VISUALIZATION

Silicon Graphics, a global leader in high-performance computing, storage and advanced visualization has announced original software developer (OSD) distribution agreements with ICIDO (say: I see I do), and VirCinity. These two are the first in a new OSD visualization software initiative from SGI that enables independent software vendors (ISVs) to focus on innovation and product differentiation instead of the details of scene graphs and volume visualization. OSDs will now be able to build SGI's cross-platform OpenGL Performer and OpenGL Volumizer application programming interfaces (APIs) into their applications and distribute them as a complete solution on systems running the IRIX, Linux and Windows operating systems. "This new licensing agreement makes it easier for ISVs to offer complete solutions to their customers and should help boost their sales," said Shawn Underwood, director of product marketing, Visual Systems Group, SGI. "By licensing our cross-platform OpenGL Volumizer and OpenGL Performer APIs, we've freed developers to concentrate on adding the features their customers want instead of spending time learning hardware interfaces." Among the first group of announced partners are ICIDO GmbH, a supplier of ready-to-use, interactive Virtual Reality integrated solutions, and VirCinity, a developer of solutions for visualization and Virtual Reality that offer optimal support for engineers in analyzing the results of computations or simulations. These two ISVs will be integrating the OpenGL Performer scene graph into their applications and distributing them on multiple hardware and operating system platforms. OpenGL Performer is ideal for visualization OSDs since it allows them to focus on what they want to draw instead of the details of how it is drawn on each hardware and software environment they want to support. OpenGL Performer offers a powerful and comprehensive API for developers creating real-time visual simulation and other professional performance-oriented 3D graphics applications. OpenGL Volumizer is a powerful API that provides a high-level interface to OpenGL(R) hardware and powerful multi-resolution data management tools that allow application developers to visualize multiple gigabytes of volumetric data in the medical, energy, scientific research and manufacturing industries. "By partnering with SGI, it enabled us to bolster the appeal of our solution," said Dr. Andreas Wierse, Managing Director, VirCinity. "Because OpenGL Performer delivers unparalleled visualization and exploration capabilities, systems bundled with these API's are extremely attractive to our customers." VirCinity develops Visualization and Virtual Reality solutions that offer optimal support for engineers in analyzing the results of computations or simulations -- in a standalone environment, for cooperation across boundaries within a company, or in a worldwide network of partners. According to Thomas Reiber, Managing Director, ICIDO, "As the market's leading supplier of ready-to-use, interactive Virtual Reality integrated solutions, the ability to offer SGI's OpenGL Performer ensures that ICIDO's customers are getting the most complete systems to meet the demands of the VR industry." ICIDO develops and markets interactive Virtual Prototyping software which integrates all types of CAx data and offers a new kind of a spatial user interface to evaluate designs and perform tasks like assembly, ergonomic and reflection analyses. SGI's OSD visualization software initiative is available to software developers through the SGI Global Developer Program. The SGI Global Developer Program is a primary source for technical and business resources for anyone developing on the SGI platforms. There is no membership fee to join the program and it provides significant benefits to developers including a website filled with technical information, development system access via the Internet and technical assistance for software development and tuning.