From owner-iris-on-line@sgigate.sgi.com Sat Apr 8 21:28:54 1995 Return-Path: Received: from mx5.u.washington.edu by stein2.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW95.02/UW-NDC Revision: 2.32 ) id AA23344; Sat, 8 Apr 95 21:28:54 -0700 Received: from sgigate.SGI.COM by mx5.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW95.02/UW-NDC Revision: 2.31 ) id AA28327; Sat, 8 Apr 95 21:28:41 -0700 Received: by sgigate.sgi.com (950221.405.SGI.8.6.10/911001.SGI) for iris-on-line-members id SAA12566; Fri, 7 Apr 1995 18:00:48 -0700 Received: from sgihub.corp.sgi.com by sgigate.sgi.com via ESMTP (950221.405.SGI.8.6.10/911001.SGI) for id SAA12545; Fri, 7 Apr 1995 18:00:44 -0700 Received: from rock.csd.sgi.com by sgihub.corp.sgi.com via ESMTP (940519.SGI.8.6.9/911001.SGI) for id SAA29610; Fri, 7 Apr 1995 18:00:42 -0700 Received: from sylvan.csd.sgi.com by rock.csd.sgi.com via ESMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/940406.SGI.AUTO) for <@rock.csd.sgi.com:iris-on-line@sgigate.sgi.com> id SAA07363; Fri, 7 Apr 1995 18:00:40 -0700 Received: by sylvan.csd.sgi.com (940816.SGI.8.6.9/911001.SGI) for iris-on-line@sgigate id SAA01857; Fri, 7 Apr 1995 18:00:39 -0700 From: "Lori Nelson-King" Message-Id: <9504071800.ZM1853@sylvan.csd.sgi.com> Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 18:00:36 -0700 X-Mailer: Z-Mail-SGI (3.0S.1026 26oct93 MediaMail) To: iris-on-line@sgigate.sgi.com Subject: IRIS On-Line April 1995 Vol. 3 Issue 4 Mime-Version: 1.0 Encoding: 2 TEXT BOUNDARY, 1472 MESSAGE, 2 TEXT BOUNDARY, 1594 MESSAGE, 3 TEXT BOUNDARY Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="PART-BOUNDARY=.19504071800.ZM1853.sylvan.csd.sgi.com" Sender: owner-iris-on-line@sgigate.sgi.com Precedence: bulk Status: OR -- --PART-BOUNDARY=.19504071800.ZM1853.sylvan.csd.sgi.com Encoding: 1469 TEXT Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii IRIS On-Line VOL. 3 ISSUE 4 April 1995 __^__ __^__ ( ___ )------------------------------------------------------------( ___ ) | / | | \ | | / | I R I S | \ | | / | O n - L i n e | \ | | / | **** | \ | | / | A Silicon Graphics Publication | \ | |___| |___| (_____)------------------------------------------------------------(_____) ^ ^ Welcome to the premier HTML edition of IRIS On-Line! In addition to the text format, we have included the new HTML version of IRIS On-Line as an attached file. The HTML version features eye-catching graphics and links to sites on the Internet that are of interest to those in the Silicon Graphics community. If you'd like to receive the HTML version of IRIS On-Line every month, send an email to list-manager@sgi.com and in the BODY of the message, type: subscribe iris-on-line-html. In order to read the HTML version of IRIS On-Line, you must have the following: - a Silicon Graphics workstation - IRIX release 5.3 - MediaMail e-mail software (based on Z-mail) - Netscape (World Wide Web browser) - a direct connection to the Internet If you have all of the above, all you'll need to do is make a minor modification to your attach.types file. Simply follow the instructions below before reading the attachment. (Note: If you have installed WebMagic Author 1.0, you won't need to make the following changes.) 1. Log in to your system as root. 2. Open the attach.types file in /usr/lib/Zmail. 3. "Copy and paste" the following paragraph to the bottom of your attach.types file: --start copying on the next line-- # MIME types for HTML and WebFORCE/WebJumper applications TYPE text/html "netscape '%s' &" \ None "Hypertext" TYPE text/webjumper "netscape `tail -1 '%s'` & \ None "WebJumpsite" ENCODE text/html None ENCODE text/webjumper None MIME2IRIX text/html HTMLDocument MIME2IRIX text/webjumper WebJumpsite IRIX2MIME HTMLDocument text/html IRIX2MIME WebJumpsite text/webjumper --stop copying on the previous line-- 4. Save the /usr/lib/Zmail/attach.types file. 5. Restart MediaMail. 6. Double click on the attached IRIS On-Line document, and Netscape will automatically launch it for you. Special note: If you read IRIS On-Line on a PC or Macintosh computer, and you know how to configure your e-mail reader to automatically open Netscape when you receive HTML attachments, send us your solution! We'll publish Mac and PC solutions in the May edition of IRIS On-Line. Questions, comments or problems? Send e-mail to iris-on-line-editor@sgi.com The plain text version of IRIS On-Line is included below: TABLE OF CONTENTS Feature Stories ---------------------------------------- 1. Virtual Reality, The Ultimate Commentator's Tool 2. High Techsplanations Brings High Expectations Silicon Graphics Events and Announcements ---------------------------------------- 1. John Spavin Wins WebFORCE Webwax Contest 2. Sixth Eurographics Workshop Animation and Simulation 3. First Workshop On Simulation and Interaction In Virtual Environments 4. Developer Forum '95 5. Web Authoring and Serving Seminar It's Hot, It's Cool, and It's Free ---------------------------------------- 1. Geomview, Interactive View For 3-D Geometric Objects 2. Object-Oriented Graphics: GOOD 1.2 3. Beta-Release Of ROSS Serial Section Reconstruction Software 4. **Hot! Permanent License Available For Users Of "Desks Overview"** 5. Silicon Graphics Questions and Answers Hot Off The Press ---------------------------------------- 1. Silicon Graphics And Template Software Bring 3D Graphics To The World Wide Web (PR1) 2. Silicon Graphics Bundles Adobe's Illustrator And Photoshop With Webforce Workstations (PR2) 3. Silicon Graphics Signs Cole & Weber As New Advertising Agency (PR3) 4. Silicon Graphics And Internezzo To Bring Inperson Desktop Conferencing To Other UNIX Platforms (PR4) 5. Silicon Graphics Introduces New Dimension In Collaborative Computing (PR5) 6. Silicon Graphics Awarded "Hot Irons" (PR6) 7. University Of Delaware Selects Power Challenge To Provide Researchers With New-Generation Supercomputing Resource (PR7) 8. Silicon Graphics Simplifies Interface Development For C++ Applications With New RapidApp (PR8) 9. Silicon Graphics To Add Catia Software To Its Siliconworks Solution Set (PR9) 10. Silicon Graphics, NCSA and EVL To Create Supercomputing Environment Of The Future (PR10) 11. Steven Spielberg's Survivors Of The Shoah Project Receives $1.3 Million Donation From Silicon Graphics (PR11) What's New From Third Parties ---------------------------------------- 1. Wavefront Launches Studio 21 Animation Packages For 2D And 3D Graphics Professionals 2. Wavefront And Silicon Graphics Collaborate To Advance Graphics Leadership In Asia Pacific 3. Animator Broadcast Release 3.0 To Be Introduced At NAB '95 4. NAG Announces IRIS Explorer Release 3: Visualization And Application Builder Software WebWatch ---------------------------------------- 1. "i On Visual Computing" Debuts on Silicon Surf 2. Silicon Graphics Helps Forrest Gump Take The Gold 3. Spartan: Computational Chemistry Software Firm Has Web Page 4. NCSA Multimedia Exhibits Odds & Ends ---------------------------------------- 1. How To Use The Mail Server 2. IRIS On-Line Subscription Details 3. Silicon Graphics Inc. and Third Party Information 4. IRIS On-Line Disclaimer FEATURE STORIES ---------------------------------------- 1. Virtual Reality, The Ultimate Commentator's Tool Asked by the Americans to run the media center for the complete series of America's Cup races in 1995, Louis Vuitton is preparing to receive more than 2,000 accredited journalists in five press centers located in San Diego, Paris, Tokyo, Auckland and Sydney. Linked together in real time, they will provide the media with live access to words and pictures as the events unfurl out on the water. And with the help of a Franco-American team grouping together Trimble, Silicon Graphics, Philippe Gouard and Medialab, Louis Vuitton has launched an even more ambitious project: applying virtual reality to the America's Cup races. Using a complex system combining satellite-driven positioning, digital data and virtual images, it will be possible to follow the races live by watching virtual reality images in the press centers in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland, as well as in San Diego, even if some of the races themselves are not televised. Second-by-second updates for all races will be available the world over with continual results listings. The system also allows the tactical phases to be "replayed" by assigning each contestant an alternative choice of strategies and then exploring the consequences in a virtual version of the race. The procedure is basically quite simple: all the yachts in the race, together with the marker buoys, will be equipped with a differential global positioning system (GPS). Digital data will be transmitted to the shore in coded form to prevent piracy, decoded and input to Silicon Graphics computers. The whole of the race will then be virtually reconstructed in San Diego, Paris, Tokyo, Auckland and in real time. On screen, viewers will see a very detailed and realistic animated version of the race, allowing them to follow not just the real-time progress of each boat and the distance separating them from their competitors, but also the wind direction, distance from the finish line and so on. Shooting angles can be shifted and virtual cameras can film the scene from any viewpoint, either on board a yacht, from a helicopter or even on a virtual yacht located ahead of or astern of the race boat at any distance desired. The hardware is American, with race partner and computer manufacturer Silicon Graphics providing its world-leading workstation and graphics supercomputers, especially the firm's ONYX system, which allow real-time viewing of highly realistic sequences. Trimble will be supplying the yacht positioning systems and Lyon Lamb the video equipment. The French company Getris Images will be providing its image-dedicated computers. For more information, go to America's Cup URL: http://www.ac95.org/ - end - 2. High Techsplanations Brings High Expectations by Lance Simons With the world of Virtual Reality (VR) quickly enveloping our society, various companies are racing to be the first in their industry to offer this exciting, new technology. One company--High Techsplanations (HT) of Rockville, Maryland --has already done so by developing the medical industry's first look at Virtual Surgery. High Techsplanations, a Virtual Reality medical visualization company, was founded by Gregory Merril in 1987. When brother, Jonathan Merril--an MD from The George Washington University-- joined the company, HT added a whole new dimension to its already powerful graphics niche. Dr. Merril incorporated the company's slogan, "Learning through innovation and technology," with the idea that those in the medical profession could benefit tremendously from Virtual Surgery procedures. After developing an award winning Opthalmic Retrobulbar Injection Simulator (ORIS) on an Apple Macintosh R, the first step into VR was complete. Dr. Merril then realized he could take this idea to new levels with the graphics and resolution capabilities of Silicon Graphics, Inc. "Silicon Graphics is basically a dedicated graphical environment and as far as resolution and interactivity, we have found no platform that even compares," commented Martin McGurn, director of business development. Encouraged by an interest from Merck pharmaceuticals and SGI, High Techsplanations took Virtual Surgery a step further by creating URO Man--a 3D model of a human torso--which can be manipulated by using a SpaceballTM (a 3D trackball used in place of a mouse) from Spaceball Technologies R. This attraction single handedly stole the show at the American Urological Association Conference in 1993. Doctors reportedly waited in line for over an hour to get a first look at the this ground-breaking technology. With Virtual Surgery, medical students and experienced physicians will be able to learn the newest procedures in various kinds of laparoscopic as well as minimally invasive surgeries. Virtual Surgery would allow the same procedure to be practiced again and again, thus, giving doctors an opportunity to receive more training, while at the same time significantly reducing the need for lab animals and cadavers. Virtual Surgery also prepares physicians for various complications which can occur. Unlike current training methods, Virtual Surgery provides much more comprehensive training by allowing various complications, anatomic variations, and objective evaluation of performance to be incorporated into the simulation. Recent accomplishments by HT include work on a grant from the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) and a Cardiac Catheterization Simulation. The goal of the ARPA project is to develop virtual training systems for trauma management and to develop tools for telerobotic surgery. The Cardiac Catheterization simulation allows doctors to perform Virtual Angioplasty while using actual instruments as part of the simulation. Results of this development have been very promising for HT. Software for training in laparoscopic and catheter-based surgery--which will run on SGI machines--is in production and will be available in mid 1995. - end - SILICON GRAPHICS EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ---------------------------------------- 1. John Spavin Wins WebFORCE Webwax Contest Congratulations goes to John Spavin from New Zealand, who won a new WebFORCE system by sending in the following winning entry: "New Zealand's green paradise hosts many endangered species, from the ancient Tuatara lizard to the world's largest parrot. Silicon Graphics' technology would showcase them to all before it's too late." In addition to describing an application which will fully utilize the Web authoring and serving power of his new WebFORCE systems, John's entry is in keeping with the desire of Silicon Graphics to preserve our planet's environment. We would like to thank everyone who entered the contest. Your entries covered the entire spectrum from the sublime to the absurd. There were many good ideas and some recurring themes (educational collaboration, missing children resources, shared 3D environments, etc.) but uniquness was a factor in the judging. Some selected entries will be posted to Silicon Surf in the near future. - end - 2. Eurographics '95 And The Sixth Eurographics Workshop on Animation And Simulation Eurographics'95 is the annual international conference of the Eurographics Association and is organized by CWI. The conference aims to provide a global forum for the presentation and discussion of research results in the areas of computer graphics, multimedia and virtual reality. The conference will be held from August 30 - September 1 and will be preceded by two days of tutorials. Following the conference, the Eurographics Workshop on Animation and Simulation will be held from September 2-3 in Maastricht. The workshop is an international forum which gives researchers the opportunity to come together to exchange knowledge and experience related to the general themes of modeling, animation, motion control, simulation, and visualization of dynamic scenes. Non-presenters are welcome, but the workshop is limited to about 50 participants. Extended discussions will be planned after each session. Full versions of all papers will be published as a Eurographics Technical Report and distributed among the participants as workshop proceedings. Authors are invited to send four copies of an extended abstract (4-6 pages) to the workshop secretariat (see below for relevant deadlines). Abstracts submitted after the deadline will be considered, but will be given lower priority for inclusion in the programme. SCHEDULE: April 15 : deadline forextended abstract June 10 : notification of acceptance for the workshop July 1 : deadline for full papers September 2-3 : workshop Send Extended Abstracts to: Professor Demetri TERZOPOULOS, Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, 10 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A4 CANADA. Email: dt@cs.toronto.edu - end - 3. Simulation And Interaction In Virtual Environments Sponsored by ACM Siggraph, the Office of Naval Research, and The University of Iowa Center for Computer Aided Design The University of Iowa, July 13-15, 1995 Virtual worlds should be rich, dynamic environments populated with objects that exhibit realistic (or at least interesting) behaviors and that interact convincingly with each other and human participants. Remarkable progress in graphics technology has not been paralleled by developments in real-time simulation and interaction software necessary to support many VE applications. This workshop will be a technical forum examining the state of the art and open research problems in simulation, geometry, scenario, and other supporting software technologies for virtual environments. The two-and-a-half day workshop will include two keynote speeches, presentations by approximately sixteen of the invited participants, and panel-led discussions. Facilities for demonstrations will be available. Workshop proceedings will be distributed to all participants and also placed in a widely accessible ACM World Wide Web on-line proceedings repository. Topics of interest include: - Real-time interactive simulation - Control and behavior - Human-computer interface - Real-time issues - Interoperability - Database modeling Please submit 3-6 pages summarizing your relevant research or activities in the area. Include email and U.S. mail address, and telephone and fax numbers. Not all invited participants will have a formal opportunity to speak. However, the workshop will be organized to provide ample opportunities for discussion. We prefer electronic submission of either Postscript (preferred) or plain unformatted text to: cremer@cs.uiowa.edu If you prefer, you may send hard copy to: James Cremer, Computer Science Department, MacLean Hall, University of Iowa ,Iowa City, IA 52242, (telephone: 319-335-0736), (fax: 319-335-3624). IMPORTANT DATES: April 20, 1995 is the deadline for the submission of abstracts; You will be notified if you are accepted to the workshop on May 15. For more information, go to URL: http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~cremer/sive95.html - end - 4. Silicon Graphics Developer Forum '95 Silicon Graphics and the Silicon Graphics Developer Program will host Developer Forum '95 from May 16 - 18 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California. Forum '95 will focus on the theme "Inventing the Future." Master the new techniques and standards that change your market. Experiment with Silicon Graphics' new workstations, servers and software. Interact with the best minds in development. Provide feedback on the products you'll need tomorrow. Register by April 14, 1995 to take advantage of the early registration discount. For more information, call 800-685-2578 or 508-440-9700 or go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Support/DevProg/Forum/dev_forum.html If you are a commercial software developer and you would like information on how to join the Silicon Graphics Developer Program, send email to: devprogram@sgi.com or call (800) 770-3033 or (415) 390-3033. - end - 5. Web Authoring And Serving Seminar Silicon Graphics is offering a free seminar covering solutions for multimedia content creation and high bandwidth Web serving for companies looking to establish a presence on the World Wide Web. To register, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Misc/webtour-mail.html For a list of cities in North America that are included on the seminar tour, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Misc/webtour.html For information on the WebFORCE tour in France, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Products/WebFORCE/demo_france.html For the Australia and New Zealand WebFORCE Seminar Tour Schedule, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Misc/australia.html - end - IT'S HOT, IT'S COOL, AND IT'S FREE ---------------------------------------- 1. Geomview, Interactive View For 3-D Geometric Objects The Geometry Center announces the availability of release 1.5 of Geomview. Geomview is an interactive viewer for 3-D geometric objects. It allows users to view and manipulate these objects via the mouse, the keyboard, and through an interpreted command language. This release includes versions for SGI (using GL graphics), NeXTStep (requires NeXTStep version 3.0 or higher), and generic Xlib graphics. Precompiled binaries are available for SGI, NeXT (m68k/intel/hppa), Sun4, HP, Linux, IBM RS/6000 and DEC Alpha platforms. The source code is also available. These distributions are all in the pub/software/geomview directory for anonymous ftp from ftp.geom.umn.edu. For more details, and for a list of changes since previous releases of Geomview, see the README file in that same directory. Geomview is part of an effort at the Geometry Center to provide interactive 3D graphics which is well-suited for mathematics visualization. In addition, Geomview is extensible and can serve as a general-purpose tool. Its functionality can be extended in an almost unlimited fashion by external modules or programs. For more information, go to URL: http://www.geom.umn.edu/software/download/geomview.html - end - 2. Object-Oriented Graphics: GOOD 1.2 Version 1.2 of the project has been released. GOOD is a public domain software environment for interactive programming of 3D graphics, with special support to IRIS GL, OpenGL, VOGL, etc. GOOD is free and available with all sources. Everybody is invited to use, modify and extend GOOD. The aim of GOOD is to provide a public domain framework that should be helpful to others. FTP sites for GOOD include: metallica.prakinf.tu-ilmenau.de /pub/PROJECTS uceng.uc.edu /pub/wuarchive/graphics/graphics/mirrors/metallica.prakinf.tu-ilmenau.de wuarchive.wustl.edu /graphics/graphics/mirrors/metallica.prakinf.tu-ilmenau.de plaza.aarnet.edu.au /graphics/graphics/mirrors/metallica.prakinf.tu-ilmenau.de ftp.sunet.se /pub/multimedia/VR For more information, go to URL: http://metallica.prakinf.tu-ilmenau.de/GOOD.html - end - 3. Beta-Release Of ROSS Serial Section Reconstruction Software Announcing the limited release of the Ross (Reconstruction Of Serial Sections) software, produced by the NASA Ames Biocomputation Center. ROSS is in beta-release to selected sites. ROSS (Reconstruction Of Serial Sections) is a software package for performing 3D serial-section reconstruction and visualization. Typically, it is used for reconstructing biological tissue that has been sectioned either physically (as in light or electron microscopy) or optically (as in confocal microscopy or MR and CT imaging). The ROSS package runs on any Silicon Graphics workstation, from the low-end Indy to the high-end Onyx RE2 (and any Indigo, Indigo2, Crimson, etc in between) under Irix 5.3. It requires 24-bit graphics with Z-buffer (XL, XS24Z, XZ, Elan, Extreme, VGX, VGXT, or RE graphics models) and requires a reasonably configured system (memory and disk) to support the kind of reconstruction that you'll be performing (image data can soak up memory and disk space very quickly). For details on the hardware in use at the NASA Ames Biocomputation Center, go to URL: http://biocomp.arc.nasa.gov/hardware.html There are no costs associated with ROSS. A limited number of users are being accepted into the beta-release program. These beta users will receive an executable copy of the ROSS reconstruction and visualization software, compiled and ready to install and run on Irix 5.3. Source code will not be provided. If you want to participate in the beta-release program, please fill out the form, located at URL: http://biocomp.arc.nasa.gov/how_to_use_center.html Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the resources required and whether the group can be supported at the level required. You will receive an email reply within two weeks of the request. If accepted, you will receive a packet of information, including a Space Act Agreement, which outlines the details of the collaboration. For more information on 3D reconstruction in general, go to URL: http://biocomp.arc.nasa.gov/3dreconstruction/ - end - 4. **Hot! Permanent License Available For Users Of "Desks Overview"** You will be please to know that the "Desks Overview" dispute has been successfully resolved. All users of this feature will be provided with a free permanent license. The licensing code will be removed from future releases of the desktop software. The permanent license should be installed on systems running IRIX 5.3, 6.0 or 6.0.1. How To Get The Desks Overview License: Newsgroups: A message containing the license and installation instructions was posted on March 8 to: comp.sys.sgi.admin and comp.sys.sgi.announce Email: To receive instructions via email, send a message to deskinfo@sgi.com (no subject or message body necessary). Email received at this address will automatically be replied to with a message containing the license and installation instructions. Fax: To receive instructions via fax, send a fax to 415-390-6323. This will result in an attempt to automatically send a fax containing the license and installation instructions to the originating fax machine. Important: The machine sending the fax normally includes it's fax number as part of the handshake to set up the fax connection. If your system does not include this number, we will not be able to send you the reply fax. Silicon Surf: You can get the license and installation instructions on Silicon Surf at URL: http://www.sgi.com/Misc/license.html. - end - 5. Silicon Graphics Questions And Answers From Usenet Newsgroups These questions are culled from USENET's comp.sys.sgi newsgroups: Q: Can I put a single large picture in the 'clogin' display? A: Not in IRIX 5.0-5.2 or 6.x. The feature is back in IRIX 5.3. Q: How big can IRIX files and filesystems be? A: A file on an EFS filesystem can only be 2 GB in size. The filesystem can be no more than 8 GB in size, whether or not it is on a logical volume. A physical or logical volume can be larger than 8GB, but not usefully so: mkfs still can't make a filesy stem larger than 8G on it. A file on SGI's new XFS filesystem can be 9 exabytes (9 gigagigabytes) in size, and the filesystem itself can be 18 million terabytes in size. Q: Does Inventor work with the GNU C++ compiler? A: No, Inventor requires SGI's C++ compiler. The GNU C++ compiler and SGI's C++ compiler produce incompatible code, and Silicon Graphics does not ship an Inventor library compatible with GNU C++. Q: Can I run Windows NT on my Indigo or Indy? A: No. SGI can, but only on Indigos with special hardware and software modifications and only for demos and porting. There are no known plans to provide NT on SGI workstations. Also, note that most comp.sys.sgi.* readers will answer this question "Why would you want to?". Q: How can I start and stop the graphics system? A: Use /usr/gfx/startgfx and /usr/gfx/stopgfx. Be aware that stopgfx will kill any active windows and log you out. Q: How can I kill the X server without logging in or rebooting? A: Hold down the left-Control, left-Shift, F12 and keypad slash keys. This is fondly known as the "Vulcan Death Grip". - end - HOT OFF THE PRESS ---------------------------------------- 1. Silicon Graphics And Template Software Bring 3D Graphics To The World Wide Web (PR1) New WebSpace Viewer to be Ported to All Major Platforms Silicon Graphics has teamed with Template Graphics Software, Inc. to develop and distribute WebSpace, the first commercially-available three-dimensional viewer for the World Wide Web. The two companies will make WebSpace available for all major UNIX platforms, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, and Power Macintosh systems. The viewer will work in concert with popular Web browsers including those from Netscape Communications Corporation and Spyglass. With the WebSpace viewer, users can: fly through 3D worlds, exploring event venues, cities, libraries, museums, tourist resorts and imaginary places; inspect 3D models of products in on-line catalogs; and visualize information such as stock market trends in 3D. The WebSpace viewer supports Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), an open, platform-independent file format for 3D graphics on the internet. Silicon Graphics' Open Inventor, a widely accepted, object-oriented 3D graphics toolkit, provides the framework for VRML. Similar in concept to the core Web text standard HyperText Markup Language (HTML), VRML encodes computer-generated graphics into a compact format for transportation over the network. As with HTML, a user can view the contents of a file--in this case an interactive 3D graphics file--as well as navigate to other VRML "worlds" or HTML pages. In addition, VRML is infinitely scaleable so that as users navigate through virtual worlds and approach objects, greater levels of detail emerge. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Products/WebFORCE/WebSpace OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR1" in the body of the message. - end - 2. Silicon Graphics Bundles Adobe's Illustrator and Photoshop with WebFORCE Workstations (PR2) Silicon Graphics announced a software bundle that adds Adobe Photoshop(tm) and Adobe Illustrator(tm) software to Silicon Graphics'(r) WebFORCE(tm), Indy,(tm) and Indigo2(tm) authoring workstations. With the addition of Adobe software to the WebFORCE product offering, Silicon Graphics' World Wide Web authoring solutions, the company has created a tool suite that empowers Web designers to maximize their content options. Separately, Adobe Systems Incorporated announced that it will be working with Silicon Graphics to bring the Acrobat(tm) technology to the Silicon Graphics platform. The WebFORCE line of workstations and servers allows businesses and individuals to build a compelling presence on the World Wide Web in a WYSIWYG environment, improving information access within a company's enterprise. WebFORCE workstations are currently bundled with a robust set of tools for creating Web content incorporating text, audio, imaging, illustration, MPEG-I and QuickTime(tm)/CinePak compression and support for numerous file formats at no additional cost. With the newly bundled Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop products, users receive an additional $2,890 of software to complement the existing suite of digital media tools which come standard with all WebFORCE products. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/adobe.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR2" in the body of the message. - end - 3. Silicon Graphics Signs Cole & Weber As New Advertising Agency (PR3) Silicon Graphics has named Cole & Weber as its advertising agency of record. After conducting an extensive advertising agency review, the company selected Cole & Weber for its ability to be a strategic marketing partner, provide outstanding creative innovation, and successfully integrate corporate and product communications. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/cole-weber.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR3" in the body of the message. - end - 4. Silicon Graphics and Internezzo To Bring Inperson Desktop Conferencing To Other UNIX Platforms (PR4) Silicon Graphics and Internezzo Technologies Inc. announced Internezzo will provide interoperability between InPerson (tm), Silicon Graphics' breakthrough desktop conferencing package, and other UNIX(r) platforms. InPerson, a component of Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment, supports interactive communications by providing video and audio conferencing, file sharing and a shared whiteboard. InPerson interoperable solutions give UNIX and PC users the ability to leverage their investments in networked workstations to share text, graphics and data files as easily as they share ideas. "Having InPerson available as a cross-platform solution will allow all our departments to use its invaluable videoconferencing and whiteboard tools," said Derek Gallar, mechanical engineer and system administrator for Varian Oncology, a division of Varian Associates, in Palo Alto, California. "InPerson is the best way to get people together to look at a model and annotate it. Its shared whiteboard tracks annotations with its built-in feature for saving meeting minutes. You can't do that with a fax, or phone, or any other collaborative technologies." For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/sgi-internezzo.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR4" in the body of the message. - end - 5. Silicon Graphics Introduces New Dimension In Collaborative Computing (PR5) At Uniforum '95, Silicon Graphics unveiled their collaborative environment which combines powerful collaboration tools, third party applications and Silicon Graphics' visual computing systems. The Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment builds upon Silicon Graphics' heritage in advanced digital media technologies and 3D graphics to offer customers the most advanced tools for effective collaboration across organizational, geographic and time zone boundaries. Also announced at the conference was InPerson(tm) 2.0, Silicon Graphics' robust desktop videoconferencing technology, which now includes 3D graphics capability on the whiteboard, support for H.261, an industry standard for video compression and an optional audio board for the Silicon Graphics' Indy desktop system, to optimize conference quality and network bandwidth. Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment is a comprehensive solution set that removes the communication obstacles of global collaboration by offering a variety of visual tools to create, capture, present and communicate information in the most effective way possible. To address the many challenges associated with company-wide collaborative efforts, the Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment incorporates powerful tools for creation, presentation, store and forward and real-time desktop videoconferencing communication. Together with Silicon Graphics' integrated digital media hardware, this environment is a turnkey solution for collaboration. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/inperson2.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR5" in the body of the message. - end - 6. Silicon Graphics Awarded "Hot Irons" (PR6) AIM Technology Names Silicon Graphics Systems Best Price Performance Choice in the Under $25,000 and Over $25,000 Price Categories Silicon Graphics won two 1995 Hot Iron Awards for best workstation price performance in both price categories: systems under $25,000 and systems over $25,000. AIM Technology, the leading independent testing service for UNIX(r) systems, recognized Silicon Graphics' Indy(tm) and Indigo2(tm) workstations as Hot Iron winners at the UniForum '95 conference. "The AIM benchmark tests nearly every part of the system: CPU, I/O, memory, disk drives, the operating system and compilers," said David Bagshaw, vice president of marketing for Silicon Graphics. "Because AIM comes closest to gauging true overall system performance, we're excited to be a top AIM performer." For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/hot-irons.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR6" in the body of the message. - end - 7. University of Delaware Selects Power Challenge To Provide Researchers With New-Generation Supercomputing Resource (PR7) Silicon Graphics announced that the University of Delawarehas acquired an eight-processor POWER CHALLENGE(tm) supercomputing system to advance high-level research across a range of scientific and engineering disciplines. The university's POWER CHALLENGE system will have a peak performance rating of 2.4 billion floating point operations per second (GFLOPS) and will offer 2 gigabytes of memory. The University of Delaware will use the POWER CHALLENGE supercomputing system to advance research and teaching in a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. The supercomputer will be employed in such areas as molecular modeling, ocean simulations, computational fluid dynamics, air pollution modeling, computational mechanics, atomic and molecular physics theory, theoretical astrophysics/astronomy and computer algebra research. The system also will be used for instructional purposes, including the teaching of courses in high-performance and parallel computing. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/delaware.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR7" in the body of the message. 8. Silicon Graphics Simplifies Interface Development For C++ Applications With New RapidApp (PR8) Silicon Graphics has announced RapidApp(tm), a breakthrough interactive tool for the fastest creation of application interfaces. Tightly integrated with the existing Silicon Graphics' Developer Magic(tm) software environment, RapidApp enables developers to produce media-rich, object-oriented applications quickly and easily, using drag and drop techniques to generate C++ code. RapidApp is not only ideally suited for the current generation of applications, but provides access to components of the emerging class of applications that make use of compelling audio, video and 3D graphics. "There is no substitute for RapidApp for organizations and engineers who want to remain at the fore-front of UI-development technology and also are interested in doing sophisticated 3D-graphics and simulation work using OpenGL(r) and Open Inventor(tm) like platforms," said R.D. Singh, Project Engineer for the Commercial Visual Systems Division at Lockheed-Martin Corporation. RapidApp provides a combination of interface elements that are based on IRIS ViewKit(tm) classes and supports an object-oriented architecture. Using techniques similar to those supported by drawing editors such as Silicon Graphics' Showcase(tm) users can create, select, position and manipulate interface elements easily. RapidApp will be available in March as an enhancement to Silicon Graphics' MegaDev product bundle which currently includes components such as Fix & Continue, for incremental application changes and an X/Motif Analyzer for debugging X11 events. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/rapid.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR8" in the body of the message. - end - 9. Silicon Graphics To Add CATIA Software To Its Siliconworks Solution Set (PR9) Silicon Graphics announced it will add IBM's CATIA(r) software family to its SiliconWorks(tm) integrated solution set for visual product design and manufacturing. The high-end graphics, texturing and visualization characteristics of the SiliconWorks solution set have allowed Silicon Graphics to redefine the workplace in the aerospace and automotive industries. SiliconWorks combines powerful third-party applications with Silicon Graphics' visual computing systems and advanced software tools in a single, integrated, collaborative environment to offer manufacturing companies data that is easier to access, change, comprehend and share. The combination of the CATIA software family and Silicon Graphics' line of binary compatible systems opens an entirely new dimension of collaboration to manufacturers, enabling their suppliers, their contractors and their global offices to streamline the entire course of product development, from concept through digital prototyping and product analysis. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/sgi-catia.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR9" in the body of the message. - end - 10. Silicon Graphics, NCSA and EVL To Create Supercomputing Environment Of The Future (PR10) Silicon Graphics announced that it will collaborate with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago in a project that combines high-performance computing, a high-speed interactive digital network and industry-leading visualization technologies to solve some of the world's most demanding research problems. This pioneering collaboration delivers on a vision calling for a worldwide model for next-generation supercomputing environment. The integrated environment created through this collaboration will provide the NCSA and its industrial partners with access to the shared-memory, parallel-processing technology that offers the most economical path toward realizing an important NCSA goal - achieving a teraflop in sustained computational performance by the end of the decade. As part of this project, Silicon Graphics will install at NCSA a 32-processor POWER CHALLENGEarray(tm) supercomputer, a distributed parallel processing system that can be expanded to include up to 144 64-bit MIPS(r) R8000(tm) RISC microprocessors. Silicon Graphics will also install four POWER Onyx(tm) graphics supercomputers as part of the project, two at EVL and two at NCSA. These innovative collaborative facilities will be linked to the POWER CHALLENGEarray supercomputers, CAVE virtual reality environments, and classrooms throughout the NCSA and EVL. This NCSA/EVL facility will be a major testbed for national-scale deployment, using the December, 1995, I-WAY event at the Supercomputing '95 conference to demonstrate collaborative work teams at a variety of sites. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/sgi-ncsa-evl.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR10" in the body of the message. - end - 11. Steven Spielberg's Survivors Of The Shoah Project Receives $1.3 Million Donation From Silicon Graphics (PR11) Steven Spielberg announced that the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation has received a $1.3 million donation of computer technology and engineering support from Silicon Graphics. The joint announcement was made today by Steven Spielberg, chairman of the Foundation and Edward R. McCracken, chairman and CEO of Silicon Graphics. The Foundation will videotape as many Holocaust survivor testimonies as possible throughout the world to become the most comprehensive testimony archive ever assembled. Silicon Graphics' gift of a Challenge(tm) XL media server, four Indigo2tm) Extreme workstations, and related equipment and support enables the Foundation to archive digitally and make accessible the tens of thousands of hours of testimony that are currently being collected. The system makes possible true "video-on-demand," or instantaneous viewing of any given moment from any testimony in the massive archive, searchable by key words, phrases and names. This Silicon Graphics Challenge XL system is similar to those servers used in several interactive television trials, including the Time Warner Full Service Network and NTT's Joint Utilization Test of Multimedia Communication in Japan. For more information, go to URL: http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/Mar/shoah_foundation.html OR send mail to info-server@sgi.com with "IOL 4/95 PR11" in the body of the message. - end - What's New From Third Parties ---------------------------------------- PLEASE NOTE: Articles appearing in What's New From Third Parties are written by our partners. Any questions you might have about the content of these articles should be directed to the article's author. Contact information is included at the end of each article. 1. Wavefront Launches Studio 21 Animation Packages For 2D And 3D Graphics Professionals Wavefront Technologies, Inc. has announced Studio 21, three new market-focused software series that deliver vital components of the 21st Century digital studio to today's computer graphics professionals. Studio 21 combines Wavefront's most popular software modules into complete, competitively priced packages that satisfy the specific needs of graphics professionals in the entertainment, interactive, and engineering markets: Media Studio for film, video, broadcast, and entertainment; Interactive Studio for electronic games and location-based entertainment; and Visual Studio for architecture and engineering visualization. The Studio 21 Series consists of: Media Studio - a series of four packages for film, video, broadcast, and entertainment: Media Express, Media Pro, Media Expert, and Media Master Interactive Studio - a series of two packages optimized for electronic games and content-based entertainment: GameWare and Activation Visual Studio- a series of two packages designed for architectural and engineering visualization: ArcVision and DesignVision Studio 21 is based on Wavefront's highly-regarded modeling, animation, rendering, and composition technology, recognized for providing animators with the creative control required to produce the highest quality images. For more information, call Wavefront Technologies at 805-962-8117. - end - 2. Wavefront And Silicon Graphics Collaborate To Advance Graphics Leadership In Asia Pacific China-Based Zhuda Computer Animation Seals Purchase of High-End 3D Software and Workstations Wavefront Technologies, Inc. has announced that Zhuda Computer Animation Company (Beijing, China), a rising computer animation production facility founded in 1994, has selected Wavefront to supply over 20 packages of its leading 3D imaging and animation software for professional graphics creation. Silicon Graphics is actively working with Wavefront on the project to enhance Zhuda's existing suite of over 40 Silicon Graphics workstations. Wavefront software will be used for advanced image production, animated cartoons, and video production. With its new software and workstation equipment, Zhuda plans to leverage its technological leadership and animation talent to solidify its position as the leading producer of innovative video, image, and graphics techniques in China, as well as meet the complex needs of entertainment and video production professionals worldwide. In addition, Zhuda has taken a leadership role in introducing Silicon Graphics workstations to the Chinese computer animation production market with its adoption of four Onyx real-time simulation systems and 40 Indigo2 workstations equipped with high-resolution scanners and complete audio and video production suites. Another Wavefront and Silicon Graphics customer, PIXIBOX of Paris, France, has also recently invested in developing the first computer animation studio in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, based on 32 Silicon Graphics workstations running Wavefront and PIXIBOX PEGS (PIXISCAN 2D) software. "PIXIBOX has chosen Wavefront because of the company's unique capability of integrating 2D and 3D computer animation, as well as its leadership position in the industry," stated Jacques Peyrache, president and CEO of PIXIBOX. PIXIBOX, which has a staff of approximately 200 animators, will produce a new television series entitled "The Prince of Atlantis" exclusively in the new facility in Vietnam. For more information, contact Tom Reyburn at Wavefront Technologies at tomr@wti.com or call 805-962-8117. - end - 3. Animator Broadcast Release 3.0 To Be Introduced At NAB '95 Release 2.6 of Animator Broadcast from Vision Images, Denmark, is now shipping. AB is a horizontal application that combines elements like paint, image processing, image and animation compositing, warping and morphing, titling, object oriented animation and image/video import and export in one single integrated software package. Animator Broadcast Release 3 (AB3) will be introduced to the market at the NAB '95 in Las Vegas this April. Shipping will start shortly afterwards. The main new feature of AB3 is AB-EDIT which is replacing the compositing and effects module DAVE. AB-EDIT is a dedicated non-linear editing system with compositing, effects and full audio support. The key features of AB-EDIT are: - unlimited layers/clips - realtime preview of result - 15 compositing methods including animatable spline controlled chroma keying - as many audio tracks as layers supported - audio follows video, audio cuts, fades, and effects - separate mask / Alpha channel tracks possible - visible timecode - editing directly from disk, DDR, SGI movie or Cosmo movie in a single pass - controllable visual timeline with zoom in/out - freely controllable layer/clip relationship with drag&drop - many spline controllable video dissolves and effects - multi-stage pipeline for advanced keying operations - more than 40 video effects - full Cosmo Compress board support For more information, contact Vision Images via phone at +45 75453188, fax: +45 75453186 or email: visivitl@inet.uni-c.dk - end - 4. NAG Announces IRIS Explorer Release 3: Visualization And Application Builder Software IRIS Explorer (tm) release 3 scientific visualization and application builder software will be launched by the Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG) on March 31, 1995 for Silicon Graphics workstations. Release 3 is the result of joint development between software engineers at NAG and Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). NAG is now handling developing, porting, marketing, selling and supporting IRIS Explorer for all future releases as it is separated from the next version of SGI's IRIX operating system. Ports of release 3 to other platforms will soon follow, including Sun, IBM RS/6000, HP 9000/700, DEC Alpha OSF/1, SGI 64-bit and Cray. IRIS Explorer release 3 features many performance improvements and system enhancements, as well as an increased module library. System enhancements include the passing of geometry via shared memory and an improved scripts interface. Additionally, scripting has improved synchronicity, providing more reproducible results. Synchronization ports on all modules provide better control over loops. A new visual "drag & drop" interface has been added, as have new widgets for module control panels. Editable groups are also available. Documentation has been completely revised and updated, and both hard copy and on-line versions are available. IRIS Explorer release 3 is based on Open Inventor and OpenFL, and users on non-SGI platforms will also benefit from the additional modules and enhancements introduced in release 2.2 of the product. "We have worked closely with SGI to market a product which will extend the functional benefits of IRIS Explorer for users in all areas of scientific visualization. IRIS Explorer is arguably the best system of its kind on the market today. We are particularly pleased with the system enhancements and module library extensions, especially in the area of vector data manipulation and readers for standard data file formats," said Robers Iles, NAG manager of the Software Environments Division. "Shared memory performance improvements and the incorporation of NAG's expertise in graphical, numerical and statistical library routines, which have been included at this release, redefine IRIS Explorer's technical edge and translate into benefits for our customers." New modules in release 3 include: NAG-based modules which use the well-known NAG numerical libraries and the NAG Graphics Library; modules for displaying vector data using particle avection, streaklining and vector display; new data analyzers for interpolation through 2D and 3D data and outlining regions of interest in datasets; modules for creating and manipulating geometry; new annotation modules; new data readers (including PHOENICS and NTF data); new colormap manipulators; and many others. In addition, release 3 includes the source to other modules, interesting datasets and new example maps. NAG has over 20 years experience in developing, porting, distributing and supporting scientific software. NAG is a not-for-profit organization which supplies software libraries, compilers, tools and associated products for the professional programmer and for educational, government and commercial use. NAG Ltd. is headquartered in Oxford, UK with subsidiary companies outside Chicago, Munich and Tokyo, as well as distributors worldwide. For more information, go to URL: http://www.nag.co.uk/0h/contact.html or send an e-mail to: infodesk@nag.co.uk - end - WEBWATCH 1. "i on Visual Computing" Debuts on Silicon Surf Meet i on Visual Computing, a spanking new ezine by Silicon Graphics. i on Visual Computing is the virtual child of a long-standing Silicon Graphics magazine, the glossy IRIS UNIVERSE. Visual computing is sweeping the world at warp speed, changing the way we live and work. i is the online magazine about technologies and people making history in this visual revolution. The premiere issue is focused on technology for entertainment. Read how Silicon Graphics is ushering in a new era for broadcast, film, and video professionals. Step onto a virtual set, a new environment where broadcasters interact with computer images. Learn how bi-coastal teams are making strides using high-speed networks. Hear how cyberstars Herbie Hancock and Graham Nash are transforming their musical performances with computer graphics. Read about VRML, the computer language that promises to take the flatness out of Webland. And don't miss the latest about a breath of fresh air--public broadcasting online. Enjoy your journey through the clickable narratives and don't be a stranger. Make a permanent bookmark, and keep your eye on i! You'll find "i on Visual Computing" at URL: http://www.sgi.com/ion/index.html - end - 2. Silicon Graphics Helps Forrest Gump Take The Gold The 67th Annual Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was held at the end of March. Silicon Graphics equipment was used in all three films nominated for "Best Achievement in Visual Effects." Congratulations goes to Ken Ralston, George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum and Allen Hall for winning the Oscar in the "Best Achievement in Visual Effects" category for Forrest Gump. Other nominees in this category included: - THE MASK (New Line Cinema): Scott Squires, Steve Williams, Tom Bertino and Jon Farhat - TRUE LIES (20th Century Fox): John Bruno, Thomas L. Fisher, Jacques Stroweis and Patrick McClung For more information on the Academy Awards, go to URL: http://visualize.pacopost.com" Moviewatch: Also keep your eye out for "Congo", a new movie that will premier in the U.S. in June. Silicon Graphics has placed almost $2.5 million worth of computer equipment on the set of the upcoming blockbuster movie based on Michael Crichton's book "Congo". The movie stars Dylan Walsh, Laura Linney, Joe Don Baker, Tim Curry and the Indy Presenter. The Kathy Kennedy/Frank Marshall production was shot at the Sony lot in Culver City and on location in Costa Rica. - end - 3. Spartan: Computational Chemistry Software Firm Has Web Page If you're interested in computational chemistry software, check out Spartan's home page. Spartan is a computational chemistry software package designed to be an easy to use, yet extensive modelling program, ideal for the bench and theoretical chemist alike. Spartan incorporates a full featured, easy to use graphical user interface. This interface eliminates tedious tasks that must be performed to set up calculations, and provides powerful visualization tools for post-processing data resulting from calculations. For more information, go to URL: http://wavefun.com/ - end - 4. NCSA's Multimedia Exhibits NCSA's Digital Information System features a collection of information and images produced at, or in connection with, NCSA. For an example from a series in Spherical Harmonics created by Barbara Mihalas, go to URL: http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SCMS/DigLib/text/mathphysical/ Spherical-Harmonics-Mihalas.html - end - ODDS & ENDS 1. How To Use The Mail Server We have added a new feature to our mail server - now you can easily access all of our back issues of IRIS On-Line! The mail server includes all issues from July 1993 to the most current issue. To receive a particular back issue, send a message to our mail server (info-server@sgi.com). IMPORTANT NOTE: The last line in the body of your request message should have the single word "end" (or END) by itself. This is to prevent the contents of your .signature file as commands. Requests for back issues should appear in the BODY of the email message using the following format: iol 00/year month EXAMPLE: iol 00/94 july => retrieves the July '94 issue IOL 00/94 JULY => Same as above, the system is NOT case sensitive iol 00/94 ALL => Retrieves all of the issues from 1994 To receive the full text of an article from the current issue, send a message to our mail server (info-server@sgi.com). Requests for specific articles should appear in the BODY of the email messages using the following format (optional items are in [square brackets]): iol [date] ([all] or [article key, article key ...]) iol => Iris On-Line date => xx/yy ( xx -> month, yy -> year) all => all will send you all articles that have an expanded version in the current issue article key => appears in parenthesis as part of the title of each article that has an expanded version in IRIS OnLine e.g. NEW APPLICATIONS ON THE SILICON GRAPHICS PLATFORM (EA4) Requests are NOT case sensitive. IOL is the same as iol is the same as ioL. Requests can run over multiple lines. EXAMPLE: 4/95 => Retrieves all expanded information for the April '95 issue iol 4/95 PR1 => Retrieves the first press release from the HOT OFF THE PRESS section in the April '95 (this) issue IOl 4/95 pr1 => Same as above, the system is NOT case sensitive 2. IRIS On-Line Subscription Details WORLD WIDE WEB: If you have access to the World Wide Web, you can use our online subscription form at http://www.sgi.com/Technology/Publications/iris_on_line_sub.html E-MAIL: You can also subscribe via e-mail. Send all e-mail subscription requests to: list-manager@sgi.com To subscribe to the HTML version send the following command in the BODY of the message: subscribe iris-on-line-html To subscribe to the TEXT version send the following command in the BODY of the message: subscribe iris-on-line If you wish to receive IRIS On-Line at an address other than that from which you are sending your request, send email to iris-on-line-editor@sgi.com. Include your email address in the message. If you'd like to change your subscription from text to HTML format, send a message to list-manager@sgi.com and in the BODY of the message type: unsubscribe iris-on-line subscribe iris-on-line-html If you want to switch from HTML to TEXT, just reverse the order: unsubscribe iris-on-line-html subscribe iris-on-line - end - 3. Silicon Graphics Inc. and Third Party Information Silicon Graphics, IRIS, OpenGL and the Silicon Graphics logo are registered trademarks and Developer Magic, Indy, Indigo2, InPerson, IRIS Annotator, IRIS Explorer, IRIS ViewKit, Open Inventor, POWER CHALLENGE, POWER CHALLENGEarray, POWER Onyx, RapidApp, Showcase, SiliconWorks, WebFORCE and WebMagic are trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Adobe, Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated or its subsidiaries and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Builder Xcessory is a trademark of Integrated Computer Solutions. CATIA is a registered trademark of Dassault Systemes. Internezzo is a trademark of Internezzo Technologies, Inc. Macintosh is a registered trademark, and QuickTime is a trademark, of Apple Computer, Inc. Microsoft Windows, Windows and NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. MIPS is a registered trademark, and R4400, R8000 are trademarks of MIPS Technologies, Inc. Netscape Communications is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation. R4600 is a trademark of Integrated Devices Technology, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of X/Open Company, Ltd. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. - end - 4. IRIS On-Line Disclaimer All products, services, and other statements regarding Silicon Graphics or third parties are subject to local availability and policies. Please contact your local Silicon Graphics or third party sales representative for information and details in your location. IRIS On-Line is published as an information service to users of Silicon Graphics Computer Systems. Descriptions of, or references to, products or publications within this publication do not imply endorsement of that product or publication by Silicon Graphics. Silicon Graphics makes no warranty of any kind with respect to the subject matter included herein, the products listed herein, or the completeness or accuracy of this catalog. Silicon Graphics specifically disclaims all warranties, express, implied or otherwise, including without limitation, all warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. --PART-BOUNDARY=.19504071800.ZM1853.sylvan.csd.sgi.com Encoding: 1587 X-Zm-quoted-printable X-Zm-Content-Name: APRIL_IRISONLINE Content-Description: Hypertext Content-Type: text/html ; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Zm-Decoding-Hint: mimencode -q -u IRIS On-Line 3D"SGI




Volume 3, Issue 4, April 1995

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome to the HTML Version of IRIS On-Line

  1. Instructions For Reading The HTML Version of IRIS On-L= ine

Feature Stories

  1. Virtual Reality, The Ultimate Commentator's Tool
  2. High Techsplanations Brings High Expectations =

Silicon Graphics Events and Announcements

  1. John Spavin Wins WebFORCE Webwax Contest
  2. Sixth Eurographics Workshop On Animation and Simulati= on
  3. First Workshop On Simulation and Interaction In Virtu= al Environments
  4. Developer Forum '95
  5. Web Authoring and Serving Seminar

It's Hot, It's Cool, and It's Free

  1. Geomview, Interactive View For 3-D Geometric Objects<= /a>
  2. Object-Oriented Graphics: GOOD 1.2
  3. Beta-Release Of ROSS Serial Section Reconstruction S= oftware
  4. **Hot! Permanent License Available For Users Of "= Desks Overview"**
  5. Silicon Graphics Questions and Answers

Hot Off The Press

  1. Silicon Graphics And Template Software Bring 3D Grap= hics To The World Wide Web
  2. Silicon Graphics Bundles Adobe's Illustrator And Pho= toshop With Webforce Workstations
  3. Silicon Graphics Signs Cole & Weber As New Advertisi= ng Agency
  4. Silicon Graphics And Internezzo To Bring Inperson De= sktop Conferencing To Other UNIX Platforms
  5. Silicon Graphics Introduces New Dimension In Collabo= rative Computing
  6. Silicon Graphics Awarded "Hot Irons"
  7. University Of Delaware Selects Power Challenge To Pr= ovide Researchers With New-Generation Supercomputing Resource
  8. Silicon Graphics Simplifies Interface Development Fo= r C++ Applications With New RapidApp
  9. Silicon Graphics To Add Catia Software To Its Silico= nworks Solution Set
  10. Silicon Graphics, NCSA and EVL To Create Supercomput= ing Environment Of The Future
  11. Steven Spielberg's Survivors Of The Shoah Project Re= ceives $1.3 Million Donation From Silicon Graphics

What's New From Third Parties

  1. Wavefront Launches Studio 21 Animation Packages For = 2D And 3D Graphics Professionals
  2. Wavefront And Silicon Graphics Collaborate To Advanc= e Graphics Leadership In Asia Pacific
  3. Animator Broadcast Release 3.0 To Be Introduced At N= AB '95
  4. NAG Announces IRIS Explorer Release 3: Visualization= And Application Builder Software

WebWatch

  1. "i On Visual Computing" Debuts on Silicon Surf
  2. Silicon Graphics Helps Forrest Gump Take The Gold
  3. Spartan: Computational Chemistry Software Firm Has W= eb Page
  4. NCSA Multimedia Exhibits

Odds & ends

  1. IRIS On-Line Subscription Details
  2. Silicon Graphics Inc. and Third Party Information
  3. IRIS On-Line Disclaimer

Welcome to the HTML Version of IRIS On-Line

Instructions For Reading The HTML Version of IRIS On-Line

Welcome to the premier edition of IRIS On-Line in an HTML format! We sent= you this preview issue as an attachment to your regular IRIS On-Line text e-mail, = in the hopes that you'll become a regular subscriber. If you'd like to receive the HTM= L version of IRIS On-Line every month, send an email to list-manager@sgi.com and in the BODY of the message, type:

subscribe iris-on-line-html

In order to read the HTML version of IRIS On-Line, you must have the foll= owing:

  • a Silicon Graphics workstation
  • IRIX release 5.3
  • MediaMail e-mail software (based on Z-mail) =
  • Netscape (World Wide Web browser)
  • a direct connection to the Internet such as PPP or SLIP

If you have all of the above, all you'll need to do is make = a minor modification to your attach.types file. Simply follow the instruc= tions below before reading the attachment. (Note: If you have installed Web= Magic Author 1.0, you won't need to make the following changes.) =

1. Log in to your system as root.

2. Open the attach.types file in /usr/lib/Zmail.

3. "Copy and paste" the following paragraph to the bottom of your attach.= types file:

--start copying on the next line--

# MIME types for HTML and WebFORCE/WebJumper applications 

TYPE        text/html        "netscape '%s' &" \
   			     None  "Hypertext"
TYPE	    text/webjumper   "netscape `tail -1 '%s'` & \
		   	     None  "WebJumpsite"


ENCODE    text/html          None
ENCODE    text/webjumper     None


MIME2IRIX text/html          HTMLDocument
MIME2IRIX text/webjumper     WebJumpsite


IRIX2MIME HTMLDocument	     text/html
IRIX2MIME WebJumpsite	     text/webjumper

--stop copying on the previous line--

4. Save the /usr/lib/Zmail/attach.types file.

5. Restart MediaMail.

6. Double click on the attached IRIS On-Line document, and Netscape will automatically launch it for you.

If you read IRIS On-Line on a PC or Macintosh computer, and you know how = to = configure your e-mail reader to automatically open Netscape whenever you receive HTML attachments, send us your solution! We'll publish your solution in the next issue of IRIS On-Line.

Questions, comments or problems? Send e-mail to iris-on-line-editor@sgi.c= om

FEATURE STORIES



Virtual Reality, The Ultimate Commentator's Tool

Asked by the Americans to run the media center for the complete series of America's Cup races in 1995, Louis Vuitton is preparing to receive more than 2,000 accredited journalists in five press centers located in San Diego, Paris, Tokyo, Auckland and Sydney. Linked together in real time, they will provide the media with live access to words and pictures as the events unfurl out on the water. And with the help of a Franco-American team grouping together Trimble, = Silicon Graphics, Philippe Gouard and= Medialab, Louis Vuitton has launched an even more ambitious project: applying virtual reality to the America's Cup races.

Using a complex system combining satellite-driven positioning, digital data and virtual images, it will be possible to follow the races live by watching virtual reality images in the press centers in Paris, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland, as well as in San Diego, even if some of the races themselves are not televised.

Second-by-second updates for all races will be available the world over w= ith = continual results listings. The system also allows the tactical phases to= be = "replayed" by assigning each contestant an alternative choice of strategi= es = and then exploring the consequences in a virtual version of the race.

The procedure is basically quite simple: all the yachts in the race, together with the marker buoys, will be equipped with a differential global positioning system (GPS). Digital data will be transmitted to the shore in coded form to prevent piracy, decoded and input to Silicon Graphics computers. The whole of the race will then be virtually reconstructed in San Diego, Paris, Tokyo, Auckland and in real time.

On screen, viewers will see a very detailed and realistic animated version of the race, allowing them to follow not just the real-time progress of each boat and the distance separating them from their competitors, but also the wind direction, distance from the finish line and so on. Shooting angles can be shifted and virtual cameras can film the scene from any viewpoint, either on board a yacht, from a helicopter or even on a virtual yacht located ahead of or astern of the race boat at any distance desired.

The hardware is American, with race partner and computer manufacturer Silicon Graphics providing its world-leading workstation and graphics supercomputers, especially the firm's ONYX system, which allow real-time viewing of highly realistic sequences. Trimble will be supplying the yacht positioning systems and Lyon Lamb the video equipment. The French company Getris Images will be providing its image-dedicated computers. Full text

Information source: The America's Cup= 1995 World-Wide Web homepage, maintained by Science Applications Internat= ional Corp. and Events On Line.

On a related note, Silicon Graphics, in association with Template Graphics Software, is proud to introduce = WebSpace (= tm), the first commercially available 3D viewer for the World Wide Web. WebSpa= ce = supports VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language), an open, platform-independent file format for 3D graphics on the Internet. =

High Techsplanations Brings High Expectations

by Lance Simons

With the world of Virtual Reality (VR) quickly enveloping our society, various companies are racing to be the first in their industry to offer this exciting, new technology. One company--High Techsplanations (HT) of Rockville, Maryland --has already done so by developing the medical industry's first look at Virtual Surgery.

High Techsplanations, a Virtual Reality medical visualization company, was founded by Gregory Merril in 1987. When brother, Jonathan Merril--an MD from The George Washington University-- joined the company, HT added a whole new dimension to its already powerful graphics niche. Dr. Merril incorporated the company's slogan, "Learning through innovation and technology," with the idea that those in the medical profession could benefit tremendously from Virtual Surgery procedures. After developing an award winning Opthalmic Retrobulbar Injection Simulator (ORIS) on an Apple Macintosh R, the first step into VR was complete. =

Dr. Merril then realized he could take this idea to new levels with the g= raphics and resolution capabilities of Silicon Graphics, Inc. "Silicon Graphics is basically a dedicated graphical environment and as far as resolution and interactivity, we have found no platform that even compares," commented Martin McGurn, director of business development.

Encouraged by an interest from Merck pharmaceuticals and SGI, High Techsplanations took Virtual Surgery a step further by creating URO Man--a 3D model of a human torso--which can be manipulated by using a SpaceballTM (a 3D trackball used in place of a mouse) from Spaceball Technologies R. This attraction single handedly stole the show at the American Urological Association Conference in 1993. Doctors reportedly waited in line for over an hour to get a first look at the this ground-breaking technology.

With Virtual Surgery, medical students and experienced physicians will be able to learn the newest procedures in various kinds of laparoscopic as well as minimally invasive surgeries. Virtual Surgery would allow the same procedure to be practiced again and again, thus, giving doctors an opportunity to receive more training, while at the same time significantly reducing the need for lab animals and cadavers. Virtual Surgery also prepares physicians for various complications which can occur. Unlike current training methods, Virtual Surgery provides much more comprehensive training by allowing various complications, anatomic variations, and objective evaluation of performance to be incorporated into the simulation.

Recent accomplishments by HT include work on a grant from the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) and a Cardiac Catheterization Simulation. The goal of the ARPA project is to develop virtual training systems for trauma management and to develop tools for telerobotic surgery. The Cardiac Catheterization simulation allows doctors to perform Virtual Angioplasty while using actual instruments as part of the simulation. Results of this development have been very promising for HT. Software for training in laparoscopic and catheter-based surgery--which will run on SGI machines--is in production and will be available in mid 1995.

SILICON GRAPHICS EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS


John Spavin Wins WebFORCE Webwax Contest

Congratulations goes to John Spavin from New Zealand, who won a new WebF= ORCE system by sending in the following winning entry:

"New Zealand's green paradise hosts many endangered species, from the ancient Tuatara lizard to the world's largest parrot. Silicon Graphics' technology would showcase them to all before it's too late."

In addition to describing an application which will fully utilize the Web= authoring and serving power of his new WebFORCE systems, John's entry is = in keeping with the desire of Silicon Graphics to preserve our planet's environment.

We would like to thank everyone who entered the contest. Your entries covered the entire spectrum from the sublime to the absurd. There were many good ideas and some recurring themes (educational collaboration, missing children resources, shared 3D environments, etc.) but uniquness was a factor in the judging. Some selected entries will be posted to Silicon Surf in the near future.

Eurographics '95 And The Sixth Eurographics Workshop On Animation And = Simulation

Eurographics'95 is the annual = international conference of the Eurographics Association and is organized= by CWI. = The conference aims to provide a global forum for the presentation and di= scussion of research results in the areas of computer graphics, multimedia and virtual reality. The conference will be held from August 30 - September 1 and will be preceded by two days of tutorials on Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 August.

Following the conference, the Eurographics Workshop on Animation and Simulation will be held from September 2-3 in Maastricht. The workshop is an international forum which gives researchers the opportunity to come together to exchange knowledge and experience related to the general themes of modeling, animation, motion control, simulation, and visualization of dynamic scenes. =

Non-presenters are welcome, but the workshop is limited to about 50 participants. Extended discussions will be planned after each session. Full versions of all papers will be published as a Eurographics Technical Report and distributed among the participants as workshop proceedings.

Authors are invited to send four copies of an extended abstract (4-6 pages) to the workshop secretariat (see below for relevant deadlines). Abstracts submitted after the deadline will be considered, but will be given lower priority for inclusion in the programme.

SCHEDULE:

  • April 15 : deadline for extended abstract
  • June 10 : notification of acceptance for the workshop
  • July 1 : deadline for full papers
  • September 2-3: workshop

    Send Extended Abstracts to: Professor Demetri TERZOPOULOS, Department of Computer Science, University= of Toronto, 10 King's College Road, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A4 CANADA. Email: dt@cs.toronto.edu

    First Workshop On Simulation And Interaction In Virtual Environments


    Sponsored by ACM Siggraph, the Office of Naval Research, and = The University of Iowa Center for Computer Aided Design

    The University of Iowa, July 13-15, 1995

    Virtual worlds should be rich, dynamic environments populated with objects that exhibit realistic (or at least interesting) behaviors and that interact convincingly with each other and human participants. Remarkable progress in graphics technology has not been paralleled by developments in real-time simulation and interaction software necessary to support many VE applications. This workshop will be a technical forum examining the state of the art and open research problems in simulation, geometry, scenario, and other supporting software technologies for virtual environments.

    The two-and-a-half day workshop will include two keynote speeches, presentations by approximately sixteen of the invited participants, and panel-led discussions. Facilities for demonstrations will be available. Workshop proceedings will be distributed to all participants and also placed in a widely accessible ACM World Wide Web on-line proceedings repository.

    Topics of interest include:

  • Real-time interactive simulation
  • Control and behavior
  • Human-computer interface
  • Real-time issues
  • Interoperability
  • Database modeling

    Please submit 3-6 pages summarizing your relevant research or activities in the area. Include email and U.S. mail address, and telephone and fax numbers. Not all invited participants will have a formal opportunity to speak. However, the workshop will be organized to provide ample opportunities for discussion. We prefer electronic submission of either P= ostscript (preferred) or plain unformatted text to: cremer@cs.uiowa.edu

    If you prefer, you may send hard copy to: James Cremer, Computer Science = Department, MacLean Hall, University of Iowa ,Iowa City, IA 52242, (telephone: 319-335-0736), (fax: 319-335-3624).

    IMPORTANT DATES: April 20, 1995 is the deadline for the submission of abstracts; You will be notified if you are accepted to the workshop on Ma= y 15.

    Silicon Graphics Developer Forum '95

    Silicon Graphics and the Silicon Graphics Developer Program will host Developer Forum '95 from May 16 - 18 at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, California. Forum '95 will focus on the theme "Inventing the Future." Master the new techniques and standards that change your market. Experiment with Silicon Graphics' new workstations, servers and software. Interact with the best minds in development. Provide feedback on the products you'll need tomorrow.

    Register by April 14, 1995 to take advantage of the early registration discount.

    For more information, call 800-685-2578 or 508-440-9700 or go to the Developer= Forum '95 page on Silicon Surf.

    If you are a commercial software developer and you would like information on how to join the Silicon Graphics Developer Program, send email to: devprogram@sgi.com or call (800) 770-3033 or (415) 390-3033.

    Web Authoring And Serving Seminar

    Silicon Graphics is offering a free seminar covering solutions for multimedia content creation and high bandwidth Web serving for companies looking to establish a presence on the World Wide Web. =

    Registration form.<= /A>

    List of cities in North = America that are included on the seminar tour.

    Informa= tion on the WebFORCE tour in France.

    Australia and New Zeal= and WebFORCE Seminar Tour Schedule.



    IT'S HOT, IT'S COOL, AND IT'S FREE


    Geomview, Interactive View For 3-D Geometric Objects

    The Geometry Center announces the availability of release 1.5 of Geomv= iew. Geomview is an interactive viewer for 3-D geometric objects. It allows users to view and manipulate these objects via the mouse, the keyboard, and through an interpreted command language. This release includes versions for SGI (using GL graphics), NeXTStep (requires NeXTStep version 3.0 or higher), and generic Xlib graphics. Precompiled binaries are available for SGI, NeXT (m68k/intel/hppa), Sun4, HP, Linux, IBM RS/6000 and DEC Alpha platforms. The source code is also available. These distributions are all in the pub/software/geomview directory for anonymous ftp from ftp.geom.umn.edu. For more details, and for a list of changes since previous releases of Geomview, see the README file in that same directory.

    Geomview is part of an effort at the Geometry Center to provide interactive 3D graphics which is well-suited for mathematics visualization. In addition, Geomview is extensible and can serve as a general-purpose tool. Its functionality can be extended in an almost unlimited fashion by external modules or programs.

    Object-Oriented Graphics: GOOD 1.2

    Version 1.2 of the GOOD project has been released. GOOD is a public domain software environment f= or interactive = programming of 3D graphics, with special support to IRIS GL, OpenGL, VOGL= , etc.

    GOOD is free and available with all sources. Everybody is invited to use, modify and extend GOOD. The aim of GOOD is to provide a public domain framework that should be helpful to others.

    Beta-Release Of ROSS Serial Section Reconstruction Software

    Announcing the limited release of the Ross (Reconstruction Of Serial Sect= ions) software, = produced by the NASA Ames Biocomputation Center. ROSS is in beta-release = to selected sites. = ROSS (Reconstruction Of Serial Sections) is a software package for perfor= ming 3D serial-section reconstruction and visualization. Typically, it is used= for reconstructing biological tissue that has been sectioned either physicall= y (as in light or electron microscopy) or optically (as in confocal microscopy = or MR and CT imaging).

    The ROSS package runs on any Silicon Graphics workstation, from the low-e= nd Indy to the high-end Onyx RE2 (and any Indigo, Indigo2, Crimson, etc in between) under Irix 5.3. It requires 24-bit graphics with Z-buffer (XL, X= S24Z, XZ, Elan, Extreme, VGX, VGXT, or RE graphics models) and requires a reaso= nably configured system (memory and disk) to support the kind of reconstruction= that you'll be performing (image data can soak up memory and disk space very quickly). We also have more details = on the hardware in use in our lab.

    There are no costs associated with ROSS. A limited number of users are be= ing accepted into the beta-release program. These beta users will receive an = executable copy = of the ROSS reconstruction and visualization software, compiled and ready= to install and run on Irix 5.3. Source code will not be provided.

    Please fill out the form if you are interested in participating in the beta-rel= ease program

    Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine the re= sources required and whether the group can be supported at the level required. You will receive an email reply within two weeks of the request. If accepted, you = will receive a packet of information, including a Space Act Agreement, which outlines = the details of the collaboration. =

    Here is some ad= ditional = information on 3D reconstruction in general, =

    **Hot! Permanent License Available For Users Of "Desks Overview"**=

    You will be please to know that the "Desks Overview" dispute has been successfully resolved. All users of this feature will be provided with a free permanent license. The licensing code will be removed from future releases of the desktop software. The permanent licen= se should be installed = on systems running IRIX 5.3, 6.0 or 6.0.1. =



    How To Get The Desks Overview License

    Newsgroups: = A message containing the license and installation instructions was posted on March 8 to: comp.sys.sgi.admin and comp.sys.sgi.announce

    Email: To receive instructions via email, send a message to deskin= fo@sgi.com (no subject or message body necessary). Email received at this address wi= ll automatically = be replied to with a message containing the license and installation inst= ructions.

    Fax: To receive instructions via fax, send a fax to 415-390-6323. = This will result in an attempt to automatically send a fax containing the license and installation instructions to the originating fax machine. Important: The machine sending the fax normally includes it's fax number as part of the handshake to set up the fax connection. If your system does not include this number, we will not be able to send you the reply fax.

    Silicon Surf: You can get the license and installation instruction= s on Silicon Surf. The license can also be accessed from the Indigo Magic User Environment page.

    Silicon Graphics Questions And Answers From Usenet Newsgroups

    These questions are culled from USENET's comp.sys.sgi newsgroups.

    Q: Can I put a single large picture in the 'clogin' display?

    A: Not in IRIX 5.0-5.2 or 6.x. The feature is back in IRIX 5.3. =

    Q: How big can IRIX files and filesystems be?

    A: A file on an EFS filesystem can only be 2 GB in size. The filesystem can be no more than 8 GB in size, whether or not it is on a logical volume. A physical or logical volume can be larger than 8GB, but not usefully so: mkfs still can't make a filesy stem larger than 8G on it.= A file on SGI's new XFS filesystem can be 9 exabytes (9 gigagigabytes)= in size, and the filesystem itself can be 18 million terabytes in size= =2E

    Q: Does Inventor work with the GNU C++ compiler?

    A: No, Inventor requires SGI's C++ compiler. The GNU C++ compiler and SGI's C++ compiler produce incompatible code, and Silicon Graphics doe= s not ship an Inventor library compatible with GNU C++. =

    Q: Can I run Windows NT on my Indigo or Indy?

    A: No. SGI can, but only on Indigos with special hardware and software modifications and only for demos and porting. There are no known plans= to provide NT on SGI workstations. Also, note that most comp.sys.sgi.* readers will answer this question "Why would you want to?". =

    Q: How can I start and stop the graphics system?

    A: Use /usr/gfx/startgfx and /usr/gfx/stopgfx. Be aware that stopgfx will kill any active windows and log you out. =

    Q: How can I kill the X server without logging in or rebooting?

    A: Hold down the left-Control, left-Shift, F12 and keypad slash keys. = This is fondly known as the "Vulcan Death Grip". =



    HOT OFF THE PRESS

    Silicon Graphics And Template Software Bring 3D Graphics To The World= Wide Web

    New WebSpace Viewer to be Ported to All Major Platforms

    Silicon Graphics has teamed with Template Graphics Software, Inc. to deve= lop and distribute WebSpace, = the first commercially-available three-dimensional viewer for the World W= ide Web. The two companies will make WebSpace available for all major UNIX=AE plat= forms, Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, and Power Macintosh=AE systems. =

    The viewer will work in concert with popular Web browsers including those= from Netscape Communications Corporation and Spyglass. With the WebSpace viewer, users = can: fly through 3D worlds, exploring event venues, cities, libraries, museums, tourist resor= ts and imaginary places; inspect 3D models of products in on-line catalogs; and visualize informat= ion such as stock market trends in 3D. =

    VRML is the Standard

    The WebSpace viewer supports Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML), an= open, platform-independent file format for 3D graphics on the internet. Silicon= Graphics' Open Inventor=81, a widely accepted, object-oriented 3D graphics toolkit, provides the fram= ework for VRML. Similar in concept to the core Web text standard HyperText Markup Languag= e (HTML), VRML encodes computer-generated graphics into a compact format for transportat= ion over the network. As with HTML, a user can view the contents of a file--in this case an int= eractive 3D graphics file--as well as navigate to other VRML "worlds" or HTML pages. In additi= on, VRML is infinitely scaleable so that as users navigate through virtual worlds and= approach objects, greater levels of detail emerge. = Fu= ll text.

    Silicon Graphics Bundles Adobe's Illustrator and Photoshop with WebFORCE Workstations

    Silicon Graphics announced a software bundle that adds Adobe Photoshop(tm) and Adobe Illustrator(tm) software to Silicon Graphics'(r) = WebFORCE(tm), = Indy,(tm) and Indigo2(tm) authoring workstations. With the addition of Adobe softwa= re to the WebFORCE product offering, Silicon Graphics' World Wide Web authoring solutions, the company has created a tool suite that empowers Web designers to maximize their content options. Separately, Adobe Systems Incorporated announced that it will be working with Silicon Graphics to bring the Acrobat(tm) technology to the Silicon Graphics platform.

    The WebFORCE line of workstations and servers allows businesses and individuals to build a compelling presence on the World Wide Web in a WYSIWYG environment, improving information access within a company's enterprise. WebFORCE workstations are currently bundled with a robust set of tools for creating Web content incorporating text, audio, imaging, illustration, MPEG-I and QuickTime(tm)/CinePak compression and support for numerous file formats at no additional cost. With the newly bundled Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop products, users receive an additional $2,890 of software to complement the existing suite of digital media tools which come standard with all WebFORCE products. Full text.

    Silicon Graphics Signs Cole & Weber As New Advertising Agency

    Silicon Graphics has named Cole & Weber as its advertising agency of record. After conducting an extensive advertising agency review, the company selected Cole & Weber for its ability to be a strategic marketing partner, provide outstanding creative innovation, and successfully integrate corporate and product communications. Full text.

    Silicon Graphics and Internezzo To Bring Inperson Desktop Conferencing To Other UNIX Platforms

    Silicon Graphics and Internezzo Technologies Inc. announced Internezzo will provide interoperability between InPerson (tm), Silicon Graphics' breakthrough desktop conferencing pa= ckage, and other UNIX(r) platforms.

    InPerson, a component of Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment, supports interactive communications by providing video and audio conferencing, file sharing and a shared whiteboard. InPerson interoperable solutions give UNIX and PC users the ability to leverage their investments in networked workstations to share text, graphics and data files as easily as they share ideas.

    "Having InPerson available as a cross-platform solution will allow all our departments to use its invaluable videoconferencing and whiteboard tools," said Derek Gallar, mechanical engineer and system administrator for Varian Oncology, a division of Varian Associates, in Palo Alto, California. "InPerson is the best way to get people together to look at a model and annotate it. Its shared whiteboard tracks annotations with its built-in feature for saving meeting minutes. You can't do that with a fax, or phone, or any other collaborative technologies." Ful= l text.

    Silicon Graphics Introduces New Dimension In Collaborative Computing

    At Uniforum '95, Silicon Graphics unveiled their collaborative environment which combines powerful collaboration tools, third party applications and Silicon Graphics' visual computing systems. The Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment builds upon Silicon Graphics' heritage in advanced digital media technologies and 3D graphics to offer customers the most advanced tools for effective collaboration across organizational, geographic and time zone boundaries.

    Also announced at the conference was InPerson(tm) 2.0, Silicon Graphics' robust desktop videoconferencing technology, which now includes 3D graphics capability on the whiteboard, support for H.261, an industry standard for video compression and an optional audio board for the Silicon Graphics' Indy desktop system, to optimize conference quality and network bandwidth.

    Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment is a comprehensive solution set that removes the communication obstacles of global collaboration by offering a variety of visual tools to create, capture, present and communicate information in the most effective way possible. To address the many challenges associated with company-wide collaborative efforts, the Silicon Graphics' collaborative environment incorporates powerful tools for creation, presentation, store and forward and real-time desktop videoconferencing communication. Together with Silicon Graphics' integrated digital media hardware, this environment is a turnkey solution for collaboration. Full tex= t.

    Silicon Graphics Awarded "Hot Irons"

    AIM Technology Names Silicon Graphics Systems Best Price Performance Choice in the Under $25,000 and Over $25,000 Price Categories

    Silicon Graphics won two 1995 Hot Iron Awards for best workstation price performance in both price categories: systems under $25,000 and systems over $25,000. AIM Technology, the leading independent testing service for UNIX(r) systems, recognized Silicon Graphics' = Indy (tm) and Indigo2 (tm) workstations as Hot Iron winners at the UniForum '95 conference.

    "The AIM benchmark tests nearly every part of the system: CPU, I/O, memory, disk drives, the operating system and compilers," said David Bagshaw, vice president of marketing for Silicon Graphics. "Because AIM comes closest to gauging true overall system performance, we're excited to be a top AIM performer." Full text.

    University of Delaware Selects Power Challenge To Provide Researchers = With New-Generation Supercomputing Resource

    Silicon Graphics announced that the Univ= ersity of Delaware has acquired an eight-processor POWER CHALLENGE(tm) supercomputing system= to advance high-level research across a range of scientific and engineering disciplines.

    The university's POWER CHALLENGE system will have a peak performance rating of 2.4 billion floating point operations per second (GFLOPS) and will offer 2 gigabytes of memory.

    The University of Delaware will use the POWER CHALLENGE supercomputing system to advance research and teaching in a variety of scientific and engineering disciplines. The supercomputer will be employed in such areas as molecular modeling, ocean simulations, computational fluid dynamics, air pollution modeling, computational mechanics, atomic and molecular physics theory, theoretical astrophysics/astronomy and computer algebra research. The system also will be used for instructional purposes, including the teaching of courses in high-performance and parallel computing. Full text= =2E

    Silicon Graphics Simplifies Interface Development For C++ Applications With New RapidApp


    Silicon Graphics has announced RapidApp(tm), a breakthrough interactive tool for the fastest creation of application interfaces. Tightly integrated with the existing Silicon Graphics' = Developer Magic (tm) software environment, RapidApp enables developer= s to produce media-rich, object-oriented applications quickly and easily, using drag and drop techniques to generate C++ code. RapidApp is not only ideally suited for the current generation of applications, but provides access to components of the emerging class of applications that make use of compelling audio, video and 3D graphics.

    "There is no substitute for RapidApp for organizations and engineers who want to remain at the fore-front of UI-development technology and also are interested in doing sophisticated 3D-graphics and simulation work using OpenGL(r) and Open Inventor(tm) like platforms," said R.D. Singh, Project Engineer for the Commercial Visual Systems Division at Lockheed-Martin Corporation.

    RapidApp provides a combination of interface elements that are based on IRIS ViewKit(tm) classes and supports an object-oriented architecture. Using techniques similar to those supported by drawing editors such as Silicon Graphics' Showcase (tm) users can create, select, position and manipulate interface elements easi= ly.

    RapidApp will be available in March as an enhancement to Silicon Graphics' MegaDev product bundle which currently includes components such as Fix & Continue, for incremental application changes and an X/Motif Analyzer for debugging X11 events. Full text.

    Silicon Graphics To Add CATIA Software To Its Siliconworks Solution Set

    Silicon Graphics announced it will add IBM's CATIA(r) software family to its SiliconWorks (tm) integrated solution set for visual product design and manufacturing.

    The high-end graphics, texturing and visualization characteristics of the SiliconWorks solution set have allowed Silicon Graphics to redefine the workplace in the aerospace and automotive industries. SiliconWorks combines powerful third-party applications with Silicon Graphics' visual computing systems and advanced software tools in a single, integrated, collaborative environment to offer manufacturing companies data that is easier to access, change, comprehend and share.

    The combination of the CATIA software family and Silicon Graphics' line of binary compatible systems opens an entirely new dimension of collaboration to manufacturers, enabling their suppliers, their contractors and their global offices to streamline the entire course of product development, from concept through digital prototyping and product analysis. Full text.

    Silicon Graphics, NCSA and EVL To Create Supercomputing Environment Of The Future

    Silicon Graphics announced that it will collaborate with the = National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at the University of Illino= is at = Chicago in a project that combines high-performance computing, a high-spe= ed interactive digital network and industry-leading visualization technologies to solve some of the world's most demanding research problems.

    This pioneering collaboration delivers on a vision calling for a worldwide model for next-generation supercomputing environment. The integrated environment created through this collaboration will provide the NCSA and its industrial partners with access to the shared-memory, parallel-processing technology that offers the most economical path toward realizing an important NCSA goal - achieving a teraflop in sustained computational performance by the end of the decade.

    As part of this project, Silicon Graphics will install at NCSA a 32-processor POWER CHALLENGEarray(tm) supercomputer, a distributed parallel processing system that can be expanded to include up to 144 64-bit MIPS(r) R8000(tm) RISC microprocessors.

    Silicon Graphics will also install four POWER Onyx(tm) graphics supercomputers as part of the project, two at EVL and two at NCSA. These innovative collaborative facilities will be linked to the POWER CHALLENGEarray supercomputers, CAVE virtual reality environments, and classrooms throughout the NCSA and EVL. This NCSA/EVL facility will be a major testbed for national-scale deployment, using the December, 1995, I-WAY event at the Supercomputing '95 conference to demonstrate collaborative work teams at a variety of sites. Full = text.

    Steven Spielberg's Survivors Of The Shoah Project Receives $1.3 Millio= n Donation From Silicon Graphics

    Steven Spielberg announced that the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation has received a $1.3 million donation of computer technology and engineering support from Silicon Graphics.

    The joint announcement was made today by Steven Spielberg, chairman of the Foundation and Edward R. McCracken, chairman and CEO of Silicon Graphics. The Foundation will videotape as many Holocaust survivor testimonies as possible throughout the world to become the most comprehensive testimony archive ever assembled.

    Silicon Graphics' gift of a Challenge (tm) XL media server, four Indigo2 (tm) Extreme workstations, and related equipment and support enables the Foundation to archive digitally and make accessible the tens of thousands of hours of testimony that are currently being collected.

    The system makes possible true "video-on-demand," or instantaneous viewing of any given moment from any testimony in the massive archive, searchable by key words, phrases and names. This Silicon Graphics Challenge XL system is similar to those servers used in several interactive television trials, including the Time Warner Full Service Network and NTT's Joint Utilization Test of Multimedia Communication in Japan. F= ull text.



    What's New From Third Parties

    PLEASE NOTE: Articles appearing in What's New From Third Parties are w= ritten by our partners. Any questions you might have about the content of these articles should be directed to the article's author. Contact information is included at the end of each article.

    Wavefront Launches Studio 21 Animation Packages For 2D And 3D Graphics= Professionals

    Wavefront Technologies, Inc. has announced Studio 21, three new market-focused software series that deliver vital components of the 21st Century digital studio to today's computer graphics professionals. Studio 21 combines Wavefront's most popular software modules into complete, competitively priced packages that satisfy the specific needs of graphics professionals in the entertainment, interactive, and engineering markets: Media Studio for film, video, broadcast, and entertainment; Interactive Studio for electronic games and location-based entertainment; and Visual Studio for architecture and engineering visualization.

    The Studio 21 Series consists of:

    Media Studio - a series of four packages for film, video, broadcas= t, and entertainment: Media Express, Media Pro, Media Expert, and Media Master

    Interactive Studio - a series of two packages optimized for electr= onic games and content-based entertainment: GameWare and Activation

    Visual Studio - a series of two packages designed for architectura= l and engineering visualization: ArcVision and DesignVision

    Studio 21 is based on Wavefront's highly-regarded modeling, animation, rendering, and composition technology, recognized for providing animators= with the creative control required to produce the highest quality images. =

    For more information, call Wavefront Technologies at 805-962-8117.

    Wavefront And Silicon Graphics Collaborate To Advance Graphics Leaders= hip In Asia Pacific

    China-Based Zhuda Computer Animation Seals Purchase of High-End 3D Software and Workstations

    Wavefront Technologies, Inc. has announced that Zhuda Computer Animation Company (Beijing, China), a rising computer animation production facility founded in 1994, has selected Wavefront to supply over 20 packages of its leading 3D imaging and animation software for professional graphics creation. Silicon Graphics is actively working with Wavefront on the project to enhance Zhuda's existing suite of over 40 Silicon Graphics workstations.

    Wavefront software will be used for advanced image production, animated cartoons, and video production. With its new software and workstation equipment, Zhuda plans to leverage its technological leadership and animation talent to solidify its position as the leading producer of innovative video, image, and graphics techniques in China, as well as meet the complex needs of entertainment and video production professionals worldwide. In addition, Zhuda has taken a leadership role in introducing Silicon Graphics workstations to the Chinese computer animation production market with its adoption of four Onyx real-time simulation systems and 40 Indigo2 workstations equipped with high-resolution scanners and complete audio and video production suites.

    Another Wavefront and Silicon Graphics customer, PIXIBOX of Paris, France, has also recently invested in developing the first computer animation studio in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, based on 32 Silicon Graphics workstations running Wavefront and PIXIBOX PEGS (PIXISCAN 2D) software. "PIXIBOX has chosen Wavefront because of the company's unique capability of integrating 2D and 3D computer animation, as well as its leadership position in the industry," stated Jacques Peyrache, president and CEO of PIXIBOX. PIXIBOX, which has a staff of approximately 200 animators, will produce a new television series entitled "The Prince of Atlantis" exclusively in the new facility in Vietnam.

    For more information, contact Tom Reyburn at Wavefront Technologies at= tomr@wti.com or call 805-962-8117.

    Animator Broadcast Release 3.0 To Be Introduced At NAB '95

    Release 2.6 of Animator Broadcast from Vision Images, Denmark, is now shipping. AB is a horizontal application that combines elements like paint, image processing, image and animation compositing, warping and morphing, titling, object oriented animation and image/video import and export in one single integrated software package. =

    Animator Broadcast Release 3 (AB3) will be introduced to the market at th= e NAB '95 in Las Vegas this April. Shipping will start shortly afterwards. The main new feature of AB3 is AB-EDIT which is replacing the compositing= and effects module DAVE. AB-EDIT is a dedicated non-linear editing system= with compositing, effects and full audio support.

    The key features of AB-EDIT are:

    • unlimited layers / clips
    • realtime preview of result
    • 15 compositing methods incl. animatable spline controlled chroma keyi= ng.
    • as many audio tracks as layers supported (unlimited)
    • audio follows video, audio cuts, fades, and effects
    • separate mask / Alpha channel tracks possible
    • visible timecode
    • editing directly from disk, DDR, SGI movie or Cosmo movie in a single= pass.
    • controllable visual timeline with zoom in/out.
    • freely controllable layer / clip relationship with drag&drop.
    • many spline controllable video dissolves and effects
    • multi-stage pipeline for advanced keying operations
    • more than 40 video effects
    • full Cosmo Compress board support

    For more information, contact Vision Images via phone at +45 75453188,= fax: +45 75453186 or email: visivitl@inet.uni-c.dk

    NAG Announces IRIS Explorer Release 3: Visualization And Application B= uilder Software


    IRIS Explorer (tm) release 3 scientific visualization and application builder software will be launched by the Numerical Algorithms Group (NAG) on March 31, 1995 for Silicon Graphics workstations. Release 3 is the result of joint development between software engineers at NAG and Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). NAG is now handling developing, porting, marketing, selling and supporting IRIS Explorer for all future releases as it is separated from the next version of SGI's IRIX operating system. Ports of release 3 to other platforms will soon follow, including Sun, IBM RS/6000, HP 9000/700, DEC Alpha OSF/1, SGI 64-bit and Cray.

    IRIS Explorer release 3 features many performance improvements and system enhancements, as well as an increased module library. System enhancements include the passing of geometry via shared memory and an improved scripts interface. Additionally, scripting has improved synchronicity, providing more reproducible results. Synchronization ports on all modules provide better control over loops. A new visual "drag & drop" interface has been added, as have new widgets for module control panels. Editable groups are also available. Documentation has been completely revised and updated, and both hard copy and on-line versions are available. IRIS Explorer release 3 is based on Open Inventor and OpenFL, and users on non-SGI platforms will also benefit from the additional modules and enhancements introduced in release 2.2 of the product.

    "We have worked closely with SGI to market a product which will extend the functional benefits of IRIS Explorer for users in all areas of scientific visualization. IRIS Explorer is arguably the best system of its kind on the market today. We are particularly pleased with the system enhancements and module library extensions, especially in the area of vector data manipulation and readers for standard data file formats," said Robers Iles, NAG manager of the Software Environments Division. "Shared memory performance improvements and the incorporation of NAG's expertise in graphical, numerical and statistical library routines, which have been included at this release, redefine IRIS Explorer's technical edge and translate into benefits for our customers."

    New modules in release 3 include: NAG-based modules which use the well-known NAG numerical libraries and the NAG Graphics Library; modules for displaying vector data using particle avection, streaklining and vector display; new data analyzers for interpolation through 2D and 3D data and outlining regions of interest in datasets; modules for creating and manipulating geometry; new annotation modules; new data readers (including PHOENICS and NTF data); new colormap manipulators; and many others. In addition, release 3 includes the source to other modules, interesting datasets and new example maps.

    NAG has over 20 years experience in developing, porting, distributing and supporting scientific software. NAG is a not-for-profit organization which supplies software libraries, compilers, tools and associated products for the professional programmer and for educational, government and commercial use. NAG Ltd. is headquartered in Oxford, UK with subsidiary companies outside Chicago, Munich and Tokyo, as well as distributors worldwide.

    Contact NAG, Inc. for further information and IRIS Explorer release 3 pricing.


    WEBWATCH

    "i on Visual Computing" Debuts on Silicon Surf

    Meet i on Visual Computing , a spanking new ezine by Silicon Graphi= cs. i on Visual Computing is the virtual child of a long-standing Sili= con Graphics magazine, the glossy IRIS UNIVERSE.

    Visual computing is sweeping the world at warp speed, changing the way we= live and work. i is the online magazine about technologies and people m= aking history in this visual revolution.

    The premiere issue is focused on technology for entertainment. Read how S= ilicon Graphics is ushering in a new era for broadcast, film, and video professi= onals. Step onto a virtual set, a new environment where broadcasters interact wi= th computer images. Learn how bi-coastal teams are making strides using high= -speed networks. Hear how cyberstars Herbie Hancock and Graham Nash are transfor= ming their musical performances with computer graphics. Read about VRML, the computer language that promises to take the flatness out of Webland. And = don't miss the latest about a breath of fresh air--public broadcasting online.

    Enjoy your journey through the clickable narratives and don't be a strang= er. = Make a permanent bookmark, and keep your eye on i!

    Silicon Graphics Helps Forrest Gump Take The Gold

    The 67th Annual Academy Awards, presented by the Academy of Motion Pictur= e Arts and Sciences, was held at the end of March. Silicon Graphics equipment was used in every film nominated for "Best Achievement in Visual Effects."

    Congratulations goes to Ken Ralston, George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum and= Allen Hall for winning the Oscar in the "Best Achievement in Visual Effects" categor= y for Forrest Gump. =

    Other nominees in this category included:

  • THE MASK (New Line Cinema): Scott Squires, Steve Williams, Tom Bertin= o and Jon Farhat
  • TRUE LIES (20th Century Fox): John Bruno, Thomas L. Fisher, Jacques S= troweis and Patrick McClung =

    For more information on the Academy Awards, check out The Official Interactive Guide to the Academy Awards, presented by Visualize Interactive and the Academy of Motion = Picture Arts and Sciences.

    Moviewatch: Also keep your eye out for "Congo", a new movie that will = premier in the U.S. in June. Silicon Graphics has placed almost $2.5 million worth of computer equipment on the set of the upcoming blockbuster movie based on Michael Crichton's book "Congo". The movie stars Dylan Walsh, Laura Linney, Joe Don Baker, Tim Curry and the Indy Presenter. The Kathy Kennedy/Frank Marshall production was shot at the Sony lot in Culver City and on location in Costa Rica.

    Spartan: Computational Chemistry Software Firm Has Web Page

    If you're interested in computational chemistry software, check out Spartan's home page. Spartan is a com= putational chemistry software package designed to be an easy to use, yet extensive modelling program, ideal for the bench and = theoretical chemist alike. =

    Spartan incorporates a full featured, easy to use graphical user interfac= e. This interface eliminates tedious tasks that must be performed to set up calculations, and provides= powerful visualization tools for post-processing data resulting from calculations. =


    NCSA's Multimedia Exhibits

    NCSA'= s Digital Information System features a collection of information and= images produced at, or in connection with, NCSA. =

    The image to the right is an example from a series in Spherical Harmonics= created by Barbara Mihalas, using the color editor developed by Donna Cox on the Silicon Graphics IRIS workstation.



    ODDS & ENDS

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    Silicon Graphics, IRIS, OpenGL and the Silicon Graphics logo are registered trademarks and Developer Magic, Indy, Indigo2, InPerson, IRIS Annotator, IRIS Explorer, IRIS ViewKit, Open Inventor, POWER CHALLENGE, POWER CHALLENGEarray, POWER Onyx, RapidApp, Showcase, SiliconWorks, WebFORCE and WebMagic are trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. =

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