From: Pierre duPont Subject: ANNOUNCE: Division Launches dVISE for Microsoft Windows NT Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996 22:12:39 +-100 Message-ID: <01BB692E.74EE3180@dialin-ppp.division.co.uk> ---------------- Multi-user, visually-realistic VR for Microsoft Windows NT Launch of dVISE for NT expands Division's existing UNIX product range into PC-based enterprise-wide solutions 2 July 1996 - London - Division has today launched dVISE for Windows NT (TM) which for the first time brings high-quality, workstation- class virtual reality to the PC. dVISE for NT opens major new markets for PC- based virtual reality applications, including virtual prototyping for engineers and designers, marketing and promotional product presentations, accurate and detailed simulations for industrial training, and collaborative working across corporate Intranets and the Internet. "Many of our existing customers have requested a PC version of dVISE because of their need to broaden the use of sophisticated virtual reality tools across their enterprises," says Charles Grimsdale, CEO of Division. "For those blue-chip companies, having the same software, which is already bringing them bottom-line benefits on UNIX workstations, available on the PC means they can extend their use of VR to new fields and increase the contribution of this technology within their organizations." dVISE for NT is a port to the PC of the existing dVISE for UNIX software, and includes features such as: very-high quality visual rendering; Internet-ready multi-user support for enterprise applications; the world's most advanced CAD converters and geometry optimization tools; a rich set of behavioral characteristics for virtual objects; and powerful 3D world authoring tools. dVISE for NT is directly compatible with dVISE for UNIX, so virtual environments are readily transferred between the two platforms without modification. dVISE for NT removes a major limitation of other current VR products by providing exceptional quality 3D graphics. Rendering features typically found only on high-end graphics workstations are included in dVISE for NT, such as Gouraud shading for natural-appearing light gradients, automatic level-of-detail switching for complex geometries, 24-bit colour and texturing, and environment mapping for simulating reflections. "dVISE for NT has the richest set of features I've seen on any PC VR package," said Andy Connell, principal technologist at VR Solutions Limited, Europe's largest VR consulting company. "We can create much more realistic, more compelling virtual worlds faster with dVISE." dVISE for NT is available for PCs running Microsoft(r) Windows NT(TM) and supports SuperVGA graphics cards and workstations with OpenGL graphics accelerators. dVISE for NT also supports multi-processor high- performance PC workstations such as the new TDZ system from Intergraph Computer Systems. "The real-time interactive visualisation and virtual prototyping offered by dVISE are major requirements of the large installed-base of Intergraph computers in engineering markets," said Steve Burr, Product Manager at Intergraph Computer Systems. "We are pleased that Division has ported dVISE to Windows NT; it is a more open platform and combined with our low-cost, powerful TDZ 3D workstations will open up VR technology to a much wider range of users." dVISE for UNIX, which runs on the full range of Silicon Graphics and Hewlett- Packard workstations, has been used in fields such as engineering, training, simulation, education and promotion by customers, including: - McDonnell Douglas for engineering design and evaluation of aircraft maintenance. - Adtranz Sweden (formerly ABB Traction) for designing passenger trains. - Ford for ergonomic assessment of new car designs. - Nortel (Northern Telecom) for planning the installation of complex telephone switching equipment. - Rolls-Royce for jet engine pipe routing design and assembly/disassembly verification. - Bechtel for visualizing the layout of electric power generation plants. - Panasonic in Japan for point-of-sale marketing of appliances and home furnishings. Notes to Editors: Division's dVISE software has been awarded first place as the "hottest" VR product of 1995 by the US-based Computer Graphics World, the largest- circulation graphics journal world-wide. Division (http://www.division.com) specializes in providing virtual reality technology, products and services for advanced engineering, design and training applications. The company has offices and distributors throughout the world. Division's U.S. headquarters are in Redwood City, Calif., and the company has offices in San Diego, Detroit, Atlanta and Buffalo. Division customers include Ford Motor Co., Bechtel, McDonnell-Douglas, NASA, DoD, Glaxo Wellcome, Matsushita, GEC, British Telecom, GTE, and Sandia National Labs. Photographs available on request. ### For more information: Bob Cramblitt Saundra Oberle Cramblitt & Company Division Inc., Redwood City, California 919-481-4599 415-364-6067 cramco@interpath.com saun@division.com Pierre duPont Division Limited, Bristol UK +44 1454 615554 pierre@division.co.uk http://www.division.co.uk [MODERATOR'S NOTE: Commercial postings are offered on this newsgroup as a public service. Their appearance here does not indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or its administrators.]