Wave Issue 9712 5/21/97 Article 6-01

***HP and Microsoft Announce DirectModel
by John Latta

Hewlett-Packard and Engineering Animation Inc. (EAI) co-developed the
technology originally code-named Jupiter that is used to significantly
reduce the complexity of detailed MCAD models. This has now been released
as DirectModel in conjunction with Microsoft.

DirectModel fits into a class of products, which extend the graphics
pipeline in what HP calls Model Based Operations. The traditional 3D
pipeline, which includes transforms, lighting and rasterization now,
includes on the front end two additional processes: Simplification and
Culling. The culling can be both view frustum culling to eliminate geometry
outside the field of view and occlusion culling to eliminate geometry
hidden by other surfaces. DirectModel operates in two modes: interactive
and batch. In the interactive mode one is usually in a 3D editor or solid
modeler where it is necessary to optimize the view in the context of the
total model. Batch mode is for very complex models with millions of
polygons where it is necessary to save a model graph for later viewing.
DirectModel also supports hybrid use of the interactive batch modes and
would thus be well suited to SMP implementations on Windows NT.

DirectModel will be implemented on top of OpenGL, Direct3D and Starbase and
be optimized to work with other DirectX components. DirectModel technology
is extensible to allow ISVs and end users to customize applications.
Microsoft announced its plans to host its VRML2 browser on top of
DirectModel to make large VRML model viewing practical in the near future.

The DirectModel announcement includes the who's who of the MCAD industry:
AutoDesk, Cadcentre, CoCreate Software Inc., Computervision, EAI, EDS-
Unigraphics, Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics (IGD), Matra
Datavision, Parametric Technology Corp., Prosolvia Systems AB, Resolution
Technologies, SensAble Technologies, Inc., Sense8 Corporation, SolidWorks
Corp., Spatial Technology Inc., Structural Dynamics Research Corporation
(SDRC) and Template Graphics Software Inc.

Template Graphics Software, Inc. will port DirectModel to non-HP platforms:
Digital, IBM, Silicon Graphics and Sun.

HP assesses its strength in the market, vis-à-vis OpenGL Optimizer, as
follows. First, it provides greater functional flexibility to the ISVs. In
particular OpenGL Optimizer lays out a high level surface representation
while DirectModel does not. Given the many ways that MCAD companies
describe surfaces this flexibility is seen as an important advantage for
DirectModel. Second, HP feels that the quality and completeness of the
software, documentation and tool kit is superior with DirectModel. Another
advantage of the CD snapshot, the SDK, is the viewer. This tool allows the
end user to see the results of DirectModel and has been widely endorsed by
the ISVs. Third, HP sees a significant shift by the MCAD developers to use
Windows NT as their primary development platform. With this shift, and the
full support of Microsoft on DirectModel, the ISVs now have all the more
reason to use NT and gain the advantage of its market presence and growth.

HP has released the DirectModel toolkit for use by key ISVs. DirectModel
will be available from HP for use on HP platforms and from Microsoft for
use on Windows platforms. DirectModel is expected to be available in beta
version this summer, with the first customer shipments of applications
which use the technology later this year.

www.hp.com/go/technical

e-mail: DirectModel@cv.hp.com