From: macanespie@waves.pas.ti.com (Alan MacAnespie)
Subject: Re: Virtual Reality Game
Reply-To: macanespie@waves.pas.ti.com
Organization: Texas Instruments, PAS
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 03:09:31 GMT

In article <Bxu29y.1xI@mentor.cc.purdue.edu>, kodak@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Jason Balicki (KodaK)) writes:
> In article <1992Nov16.205623.7736@sol.UVic.CA> mmcalees@cs16.UVic.CA (Michael McAleese) writes:
>>  What's really amusing is reading the articles about this system in PClone
>>mags. There's one out now (I can't recall the name, they're all so generic)
>>that waxes eloquent about this Virtuality system for four solid pages of
>>copy before it turns to the computer components. There we learn that there
>>are 68030s in there... and Amigas are used as terminals. As far as I know, 
>>the makers of Virtuality don't go to any lengths to hide the fact that the
>>whole thing is built on Amigas - but it's interesting to see the PClone folk
>>avert their eyes.

Actually AJ Redmer discussed the system in c.s.a.hardware back in August.  He
certainly did not hide the fact that the Amiga is _critical_ to the
performance and capability of Virtuality.  Part of his (multiple) responses
is included below:

 ---- Begin enclosed quote ----
From: ajredmer@netcom.com (Akila J. Redmer)
Subject: Re: TECH: "Virtuality" --- Amiga 3000... Some observations and Questions.
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 92 07:00:32 GMT

Actually the Virtuality hardware is not quite configured that way.  We do use
Amiga 3000 motherboards.  There is one each per unit.  We use it as the floppy
controller.  The graphics are generated on a pair of custom cards that
feature the TMS34020 graphics processor.  Each board has a 34020 accompanied
by a floating point processor and 6 meg of dram.  All the graphics are stored
on the cards.  We use one card each for each eye.  The audio comes from a
combination of the Amiga sound chips, CD ROM drive and the players voices.
There are microphones in the headsets.  The machines are networked with
custom EtherNet RS422 Thick-Mode cards.  The hardware with all the boards is
actually VERY expensive and accounts for most of the cost.  The stand-up
system sells for about $60,000 and the sit down is about $50,000.

AJ Redmer
Executive Director - Virtuality Group
Spectrum HoloByte & CyberStudio

 ---- End quote ----

> I was under the impression that they were run on 040 axel A3000's.  I played
> both the stand up and sit down (I won them both, thank you :) and felt myself
> thinking that the graphics could have been done better.  They're not slow,
> just not well done.  (The background is kinda nice.)  If you get lucky you
> will get to just walk around for a while to get used to the gear, if you do 
> take a look up.  The stars are beautiful.  (Make sure you wipe off the lenses
> first, they tend to get smudgy.)

The main reason that the graphics seem to be primitive is that detail has
been sacrificed for speed.  There is great necessity for the (two!) screens
per player to be updated according to head movement as fast as possible. 
[Potential descriptions of nausea due to virtual "lag" time deleted.]

BTW, I got a chance to look in the base of one of the Dactyl Nightmare units
(it sure can't be called a console), and packed away in a steel cage is an
A2000-like case with (apparently) an A3000 motherboard.  The only visible
part of the front had a power and reset button and access to the CD-ROM and
floppy drives.  Very nicely done.

> --Jason Balicki
> kodak@mentor.cc.purdue.edu

Extra Disclaimer:  Even though I work for TI, I have nothing to do with
Virtuality or the TMS34020 graphics processor. (But I wish I did :-)
----
Alan MacAnespie,              || * Standard Disclaimers Apply Upstairs.*
Texas Instruments, PAS        ||  Is a person who writes many different
macanespie@waves.pas.ti.com   ||  applications a Renaissance Computist?

How many bits would a BlitBlit blit if a BlitBlit could blit bits?
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