Building high performance DVR via HLA, scene graph and parallel rendering

ABSTRACT

Distributed simulation and parallel rendering based on PC cluster have seen great success in recent years. To improve the overall performance, there is a trend to integrate modeling, simulation and visualization into a common distributed environment. In this paper, we propose a unified framework of building high performance distributed virtual reality (DVR) applications. The core components of this framework include the High Level Architecture (HLA), scene graphs and parallel rendering. The HLA supports interactive distributed simulation. Scene graphs are efficient to organize and manipulate scene data. And parallel rendering provides powerful rendering ability. This paper presents the in-depth architectural analysis of each components and derives a design that integrates them into a unified framework. Two DVR applications, including a remote navigation of massive virtual scenes and a multi-player video game, have been developed to evaluate the framework performance.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.2 Graphics Systems

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.3 COMPUTER GRAPHICS
      I.3.6 Methodology and Techniques
      I.3.7 Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism
  I.6 SIMULATION AND MODELING
      I.6.7 Simulation Support Systems

Keywords:
collaborative environments, distributed simulation, distributed virtual reality, graphics cluster, high level architecture, parallel rendering, scene graph