**5.1.7 Cobalt**

Cobalt is a parametric-based computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D modeling software for both the Macintosh and Microsoft Windows. It integrates wireframe, freeform surfacing, feature-based solid modeling, photo-realistic rendering, and animation (http://www.ashlar.com/3d-modeling/3d-modeling-cobalt.html).

#### **5.1.8 Electric Image Animation System (EIAS)**

EIAS is an eminent 3D animation and rendering package available on both Mac OS X and Windows. Mostly known for its rendering quality and rendering speed it does not include a built-in modeler. EIAS is extensively used in Hollywood, and by professional studios all over the globe to create world-class animations. The popular film *Pirates of the Caribbean* and the television series *Lost* used the software (http://www.eias3d.com/products/eiasoverview).

## **5.1.9 Houdini**

This is used for visual effects and character animation. It was used in Disney's feature film *The Wild*. Houdini uses a non-standard interface that it refers to as a "NODE system". It has a hybrid micropolygon-raytracer renderer, Mantra, but it also has built-in support for commercial renderers like Pixar's Renderman and mental ray (http://www.sidefx.com).

#### **5.1.10 LightWave 3D**

This software was first developed for the Amiga. It was originally bundled as part of the Video Toaster package and entered the market as a low cost way for TV production companies to create quality CGI for their programming. It first gained public attention with its use in the TV series *Babylon 5* and it is used in several contemporary TV series. Lightwave is also used in a variety of modern film productions. It is available for both Windows and Mac OS X. LightWave's tools are designed for fast productivity and easy, intuitive use (http://www.newtek.com/lightwave.html).

A Survey of Some Virtual Reality Tools and Resources 37

This simulation software incorporates 3D displays and is designed to be used where first class presentation of a key proposal is required. This is an established general purpose simulation tool used by thousands of organizations to support continuous process improvement activities. WITNESS VR comes complete with a world building and editing package called mantra4D. This enables objects to be created from simple primitives (spheres, cylinders, boxes, etc) or to be imported from a variety of CAD and solid modeling packages (3DS, WRL formats included). Complex CAD models can be simplified using tools in mantra4D to render them suitable for real time fly-around VR. Backdrops can be created easily using simple surfaces and applied digital images which can be taken with any typical

Flexsim DS incorporates the latest advances in 3D simulation software-from realistic VR environments to network collaboration. Flexsim DS can create custom installations and

OpenSimulator is a 3D application server. It can be used to create a virtual environment (world) which can be accessed through a variety of clients, on multiple protocols (Mousa, n.d). OpenSimulator allows you to develop your environment using technologies you feel work best (Onyesolu & Eze, 2011). OpenSimulator has numerous advantages which among

a. OpenSimulator is released under BSD license, making it both open source, and

b. It has many tools for developers to build various applications (chat application,

c. OpenSimulator can be extended via modules to build completely custom configuration.

e. Supports many programming languages for application development such as Linden Scripting Language / OpenSimulator Scripting Language (LSL/OSSL), C#, and/or

Croquet is an open source 3D graphical platform that is used by experienced software developers to create and deploy deeply collaborative multi-user online virtual world applications on and across multipl e o p e r a t i n g s y s t e m s a n d d e v i c e s (http://www.opencroquet.org/index.php/Main\_Page). Croquet is a next generation virtual operating system (OS) written in Squeak. Squeak is a modern variant of Smalltalk. Squeak runs mathematically identical on all machines. Croquet system features a peer-based messaging protocol that dramatically reduces the need for server infrastructures to support virtual world deployment and makes it easy for software developers to create deeply

d. It is a world building tools for creating content real time in the environment.

f. It incorporates rich and handy documentations and tutorials.

build distributed modeling environment (http://www.flexsim.com/products/ds/).

digital camera (http://www.laner.com/en/media/witness/vr.cmf).

**5.3.1 WITNESS VR** 

**5.3.2 Flexsim DS** 

other things are:

**5.3.4 Croquet** 

**5.3.3 OpenSimulator (OpenSim)** 

Jscript and VB.NET

commercially friendly to embed in products.

buildings, and avatars among others).

#### **5.1.11 MASSIVE**

This is a 3D animation system for generating crowd-related visual effects, targeted for use in film and television. It was originally developed for controlling the large-scale CGI battles in *The Lord of the Rings*. Massive has become an industry standard for digital crowd control in high end animation and has been used on several other big-budget films. It is available for various Unix and Linux platforms as well as Windows (http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/MASSIVE\_(software)).

#### **5.1.12 Maya**

Autodesk Maya 3D animation software delivers an end-to-end creative workflow with comprehensive tools for animation, modeling, simulation, visual effects, rendering, match moving, and compositing on a highly extensible production platform. This software is currently used in the film, television, and gaming industry. Maya has developed over the years into an application platform in and of itself through extendibility via its MEL programming language. It is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X (http://usa.autodesk.com/maya)

#### **5.1.13 Poser**

Poser is a 3D CGI rendering and animation software program optimized for models that depict the human and animal figures in three-dimensional form. Poser has a basic library of human, animal, robotic, and cartoon figures. Poser software package also include poses, hair pieces, props, textures, hand gestures and facial expression (http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Poser).

#### **5.2 2D graphics software**

2D graphics software is used to manipulate texture to be applied to the objects which enhance their visual details. 2D graphics software (also known 2D graphics editor or drawing program) is an application-level software for the creation of images, diagrams and illustrations by direct manipulation (through the mouse, graphics tablet, or similar device) of 2D computer graphics primitives. These editors generally provide geometric primitives as well as digital images; and some even support procedural models. The illustration is usually represented internally as a layered model, often with a hierarchical structure to make editing more convenient. These editors generally output graphics files where the layers and primitives are separately preserved in their original form. MacDraw, introduced in 1984 with the Macintosh line of computers, was an early example of this class; recent examples are the commercial products Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW (http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/CorelDRAW), and the free editors such as **xfig** or **Inkscape**. There are also many 2D graphics editors specialized for certain types of drawings such as electrical, electronic and VLSI diagrams, topographic maps, computer fonts, etc.

#### **5.3 VR simulation software**

Simulation software brings the components of VR together. It is used to program how these objects behave and set the rules that the virtual world follows. Some examples are presented:

#### **5.3.1 WITNESS VR**

36 Virtual Reality and Environments

This is a 3D animation system for generating crowd-related visual effects, targeted for use in film and television. It was originally developed for controlling the large-scale CGI battles in *The Lord of the Rings*. Massive has become an industry standard for digital crowd control in high end animation and has been used on several other big-budget films. It is available for various Unix and Linux platforms as well as Windows (http://en.wikipedia.org/

Autodesk Maya 3D animation software delivers an end-to-end creative workflow with comprehensive tools for animation, modeling, simulation, visual effects, rendering, match moving, and compositing on a highly extensible production platform. This software is currently used in the film, television, and gaming industry. Maya has developed over the years into an application platform in and of itself through extendibility via its MEL programming language. It is available for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X

Poser is a 3D CGI rendering and animation software program optimized for models that depict the human and animal figures in three-dimensional form. Poser has a basic library of human, animal, robotic, and cartoon figures. Poser software package also include poses, hair pieces, props, textures, hand gestures and facial expression (http://en.wikipedia.org/

2D graphics software is used to manipulate texture to be applied to the objects which enhance their visual details. 2D graphics software (also known 2D graphics editor or drawing program) is an application-level software for the creation of images, diagrams and illustrations by direct manipulation (through the mouse, graphics tablet, or similar device) of 2D computer graphics primitives. These editors generally provide geometric primitives as well as digital images; and some even support procedural models. The illustration is usually represented internally as a layered model, often with a hierarchical structure to make editing more convenient. These editors generally output graphics files where the layers and primitives are separately preserved in their original form. MacDraw, introduced in 1984 with the Macintosh line of computers, was an early example of this class; recent examples are the commercial products Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW (http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/CorelDRAW), and the free editors such as **xfig** or **Inkscape**. There are also many 2D graphics editors specialized for certain types of drawings such as electrical, electronic and

Simulation software brings the components of VR together. It is used to program how these objects behave and set the rules that the virtual world follows. Some examples are

**5.1.11 MASSIVE** 

**5.1.12 Maya** 

**5.1.13 Poser**

wiki/Poser).

**5.2 2D graphics software** 

**5.3 VR simulation software** 

presented:

VLSI diagrams, topographic maps, computer fonts, etc.

wiki/MASSIVE\_(software)).

(http://usa.autodesk.com/maya)

This simulation software incorporates 3D displays and is designed to be used where first class presentation of a key proposal is required. This is an established general purpose simulation tool used by thousands of organizations to support continuous process improvement activities. WITNESS VR comes complete with a world building and editing package called mantra4D. This enables objects to be created from simple primitives (spheres, cylinders, boxes, etc) or to be imported from a variety of CAD and solid modeling packages (3DS, WRL formats included). Complex CAD models can be simplified using tools in mantra4D to render them suitable for real time fly-around VR. Backdrops can be created easily using simple surfaces and applied digital images which can be taken with any typical digital camera (http://www.laner.com/en/media/witness/vr.cmf).

#### **5.3.2 Flexsim DS**

Flexsim DS incorporates the latest advances in 3D simulation software-from realistic VR environments to network collaboration. Flexsim DS can create custom installations and build distributed modeling environment (http://www.flexsim.com/products/ds/).

#### **5.3.3 OpenSimulator (OpenSim)**

OpenSimulator is a 3D application server. It can be used to create a virtual environment (world) which can be accessed through a variety of clients, on multiple protocols (Mousa, n.d). OpenSimulator allows you to develop your environment using technologies you feel work best (Onyesolu & Eze, 2011). OpenSimulator has numerous advantages which among other things are:


#### **5.3.4 Croquet**

Croquet is an open source 3D graphical platform that is used by experienced software developers to create and deploy deeply collaborative multi-user online virtual world applications on and across multipl e o p e r a t i n g s y s t e m s a n d d e v i c e s (http://www.opencroquet.org/index.php/Main\_Page). Croquet is a next generation virtual operating system (OS) written in Squeak. Squeak is a modern variant of Smalltalk. Squeak runs mathematically identical on all machines. Croquet system features a peer-based messaging protocol that dramatically reduces the need for server infrastructures to support virtual world deployment and makes it easy for software developers to create deeply

A Survey of Some Virtual Reality Tools and Resources 39

collaborative applications. Croquet provides rich tutorials, resources and videos as

Ogoglio is an open source 3D graphical platform like Croquet. The main goal of the Ogoglio is to build an online urban style space for creative collaboration. Ogoglio platform is built from the languages and protocols of the web. Therefore, it's scripting language is javascript; it's main data transfer protocol is hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), it's 2D layout is hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheet (CSS), and it has lightwave object geometry format for its 3D (http://foo.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2007/01/ interview\_with\_.html). Ogoglio is very different from the other virtual reality world development platforms because it uses Windows, Linux, Solaris operating system platforms

This is a cross-platform, distributed operating system for PC-cluster-based VR. Syzygy is a programming toolkit for writing virtual reality or other graphical applications. Syzygy applications can run on a single computer, but Syzygy is especially designed for the creation of applications to run on clusters of networked computers. Programs or instances of the same program running on different computers in the cluster communicate with one another and share data. The cluster as a whole effectively becomes a single computer with multiple screens and input devices. The rendering of your virtual world is synchronized on all of the computers (to within a few milliseconds), so different screens in the cluster give you different simultaneous views on the virtual world. Included utilities handle communication with 6DOF trackers and other input devices. Spatially-localized sound is supported using the FMOD libraries and non-localized text-to-speech on Windows

Digital sound editing software is used to mix and edit sounds that objects make within the virtual environment. There are so many digital sound editors. Some are presented in table 1.

There are so many VR resources and tools from industry providers. Some companies specialize in providing hardware components for use in VR system such as accelerator cards, pointing and manipulation devices, helmets, shutter glasses, motion platforms, projection system and spatial position and detection systems. There some others companies that specialize in software tools such as 2D software tools, 3D software tools and VR simulation tools. There are a quite handful of companies and institutions that specialize in providing VR applications for manufacturing, education, simulation, design evaluation (virtual prototyping), architectural walk-through, ergonomic studies, simulation of assembly sequences and maintenance tasks, assistance for the handicapped, study and

treatment of phobias, entertainment, rapid prototyping and much more.

educational materials for developers (Onyesolu & Eze, 2011).

and runs on web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.

**5.3.5 Ogoglio** 

**5.3.6 Syzygy** 

(http://www.isl.uiuc.edu/syzygy.htm).

**5.4 Digital sound editing software** 

**6. Conclusion** 


Table 1. Some digital sound editing software and compatible operating systems. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital\_audio\_editor

collaborative applications. Croquet provides rich tutorials, resources and videos as educational materials for developers (Onyesolu & Eze, 2011).

#### **5.3.5 Ogoglio**

38 Virtual Reality and Environments

Acoustica Acon Digital Media No No No Yes No Amadeus Pro HairerSoft No Yes No No No Ardour Paul Davis Yes Yes Yes No Yes Audacity Dominic Mazzoni Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Dementia Holladay Audio No No No Yes No

BIAS Peak BIAS No Yes No No No

Wavestudio Creative Technology No No No Yes No

Ecasound Kai Vehmanen Yes Yes Yes No Yes Eko Peter Semiletov Yes Yes Yes No Yes Freecycle Yes No No Yes Fast Edit Minnetonka audio No No No Yes No Fission Rogue Amoeba No Yes No No No

Wave Editor FlexiMusic No No No Yes No Goldwave Goldwave Inc. No No No Yes No Jokosher Jokosher community Yes No Yes Yes Yes LMMS Tobias Doerffel Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Logic Pro Apple No Yes No No No

Music Maker MAGIX No No No Yes No

Digitalizer Digitope No No No Yes No

Editor 3delite No No No Yes No MusE Yes No No Yes

Studio FAsoft No No No Yes No NU-Tech Leaff Engineering No No No Yes No Pro Tools Avid No Yes No Yes No Table 1. Some digital sound editing software and compatible operating systems. Source:

No No No Yes Yes

yes (in beta)

Inc. No No No Yes No

(WINE) No Yes Yes

**OS X Unix Windows Free** 

No Yes No

**Software** 

**Name Creator Linux Mac** 

Audition Adobe Systems No

mp3DirectCut Yes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital\_audio\_editor

Enhancedaudio.com,

Audiobook Cutter Free Edition

Audio

Creative

Diamond Cut DC7

FlexiMusic

MAGIX

Media

MP3 Stream

n-Track

Ogoglio is an open source 3D graphical platform like Croquet. The main goal of the Ogoglio is to build an online urban style space for creative collaboration. Ogoglio platform is built from the languages and protocols of the web. Therefore, it's scripting language is javascript; it's main data transfer protocol is hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), it's 2D layout is hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheet (CSS), and it has lightwave object geometry format for its 3D (http://foo.secondlifeherald.com/slh/2007/01/ interview\_with\_.html). Ogoglio is very different from the other virtual reality world development platforms because it uses Windows, Linux, Solaris operating system platforms and runs on web browsers such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.

#### **5.3.6 Syzygy**

This is a cross-platform, distributed operating system for PC-cluster-based VR. Syzygy is a programming toolkit for writing virtual reality or other graphical applications. Syzygy applications can run on a single computer, but Syzygy is especially designed for the creation of applications to run on clusters of networked computers. Programs or instances of the same program running on different computers in the cluster communicate with one another and share data. The cluster as a whole effectively becomes a single computer with multiple screens and input devices. The rendering of your virtual world is synchronized on all of the computers (to within a few milliseconds), so different screens in the cluster give you different simultaneous views on the virtual world. Included utilities handle communication with 6DOF trackers and other input devices. Spatially-localized sound is supported using the FMOD libraries and non-localized text-to-speech on Windows (http://www.isl.uiuc.edu/syzygy.htm).

#### **5.4 Digital sound editing software**

Digital sound editing software is used to mix and edit sounds that objects make within the virtual environment. There are so many digital sound editors. Some are presented in table 1.

#### **6. Conclusion**

There are so many VR resources and tools from industry providers. Some companies specialize in providing hardware components for use in VR system such as accelerator cards, pointing and manipulation devices, helmets, shutter glasses, motion platforms, projection system and spatial position and detection systems. There some others companies that specialize in software tools such as 2D software tools, 3D software tools and VR simulation tools. There are a quite handful of companies and institutions that specialize in providing VR applications for manufacturing, education, simulation, design evaluation (virtual prototyping), architectural walk-through, ergonomic studies, simulation of assembly sequences and maintenance tasks, assistance for the handicapped, study and treatment of phobias, entertainment, rapid prototyping and much more.

A Survey of Some Virtual Reality Tools and Resources 41

Lane, C. (1993). Display Technologies. *Encyclopedia of Virtual Environments*. Retrieved June

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Onyesolu, M.O. & Eze, F.U. (2011). Understanding Virtual Reality Technology: Advances

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Onyesolu, M.O. (2009b). Virtual reality laboratories: An ideal solution to the problems

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Onyesolu, M.O. (August, 2006). Virtual Reality: An Emerging Computer Technology of the

Perry, L.D.S., Smith, C. M., & Yang, S. (2004). An investigation of current virtual reality

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Vol. 3, No.3, (July 2009) 56-61, ISSN 0795-2260.

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http://company.mmosite.com/forterra /index.shtml

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html

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The exciting field of VR has the potential to change our lives in many ways. There are many applications of VR presently and there will be many more in the future. Many VR applications have been developed. VR technology is now widely recognized as a major breakthrough in the technological advance of science. In Japan today, with the help of VR technology, a customer can walk into a department store, done a VR helmet (HMD) and glove, and proceed to design his own kitchen. The customer can walk around inside the virtual kitchen, open and close drawers; turn on the water, etc. Once the customer is satisfied, the plans are produced and the kitchen is made to order. The Japanese are further developing this system to include various aspects of lighting, noises, humidity, and drafts.

#### **7. References**


http://www.hitl.washington.edu/scivw/EVE/I.D.1.a.ActiveInteraction.html


The exciting field of VR has the potential to change our lives in many ways. There are many applications of VR presently and there will be many more in the future. Many VR applications have been developed. VR technology is now widely recognized as a major breakthrough in the technological advance of science. In Japan today, with the help of VR technology, a customer can walk into a department store, done a VR helmet (HMD) and glove, and proceed to design his own kitchen. The customer can walk around inside the virtual kitchen, open and close drawers; turn on the water, etc. Once the customer is satisfied, the plans are produced and the kitchen is made to order. The Japanese are further developing this system to include various aspects of lighting, noises, humidity, and drafts.

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vrl.umich.edu/intro.html/

pe=pdf

Source:

*the Oklahoma Association of Teacher Educators, 7*, 1-20.

**7. References** 


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave\_Automatic\_Virtual\_Environment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CorelDRAW


**1. Introduction**

<sup>1</sup> IST FP6 ICT-IP-035005-2006

practice through repeating exposures to the task.

A high percentage of the human activities are based on *procedural tasks*, for example cooking a cake, driving a car, fixing a machine, etc. Reading an instruction book, watching a video or listening the explanation from an expert have been the *traditional methods* to learn procedural tasks. But, most researchers agree that procedural tasks are learnt gradually as a result of

**Training of Procedural Tasks Through the Use** 

**of Virtual Reality and Direct Aids** 

Sara Casado2 and Iker Aguinaga1

*2Tecnalia Spain* 

**3**

Jorge Rodríguez1, Teresa Gutiérrez2, Emilio J. Sánchez1,

*1CEIT, Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones Técnicas de Gipuzkoa* 

Nowadays, *Virtual Reality (VR) technologies* can be used to improve the learning of a procedural task and moreover to evaluate the performance of the trainee. For example, a Virtual Environment (VE) can allow the trainees to interact physically with the virtual scenario, integrating a haptic device with the computer vision system, so that trainees can interact and manipulate the virtual objects, feeling the collisions among them and, the most important, they can practice the task under the approach of *learning by doing*. In this way, trainees can

This chapter introduces a **new Multimodal Training System (MTS)** that provides a **new interactive tool** for assisting the trainees during the **learning of a procedural task** in the assembly and disassembly operations. This MTS uses the haptic feedback to simulate the real behaviour of the task and special visual aids to provide information and help trainees to undertake the task. One of the main advantages of this platform is that trainees can learn and practice different procedural tasks without the necessity of having physical access to real tools, components and machines. For example, trainees can assemble/disassemble the different components from a virtual machine as it would be done in the real life. This system

During the *learning of a task*, most of the times, **trainees need to receive aids with information about how to proceed** with the task. From the point of view of the authors, these aids can be divided into two groups according to the type of information that they provide and how this information is provided: *direct aids and indirect aids***.** The difference between both types of aids is in the cognitive load requested by the trainees to interpret and understand the information provided by the aid. In this way, *indirect aids* require that trainees are active in

practice in order to improve their abilities until they are proficient with the task.

was designed and implemented as an activity in the context of the SKILLS project1.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poser

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video\_card

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workstation

http://usa.autodesk.com/maya

http://vresources.org/company\_link\_list

http://www.3dace.com

http://www.3dwebtech.co.uk

http://www.5dt.com

http://www.acroneng.com/3D%20Modeller.htm

http://www.adacel.com

http://www.alibre.com

http://www.ashlar.com/3d-modeling/3d-modeling-cobalt.html

http://www.cae.ca/

http://www.edgedsign.com

http://www.eias3d.com/products/eias-overview

http://www.flexsim.com/products/ds/

http://www.icarusstudios.com/

http://www.isl.uiuc.edu/syzygy.htm

http://www.laner.com/en/media/witness/vr.cmf

http://www.maxon.net/products/cinema-4d-studio/who-should-use-it.html

http://www.newtek.com/lightwave.html

http://www.sidefx.com

http://www.simulation.com/products/glstudio/glstudio.html

http://www.thegamecreators.com/?m=view\_products&id=2092

http://www.virtualheroes.com/about.asp

http://www.vxsim.com
