BCIT Launches The CUBE

British Columbia Institute of Technology Launches The CUBE: Centre for the use of 3D simulation technology, taking teaching and learning to a new level.

With a US$1 million grant from Lockheed Martin and $380,000 in software contributions from NGRAIN Corporation, BCIT has launched The Cube.




BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 11/02/09 -- It will transform the way instructors teach and the way students learn at BCIT. It will bring the workplace into the classroom and enrich curriculum - virtually.

The CUBE initiative places 3D simulations of expensive, rare, and leading edge equipment into the hands of BCIT students, anytime, anywhere allowing learners to explore complex components and systems in a 3D virtual world before they touch the real thing.

Read the entire press release

Game of the Show: Virtual Battlespace 2

Although it was first released in 2007, Virtual Battlespace 2 by Bohemia Interactive seems to be the gold standard for virtual training simulations. This is the project that is referenced most consistently across the various sessions at the I/ITSEC conference.

The nice thing about this clip is that the specific simulation features are named as you go through the video.

Given this is for the military, there's a lot of shooting going on in this clip, but there's also a good deal of general features that you'd want to see in any simulation creation engine.

IITSEC Training Simulation Conference - Day 0

A pre-conference pre-crowd shot from the Orlando IITSEC 2009 conference on training simulations.

The IITSEC 2009 schwag. Note the all-important Rockwell-Collins sponsored anti H1N1 hand sanitizer.

I/ITSEC Conference on Training Simulations

If you're able, be sure to check out the I/ITSEC conference on training simulations. This is the largest conference that focuses exclusively on simulations and training. The show includes panels and tutorials and is relevant for both purchasers and developers of simulators and simulation technology.

If you can't make I/ITSEC, there's also the Serious Games Summit at the Game Developers conferences in San Franciso starting March 9th, 2010.

Creating Low-poly Models for Your Simulation

This post shows the process involved in getting your raw high-poly 3D assets into a form that is ready for a real-time interactive simulation. It's important to understand that this process is necessary and to factor in development time accordingly.

As an example, we'll show a few production images of the F-22 being developed for an aircraft deicing training simulation being built in partnership with Global Ground Support.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/forgefx/

ForgeFX Develops 3D Pig Farm Training Simulation for Pfizer Animal Health

ForgeFX partnered with Carthage Veterinary Services to develop the Pfizer Animal Health Virtual Pork Production Simulation, named Virtual Walking the Pens. Pfizer Animal Health’s dedication to the health and wellness of animals, and a commitment to research combine to help protect the health of farm animals and the productivity of livestock. The training and education taught by the simulator allows pork producers to help pigs stay healthy, resulting in a more profitable operation. This interactive 3D simulation allows users to work in a virtual 3D farm, diagnosing and treating pigs at the first sign of disease, which is the key to a successful pork production business.



This custom interactive 3D simulation, available in both French and English, allows Pfizer customers to do a virtual barn-walkthrough of a wean-to-finish farm, identifying and treating sicknesses in the barn. Once a player has identified issues they must take the appropriate action to correct the problem, or experience the consequences in the barn and the effect on their bottom line. The simulation allows the user to experience many different scenarios within the virtual environment, similar to those that pork producers deal with on a daily basis in the real world. Ranging from pigs with neurological problems, to clogged waterers and feeders, to Mulberry heart disease, the simulation provides a virtual barn for the users to work in, spotting and treating sick pigs. The user's score, determined by the level of profitability attained by the virtual farm, is tracked by the simulation and delivered at the conclusion of a session, along with assessments and recommendations for a higher level of efficiency.



The purpose of this training simulation is not to replace existing training, but to provide supplemental education to the existing training curriculum. The simulation is a great training tool for new employees as well as a valuable refresher for those who are already experienced in pork production. Knowing how to quickly identify and treat illnesses is crucial to running a profitable livestock farm. This 3D simulation provides a risk-free environment for farmers to experience the potential pitfalls of pork production and avoid them in the future, when real-world situations confront them. Farmers are able to experiment with different barn management techniques to find the approach that works best, something that is easy to do in a simulation, but not possible or practical in the real-world. Risks to livestock, personnel, and material consumption are removed in the simulation, making it a valuable tool for teaching and training.



Combining deep content expert knowledge with proven interactivity models, Pfizer Animal Health, Carthage Veterinary Services, and ForgeFX developed this 3D simulation that allows users to quickly grasp the controls and get to work in a virtual barn. The simulated barn is fully functional, including interactive water medicators, curtain controllers, fans, thermostats, feeders, mats, lights, and of course pigs. The simulation promotes education and improved health of all the animals in the operation.


Learn more and download the 3D simulation here.

Adobe Success Story: ForgeFX: Interactive 3D Simulations

ForgeFX creates competitive advantage for itself and clients with Adobe Director and Adobe Shockwave Player software.



Whether they need to train employees how to accomplish mission-critical tasks or educate potential donors or customers, many organizations are tapping into the power of interactive 3D training simulations and role-playing games. By providing a simulated experience, organizations can help employees, customers, and others learn by doing without the high costs and risks of learning in the field.

ForgeFX relies on Adobe software due to its flexibility and ability to deliver a rich, high-performance user experience. Offering cross-platform offline executable deployment and online browser-based delivery with the Shockwave Player, Director applications can easily be viewed on any computer, enabling superior mass distribution. Users have the convenience of either online or offline content consumption with the ubiquitous Shockwave Player, already installed on more than 450 million Internet-enabled desktops.



One of the main benefits of Director over many other development platforms is its real-time 3D rendering engine. Because Director is a high-level development environment, as opposed to a custom low-level one-off 3D rendering engine, 3D rendering code is delivered out of the box, allowing developers like ForgeFX to concentrate on game and simulation logic. Director also enables ForgeFX to build simulations that include complex physics-based realism.

The new NVIDIA PhysX engine in Adobe Director 11.5 allows us to expand and build advanced dynamic motion and interaction into our simulations and games resulting in a richer user experience. Advanced physics, real-time 3D rendering, and a solid, mature platform with a rock-solid runtime engine are several factors that make Director our primary development platform.

Read the full article which discusses a couple of recent projects developed by ForgeFX using Adobe Director.