Components for distributed virtual environments

ABSTRACT

The majority of existing systems supporting Large Scale Virtual Environments (LSVE) are based on monolithic architectures, making maintenance, reusability and extensibility difficult at best. An overview of the Java Adaptive Dynamic Environment (JADE) is presented as an alternative to the traditional approach for developing a core infrastructure for VE systems. JADE consists of a light-weight cross-platform kernel with inherent capabilities for dynamic extensibility in run-time. Although the design principles are applicable to other areas, the implementation is targeted at LSVE. The JADE implementation is 100% Java, taking full advantage of the following properties: wide deployment across major operating systems and browsers; comprehensive set of packages; networking capabilities and security mechanisms.

REFERENCES

• 1: Donald P. Brutzman , Michael Zyda , Kent Watsen , Michael R. Macedonia, Virtual Reality Transfer Protocol (VRTP) Design Rationale, Proceedings of the 6th Workshop on Enabling Technologies on Infrastructure for Collaborative Enterprises, p.179-186, June 18-20, 1997
• 2: K. Watsen , M. Zyda, Bamboo - A Portable System for Dynamically Extensible, Real-Time, Networked, Virtual Environments, Proceedings of the Virtual Reality Annual International Symposium, p.252, March 14-18, 1998
• 3: Bill Venners, Inside the Java Virtual Machine, McGraw-Hill Professional, 1999
• 4: Johannes Helander , Alessandro Forin, MMLite: a highly componentized system architecture, Proceedings of the 8th ACM SIGOPS European workshop on Support for composing distributed applications, p.96-103, September 1998, Sintra, Portugal [doi>10.1145/319195.319210]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Artificial, augmented, and virtual realities

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.2 Graphics Systems
          Subjects: Distributed/network graphics
      I.3.7 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism
          Subjects: Virtual reality

General Terms:
Design, Performance, Theory

Keywords:
components, framework, virtual environments, virtual reality