Virtual Reality (VR) enables the creation of virtual stimuli that mimic the natural world by creating the illusion of "real" environments. Such sensory data often explores only the visual realm, but acoustics and haptics are becoming vital in the field of VR. VR applications typically involve three essential components: real-time processing, immersion and interaction. It is however very common to speak of VR whether or not an environment is immersive, and even when only visual clues are used.

Designing an immersive experience means striking the right balance amongst various input and output parameters.

Input:

• Number of simultaneous, active users
• Number of passive usersD
• Degree of interactivity (navigation / manipulation)
• Scenography: show space and control room, sound requirements and constraints

Output:

• Number of screens and screen shape (curved/flat, cubic, cylindrical, conic, spherical)
• Interaction devices
• Front or rear projection
• Stereo mode (if necessary)

For creating interactive 3D applications using image projection and PC clusters, VR software must:

• Be cluster-ready!
• Support cluster hardware features (genlock/swaplock) and able to provide software-only swaplock if necessary.
• Allow users to scale clusters (up or down), by supporting both multiple outputs per PC and multiple PCs per output.
• Ensure that authoring and deployment are as easy with a cluster as with a single PC.
• Make it possible to deploy at various sites without any authoring changes.
• Enable separate purchase of development or runtime licenses.
• Be flexible to allow cause, effect or mixed distribution.
• Be compatible with cutting-edge graphics features (pixel and vertex shaders, vertex buffer objects, PCI-Express, etc.).
• Be compatible with any display, from HMDs to CAVEs, and even online deployment when possible.
• Support hardware and software warping, as well as hardware and software edge blending.
• Support all kinds of stereo and a wide range of VR peripherals, and be able to switch from one to another without making any authoring changes to the application.
• Be able to emulate peripherals when none are present.
• Have open architecture to let you to add new devices.

Virtools Software Suite

The Virtools Software Suite is a complete development platform with an innovative approach to interactive 3D content creation. The Virtools production process facilitates prototyping as well as the robust development needed for full-scale applications. Breaking away from traditional authoring environments, Virtools solutions help optimize timescales and budgets: meet your production requirements on schedule while significantly reducing production costs and overall risks.

Virtools Dev

Virtools Dev is the core platform for creating highly interactive 3D applications. Virtools Dev authoring software is built on the Virtools Behavioral Engine and offers an innovative graphical user interface for intuitive programming and production. Use Dev’s standard library of behavior building blocks (BBs) to create complex interactivity, or customize and embed your own components with the Virtools Dev SDK.

Virtools VR Pack Development Edition: The VR Add-on Package for Virtools Dev

Virtools VR Pack greatly simplifies authoring complex VR systems using Virtools Dev, to build sophisticated immersive experiences using industry-standard VR peripherals and PC-based distributed computing (clusters). Virtools' VR solution specifically addresses the following needs: distribution of Virtools scene rendering on PC clusters, management of VR input devices such as 3D trackers, and management of VR displays including VR headsets, multi-screen, active/passive stereo, etc.

Virtools VR Pack Publishing Edition

Virtools VR Pack Publishing Edition is required to publish or publicly display content created with the Development Edition on virtual reality devices and displays (cubic rooms, panoramic rooms, image walls, etc.). The Publishing Edition is comprised of two separate licenses, both of which allow for an unrestricted number of applications:

• Virtools VR Pack / Publishing Cluster: valid for one cluster with an unlimited number of computers,
• Virtools VR Pack / Publishing Player: one per computer in the cluster.

The concept of Virtual Reality is relatively new in India, oil and gas companies worldwide have been using virtual reality solutions for visualization of oil reservoirs. The solutions have been paying off as the cost of hitting dry wells has come down drastically with the use of these solutions. Manufacturers can use this concept for designing digital prototypes, design validation and product styling. Major users include BMW, Ford, GM, Daimler-Chrysler and Tata Engineering.

In India, PSG College of Technology has a reality centre for training students in the areas of molecular modeling, drug discovery, digital prototyping and industrial styling. BHEL has set up a reality centre for designing gas turbines.