From: Kenneth Pimentel Subject: SOFTWARE: Sense8 announces WTK for Windows - "Mercury" Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1993 22:26:58 -0700 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SENSE8 Announces WorldToolKit for Windows (tm) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sense8 will unveil its latest product at Siggraph in Anaheim CA, Aug3-5th. WorldToolKit for Windows, previously code named 'Project Mercury', represents a breakthrough in 3D rendering performance under Windows and is the result of a joint project with Intel Corporation. WINDOWS-BASED VR ================ For the first time, real-time 3D graphics development tools are available for Windows 3.1. This new capability combines the flexibility and professional features of Sense8's popular and award-winning WorldToolKit with the powerful development environment of Windows 3.1. Now, any computer that can run Windows 3.1 can run a Virtual Reality application built with WorldToolKit for Windows`. This development opens up a whole new class of applications. Imagine creating a stand-alone Windows application that uses DDE to extract data from an Excel` or Lotus 1-2-3` spreadsheet and then linking it to physical attributes in the virtual world. Or use Visual Basic` to create an application that combines a 2D interface with WorldToolKit for Windows`s virtual 3D environment. FEATURES: ======== o Real-time display of DXF and 3DS models. o Communicate with other apps. using DDE. o Rendering of wire-frame, flat-shaded, smooth-shaded and textured surfaces. o Supports 256, 32k and 64k color graphic modes. o Texture storage determined by system RAM. o 16 bit textures up to 512x512 in size. o Resolutions up to 1280x1024. o Support for Visual Basic and Visual C/C++ WORLDTOOLKIT ============ WorldToolKit is a C library of over 400 function calls that dramatically simplifies the process of creating real-time interactive 3D simulations. Though WorldToolKit is intended for C programmers, it ships with several complete applications that can be compiled and used as is. WorldToolKit is not a 3D modeling program. Instead, 3D objects are created using familiar tools like Autocad, 3D Studio, Swivel 3D or any other 3D modeler that generates DXF or 3DS files. WorldToolKit reads these files allowing you to interact and explore the models in real-time using your existing PC hardware. Even though WorldToolKit is not a modeling program, it does contain functions for interactively creating spheres, cubes, cylinders, polygons, etc. You can use these functions to dynamically create shapes within your virtual environment. Applications developed with WorldToolKit for Windows will be source-code compatible with WorldToolKit applications running with accelerated graphics on DOS PCs, SGi and Sun workstations. This means you can use WorldToolKit for Windows to start exploring Virtual Reality and move to higher performing platforms as your budget permits. Sense8 is the only VR company to provide support for such a wide-range of platforms and performance levels. The WorldToolKit API follows an object-oriented style where functions are grouped by classes. These are a few of the primary classes: Universe: This is the "container" of all entities. Objects: These are the dynamic entities in the simulation. Many functions can act upon objects: tasks: each object performs a task per frame hierarchies: objects can be "linked" together sensors: objects can be attached to sensors appearance: the color, texture or size of an object can be changed. collision detection: between objects and polygons Polygons: These can be dynamically created and texture- mapped using various sources of image data. Rendering is performed in either wireframe, smooth-shaded or textured modes. Lights: These can be dynamically created or loaded from a file. They are dynamically updated every frame. Viewpoints: You can have multiple viewpoints and they can be attached to multiple sensors. Sensors: Devices (such as a 2D mouse) can be connected to lights, objects, viewpoints, etc. Paths: Objects or viewpoints can follow predefined paths that can be dynamically created and interpolated. Terrain: Can be either randomly generated or based on actual data. Terrain-following of objects and viewpoints is supported. Portals: New worlds are automatically loaded when the user passes through a user-defined portal. POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS ====================== Architectural walkthroughs: Load a 3D DXF model of your new house or your remodeled kitchen and go exploring. Using a mouse, select a cabinet surface and apply a different wood texture or paint color. Link the 3D model to an Excel spreadsheet so that you can change the height or width of a wall from Excel. Educational simulations: Build a world where various laws of physics apply, or make up your own rules. Create a simulation of the moon or Mars. Entertainment: Create a 3D race-car game or air-combat simulation. Use existing Windows for Workgroups networking or WorldToolKit for Windows's serial port capabilities to play against a friend. Research: Simulate the effects of two molecules docking, or grab one using your wired-glove and try to dock it yourself. Data visualization: Extract stock market data from a remote database using SQL queries and create a virtual world where stocks are represented as virtual rooms containing additional price and trend information on the walls. PERFORMANCE =========== The exact level of rendering performance will be highly dependent on the configuration of your PC and graphics board. The following table is based on drawing a 320x240 window at 16 bits per pixel (64K colors) image: TABLE 1. Graphics performance (polygons/sec.) Flat-shaded Smooth Textured 486-25, ISA 3,000 1,800 1,400 486-66, ISA 4,750 3,500 2,300 486-66, VLbus 6,500 4,000 2,500 polygons = 10x10 pixels, unlit, transformed, quads These numbers represent non-hardware accelerated performance. WorldToolKit for Windows will also support a select number of accelerated SVGA boards that should increase overall performance. UPGRADEABILITY ============== WorldToolKit for Windows is a subset of the functionality and performance of WorldToolKit-860. Only WTK-860 allows use of specialized graphics accelerator boards, like the SPEA Fire board, which delivers four to five times the performance of WorldToolKit for Windows. Also, only WTK-860 supports two graphics boards in a single PC for generating stereo video signals. This isn't supported on WorldToolKit for Windows due to limitations in using multiple SVGA boards in a single PC. WorldToolKit for Windows will also not support the more expensive interface devices ($1,500 and up) that are currently supported by WorldToolKit-860 (i.e. Polhemus FASTRAK, Ascension Bird, etc.). Developers will be able to upgrade to WTK-860 as their needs change. DEVICE DRIVERS ============== WorldToolKit for Windows will offer extensive support for inexpensive hardware devices that can be attached to your PC. Devices such as joysticks, mice, simple 6 DOF and 3 DOF trackers can all be used to create interactive applications. This is a list of some of the devices under consideration: Monoscopic head-mounted displays: SEGA HMD (Dec 93) will be supported if technically possible. Stereoscopic Viewers: Cyberscope 3D viewer (mounts on monitor). 3D Sound: Gravis UltraSound 3D sound board. 2D Sound: The Windows 3.1 API supports many sound and MIDI boards. Head-trackers: Logitech ultrasonic head-tracking/3D mouse device. Navigation: 2D mice, joysticks, Spaceball, and Space Mouse. Interaction: PowerGlove and other low-cost wired-glove devices. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS =================== WorldToolKit for Windows requires a 386, 486 (or better) PC that will run Windows 3.1 with either a 256, 32K, or 64K color graphics driver. WorldToolKit for Windows will not work with the standard 4 bit or 16 color Windows drivers (yet), your graphics board must have at least 256 colors. To develop applications with WorldToolKit for Windows you need an appropriate Windows 3.1 development environment. Any Windows-based compiler should be usable. AVAILABILITY ============ WorldToolKit for Windows will be available December 1993, directly from Sense8 and its distributors world- wide for $795. For those developers eager to get a head-start on using WorldToolKit for Windows, a BETA version will be available at a reduced price in October. For information on ordering the BETA version of WorldToolKit for Windows contact: Debbie Nelson or Mark Kettering at: (415) 331-6318 sense8!mark@well.sf.ca.us For addtional technical information contact: Kenneth Pimentel at: (415) 289-5278 (press 3# if you get voice mail) sense8!kpiment@well.sf.ca.us Or fax us at: (415) 331-9148 [MODERATOR'S NOTE: Commercial postings are offered on sci.virtual- worlds as a public service. Their appearance here does not necessarily indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or its administrators. -- Bob Jacobson]