HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: jim@dres.dnd.ca (Jim Sodero)
Subject: Re: IND REQUEST: Fake Space address?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Defence Research Establishment Suffield
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 20:21:21 GMT



In article <1992Oct4.060330.789@u.washington.edu>, d3g450@tnp_op.pnl.gov writes:

|> Does anyone have a phone# or address for Fake Space? I'd like to get
|> some specs on their equipment.

The address for Fake Space is:

     935 Hamilton Avenue
     Menlo Park, CA 94025
     Tel: (415) 688-1940
     Fax: (415) 688-1949

The fellow I have been talking to is Mark Bolas, I believe he is the
president.  I went to CA this spring for a tour of Fake Space and VPL
and was fairly impressed with both companys and their products.

Jim 
-- 

James Sodero (DND/CRAD/DRES/DTD/MSS/AGCG)                jsodero@dres.dnd.ca
(403) 544-4737     DRE Suffield, Box 4000, Medicine Hat, AB, Canada, T1A 8K6
From: ismail@pci.ists.ca (Karim Ismail)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: LCD -> UNIX interface
Date: 14 Oct 92 20:35:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct16.170519.6624
Organization: PCI Inc.
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Can someone post some reliable information on connecting
LCD glasses to a UNIX machine - i.e: SGI, Sun, etc.


Has anyone developed an efficient interface ? (i.e:
a good circuit design)
Has anyone sustained  high freq and low flicker rates with
minimal cost and hardware requirements ?  :-)

Any info posted would be appreciated.

___________________________________________________________________________
|  |>-( ::::::::: >[]<      | PCI Remote Sensing Co | Karim Ismail        | 
|  ||             .  .      | Richmond Hill, Canada | Prod. Supp. Engineer| 
|  ||            .    .     | Tel: (416) 764 - 0614 | ismail@pci.on.ca    |
|  ---          .      .    | Fax: (416) 764 - 9604 | ismail%pci@uunet.ca |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: rbasket@cabell.vcu.edu (Robert E. Baskette)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH REQUEST: VR-Sys info needed
Date: 14 Oct 92 14:36:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct16.170206.5959
Organization: Virginia Commonwealth University
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



Greetins,
   I am looking for some information on the VPL,RB2 professional VR
system and SGI's IRIS 4D/420 Supercomputer.  One of our art
departments is interested in starting a VR research project.  If
anyone has experience with this system please contact me at the
internet address below.
   I am also interested in any substitute systems that we can buy in
place of the VPL-SGI system.  The system should have an easy to use
interface, the School of the Arts uses only macs, and run on a major
vendor machine.  We currently support Suns, HPs, and DEC equipment.
   Thank you for your time and consideration.

Robert Baskette
Computer Systems Engineer
Virginia Commonwealth University

rbasket@cabell.vcu.edu
(804) 367-6650
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: bh644@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mark T. Pflaging)
Subject: TECH: C++ driver for Powerglove available
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 22:58:43 GMT



        I have been developing a C++ driver for the Powerglove for
several months.  The code is based on Dave Stampe's C code to access
the glove but I have discovered a myriad of ways to improve it.  The
latest release will run on almost any PC (4mhz users - don't get your
hopes up), is interrupt driven (runs in background), and reads
parameters from an .INI style config file.  It was written with
Borland C++ 3.0.  It is available from Compuserve.  ("CO COMART", "New
uploads", "O2GLOV.ZIP".)

        Executables demonstrating the driver are included.

        If someone would like to make the file available via anonymous
FTP, leave me email.  I don't have FTP access to inet at the present
time.

        BTW, the software is freewar

        Looking forward to hearing from interested parties!

                -Mark

P.S. Information on solving the "glitchiness" generally found in
     using the glove is included in the ZIP.  I can post it here
     if this is an active issue.
P.P.S.  Dave Stampe is not a reliable source for technical glove info.


-- 
    !~\         /~!
    !     \ /     !    A"A  |~~~\ |  /
    |      V      |   A___A |___/ |K      bh644@cleveland.freenet.edu
    !             !   A   A | \   |  \
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: tsa@cellar.org (The Silent Assassin)
Subject: PUBS: VR mags
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 1992 19:09:44 GMT


What are some good magazines for virtual reality stuff?  Could someone give
me some names, descriptions, addresses and prices?
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: virtual8@well.sf.ca.us (Gregory Peter Panos)
Subject: MEDIA: 1-(900) VIRTUAL Information Phone Line
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 07:06:59 GMT


Crossposted from the WELL (192.132.30.2)   vr conference, with permission


Topic  43:  Real Jobs, Virtual Worlds:  Help Wanted Listings
# 79: Gregory Peter Panos (virtual8)      Sun, Oct  4, '92  (15:43)      14 li
nes
 
 1-(900) VIRTUAL ... "The Virtual Reality Information Line" is now online!
 The interactive audiotext Virtual Reality Information line features an
 event and EMPLOYMENT sub-menu with messages for exciting jobs in the
 area of VR and VR related technologies and applications. Managed by the
 editor and publisher of the "Virtual Reality Sourcebook" the line will
 update job offerings as we receive them. Note to employers: this is a
 free service and if you would like to post a valid job offering on the line
 contact us at 1(310) 421-7295 or fax at (310) 425-0890 with your
 requisition. We will post it free of charge! Callers will respond to your
 ad directly to your number or fax machine. We eventualy will offer fax-on-
 demand where more detailed information can be requested by callers and
 employers can post lengthy job descriptions. The cost of the call to
 callers is $1.25 / minute. There are lots of other exciting features to
 this line as well. Give it a call! Thanx --GP


[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Commercial postings are offered on sci.virtual-
worlds as a public service.  Their appearance here does not 
necessarily indicate endorsement by the moderators or by the USENET or 
its administrators. -- Bob Jacobson]
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: thinman@netcom.com (Technically Sweet)
Subject: Re: SCI: Object behavior in VR
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 23:09:19 GMT



On Oct 3, 10:59pm, Mark De Groot wrote:

} If I'm not mistaken (and someone will surely correct me if I am)
} Scheme uses garbage collection to return unused cons cells to the free
} list, just like LISP.  Seems to me that it's unacceptable to have the
} virtual world freeze for a moment to let the interpreter clean up
} after itself.

Yes & no.  I'm using Scheme as a control language for an underlying
C-based VR system.  It only executes when it's time to change the
structure of the world.  Scheme handles discontinuous interaction.
The underlying dataflow system handles all continuous interaction.

Also, lots of people got fed up with jerky garbage collection years
ago, and came up with various algorithms that collect a little at a
time.  Thus, in the main interaction loop you can continuously collect
a little each time without the user noticing anything.  One technique
is called "generational" GC, and exploits the fact that 80-90% of all
data lives for <1/10 of a second.  Generational GC tends to build up
medium-lifetime garbage, though.

Another technique marks live data with a timestamp.  After its
timestamp runs out, an object dies.  If you mark all live data faster
than the timestamp, you keep all live data.  This is, in fact, useful
for collecting distributed objects.  There are other tricks you can
play with virtual memory mapping; Apple's Newton does this with a
custom feature in the ARM processor.

[ Mark then champions Forth ]

I'm sure Forth would be fine too; I never learned it.  The job I have
Scheme doing is mostly complex data structure manipulation.  LISP is
very good at this.  My vague notion of Forth is that it is primarily a
language for real-time control hardware with severe RAM restrictions.
I have C doing the real-time aspect of things and hope eventually to
have an incremental compiler doing a lot of this job.

I will probably switch over to Dylan at some point, if it appears with
a compiler/interpreter system as good as DEC's Scheme->C.
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: barchasd@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (David Barchas)
Subject: TECH: PowerGlove yaw?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Purdue University Computing Center
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 01:07:20 GMT



I know that the Powerglove can detect x,y,z,roll.  I don't understand
why it can't detect yaw.  Technically it should be able to because of
the setup of the sensors.  I know it can't detect pitch, and never
will be able to, but lack of yaw has got me stumped.  Any answer
apreciated.

Knowledge or lack there-of is my own.
David Barchas (barchasd@mentor.cc.purdue.edu)|   "Oopps..."
Purdue University - Computer Science         |         Famous last words.
From: macris@nsd.fmc.com ((Willie Macris @FMC))
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: SCI: Object behavior in VR
Date: 14 Oct 92 02:37:47 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct15.223112.22275
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


(Bob Pendleton says)
-- Finally, if you can interpret it, you can compile it. Build it using
-- an interpretive environment, compile it, and run it faster.

Let's think about THIS for a moment:

A "custom" language (Forth OR C variant, what does it matter?) that is compiled
at each user's processor into an object code format.

This object code will then be run by an interpreter at a hardware level on
each processor in the system...can we say "microcode", everybody? Many CPUs
already implement their instruction set in microcode, why not take it a step
further into the graphics realm? (yes, there are graphics processors existing
that use microcode, but not at the level needed for VR)

Willie
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: lonachon@anu.edu.au (andrew longhorn )
Subject: APPS: Rend386 Handball VR game?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Australian National University
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1992 23:27:15 GMT



I seem to have generated much interest in this, although no-one has
come forward with any further info. I thought the people doing PCVR
mentioned it, does anyone involved with PCVR have any more leads?
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: bradw@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Brad Wyble)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: powerglove wanted
Date: 15 Oct 92 18:08:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct16.170757.7151
Organization: Brandeis University
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Ok everyone, what I need is a powerglove.  I've been checking Toys
R'Us in the are and after many minutes of hold music, I was told that
they've been out for months.  If anyone has info where I can get a new
or used powerglove please let me know. 
 
 
                                -bradw@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu
From: magick@iastate.edu (Magick Man)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH: Amiga homebrew VR source
Date: 14 Oct 92 06:42:44 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct15.223232.22539
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames IA
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


Has anyone that has done anything with the PG and Sega glasses for the Amiga
have any interest in sharing code for it with a learning VR-programmer-wannabe?

I'd appreciate any animation, object routines, etc that anyone would be willing
to share. Basically, anything I can get my hands on. Thanks in advance.

Robert Gooch
magick@iastate.edu



-- 
= Robert Gooch (magick@iastate.edu)      ---     Programmer Wannabe           =
=                                        ---     Mac, IBMs, Amigas and more.. =
=      Virtual Reality, the place to be.                                      =
= Disclaimer: I might be a longhair, but so was Jesus...                      =
From: d8andjo@dtek.chalmers.se (Johan Andersson)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: SCI: Object behavior in VR
Date: 10 Oct 92 19:42:47 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct11.183836.12597
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



In article <1992Oct10.175553.18123@u.washington.edu>
thinman@netcom.com (Technically Sweet) writes:

> On Oct 6, 11:05pm, Dave Stampe wrote:
>
> } I'm not sure either Scheme or Forth are a good idea.  The problem can
> } be summarized: is it efficient and is it required?
>
> Dave then goes on to explain that the world simulation system needs to
> be very efficient and so it will consist of an animation database that
> the programmer creates and starts rolling.  Agreed.

Whatever has a 'world simulation system' to do with an animation
database?

To me the 'world simulation system' is what we call the 'virtual
world'.

The virtual world is a simulation of all rules, all attributes, and
especially all interactions between the virtual objects making up the
world. Typical examples of this can be basic mechanics, solid objects
do not pass through eachother they behave according to Newton's second
law.  Such phenomena as liquids, fire, and light have diverse effects
upon other objects. This model can get almost arbitrary complex and is
independant from what interface we choose.

VR is one such interface with which we can render the virtual world to
a user, graphics on a screen is another, as is simple text on a
terminal.

IMHO, what the 'VR-field' is doing now is comparable to building a
car, with comfortable seats, nice steering wheel, crystal clear
windscreen and no engine.

Do not get me wrong, the interface is very important and the work of
people like Dave Stampe is very impressive. But if there is nothing
interesting to interface to, the interface is worthless.


/Johan
--
Johan Andersson           | "You don`t have conversations with microprocessors
Chalmers, Sweden          | you tell them what to do, and then you helplessly
Email:                    | watch the disaster when they take you literally."
d8andjo@dtek.chalmers.se  |     Sah`ot in David Brins "Startide Rising"
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: galt%peruvian@hellgate.utah.edu (Greg Alt)
Subject: Re: TECH: PowerGlove yaw?
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Utah, CS Dept., Salt Lake City
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 15:07:37 GMT



In article <Bvs349.4ow@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>,
barchasd@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (David Barchas) writes:

>I know that the Powerglove can detect x,y,z,roll.  I don't understand
>why it can't detect yaw.  Technically it should be able to because of
>the setup of the sensors.  I know it can't detect pitch, and never
>will be able to, but lack of yaw has got me stumped.  Any answer
>apreciated.

Yeah, that was an annoying discovery when we got the 3D mode working.
Apparently, it is possible, but the CPU on the glove doesn't do it.
If you ripped the CPU out, and accessed the ultrasonics directly, you
could do it (you can also increase the resolution of the fingers
beyond 2 bit if you bypass the glove CPU).
From: 73317.646@CompuServe.COM (Dan D. Gutierrez)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: INFO: Virtual Reality Locations
Date: 16 Oct 92 15:32:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct16.171053.7754
Organization: University of Washington
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


This request for nearest VR location reminds me of an article I recently
read in the Santa Monica Evening Outlook, a newspaper covering the Los
Angeles west side.  The article stated that a company had recently applied
for a permit to open a new VR parlor in the trendy 3rd Street Promanade in
Santa Monica.  It was to include 16 state-of-the-art VR games among other
things relating to the field.  The City Council turned them down, stating
the area already had too many "entertainment oriented" establishments. 
They were looking for more "shops" like shoes, etc.

Very sad state here I'd say, when shoes are preferred over something like
VR.  And I was hoping to have a place I could drop by and dive into
Cyberspace!

Better luck next time...

Dan D. Gutierrez
SYSOP
The AMULET BBS (VR, Virtual Worlds, Nanotechnology, etc.)
(310)453-7705
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: tibbetts@hsi.com (Todd Tibbetts)
Subject: APPS: VR glove art?
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: 3M Health Information Systems, Wallingford, CT
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 14:56:08 GMT



Greetings:

        I am interested in using a Power Glove (or similar setup)
        in place of mouse or stylus
        with Macintosh illustration & painting programs.

        Is this an absolutely ridiculous idea?  :-)

        I am hoping that, if I do it right, the drawing
        process will become more fluid & natural.

        Ideas, personal experience & suggestions WELCOME !

        What studies might I explore concerning VR in the
        empowerment of the visual artist.  I am refuring to
        still graphic creation...the use of gloves in
        drawing single static pieces.

        I HATE MICE.  This is the reason
        for my quest !

Thanks

Todd Tibbetts
tibbetts@hsi.hsi.com

tt
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: Michael Almquist <squish@hitl.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: SCI: Object behavior in VR
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu
Organization: University of Washington
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 17:56:03 GMT



Just some thoughts and some random babbling:

>If I'm not mistaken (and someone will surely correct me if I am)
>Scheme uses garbage collection to return unused cons cells to the free
>list, just like LISP.  Seems to me that it's unacceptable to have the
>virtual world freeze for a moment to let the interpreter clean up
>after itself.

Yes.  What can one do?  SmallTalk is the only package (to the best of
my knowledge) that uses generation scavanging (NOT "generational" GC -
its GS).

>My own choice for an interpreted language would be Forth, which has
>all the advantages of LISP-like languages, plus a few more:

This idea has some interesting technical issues and merit.  BUT the
religious battle of Lisp, Scheme, Forth, modula, Language A, Language
Z could and would rage on forever.  Implement it and get us some RAW
numbers, then we can chat with some sort of validity.

>Data-flow diagrams, such as those used by VPL's Body Electric, are
>easily translated into Forth code.  With a few restrictions, Forth
>code can also be translated into data-flow diagrams.

Yep, another good point and hopefully a good question: So?  Who came
down from the mountain top and said data-flow is the key and the way?
I hope it isn't - like most everything, dataflow has its strengths and
weakness - we need to look further.

>Now the question is, why use Forth?  I don't really see any advantages
>myself, except those that rely on the simplicity of the interperter.

BUZZ!  Its obvious this statement was made without peering into the
depths of Forth.  Forth is a language IMHO that never did receive the
praise it deserved.

This religious battle is unnecessary.  Its unfortunate that due to
time constriants (ie. get those flashy demos up and running pronto) we
cannot venture down other less explored avenues.  We are still in the
infantile stage.  There is LOTs to yet explore and implement.  Also, I
eventually don't want to interface with my system via a computer
language but human speech and motional cues.  This is the goal to
shoot for - not a BEAUTIFUL killer Forth shell.

- mike

PS:

For those of you that are intrested in the religious debate and
concepts of interpreters find and read "Programming Languages: An
Interpreter-Base Approach by Samuel H. Kamin" AND/OR bop over to

                uihub.cs.uiuc.edu:/uiuc/kamin.distr 

and snag the public domain code for various free small interpreters.

For those of you interested in the best garbage colletion schemes
concepts etc.  find Dr. Dobb's Journal, May 1990, pg. 16 "Generation
Scavenging".  Excellant article with excellant reference list.  A MUST
READ.

Would others out there like to know more about "the squish" classic
papers archive?  I've been building/reading a VAST library of
papers/books/code/etc applicable to VR/systems/etc.
From: fsmar@acad3.alaska.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: TECH : New Laser HMD's (glasses)
Date: 11 Oct 92 03:12:36 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct11.184513.13117
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu



There is an article in the sept or oct discover magazine about a set
of VR glasses (like raybans) using a laser to project images on the
retina of your eyes it's only one color and one eye but it looks
promising i think it's at wash.state university.

thought it might be of interest to you

Larry

[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  Hadn't heard of this article, unless it's the one
from last year.  The Rayban's are a mockup of the eventual product;
the current one sits on a workbench and is a gawky but very promising
invention of the HIT Lab of the Washington Technology Center on the
campus of the University of Washington, in Seattle. -- Bob Jacobson]
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
From: andras@well.sf.ca.us (Andrew Raskin)
Subject: re: PUBS: Mondo E-Mail address
Originator: hlab@milton.u.washington.edu
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 08:30:21 GMT



Mondo is:

                mondo2k@well.sf.ca.us
                                
                mondo2k@mindvox.phantom.com

They also have various individual accounts on the Well and Mindvox

the Well is telnet well.sf.ca.us (192.132.30.2)
MindVox telnet phantom.com

both sysem also have local dialups I don't know.  (use CompuServe
Packet Net)
From: chadwell@utkvx3.utk.edu (Chadwell, Leonard)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: TECH: Problem with HMD
Date: 15 Oct 92 14:47:00 GMT
Article-I.D.: u.1992Oct16.170547.6751
Organization: University of Tennessee Computing Center
Originator: hlab@stein.u.washington.edu


In article <1992Oct13.182641.25358@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>, dudley@cebaf4.ceba
f.gov (John Dudley) writes...
> 
>I am working on an HMD that uses 2 small LCD televisions, and two
>magnifying-type lenses.  My problem is
>at this time I only want to project the same image to both screens, yet,
>when I do this, the
>image will not come into focus as one.
> 
>What is needed to do this?  Basically, I want to be able to use both
>eyes looking at the same picture.
>I don't necessarily need the stereoscopic effect yet, and WANT to use
>the mini-tv's because of their
>light weight.
> 
>Thanks!

Depending on the focal distance of the lenses, you may be able to focus your
eye on the screen, but not able to converge the images.  If the screens and
focal distance aren't sufficient, it won't work.  You might try increasing the
distance from screen to lens.  Without sophisticated optics, it's about the
only way.  As far as stereoscopic effect, try incorporating the Sega glasses
into the HMD.  With two screens, driven with the glasses strobe, you'll get
stereoscopy if the Sega glasses are between your eyes and the screen.

Leonard Chadwell
CHADWELL@UTKVX.UTK.EDU