MultiGen announces availability and pricing for SmartScene, an immersive application for assembling realtime 3D scenes; MultiGen to team up with the LEGO Group and Silicon Graphics to Demo "Virtual Village," a SmartScene experience from the LEGO Group at SIGGRAPH 96.

NEW ORLEANS, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 1996--(SIGGRAPH 96 Booth #1929)--MultiGen(R) Inc., the leader in realtime 3D authoring software, today announced availability and pricing for SmartScene(TM), the new immersive assembler which allows a user to stand in the scene he or she is creating and design a realtime 3D world. SmartScene, winner of CyberEdge Journal's "Virtual Reality Product of the Year" award, represents a breakthrough in both accessibility and productivity for realtime 3D scene assembly through the use of virtual reality.

Instead of modeling objects polygon by polygon with a mouse and keyboard, the SmartScene user easily and rapidly assembles and manipulates realtime 3D scenes in a fully immersive virtual reality environment. Wearing pinch gloves and a 3D head-mounted display, the SmartScene user steps into a virtual workspace and becomes the architect of realtime 3D worlds through the intuitive and natural movements of a two-handed interface.

SmartScene at SIGGRAPH 96

"SmartScene is often called the closest thing to Star Trek's Holodeck, " said Joe Fantuzzi, president and CEO of MultiGen. "The commercial release of SmartScene will debut at SIGGRAPH 96 with a new demonstration called the 'Virtual Village,' which will enable visitors to step inside SmartScene and enjoy the world's first interactive Holodeck experience."

Using model content provided by the LEGO Group -- a SmartScene early access customer -- the Virtual Village allows visitors to enter storefronts and participate in construction projects in New Orleans. Running over an ATM network of new Onyx(R) InfiniteReality(TM) workstations from Silicon Graphics(R) Inc., the Virtual Village will transport players into a new dimension.

The LEGO Group is employing SmartScene in their digital prototyping effort to re-invent the product development process. Taking a shadow database approach, the LEGO Group is building a realtime 3D library of all LEGO(R) parts in MultiGen's OpenFlight(R) file format to allow realtime evaluation of new toy designs. Using SmartScene, artists at the LEGO Group can quickly see how new designs and combinations of designs interact. SmartScene was chosen by the LEGO Group because of its natural, two-handed interface and the ability to add ModelTime(TM) Behaviors, or prescribed attributes, to realtime models.

"The value of realtime interaction with new creations is critical to the toy development process," according to Dent-de-Lion du Midi, director of research and development for the LEGO Group. "Realtime is real fun."

Unique Toolset Increases Accessibility and Productivity

Pre-modeled components accessed through SmartScene are embedded with authoring functions and tools, making the assembly of a realtime 3D scene a "building block" process. The user easily plucks a recognizable component from a library of models created with MultiGen tools, snaps it into the scene, and then customizes the size and appearance of the model. SmartScene models are "smart" because they are encoded with context-appropriate choices and behaviors: not only do they precisely align themselves with other objects in the scene, they also seek out appropriate components to snap onto. For example, trees can be inserted into grassy areas, but not into paved spaces.

"SmartScene redefines the state-of-the-art in 3D scene construction with a virtual reality-based user interface and a set of prefabricated objects that can be moved and reshaped by hand," added Paul Mlyniec, director of SmartScene product development. "SmartScene provides a 3D visual workspace that takes advantage of natural hand-to-eye coordination and facilitates intuitive design."

SmartScene can be used for a wide range of simulation applications, including: creative development for gaming, film and TV; urban planning; early childhood development and education; interior, architectural and set design; accident and crime reenactment; medical training and rehearsal; and driving and flight training. The unique tools that accomplish this include:

-- ModelTime Behaviors, which are built into the components of SmartScene, allowing for quick, accurate assembly. Pre-designed components, which automatically snap into precise positions with other appropriate elements, will not attach in unrealistic ways or combinations. ModelTime Behaviors make the details of scene creation almost automatic, allowing the designer to focus on the design itself.

-- Component Model Kits streamline the assembly of new scene elements, such as houses and parks. As a result, the user can build more varied scenes.

-- SmartPalette Textures and Colors offer a choice of realistic surfaces for each specific type of scene element.

-- Visual 3D Browser and Widget Tools enable the designer's simple hand motions to access a vast library of logically organized, easy to find modeling elements.

-- Realtime Readiness allows scenes created with SmartScene to be displayed in realtime using Silicon Graphics Performer(TM).

-- Stereo-optic 3D Head-mounted Display visually places the user in the scene, making manipulation of components easier and more intuitive.

-- Two-handed Pinch(TM) Gloves permit the user to employ natural hand gestures to grasp, position, scale and rotate objects such as houses or terrain features within a scene. Similar movements control the colors and textures applied to the scene.

SmartScene Pre-Release Customers

Recently, the Digital Media department at Orlando's Full Sail School acquired MultiGen's SmartScene to facilitate set design and determine proper camera angles. Without SmartScene, sets had to be fully constructed before camera locations were selected. If the camera angles didn't work, the set had to be modified, or torn down and rebuilt.

"Full Sail does things with an eye toward the real world, and we prepare our students to compete. SmartScene moves virtual reality away from being a research tool and makes virtual reality a tool the industry can use," said Rob Kato, director of virtual reality for Full Sail.

Using the latest in VR technology, the University of Missouri is preparing itself for education in the 21st century by developing advanced visual simulations for virtual reality classrooms. The Digital Media Research Center is currently developing a virtual reality reconstruction of an ancient city from 3500 BC in Poloma, Peru. MultiGen modeling software is being used to recreate the city based on data acquired from a recent excavation. When the simulation is complete, students will be able to tour the virtual city, handle objects, and conduct excavations through SmartScene.

In the University's School of Medicine, a MultiGen database is being adapted to run with SmartScene to allow medical students and users at the University-affiliated hospital to participate in a simulation of 10 common cases of chronic heart problems in infants and actually operate on the heart.

"MultiGen's SmartScene is not only a 3D scene-assembly tool for 3D designers, it's also a revolutionary user interface based on ModelTime Behaviors that will allow companies and end-users to explore Internet-based interactive applications in full-immersion virtual reality," said Ray Homan, director of SmartScene business development. "Children could visit an online toy store and actually play with interactive 3D models of dolls, trucks and games before making a purchase; a family could take a walking tour of homes for sale without leaving their agent's office; or a manufacturer could train new staff at distant locations on the latest safety procedures over the 'Net."

Pricing and Availability

SmartScene is available today. To streamline sales and support for customers in the United States, MultiGen has reached an agreement with FakeSpace to act as a distributor for all peripheral hardware required for SmartScene. The peripheral hardware includes: head-mounted display (Virtual Research); tracker (Polhemus); and pinch gloves (FakeSpace). Though other peripherals function with SmartScene, this is the first tested and recommended suite of hardware peripherals.

The required components are:

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PRODUCT            MANUFACTURER/DISTRIBUTOR  SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE

SmartScene software    MultiGen Inc.             US$30,000
                       408/261-4100
                       http://www.multigen.com/

SmartScene Peripheral  FakeSpace                 US$17,000
Pack                   415/688-1940              (estimated)

Indigo2 High IMPACT    Silicon Graphics Inc.     N/A
to Onyx workstation    800/800-7441
                       http://www.sgi.com

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MultiGen Inc.

MultiGen Inc., founded in 1986, is the leading supplier of realtime 3D authoring software for visual simulation, entertainment and CAD visualization applications. Its products, including MultiGen II, GameGen II and SmartScene are used to create 3D objects and scenes used in realtime applications for non-immersive and immersive environments. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., the company markets its products worldwide directly, through a network of distributors and VARs, and via partnerships with leading computing and realtime simulation companies. -0-

MultiGen and OpenFlight are registered trademarks and GameGen, SmartScene and ModelTime are trademarks of MultiGen Inc. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: MultiGen Inc.

Juli Godsil, 408/261-4100

[e-mail]

http://www.multigen.com/

or

Schwartz Communications Inc.

Hallie Loring, 415/512-0770

Mark McClennan, 617/431-0770

[e-mail]

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