EAI Introduces VisConcept(TM) Immersive Visualization Solution
15 December 1999
EAI Introduces VisConcept(TM) Immersive Visualization Solution
Solution for Human-Scale Viewing and Analysis of Virtual Product Designs
Developed in Close Collaboration With General Motors
DETROIT, Dec. 14 -- EAI announced today the
launch of VisConcept, a solution for human-scale viewing and analysis of
virtual product designs, at SGI's Reality Center in Detroit. Developed in
close collaboration with General Motors, VisConcept allows 1:1 -- or
human-scale -- visualization of high-resolution, realistic images in immersive
environments such as CAVE, Powerwall, desk and head-mounted display systems.
With VisConcept, companies can dramatically reduce product design time and
expense by reducing the need for physical models, allowing geographically
dispersed teams to collaborate with 1:1 scale virtual prototypes while
providing decision makers with a clear vision of the intended design.
"GM has taken a leadership role in the use of virtual prototypes to
produce better vehicles faster and at a lower cost," said Diane Jurgens,
director of global CAD/CAM and visualization technology at General Motors.
"Researchers at the GM R&D center developed the first effective automotive
application of immersive virtual reality in CAVE and Powerwall environments.
The advanced 3-D visualization system is used in GM vehicle development from
styling to manufacturing and in the layout of future facilities.
"VisConcept, which was developed in close collaboration between GM and
Engineering Animation, will allow us to take another major step forward in
reducing vehicle development cost and cycle time. EAI has successfully taken
the best parts of GM's internally developed capabilities and re-engineered
them in a way that makes it possible for us to deploy a more powerful
immersive virtual reality tool across the GM organization," said Jurgens.
"This new architecture leverages the ongoing work between Unigraphics
Solutions and EAI for ProductVision(TM), an integrated data management and
visualization environment."
On March 8, 1999, EAI announced that it had been selected by GM to
collaborate on its immersive virtual reality technology. VisConcept,
developed as part of this collaboration, will be deployed worldwide at GM's
global engineering centers to provide visualization of full-scale vehicle
designs as well as to organize and present various forms of product data for
engineering design reviews. VisConcept is part of EAI's Open Enterprise
Visualization(TM) (OEV) solution suite, which also includes VisView(R) and
VisMockUp(R), EAI's industry-standard desktop visualization and digital mockup
products.
"VisConcept demonstrates EAI's continuing leadership in the visualization
market," said Robert Nierman, EAI president and chief operating officer. "We
have been privileged to work closely with styling and engineering experts at
General Motors -- who have great expertise in creating virtual prototypes --
on the development of VisConcept. Working in concert with General Motors and
with support from SGI, EAI designed VisConcept to meet the unique requirement
of the styling community for an immersive solution that creates believable
images, supports in-place design processes and integrates with existing
Computer Aided Industrial Design (CAID) tools. The result of this
collaboration is VisConcept, the only commercially available solution
specifically designed to meet the needs of the styling community."
"VisConcept is not about looking at pretty pictures," said Ken Pimentel,
director of immersive solutions at EAI. "It is about bringing the power of
immersive visualization to addressing serious business challenges. VisConcept
allows users to reduce the number of physical prototypes by at least
50 percent and view life-size prototypes within minutes -- far faster than the
40 to 50 days it takes to build a physical prototype. Ultimately,
manufacturers can save hundreds of thousands of dollars and dramatically
reduce time to market for each and every design."
To date, manufacturers have generally relied on physical prototypes to
communicate and analyze product designs. These physical prototypes, however,
represent a significant barrier to improving product time-to-market, as they
are costly, inflexible and time-consuming. VisConcept provides a way to
reduce the number of physical prototypes through its unique ability to:
1. Create believable human-scale images;
2. Integrate with existing design processes; and,
3. Support the formal and informal presentation of engineering data for
design reviews.
"VisConcept is unique in its ability to allow users to flexibly interact
with accurate, human-scale visual models," said Pimentel. "VisConcept lets
designers step inside their data and truly experience their product without
the cost or time required to create a physical prototype." With its realistic
rendering of surfaces, support for a wide range of immersive display systems
and other powerful features, VisConcept can create the illusion that the
product exists in the same space as the viewer.
"Manufacturers already have processes in place for communicating and
reviewing designs throughout the product development process," continued
Pimentel. "As a result of our close collaboration with GM researchers and
styling experts, VisConcept was created with these existing processes in mind
in order to ensure that it is fully capable of supporting both formal and
informal reviews at single and multiple locations."
VisConcept allows rapid exploration of designs and incorporation of
multiple data types -- such as 2D, 3D and video -- into a single, seamless
presentation. In addition, VisConcept is fully integrated with the leading
CAID tools, making the transition from designer's desktop to immersive display
simple and effective. The commercially available VisConcept can be run on a
variety of hardware, including SGI's Onyx2 visualization workstations, SGI
reality center facilities as well as systems from other leading vendors. SGI
hardware can be found in approximately 95 percent of all large format display
environments.
"The SGI Reality Center running VisConcept is exactly the kind of solution
our customers need for collaboration and decision-making," said Drew Henry,
vice president and general manager, Visual Solutions Business Unit, SGI. "The
Onyx2 visualization platform delivers the high quality, realistic images and
interactivity necessary for designers, engineers and managers to achieve
insight and make better, more informed decisions -- saving time and money in
the process. SGI's long-term collaboration with EAI has resulted in a
best-of-class solution for manufacturing design and prototyping."
About SGI
SGI provides a broad range of high-performance computing and advanced
graphics solutions that enable customers to understand and conquer their
toughest computing problems. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with
offices worldwide, the company is located on the Web at http://www.sgi.com
About EAI
Engineering Animation, Inc. is the leader in Internet-enabled visual
process management, collaboration, analysis and communication solutions for
extended manufacturing enterprises. EAI's VisEPM(TM) solutions, which include
e-Vis.com ( http://www.e-vis.com )(TM), Open Enterprise Visualization and Open
Virtual Factory, help manufacturing companies drive down costs while improving
business practices, efficiency, quality and time-to-market. The Company
maintains its corporate headquarters and technology center in Ames, Iowa and
has offices worldwide.