MetaVR creates 3D real–time environments that provide the fidelity of geospecific simulation with game quality graphics and performance.
In this issue:
49.A – Release and fielding of VRSG version 6.2 with 3D ocean simulation
49.B – Recent updates to CONUS++ terrain
49.C – How to obtain VRSG version 6.2
49.A Release and fielding of VRSG version 6.2 with 3D ocean simulation
MetaVR has begun fielding the newly released Virtual Reality Scene Generator™ (VRSG™) version 6.2 with 3D ocean simulation with 22 VRSG licenses and 3D terrain to the Australian Ministry of Defence AIR 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) at Naval Air Station Nowra. The project will provide a joint training system to prepare Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army aircrew to operate current helicopter platforms, such as the ARH and MRH. VRSG's new 3D ocean sea states will be used for coastal and open-ocean training scenarios in part to train sensor operators to identify various vessel entities, including submarines. To support this program, MetaVR developed 3D wake effects for submarine entities that gradually dissipate or gather for a submerging or surfacing submarine. Such effects include those created by the conning tower or masts and antennas. As part of the VRSG delivery, MetaVR built 3D terrain of Australia with 60 cm geospecific insets of Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne, and a model of Naval Air Station Nowra (YSNW).
The new 3D ocean simulation in VRSG version 6.2 features realistic wave motion, 12 Beaufort sea states, 3D wakes and particle spray, vessel surface motion, accurate environment reflections, and support for bathymetric data for shoreline wave shape and opacity. This new capability integrates with existing terrain databases and simulations.
On the VRSG Dashboard you can specify several characteristics of the ocean body and sea vessel motion on the ocean surface. You can also customize an individual entity's behavior on the ocean surface with ModelMap commands. For example, you can customize how high a given vessel rides in the water, increase the magnitude of generated wakes, or clamp a non-domain 3 or 4 model to the ocean surface.
Entities with DIS enumerations in the surface domain (domain 3) or subsurface domain (domain 4) will properly clamp to the ocean surface and will generate wakes automatically. Secondary effects such as helicopter rotor wash or impacts from detonations appear upon the ocean surface as a combination of circular waves and particle spray effects. MetaVR's military model library now features over 130 naval vessels.
VRSG supports the bathymetric data of terrain built in the forthcoming version 1.4 of MetaVR Terrain Tools for Esri ArcGIS. Adding increased fidelity to shorelines, VRSG renders the compiled underwater geometry of the ocean sea floor.
A network interface enables DIS hosts such as Battlespace Simulations' Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE®) to query the ocean surface to support their 3D boat dynamics simulation. In addition to supporting VRSG's 3D ocean sea states, MACE has its own physics-based hydrodynamic model which can be used to depict physics-based real-time rendering of vessel behavior. In order to achieve this effect, VRSG transmits to MACE several water elevation points around each vessel entity such that the height and slope of the waves can be used by MACE to generate the resulting realistic vessel movements. In addition to supporting movements of surface vessels, MACE supports the surfacing and submerging of submarines and the wave-jumping of speed boats.
Other features and enhancements in VRSG 6.2 include:
- New tracking support for the HTC Vive virtual reality system, SA Photonics SA-62 HMD, and SA Photonics stereo SA-92 augmented reality display.
- Updated support for Oculus Rift CV1 HMD.
- Over 300 new models (of which 187 are military) added to MetaVR's 3D content libraries since the release of version 6.1, bringing the total model count to 6,890.
- Support for multiple blended microtextures, a new feature in the forthcoming Terrain Tools version 1.4.
- Includes VRSG Scenario Editor version 1.6, which features new editing options for a temporary group of selected culture entities: to scale the group with the option to randomize the scaling and to edit the yaw of the group.
49.B Recent updates to CONUS++ terrain
In parallel with the release of VRSG version 6.2, MetaVR has recently added two new high-resolution geospecific areas of interest to the round-earth Continental US plus Alaska and Hawaii (CONUS++) terrain.
- The virtual terrain of Camp Pendleton, with two highly detailed geospecific MOUT sites was built with 30 cm per-pixel resolution USGS satellite imagery and 60 cm LIDAR elevation data blended to 10 meter NED, and a geometric water shoreline. The Kilo 2 and Combat Town 25 MOUT sites feature substantial 3D content including geospecific models of mobile containers and concrete buildings with interiors. All models were created from publicly available photos and videos and geolocated on the terrain. MetaVR originally built the MOUT sites for use in the Objective Blended Warrior (OBW) LVC event that took place last November at I/ITSEC 2016. The extensively modeled 24 sq km area, now part of CONUS++ terrain, was built in forthcoming version 1.4 of MetaVR Terrain Tools for Esri ArcGIS®, which has the ability to blend adjacent multiple microtextures. For example, the terrain includes built-in roads (dirt, gravel, and paved) with blended microtextures (grass, swale, red clay soil, gravel, brown soil-grass). The georeferenced 4K microtextures are assigned to the terrain by digitizing and assigning specific land classification textures to geospecific polygons resulting in 4 mm per-pixel effective resolution.
- The virtual terrain of Buckley Air Force Base, Aurora, CO, was built from 15 cm per pixel imagery of the airport area and blended into 1 mpp underlying imagery of MetaVR's CONUS++ terrain. The terrain's overall elevation was built with interpolated NED 1/3 (10 m) and underlying CONUS++ DTED1. Culture includes the runways, runway lights and signage, a geospecific control tower and 24 other geospecific buildings, fuel storage tanks, water towers, radars, geotypical volumetric trees, and light points. Geospecific culture models were created from publicly available photos and geolocated on the terrain. This terrain was also built with MetaVR Terrain Tools. Culture models were placed with Scenario Editor.
These terrain datasets are available on MetaVR's CONUS ++ Southwestern region 3D terrain. The CONUS++ 3D terrain, in round-earth Metadesic format, is available for purchase to all MetaVR customers who are on active VRSG software maintenance and are US Government agencies or contractors (for official use only). For US domestic use only, not available for export. The terrain datasets can be viewed only with a valid VRSG version 6.1 or greater software license with valid software maintenance.
49.C How to obtain VRSG version 6.2
MetaVR customers on active maintenance can download the latest release of VRSG version 6.2 software and model libraries from MetaVR's Download Server. The release is organized in multiple components on the Download Server to facilitate customized updates. Customers on active maintenance valid through October 31, 2016, can request an account on MetaVR's Download Server by sending a request to downloads@metavr.com.
The full VRSG 6.2 release is compressed to nearly 68 GB in size and can also be delivered on a Blu-ray disc. As a courtesy, MetaVR will provide at no charge, a Blu-ray reader device to facilitate the latest installation.
You can check the VRSG Dashboard's About tab to determine the maintenance status of a VRSG license. Annual software maintenance is $1,500 USD per license and can be purchased on the MetaVR website by clicking "How to Buy" or by sending a formal request for quotation with your MetaVR dongle ID to sales@metavr.com.
MetaVR continues to implement customer-requested software features at no additional cost beyond the license purchase and the annual software maintenance fees. Many features in the VRSG version 6.2 release were developed as the result of customers' requests, at no additional charge.
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