), 30 MB disk space, and a display card with 256 or more colors. Price: Version 1 for Amiga: $250. Version 2 for Amiga: $470. Version 2 and 2.2 for Intel and DEC Alpha: $835. Technical support via e-mail and telephone is provided free. Source of information: PC Graphics & Video, June 1997. Digital Magic, May 1997. 3D Artist #24. Vendor literature (obtained 02-97). PRODUCT NAME: WorldToolKit SOURCE: Sense8 ADDRESS: 100 Shoreline Highway Suite 282 Mill Valley, CA 94941 Phone: 415-331-6318 info@sense8.com http://www.sense8.com PLATFORM: DOS, Windows NT, SUN Ultra Creator, DEC Alpha and SGI DESCRIPTION: WorldToolKit (WTK) consists of object-oriented libraries organized into more than 20 classes including universe, geometry objects, viewpoints, sensors, paths, lights, collision detection, database management, display setup, atmospherics, texture mapping, C++ wrappers, 3-D sound support, materials and translucency control, etc. More than 1,000 functions for building real-time 3-D visual simulation and virtual reality applications are provided. Real-time 3-D rendering is encapsulated in WTK's library of routines. A fly-through can be built from a few lines of code. In a typical application, objects are added to a universe and assigned behaviors. Sensors are then added to objects or to the viewpoint. Lights are added to the universe, and control is passed to the real-time simulation manager. The simulation manager has a pre-defined event loop with an easy-to-use control structure. The event loop incorporates a built-in renderer, which exploits the host platform's graphics hardware. The simulation manager executes the application, and ensures that object tasks are performed and device input is obtained from the sensors. Objects can be added and removed, enabling many more objects to exist in the application than are actually displayed. WTK supports a variety of 2-D, 3-D and 6-D input devices. It is compatible with AutoCAD, 3D Studio, Wavefront, MultiGen, Pro-Engineer and other CAD and graphics software. Data import facilities are provided to create 3-D graphical objects from data files. Supported file formats include DXF, NFF (WTK neutral file format), and others. An automatic level-of-detail tool is provided to generate visually similar objects with less complicated geometry. WTK 6 includes a modeling tool with VR-related features such as the ability to turn vertex normals on and off, merge co-planar polygons and manipulate vertices and polygons directly. TASC used WTK to build a Portable War Room that lets commanders accurately anticipate the outcome of military maneuvers before deploying troops. The system uses a head- mounted display driven by a PC-based Intergraph platform. WTK is used to build the virtual environment. The Portable War Room allows collaborative planning, and is designed to be field- deployable. WTK has been used to create a precise model of Stonehenge that includes the local terrain, the night-time sky and real-time sunrise special effects. WTK's 3-D visualization allows users to walk virtually among the ruins and experience the photorealistic textures. System requirements: Sun version 2.1: Solaris 2.3, ANSI C compiler, XGL 3.0 and SX or ZX or E&S Freedom with SunOS 4.1.3. SGI version 2.1: IRIX 4.0.5 and GL 4.0. DOS version 2.1: DOS 3.x, Metaware HighC v3.1+, Pharlap DOS extender v4.0+ and a 486+ with SPEA Fire 860 graphics board. Windows version 2.02: Windows 3.1, Win 32s compiler, 486+ with 8 MB RAM and VGA+ board. Windows NT version: Motorola 604 or Pentium 90 CPU, Microsoft Visuals C++ 2.0, and 32 MB RAM. Price: Windows NT: $4,200. SGI: From $4,200. SGI IRIS, Indigo, Indigo2 and Crimson: $5,000. SGI VGX, VGXT and VTX; and Sun SPARC: $7,500. SGI RE, RE2: $9,500. A bundled system including WTK R6 and Intergraph's Intense3D accelerator: $6,695. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). Interactivity, January 1997. Real Time Graphics, January 1996. Silicon Graphics World, December 1995. Special note: TVD POC for WTK is J. Kim, 703-428-6838. PRODUCT NAME: WorldToolKit Direct SOURCE: Sense8 ADDRESS: 100 Shoreline Highway Direct Suite 282 Mill Valley, CA 94941 Phone: 415-331-6318 info@sense8.com http://www.sense8.com PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: WorldToolKit Direct (WTK Direct) is a development environment for 3-D simulations and VR applications. It combines the capabilities of WTK 6 with the real-time rendering technology of Microsoft's Direct3D. Developers using WTK Direct can take advantage of both unaccelerated and hardware-accelerated PCs. The product is an object-oriented library containing high- level function calls for configuring, interacting with and controlling real-time simulations. It is organized into more than 20 classes, including the universe, graphical objects, viewpoints, sensors, paths and lights. WTK Direct's scene graph-based architecture supports hierarchical object-culling, efficient use of transform information, and level-of-detail switching. Other features include hierarchical database support; point, spot and colored lights; transparent textures; draping, wrapping and filtering of textures; texture quantizing code; support for networked simulations; 3-D and stereo sound; support for multiple windows displaying multiple viewpoints; object constructor primitives and vertex-level construction; and 2-D drawing and text functions. System requirements: * * * Price: $2,995. Source of information: Real Time Graphics, Oct./Nov. 1996. PRODUCT NAME: World Up SOURCE: Sense8 ADDRESS: 100 Shoreline Highway Suite 282 Mill Valley, CA 94941 Phone: 415-331-6318 info@sense8.com http://www.sense8.com PLATFORM: Windows 95, Windows NT and Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: World Up is a virtual reality and visual simulation development tool that allows interactive virtual world creation without programming. It has a graphical user interface and a 3-D modeler. World Up's interactive real-time content development environment lets users modify real time object behavior and scene characteristics while a simulation is running. World Up includes tools for modeling and animating objects and environments. The program incorporates BasicScript, an interpreted scripting language that uses Visual Basic syntax and links to externally compiled modules, including DLLs and DSOs. An integrated modeler provides geometry editing and extrusion, facet control, vertex normals on/off, merging of co-planar polygons, a material and texture browser, and up to eight views. There is real-time support for levels of detail, atmospheric conditions (e.g., fog, haze and clouds) and lighting. 3-D audio processing is built in. A variety of input and monitor devices are supported, including HMDs and gloves. World Up supports ODBC and OpenGL. The software can read and write VRML 1.0 and AutoCAD DXF files; and can read 3D Studio, Wavefront OBJ, Alias, ProEngineer Render, MultiGen FLT 14.2, GEO, binary NFF and Sense8 NFF files. System requirements: * * * Price: $4,500. Source of information: Vendor literature (updated 03-97). Interactivity, January 1997. Interactivity, November 1996. Silicon Graphics World, August 1996. Vendor literature (updated 02-96). Real Time Graphics, Oct./Nov. 1995. PRODUCT NAME: XVS-FlyBy SOURCE: Xtensory ADDRESS: 140 Sunridge Drive Scotts Valley, CA 95066 408-439-0600 cutt@netcom.com PLATFORM: Silicon Graphics DESCRIPTION: XVS-FlyBy is an add-on to SGI's Perfly, allowing virtual flight through DXF data sets. No programming is necessary, and modification of the DXF data is not required. XVS-FlyBy includes XVS-Geom and XVS-SyncLink. XVS-Geom is designed to facilitate the importing of DXF data into systems that use SGI's Performer. XVS-Geom handles more DXF entities than does Performer's sample DXF loader. It also cleans up 3-D geometry for effective display and allows control of individual blocks and layers for better performance. XVS-SyncLink is an interface for VR devices and applications. It simplifies adding and maintaining VR sensor support and provides coordinate translation automatically between VR devices, 3-D rendering systems, applications and data sets. System requirements: * * * Price: * * * Source of information: Virtual Reality Special Report 1996 Buyer's Guide. PRODUCT NAME: XYZ3D SOURCE: Dynacomp ADDRESS: 178 Phillips Road Webster, NY 14580 800-828-6772 PLATFORM: PC DESCRIPTION: XYZ3D can be used to display a project from any viewpoint. Any field of view can be selected, from telescopic to wide angle. The user can select any window size, or the program will automatically select a window large enough to include all the data in the desired picture. Windows can also be tilted. XYZ3D can produce true perspective drawings, two-point perspective drawings, orthographic projections, isometric views, and cross sections. Any color combination can be used. The software also has cartographic capabilities. Terrain surfaces can be defined and displayed using any line pattern. Pictures can be moved, rotated, and scaled. Shadow lines can be cast. Automatic successive views can be produced along a defined line or circle. Users can build a library of shapes and structures that can be stretched, compressed, rotated, merged, etc., and combined with terrain surfaces for display with hidden-line removal. System requirements: Color graphics card, 512K RAM and an 8087 or 80287 math coprocessor. Price: $269.95 Source of information: Vendor literature (dated). Dynacomp Catalog No. 38.