San Jose, CA, November 17, 1999
- Quantum3D®, the leader
in PC-based realtime 3D visual computing systems, announced
today that Alenia Marconi Systems, one of the largest visual
simulation and training system integrators in Europe, has
successfully ported their distributed simulation (DIS/HLA)
application VISTA to Quantum3D's Heavy Metal™ GX+ systems
with full-scene, sub-pixel anti-aliasing from the Mercury™
advanced realtime 3D graphics subsystem. Alenia-Marconi's
Integrated Systems Division (ISD) selected Heavy Metal Mercury
because of its open architecture, high performance levels,
and low cost.
Alenia Marconi Systems' 3D Stealth Viewer
VISTA (VIsual STealth Application) is an established product
that has been used by Marconi and the British government defense
agency DERA for several years for synthetic environment research.
VISTA was originally developed for high-end graphics workstations
and provides a 3D "magic carpet" view for DIS exercises.
The enhanced port of VISTA for Quantum3D systems, known as
VISTA II, is being used by a number of Marconi sites for synthetic
environment exercise development, demonstration, and training
applications.
"In January 1999, we saw the potential
of a Mercury system as a visual simulation platform that compared
favorably with top end platforms in terms of texture and anti-aliasing,
but at a much-reduced cost," said Niall Fraser, Project
Leader, ISD Visuals Group, Alenia Marconi Systems. "It
also offered low through-life support cost. Because Heavy
Metal Mercury supports open standards, including OpenGL®
and MultiGen-Paradigm's realtime 3D file format OpenFlight®,
we were able to port existing visual simulation applications
quickly to enable a cheaper and faster response to our customers."
"Alenia Marconi is a recognized leader
in simulation and training systems," said Rick Bess,
Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Quantum3D.
"Our long-standing commitment to delivering PC-based
systems with true open architecture and full-scene, sub-pixel
anti-aliasing, at much lower costs than proprietary systems,
enables Quantum3D's multi-channel Heavy Metal GX+ systems
to continue to prove themselves for the most advanced visual
simulation applications such as VISTA."
VISTA II employs Quantum3D's OpenGVS™
as the realtime 3D scene manager. DIS applications developed
for VISTA also involved SimGL™, Quantum3D's subset of
OpenGL™ optimized for visual simulation applications;
MultiGen® II Pro and MultiGen Creator™ as the modeling
software, and ISD proprietary application software. VISTA
is used to view exercises being run over an Ethernet network
using the DIS/HLA protocols for sending information between
simulation nodes. The stealth application allows the user
to watch the ongoing DIS exercises without interacting with
the rest of the simulations, monitor the deployment of forces
from a bird's eye viewpoint, and zoom in for detailed inspection
of a specific area of the visual database. Different modes
allow the user to attach the view to an entity and follow
it as it moves around the database, or to move about independently.
VISTA also displays detailed information about the entities
on the network and so is a useful tool for debugging DIS applications.
It has also proved to be a powerful student debriefing tool,
able to replay the DIS log files from an exercise at any time
and display the view of the exercise from any selected vantage
point or entity.
Alenia Marconi Systems is an equal shares
joint venture company between Finmeccanica of Italy and GEC
of the UK. Alenia Marconi Systems can be contacted via their
web site, www.aleniamarconisystems.com,
and their Simulation and Training Division at www.gec-marconi.com/our_corp/oper_gro/op_co/opco22m.htm
General Information
Heavy Metal GX+ with Mercury is an open architecture, scalable
system that enables single or multi-channel configuration,
and combines the most advanced industry-standard components
with Quantum3D's value-added and patent-pending realtime 3D
graphics technologies. Quantum3D systems are compatible with
a wide range of leading realtime 3D scene managers such as
MultiGen-Paradigm's Vega™, Soft Reality's SoftVR™,
Thomson Training and Simulation's SPACE Magic™, CATI
X-IG™, and CG2's Vtree™, as well as Quantum3D's
OpenGVS™; with 3D graphics APIs such as 3dfx Glide®
and Microsoft® Direct3D®; with realtime 3D file formats
such as OpenFlight® and Terra Page™; and with leading
operating systems. Mercury users can upgrade to AAlchemy,
Quantum3D's new graphics subsystem family, within Heavy Metal
GX+ system architecture and without requiring changes to application
or database software.
About Quantum3D
Quantum3D, San Jose, California, develops and markets integrated
interactive 3D visual computing systems, realtime 3D graphics
subsystems, and related systems software, that combine to
deliver sustained realtime frame rates, superior graphics
quality, and value. Quantum3D focuses on delivering complete
3D visual computing solutions for the Visual Simulation and
Training market and Out-of-Home Entertainment markets, and
is the exclusive supplier of 3dfx® graphics technology
into those markets. In addition, Quantum3D creates and distributes
realtime 3D development software tools and products, enabling
developers to fully optimize their applications to benefit
from the company's visual computing systems.
Quantum3D, Heavy Metal, Mercury, SimGL,
OpenGVS, and AAlchemy are trademarks of Quantum3D. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
