CompuServe Thread

#NEW! VR Graphics!

5 messages in this thread
#138146From: daniel wolfApr 6, 1994 1:53 AM
MegageM is pleased to announce SPXPro with SPXSync, a new high speed graphics system for dual video Head Mounted Displays (including MegageM's new AmiVRPro HMD, announced two weeks ago on CIS AmigaUser Forum). SPXPro generates real-time 3D wire-frame animated displays for HMDs. SPXPro creates an animated display for each eye, running the same SPXPro program on two separate Amigas! SPXPro integrates MegageM's revolutionary SPXSync system to link two Amigas together and synchronize their graphics. SPXPro with SPXSync lets two Amigas feed video to any dual video device and produce synchronized stereoscopic 3D real-time double-buffered animation. SPXPro works in 256 color AGA and SPXPro lets you view 3D stereo-pair images (made with VistaPro, Imagine,etc.) and create real-time double-buffered animation (including 3D rotations!) over stereo-pair image backgrounds. SPXPro is the perfect software development environment for the new AmiVRPro HMD from MegageM. Now it is possible to create true synchronized stereo 3D animation for dual display systems. SPXPro is a highly efficient graphics display language which can animate multiple 3D polygon objects rotating in real time and handle IFF images. SPXPro is ideal for VR games, medical imaging, and other advanced 3D applications. Complete packages (AmiVRPro HMD, SPXPro with SPXSync, & Amiga 1200s with 50mhz 030/882/SCSI) are available now – Contact: MegageM 1903 Adria Santa Maria, CA 93454 805-349-1104
#138177From: Dale LarsonApr 6, 1994 6:54 AM
What kinda prices are we lookin' at here? What are the software requirements? Do you have to have two AA machines, or will a 3000 and 4000 do in a pinch? Will an unaccelerated A1200 do in a pinch? What are the hardware requirements for the HMD? Is it driven from the video port (I guess it must be if it works on an A1200)? Is SPXSync based on parnet or something similar? What is the hardware? — Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing — INTERNET:dale@iam.com
#138325From: daniel wolfApr 7, 1994 4:22 AM
You do need two AGA machines for now – I can easily make a version for A3000 if anyone really wants it. I think the faster blit of the AGA is better for real-time double buffered animation and AGA is the way to go. That's how the software is now set up to work. All you need for just the HMD is two video streams from anywhere! You could use two cameras on a t-bar mount for simple ordinary 3D video. My SPXPro/SPXLink system is to drive the HMD from the video output ports of two Amigas (1200's are ideal). The only extra requirement for the A1200 is a math chip (for doing the 3D rotations in real-time on the fly by FAST assembly language!). But I'd recommend a CSA 12-guage board and that'll be the basic configuration I'm offering – The HMD, 2 A1200's w/50mhz CSA boards, and SPXPro/SPXLink for $7500. The hardware link is my own proprietary development, a clever but effective and direct wired link. All of this is actually now fully operational here at MegageM. I've got my A1200/CSA12-guage linked to my A4000/040 via SPXLink and SPXPro running fast 3D animation with synch'd Amigas on two separate screens (one each for left and right eye views). I figured Parnet or Serial port would not be fast enough, so I devised my own method. It's a BLAST! This is ideal for VR game developers, 3D medical imaging, etc. SPXPro/SPXLink technology also available for license to others.
#139028From: David HammApr 13, 1994 10:38 PM
Hi Daniel, Your post to Dale was just a bit too technical for me, but I enjoyed reading about your activities… If anyone asked me about HMD, I normally wouldn't be able to reply intelligently. <grin> However, I wanted to let you know that the local BBS boards are giving VR a lot of bandwidth lately… People are very excited about it here, mainly because a local mall has a VR setup there. The VR arrangement at the mall appears to be Amiga-driven (which most people don't seem to believe), and almost every post just rambles on and on about how awesome the experience is! I wish you the best. – Dave
#139732From: daniel wolfApr 19, 1994 4:01 AM
thanks, david – spread the news wide and far about MegageM's new Amiga VR stuff. Press releases and photos of the VR headset just went out to a number of publications along with information about the new software for synchronized Amigas.