IBM and TGS join in SIGGRAPH '95 VRML 1.0 tutorial; TGS' Open Inventor and WebSpace make IBM-AIX ''VRML-ready''

Business Wire, August 7, 1995

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 1995--(SIGGRAPH) International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) and Template Graphics Software Inc. (TGS) have joined forces to deliver a VRML 1.0 hands-on tutorial during the SIGGRAPH '95 graphics trade show this week in Los Angeles.

TGS is providing its port of WebSpace for AIX on a number of IBM RS/6000 graphics workstations in the IBM booth (No. 2044), and has staff on hand to answer VRML/Open Inventor questions throughout the show.

Specially for SIGGRAPH, TGS developed a full-stereo version of the WebSpace 3D/VRML browser, enabling users on IBM RS/6000 workstations to experience a true-to-life navigational experience through virtual worlds on the World Wide Web. Since both Open Inventor and WebSpace utilize OpenGL for graphics rendering, IBM workstations and personal computers are now ``VRML-ready'' with the TGS products.

``Template Graphics Software has a long history of supporting the full range of IBM platforms with quality, standards-based graphics software,'' said Bill Fleming, graphics brand manager, IBM Power Personal Systems Division. ``TGS has taken a leadership position in the integration of VRML 1.0 with Open Inventor-based products. This VRML tutorial would not have been possible were it not for the effort by TGS, and we are impressed with the result.''

Open Inventor is a C class library used for quickly developing sophisticated 3-D graphics applications, and it utilizes the industry-standard OpenGL for 3-D graphics rendering. TGS is a source licensee of OpenGL and Open Inventor from Silicon Graphics and is making those products available on a wide range of hardware systems.

TGS is also demonstrating cross-platform OpenGL, Open Inventor and WebSpace products in the TGS booth (No. 1527), as well as in the Sun (No. 2031), Microsoft (No. 2341), Intergraph (No. 1405) and NEC (No. 2257) booths.

Open Inventor is the basis for the Virtual Reality Modeling Language, VRML 1.0, an emerging Internet 3-D standard. In March 1995, TGS and SGI worked together to establish Open Inventor as the basis for VRML within a grass-roots Internet group called the VRML Technical Forum.

WebSpace, the world's first 3D/VRML browser, was co-developed by TGS and Silicon Graphics using the Open Inventor toolkit, with SGI providing WebSpace for its systems and TGS providing the product for all other UNIX and PC systems.

While OpenGL has been widely licensed by Silicon Graphics, to vendors such as DEC, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, TGS and others, Open Inventor licensing has been limited to a select few.

``Due in large part to TGS efforts with Open Inventor in the past year, the toolkit has moved from being viewed as `SGI-only' to an emerging de facto standard,'' said Terry Baker, president of TGS.

``TGS was first to make Open Inventor cross-platform, we were key to having ANSI/ISO adopt it for an X3H3 effort, and we initiated the effort to establish Open Inventor as the basis for VRML 1.0. We are finding great success with Open Inventor on many platforms and will work hard to continue our leadership with the product.''

TGS has unique support for VRML 1.0 within the Open Inventor toolkit, and shares source-code rights for the WebSpace browser with SGI. IBM has been assisting TGS in making WebSpace and Open Inventor available on IBM systems. WebSpace and Open Inventor for AIX and other platforms are available from the TGS WWW Home Page at http://www.sd.tgs.com/(tilde) template or via ftp at ftp.sd.tgs.com/pub/template, anonymous login supported.

About TGS

Template Graphics Software and European subsidiary G5G S.A. produce cross-platform graphics software tools and utilities for Fortune 500, government, commercial, academic and research organizations. TGS has offered cross-platform graphics software since 1982 and is the largest independent producer of graphics software tools in the world.

Template Graphics Software, with headquarters in San Diego, is a member of ANSI/ISO graphics committees, the VRML Technical Forum, the OpenGL Advisory Forum and is active in establishing new standards and directions for computer graphics technologies. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: Screen shots available at ftp.sd/tgs.com/pub/template/press, or upon request. All trademarks belong to their respective companies. The TGS logo and FIGARO are trademarks for Template Graphics Software Inc.; WebSpace OpenGL and Open Inventor are trademarks of Silicon Graphics Inc.; AIX is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp.

CONTACT: Template Graphics Software Inc., San Diego

Robert J. Weideman or Diane Connolly

619/457-5359, ext. 222

619/452-2547 (fax)

info@tgs.com

http://www.sd.tgs.com/(tilde)template (WWW)