VIRTALIS, the leading specialist visualisation company, has developed the Virtalis Visionary Framework, a technology to get more value from PC clustering. The Visionary Cluster can act on its own, supporting a range of visual applications, and it can be harnessed to PTC’s high end, visualisation software, DIVISION MockUp. When working in this way, Virtalis’ “MockUp on a PC Cluster” allows the manipulation of large data models and makes advanced visualisation easier to achieve and more accessible than ever before.

The Virtalis Visionary Framework creates a seamless integration between DIVISION MockUp and the cluster. The solution is also scalable, with three PCs or as many as are required, capable of running both large-scale, projected environments and a headset-wearing, fully tracked individual. The same model can then be explored simultaneously by both the HMD wearing individual and a group to whom the images are projected in 3D.

Virtalis moved into the Gold Tier of the PTC Partner Advantage Program in 2005 and was recognized as a preferred supplier for the Company’s advanced visualisation. Since then, we have revamped the prestigious PTC Corporate Visit Center theatre, so that it now boasts the latest in PC clustering technology.

The new Virtalis Visionary system requires off-the-shelf PCs, rather than the traditional supercomputer often expected of 3D visualisation, both purchase and maintenance costs are exceedingly low.  Our whole system will work out at roughly the cost of one to two year’s support for a supercomputer, never mind its original cost, and will have low running costs. We have written a module that allows multiple PCs to drive large, complex displays at maximum performance. By linking our system to DIVISION MockUp, our Virtalis Visionary Cluster is capable of everything that a supercomputer is capable of – blending, geometric distortion correction and image compositing. In fact, our graphics performance is even higher, because we have been able to take advantage of the latest in graphics card technology. It is not all about speed either. The visuals are stunning, because our clients can now take advantage of advanced techniques, such as Open GL shaders.

We believe this breakthrough will be of great benefit and interest to universities and companies involved in engineering design. Such organisations use large-scale visualisation systems powered by multi-pipe UNIX workstation and operate in sectors where data sets are becoming bigger and bigger and ever more complex. As with the other Virtalis StereoWorks products, the Visionary System supports the play back of multi-channel, high definition stereo films using Virtalis’ StereoServer software. Virtalis has also written numerous device drivers, so that VR peripherals can be used in conjunction with the system. These include Cyberglove Systems’s Cybergloves and the latest trackers from Ascension, Intersense and Polhemus.

What our customer says at Elasis, the design subsidiary of Alfa Romeo and Fiat: