From: Allan Schaffer (allan++at++sgi.com)
Date: 01/05/2001 08:37:40
[The filters had mistakenly trapped this. Forwarding.. - Allan]
--- Forwarded mail from John Kelso <kelso++at++vt.edu>
Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2001 10:27:45 -0500
From: John Kelso <kelso++at++vt.edu>
To: John Kelso <kelso++at++vt.edu>
Hi all,
The DIVERSE team at Virginia Tech is pleased to announce the release of
version 1.0.0 of dgiPf, the DIVERSE graphics interface for Performer, a
free, open-source (GNU LGPL) software API, available for download. Both
source and binary distributions are available.
dgiPf provides a framework to implement 3D Virtual Environment applications
on a wide variety of hardware configurations. It's designed without the
"center of the universe" paradigm; you only use the parts that you need,
without being forced into using a particular design for your code, or having
to add unneeded features.
dgiPf augments the Performer API with additional functionality, which
facilitates the porting of existing Performer applications.
dgiPf is written in C++, and runs on SGI IRIX and GNU/Linux. Over 20
small example programs are included in the distribution.
dgiPf provides:
- abstractions of hardware input devices and graphic displays, providing a
consistent programming interface. Using dgiPf the same program can be
run on everything from a CAVE(tm) to a desktop workstation without
modification.
- automatic generation of both symmetric and asymmetric stereo viewing frusta,
either based on the position of a locator device, such as a head tracker or
computed positional data, or in the symmetric case, a user-defined
convergence value.
- arbitrary number, size and orientation of graphic display windows.
- real support for both immersive and non-immersive environments. Desktop
systems do not need to use a simulated head and wand to interact with the
virtual world, but can use more appropriate and natural navigation styles.
- support for both polled and queued input from any source. Queued devices
automatically record all device data, allowing for easy construction of
multi-device interaction techniques.
dgiPf uses the DIVERSE ToolKit (DTK), a related but separate standalone
package, to provide access to local and networked interaction devices and
data.
- load compiled files, in the form of Dynamically Shared Objects
(DSOs), which can describe the graphic display and input device
hardware, or any other code.
- access data from input devices, local or remote, actual or simulated,
using DTK's "remote shared memory" facility.
- allow "hot-swapping" of input devices by reloading dtk-server DSOs.
For more information, including currently supported hardware platforms and
devices, please visit our web site at www.diverse.vt.edu/dgiPf, or send
email to diverse++at++vt.edu. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Thanks,
The DIVERSE team at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
Lance Arsenault
John Kelso
Ron Kriz
Chris Logie
Fernando das Neves
Sanjiv Parikh
Chad Wingrave
---End of forwarded mail from John Kelso <kelso++at++vt.edu>
-- Allan Schaffer allan++at++sgi.com Silicon Graphics http://reality.sgi.com/allan
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