Virtual Reality News: 9th November 2001

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Users, Applications & Projects
174.01 Educational First for GameCom/Ferris
174.02 Soccer Simulation
174.03 Boeing Invests

Products & Services
174.05 DSI Datotech Multi-Point Touchpad
174.06 Visualization for Clementine
174.07 Optimize 3D Models for the Internet
174.08 Online Design for Floor Plans
174.09 3DMeNow1.5
174.10 The Virtual Animation Studio
174.11 3D Text and Animation Tool
174.12 Downloadable Graphics Drivers
174.13 Electric Image to Support FBX

Patents & Standards
174.14 Patent for General Electric
174.15 Patent for Recaro
174.16 Patent for Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha
174.17 Patent for Impulse Technology

Companies & Markets
174.18 VREfresh Quote of the Issue: Bob Bishop, SGI
174.19 Phase Two of the Internet According to Cisco
174.20 Profits Vanish for Disney

Appointments
174.21 University College London

Worth Watching
174.22 Worth Watching: Medicine Meets VR

Events & Calls for Papers

174.01 Educational First for GameCom/Ferris

GameCom has signed a contract with the Science Museum of Virginia to furnish educational VR systems for the museum's exhibitions. The exhibit will consist of two stand-up Universe VR 360s and two 3-seat VR Sensory Theaters. The Universe 360, a customizable, 360-degree, immersive system, will feature the Ancient Egypt Experience, a re-creation of ancient Egypt. The VR Sensory Theaters will display SeaLife Adventure, an underwater tour of ocean life which will be integrated with a variety of sensations to immerse the participant into an underwater environment. "We're excited about having the virtual reality systems here. They will provide new experiences for our visitors and will add a new educational dimension to our program," stated Nancy Tait, public relations manager for the Science Museum of Virginia. This is an important announcement for GameCom/Ferris, as it marks entry into the educational marketplace.

URL: http://www.GameComInc.com
URL: http://www.FerrisVR.com

174.02 Soccer Simulation

Sports Interactive has signed a three-year agreement to license Bitstream's T2K font engine and a core set of Bitstream fonts for Sports Interactive's sports simulation programs. Sports Interactive is the creator of the Championship Manager series of football (soccer) management simulations, which boasts player and team statistics: the latest release sold over 103,000 copies in the first weekend alone.

URL: http://www.bitstream.com

174.03 Boeing Invests

Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the world's largest producer of commercial jetliners, has awarded Raindrop Geomagic a software development contract for rapid inspection of manufactured airplane parts. Raindrop Geomagic will integrate the Perceptron laser sensor with its Geomagic Qualify software, which enables automatic graphical comparisons between a CAD file and the as-built part. Qualify allows inspectors and engineers to overlay, evaluate and report deviations between designed and built parts. Raindrop Geomagic develops 3D photography solutions that enable mass customization and automated quality inspection.

174.04 Books for Designers

Charles River Media has new titles for 3D designers and Web professionals. The LightWave 6.5/7.0 Project Handbook is a hands-on guide to NewTek's LightWave, versions 6.5 and 7.0. The Flash Webisode Production Handbook is a complete guide to creating streaming animations, or Webisodes with Flash. Producing Interactive Television is an in-depth look at how the merging of Internet technologies and television programming is changing the way people produce, receive, watch, and react to TV.

URL: http://www.charlesriver.com

174.05 DSI Datotech Multi-Point Touchpad

DSI Datotech Systems has completed a series of user evaluations with technicians and artists from multimedia studios in Montreal and Vancouver, Canada. The user evaluation was performed on prototypes of the Company's Multi-Point Touchpad product. DSI Datotech Systems mission is to revolutionize human interaction with electronic devices and machines through the application of its Gesture Recognition Technology (GRT). The Company plans to introduce products targeted for the animation and graphics markets initially and is also actively expanding the technology to address biometric, CAD/CAM, financial, banking and gaming applications.

URL: http://www.dato.com/

174.06 Visualization for Clementine

3DV8 Inc has announced availability of the "3DV8 for Clementine" edition of its visualization software, enabling companies that use Clementine, the data mining workbench of SPSS, to add an interactive, visual interface and presentation tool within minutes. 3DV8 for Clementine fully integrates into the Clementine user interface as a chart object, which allows the user to instantly stream data to 3DV8 and output the results into a multi-dimensional visual model. Up to seven dimensions are currently supported. 3DV8 for Clementine can be ordered online, downloaded, installed, and fully integrated with Clementine at $5,000 per seat.

URL: http://www.3dv8.com

174.07 Optimize 3D Models for the Internet

ParallelGraphics has released Internet Model Optimizer (IMO) V1.5, a tool that provides a way to optimize complex 3D models created with CAD/CAM/CAE and other design systems for use on the Internet. Using proprietary algorithms, IMO optimizes 3D models by removing the polygons that contribute least to the total visual impression of the models, while allowing for the optimal balance between rendering speed and visual quality.

URL: http://www.parallelgraphics.com

174.08 Online Design for Floor Plans

ParallelGraphics has also released Outline3D v 2.5 (O3D), an online design tool that enables construction firms, manufacturers and distributors of furnishings, and interior designers, to deploy a customized environment specific to their real-life design needs. O3D has been developed as an online solution for marketing products within a real-time environment. It enhances the sales process with an online design capability that turns 2D floor plan layouts into 3D interactive rooms where products and furnishings can be selected and viewed in a realistic environment.

URL: http://www.outline3d.com

174.09 3DMeNow1.5

bioVirtual has announced 3DMeNow1.5 and XPlayer. These releases build on version 1, but include new functions such as integrated animation control via WYSIWYG drag and drop, integrated audio recording and an integrated hair and spectacles model wizard.

URL: http://www.biovirtual.com

174.10 The Virtual Animation Studio

Toon Boom Technologies has released the LightTable module upgrade, which is compatible with USAnimation V5 and runs on Windows 2000. The LightTable module introduces the concept of the virtual animation studio, allowing animators to work remotely and send their drawings electronically to their partner studio anywhere in the world. With the LightTable module, animators can hand-draw animation with a pressure-sensitive pen and graphic tablet based on the classical light table approach and use these vector drawings with all of the other USAnimation modules. This release includes new and improved vector drawing and repainting tools, the ability to build and export USAnimation Paint files, the possibility to display bitmap images and live-action sequences for rotoscoping, support for the import of audio files and multiple sounds at playback, and the ability to lip sync sound files to help in the creation of your drawings. Users can also import USAnimation drawings so that they can be repainted or retouched, or simply for reference artwork, when creating new effects like shadows, highlights and tones.

URL: http://www.toonboom.com

174.11 3D Text and Animation Tool

Ulead Systems has introduced Ulead COOL 3D 3.5, a 3D text and animation tool that creates still and animated titles for Web sites, video projects and presentations. Several additions to the software program allow increased control of the design process and inspire creativity with new effects. The Path Editor in Ulead COOL 3D 3.5 achieves a new level of flexibility by allowing the user to import Adobe Illustrator (.AI) files in addition to converting static raster images into scalable vector paths. Ulead COOL 3D 3.5 is available in retail and online stores for an estimated street price of $49.95 or $44.95 for a downloaded version.

URL: http://www.ulead.com

174.12 Downloadable Graphics Drivers

Xi Graphics has released its Accelerated-X Summit v2.0 Series of downloadable graphics drivers for Linux and UNIX systems. The new product line is based on an OpenGL 1.2.1-compliant rendering pipeline that was completely redesigned to provide graphics performance across a wide range of graphics chip architectures. The initial release of the new line includes 2D and 3D support for over 30 cards and laptops including high-end graphics cards. Each Summit Edition is available as a downloadable demo package that can be tested in its full configuration. To make the demo permanent, a license key can be purchased online and installed in the demo. License key prices start at $39 and vary by Edition, or in the case of Workstation demos, by card.

URL: http://www.xig.com

174.13 Electric Image to Support FBX

Electric Image will support of Kaydara's FBX format in forthcoming versions of their Universe 3D animation software. Electric Image's support for FBX will provide Universe users with access to 3D models. Designed to provide an authoring hub between major 3D packages, FBX provides a centralized working file format for animators wishing to acquire, author and retarget 3D model and animation data.

URL: http://www.kaydara.com
URL: http://www.electricimage.com

174.14 Patent for General Electric

USA Patent No 6310477 has been assigned to General Electric Company for: "A 3D MR image is acquired before injection of a contrast agent and an enhanced 3D image is acquired after injection of the contrast agent. The two images are registered and then subtracted to remove background and to highlight lesion voxels. Lesion objects are identified by connecting contiguous lesion objects. Volume and surface area of any continuous lesion object in a discrete digital image are then calculated. Malignant lesions are identified by determining the ratio of volume to surface area for each lesion object. Malignant tumors are identified when this ratio drops below a preset threshold."

174.15 Patent for Recaro

USA Patent 6308536 has been assigned to Recaro GmbH & Co for: "The present invention relates to a method of producing three-dimensional knits. In accordance with the invention narrowing the loops is done by loops covering a partial area of the needle bed being transferred to needles arranged nearer to the middle of the knit and subsequently knitting further continued, and widening the loops is done by loops covering a partial area of the needle bed being transferred to needles arranged remote from the middle of the knit and subsequently knitting further continued. As an alternative to this, needles may be rendered inactive in a partial area of the needle bed over at least one course and subsequently reactivated."

174.16 Patent for Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha

USA Patent 6310627 has been assigned to Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha for "A 3D image of an object model and images of patterns of a garment are generated. The images of the respective patterns are three-dimensionally deformed by arranging them in corresponding portions of the 3D image of the object model in an image space, and calculating collision deformations caused when the respective patterns are pressed against the corresponding portions based on an externally inputted information on the garment. A stereoscopic image of the garment is generated by connecting the deformed 3D images of the respective patterns based on the information on the garment. Since the pattern images of the garment are so deformed as to be put on the object model in a virtual space of the computer graphics and the stereoscopic image of the garment is generated by connecting the deformed pattern images of the garment, there can be generated a stereoscopic image of the garment realistically representing a state of the garment when the garment is actually put on the object."

174.17 Patent for Impulse Technology

USA Patent 6308565 has been assigned to Impulse Technology Ltd for "Accurate simulation of sport to quantify and train performance constructs by employing sensing electronics for determining, in essentially real time, the player's three dimensional positional changes in three or more degrees of freedom (three dimensions); and computer controlled sport specific cuing that evokes or prompts sport specific responses from the player that are measured to provide meaningful indicia of performance. The sport specific cuing is characterized as a virtual opponent that is responsive to, and interactive with, the player in real time. The virtual opponent continually delivers and/or responds to stimuli to create realistic movement challenges for the player."

174.18 VREfresh Quote of the Issue: Bob Bishop, SGI

"We are the only company by the way in the mainstream IT industry where over 20% of revenues currently come from the federal DOD intelligence and civil agency area. Now, this percentage will likely increase. I believe it will increase to 25% at least in the next six months and perhaps potentially even over 25% of our total revenue will be in the space." Bob Bishop, CEO of SGI, November 2001.

174.19 Phase Two of the Internet According to Cisco

Mike Volpi, senior vice president of Internet switching and services for Cisco Systems has said: "The world is in a different place. We are in phase two of the Internet." Volpi said one critical statistic is that today only 5 percent of people in the world regularly use the Net, compared to about 15 percent who have wireless phones. "Easily, you can assume that at some point we will approach the use of telephony," Volpi said. The International Telecommunications Union estimated that at the end of 2000, there were 359 million Internet users, compared to 736 million cellphones in use and 972 million "main" landline telephone numbers. One crucial driver of renewed growth, Volpi said, will be getting the percentage of US Net users who have "broadband" speed connections up from under 10 percent now to 15 or 20 percent, at which point he thinks there will be enough users to drive the creation of richer, more interesting, broadband-oriented Web content that attracts a new wave of adoption and growth. "If you go to Yahoo today, you don't see broadband content," Volpi said. "That changes when penetration reaches a certain point" of a critical mass of broadband users, which could come within the next 12 to 24 months, he said. Cisco Systems reported a $268 million quarterly loss that still beat Wall Street expectations.

174.20 Profits Vanish for Disney

Profits at The Walt Disney Co dropped 68 percent to $53m in the fourth quarter, reflecting soft advertising revenues and lower attendance at its theme parks after the September 11 terrorist attacks. For all of fiscal 2001, the company reported a net loss of $158m compared with net income of dlrs 920 million for fiscal year 2000.

174.21 Appointments: University College London

University College London is seeking two research fellows to work on mixed-reality and virtual reality systems.

URL: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/personnel/vacancies/adverts/CL0063.html

174.22 Worth Watching: Medicine Meets VR

A clinical study detailing the first application of Microvision's retinal scanning technology in an interventional cardiology procedure has been accepted for presentation at the 10th Annual Medicine Meets Virtual Reality Conference (MMVR). Authored by cardiologist Mark Reisman, director of cardiovascular research and the cardiac catheterization lab at Swedish Heart Institute in Seattle, and Swedish cardiologist William Gray, the study notes the use of Microvision's Nomad Personal Display System during a procedure called patent foramen ovale (PFO), where a hole between the upper chambers of the heart is closed. According to the study, doctors used the Nomad system to place an image equivalent to a 19 inch computer monitor just two feet from the viewer. In each of the 11 PFO procedures, the Nomad system allowed the physician to observe the optimal position of the PFO fabric seal. This placement was confirmed by the echocardiographer, and consistently preceded the observation by other team members. Specific results of this series will be presented at the MMVR conference, scheduled for Jan. 23-26 in Newport Beach, California, USA.

URL: http://www.mvis.com

174.23 Events & Calls for Papers

IST 2001 "Technologies Serving People." Düsseldorf, Germany. December 3-5.
URL: http://istevent.cec.eu.int

IEEE VR 2002: Orlando, USA - March 24-28, 2002.
URL: http://www.VR2002.org

11th annual Executive Forum on Modeling and Simulation. Norfolk, Virginia, USA. June 17-19, 2001.
URL: http://www.trainingsystems.org/Events.htm

IVR 2002 (Industrial Virtual Reality Expo/Conference 2002), Tokyo, Japan - July 3-5, 2002.
URL: http://www.reedexpo.co.jp/ivr/english

SIGGRAPH 2002: San Antonio, Texas, USA - July 21-26, 2002.
URL: http://www.siggraph.org/s2002

For more extensive information about events relevant to the European VR/i3D community, see the events pages on El.pub: for Europe: base05.htm, for the rest of the world: connone.htm

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