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The VBS2 Tool Suite comes of age:
Geo-specific Green Zone for the Australian Defence Force
Australia - 24th July 2007
A PDF version of this release is available here.
Bohemia Interactive is extremely pleased to announce the release of the first version of the VBS2 Tool Suite, a comprehensive set of content development tools for importing new terrain and generating new models in VBS2!
VBS2 is quickly evolving in accordance with customer feedback into a true development platform, and already boasts substantial capability not only as a desktop training or analysis solution, but as a fully-featured development environment.
Our goal is to make content development easy, enabling the end user to:
- Rapidly import and modify terrain areas and 3D representations
- Configure the characteristics of simulated entities (characters, vehicles, weapons)
- Modify artificial intelligence and develop new behaviours
- Develop complex scenarios quickly and easily through an intuitive 3D scenario editor
The first public release of the VBS2 Tool Suite (available now) includes the following products:
Landbuilder: Shape file (VMAP) import for rapid terrain development
Visitor 3: Terrain import and editing from source data (DTED, VMAP, satellite)
Oxygen: Model creation and import from 3D Studio Max
Filebank: Generation of VBS2 content files
The VBS2 Tool Suite is undergoing constant improvement, and we are working hard to make it quicker and easier for the end user to import content. The next-generation VBS2 Tool Suite is due for release in early 2008, including:
Visitor 4: Advanced terrain import and editing (includes Landbuilder)
Real-Time Terrain Editing: Modify terrain ‘on-the-fly’ using the Real Time Editor in-game
AI Editor: A graphical editor for creating artificially intelligent behavior
Configuration Editor: A graphical interface for modifying the characteristics of simulated weapons, characters and vehicles
VBS2 Development API: An API for controlling VBS2 entities and accessing internal data from external applications
The VBS2 Tool Suite was recently employed to develop a geo-specific Green Zone terrain area for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The base data included high fidelity DTED (height field) and satellite imagery, and low-fidelity (VMAP1) shape data that specified the location of main roads. The base data was imported in a few hours, and the terrain was then improved to a standard suitable for convoy training and mission rehearsal. The development also included the generation of 45 geo-specific models of various Green Zone landmarks including embassies, bridges, arches and statues.
The time required to import a geo-specific real world terrain area in VBS2 depends on the quality of the source data, but through improving our tools we are continuously optimizing the process. Bohemia Interactive is committed to providing the end user with easy to use tools for rapid content development.
We are also pleased to announce a new pricing structure for the VBS2 Tool Suite. Tools are now heavily discounted for government organizations and will be provided for free when a VBS2 Site or Enterprise License is purchased. For more information contact sales@vbs2.com.
About Bohemia Interactive. Bohemia Interactive is an independent game development company, with studios in Czech Republic and Australia, founded in 1999, that focuses on developing state of the art computer software and the research of advanced real time 3D graphics, artificial intelligence and physical simulation technologies for real-time interactive environments. For more information about the company visit http://www.bistudio.com.
The Geo-Specific Green Zone Terrain Development Process
Note that additional screenshots of the ADF Green Zone are available.
Step 1: Preparation of DTED, shape (VMAP1 - low fidelity) and satellite data
Step 2: Import of real world data into Visitor3, then add additional features as necessary
Step 3: (Optional) In-Game terrain development through the VBS2 Real Time Editor (RTE)
The Completed, Geo-Specific, In-Game Green Zone Terrain Area:
The VBS2 Tool Suite: Generating ‘Real World’ Virtual Environments Rapidly, Right Now!
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