Review - O computer "Silicon Graphics" (continued).

  All you

    Wanted to know about "silicone"

          but were afraid to ask.


               Paul youngster.

     "Computer Review."


          Continued.
________________________________


   We turn to the main task
this article - review of some of the opportunities in the field 
of videocomputer graphics that SGI today provides its users, 
and that for the rest available only in dreams. Here

must stack that in developed
countries, most stations
SGI is working not for the entertainment and spectacle, and
used to support systems
CAD / CAM. Such precise information
in Ukraine and Russia in this regard
not yet available, but the trends
clearly reversed. In general, whether
design we have less, or
fun anymore. Given
description does not a structured
and more so do not pretend to
completeness, and their rough order, if
anything, reflects the excitement stream of consciousness, 
computer artist, for the first time in Dorval life to lust 
silicone. 


     Hardware graphics

           calculations.


   SGI workstations are more
than other computers,
support graphical computing hardware. Algorithms, "wired" in 
silicon, running in parallel niche processors assume the 
instantaneous regeneration on the screen vector images 
(hardware sub-pixel positioning and smoothing of the teeth), 
realistic animation of three-dimensional models in real or 
near- real-time (hardware Gouraud shading to Phong, or,

hardware texturing and even support for visualization of 
objects modeled by exceptionally capacious, from a 
computational point of view, the system particles. Such objects 
may be hair, plants, sparks,

flames, etc.). Taken
Together, these quantitative improvements lead to a qualitative 
leap: digital artists or designers do not have more spend time 
on tedious and fighting off any desire to experiment in the 
expectation modification of three-dimensional scene or

object.

 Unified description format

      three-dimensional geometry.


   Three-dimensional modeling is maintained at the operating 
environment. In addition to the standard system file formats 
adopted to describe the text, raster and vector graphics

(Corresponding to the usual
PC users file), SGI
apply a single, unified format (so-called OPEN
INVENTOR) describe the three-dimensional
geometry. Naturally, the models described by these files,
possible without any restrictions
convert, transfer between
various programs to insert into documents for printing and
view, including online (for example, if
want a closer look
three-dimensional object or scene from
all sides, fairly easy
movement of the mouse to tell them the rotational motion). 
Appropriate system utilities with maximum efficiency involve 
the hardware resources of the concrete machine and its 
peripherals equipment (eg, stereoscopic glasses).



       "Blue Room".


   Stunning and yet completely unrealized possibilities open 
for registration airtime one recent inventions from Silicon 
Graphics, and namely Virtual Set or Blue Room

("Blue Room"). The essence of this
invention is as follows:
in a small room with blue
walls are leading and
of the show. For cameras mounted sensors, which remove
information about the position and orientation in space, as 
well as their state of zoom. This

information is transmitted to the working
Silicon Onyx Reality Engine, which, using its push computing 
power, performance in real time and with

broadcast-quality images to generate a virtual
three-dimensional environment (modeled previously) in the 
studio and by replacing the blue color compose it with the 
removable material. Thus, the same room can be a

some time to shoot
(Or send a live stream!)
"Love at First Sight", and
an hour later - "Good night, kids." In this case, between the 
parties and participants in the first transmission

will flit virtual amurchiki and fire their arrows, virtual, and 
Aunt Tanya Piggy magical way will transfer into the human 
stomach, to tell the night children about the dangers of 
swallowing pins. Try also voobrozit speaker, read an 
astrological forecast, standing at the top growth in the middle 
of the solar system, or a weather forecaster, who tramples the 
three-dimensional world map and veers between swaying in the 
wind translucent isotherms and isobars. On Based on video, just 
transferred to the newsroom from the combat zone or a football 
match, a special software can form a background, creating a 
visual impression of that the transmission is removed directly 
into the trench or on the board field. Thus, the expressive 
design of virtual environment in the "Blue Room" is limited 
only by the imagination computer artist. This advanced 
technology is already used by several television stations in 
the including one of the most popular

international satellite sports news channel, which
broadcast from Germany.


     To be continued ...
________________________________