SEDRIS as a Standard for Interchange Virtual World Data Sets

Generating, representing, and sharing synthetic environments is a key factor in networked simu.lation systems. Because the use of three-dimensional synthetic environments in commercial, educational, and entertainment applications will increase, and because these app1:ications will be connected via local and global networks, it is important to understand how these environmental databases can impact networked systems. There are unique constraints that realtime networked simulation places on the successful creation of these databases. The representation of the information about a particular environment can be drastically different based on the needs of a simulation platform, or the specific application. As an example, creation of electronic (or paper) maps demands a data representation scheme that may not be suitable for a. thermal sight simulator, even though both are intended to depict and operate in the same geographical region. There are many such examples. These diverse computing needs, and how they affect the creation and exchange of environmental databases, have direct impacts on the cost and effectiveness of “virtual reality” systems. The trade-offs in source data selection, geometric representations, the key steps in creation of environmental databases, the management considerations in improving the process, tool development, and achieving quality simulations, as well as issues such as interchange vs. inte:roperability are all critical elements that deserve close examination and attention.