Evans & Sutherland Rolls Out Universal 3D Architecture for Highest Performance 3D Graphics; Powerful New Family of Compatible Systems Leverages Industry-Standard Technologies

Business Wire, Dec 3, 1996

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 1996--Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation (E&S(r)) (NASDAQ:ESCC) today announced its Universal 3D Architecture for the industry's highest performance 3D visual systems. For the first time, a fully-compatible family of 3D graphics systems utilizing high-volume industry-standard technologies will extend from desktop NT workstations to the most powerful real-time image generators.

Harmony, the high end of the new E&S family, debuts today at the I/ITSEC simulation trade show, along with Integrator NT, a breakthrough software package for the production and management of synthetic environments. REALimage, the desktop end of this family, was introduced in August at SigGraph96. REALimage, Harmony, and Integrator NT were all prominently featured in the "War for Eyeballs" keynote speech at Fall Comdex96 delivered by Andrew S. Grove, CEO of Intel Corporation.

"Until now, sophisticated 3D graphics were only available on proprietary UNIX-based systems," said Jim Oyler, President and CEO of E&S. "Our new Universal 3D Architecture decisively moves these capabilities to high-volume platforms running the Windows NT operating system. Graphics professionals now have the best of both worlds: the highest performance at every price point together with the cost advantage of high-volume platform production.

"Our new product family combines best-of-breed technology from Evans & Sutherland, Intel, and Microsoft to yield enormous benefits for our customers, who will have access to the hardware and software available in the fastest-growing segment of the computer industry while maintaining the highest standards of performance," said Oyler.

Universal 3D Architecture for Cost-Effective Synthetic Worlds

Building upon its 28 years of graphics expertise, E&S has created a family of products that meets the needs of developers and users of highly realistic synthetic environments. At the core is an open structure based on Intel architecture, with front end computation controlled by the Windows NT operating system. This product strategy easily scales with technology improvements and supports widely available software.

Industry standard technologies used in the E&S Universal 3D Architecture include:

-- Windows NT: The operating system for hosting modeling software and tools, as well as administrative and control functions in the new E&S products.

-- Intel Pentium Pro: The leading processor in most NT workstations is also used for geometry processing in E&S's new image generators. Future generations of E&S products will track the performance improvements of Intel processors, increasing at the fastest rate in the industry.

-- OpenGL: Image database elements are rendered through the OpenGL graphics library and Applications Programming Interface (API). However, new E&S products are structured in a completely modular fashion to allow future use of Direct3D or other graphics API's as they become accepted for professional applications.

-- PCI: REALimage boards plug into standard PCI slots, and the new high-end E&S image generators use the PCI bus to communicate between the workstation front-end and the image generator hardware.

Two members of E&S's new family debut today: Harmony, a highly evolved real-time image generator, and Integrator NT, a software package which enables graphics databases to be created, stored, and shared across E&S's entire new product line. (A one page architectural schematic is available upon request.) Using Integrator NT for the production of synthetic worlds dramatically lowers the cost of database production and allows re-use on different hardware as performance requirements change.

This method of database production also preserves the hardware and software investments customers have already made. Legacy systems can be used to produce database elements in standard file formats for export to Integrator NT, running on an NT workstation.

E&S's Harmony: A sophisticated real-time image generator

A Harmony system consists of a front-end Pentium Pro/NT workstation for database development and user interface, together with a separately housed image generator. The image generator section includes multiple Pentium Pro processors for real time control and geometry processing, plus custom chips designed by E&S. Harmony is targeted at extremely demanding flight and ground vehicle simulation, digital television, and highly-realistic content creation.

The most highly-evolved, real-time image generator available to date, Harmony combines workstation flexibility, a full range of simulation features, industry standards, and new rendering algorithms in one system to provide ease of use and scene realism never before achieved in high-performance, real-time applications. Harmony's new features include:

-- Vivid texturing -- Optimal texture sharpening on a pixel-by-pixel basis ensures crisp textures -- critical for features like digital cinema or military simulations. New texture modes also provide contour detailing and sharpening of texture motifs captured from photographs.