DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A NETWORKED VISUAL SIMULATION SYSTEM

This paper presents the design and implementation of a maritime visual simulation system. The system consists of several computer workstations connected by a data network. Each workstation is responsible for generating images of a visual channel with a resolution of 640x512 pixels. The system provides the flexibility to support multiple ownship stations with multiple visual channels for 180 degrees viewing. The visual database composes of a 3D object library and a scene description library. A new hybrid linear priority tree and binary space partition algorithm for visibility ordering was developed. It allows the static 3D database to be pre-processed for achieving faster image generation rates. A set of interactive tools for designing and editing 3D objects and scene configuration files was also developed.