Raster Software And AutoCAD R14 (01jun97)

June 1, 1997

Rasterex and GTX Corp. separately announced that their respective AutoCAD-based raster editing and conversion software lines will work with AutoCAD R14 today (Rasterex) or within the next few months (GTX).

AutoCAD’s New Raster Ability Establishes A Foundation

AutoCAD R14 includes a new capability to recognize and handle scanned raster images as AutoCAD objects that can be scaled and positioned just like AutoCAD blocks. This makes it easier to integrate scanned paper drawings, blueprints, and digital photographs into AutoCAD files as hybrid drawings containing both raster and vector data. Anyone using AutoCAD or R14-based applications can view and plot these files.

Uses for this capability in conjunction with R14-based applications range from paper-to-CAD conversions (partial or complete) to digital terrain modeling (DTM) in geographic information systems (GIS).

The raster architecture was developed internally by Autodesk in conjunction with input from the AutoCAD Technical Imaging Partners group.

Rasterex Support of AutoCAD R14

Rasterex’s RxAutoImage 97 add-on software family works with AutoCAD R13 and R14 as well as AutoCAD LT95. Their software extends R14’s whole raster object capability to include selecting just part of an image for editing and/or conversion to vector. This includes individual entities such as lines, arcs, and circles.

The company reports its key functionalities include line-following with orthogonalization, single-pick, object tracing, single-pick hatch object selection, automatic clean-up wizards, advanced rubbersheeting, and raster-to-vector conversion with optical character recognition (OCR).

RxAutoImage Pro 97 retails for $3,895 while RxAutoImage Edit 97 lists for $1,995. The less expensive package does not include automatic raster-to-vector conversion or OCR conversion capabilities. Expert Graphics is the U.S.-based distributor of Rasterex software.

GTX Offers Two Software Lines

GTX noted that with R14’s capabilities, previous capacity limitations in its AutoCAD-based software no longer occur. This includes the number and size of images that may be loaded at a given time. Multiple images can appear simultaneously in multiple view ports.

GTX now offers two software lines that provide raster editing and conversion. The GTXRasterCAD 4.0 series works inside of AutoCAD while their new ImageCAD series offers the same capabilities (including commands and DWG read/write) by itself. ImageCAD uses the AutoCAD OEM engine at its core.

The commands have the same names as AutoCAD commands, but with the prefix G. Raster editing, manipulation and conversion is greatly aided by a neat feature called intelligent object picking (IOP). IOP recognizes basic entities such as arcs, circles, and lines even when they intersect with other entities. The IOP feature makes working with raster files less tedious.

Raster to vector conversion works decently from individual entities all the way to entire files. Text conversion from raster to vector is also good. Contour map conversion is handled by special programs designed to handle dense contour lines. We watched a few demonstrations of this capability and were impressed by how well it worked on a Pentium PC. It’s worth noting that the resulting file format is proprietary.

Batch conversions of scanned files to AutoCAD files can be done with the GTX OSR module and text is converted using the GTX ICR PLUS module. These modules work with both the RasterCAD series and the ImageCAD series.

Prices are charged per user per application. For RasterCAD this varies from $1,995 to $4,890 while ImageCAD varies from $1,395 to $4,990. Versions are available for AutoCAD R14 and R13 on Windows 95/NT as well as AutoCAD R11 and R12 on DOS, Windows, and UNIX (Sun and HP).

Contact:
Expert Graphics, 800-648-7249, 404-320-0800, http://www.expertg.com
Rasterex (International) +47 22 23 92 90, http://www.rasterex.no
GTX Corp., 800-879-8284, 602-244-8700, http://www.gtx.com/gtx

Silicon Graphics And Coryphaeus Software Team For Simulating Proposed Bay Bridge Designs (01jun97)

June 1, 1997

Proposed designs for a new San Francisco Bay Bridge were recently brought to life with the help of real-time 3D graphics technologies developed by Silicon Graphics Inc. (Mountain View, CA) and Coryphaeus Software Inc. (Los Gatos, CA). Three new designs for the Bay Bridge, damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, were digitally simulated using a new 3D urban simulation application called MetroSim from Coryphaeus running on Silicon Graphics Onyx2 InfiniteReality systems.

The bridge simulations are letting municipal planners, civil engineers, and government officials actually "fly through" the three designs being considered for the proposed $1.3 billion reconstruction of the landmark bridge’s Eastern Span — which extends from Oakland to Yerba Buena Island. The immersive and realistic simulations are visually more powerful than pre-created animations, because viewers can go wherever they want and see the bridge and its surroundings from any angle. They can experience what it is like to drive on the bridge, to pilot a ship beneath the structure, or fly above it in an airplane.

After an independent study commissioned by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) recommended that the Bay Bridge’s Eastern Span be rebuilt instead of retrofitted, the state’s transportation agency has been accepting design proposals for a new, earthquake-safe Bay Bridge.

Of the several designs submitted, urban simulations were created from the three designs that directly resulted from the study — the Skyway, a simpler and lower-cost option; the Single Cable Stay, a mid-range rebuild alternative; and the Double Cable Stay, a more elaborate "landmark" design. The three simulations took a total of four man-weeks to complete. After a series of review
XxGET http://siteinfo.a9.com/data/6lSv01 Bay Bridge seismic enhancement is scheduled to be completed by 2004.

To create the bridge simulations, engineers used MetroSim, a new real-time graphics application unveiled by Coryphaeus Software last month. With this software running on a Silicon Graphics Onyx2 workstation, engineers combined existing 3D wireframe models of each bridge design with a wide variety of real-world data. This real-world content included Bay Area terrain data supplied by the US Geological Survey; a 5-meter satellite image of the Bay Area and its surroundings from ImageLinks; bridge textures; high-resolution models of the nearby Golden Gate Bridge, Treasure Island buildings, and ships from Viewpoint DataLabs; and photorealistic skylines of both San Francisco and Oakland. The resulting simulations place viewers in an immersive and realistic environment to give them a true sense of the bridge’s appearance in its surrounding environment.

"Urban simulation vastly broadens the use of real-time 3D graphics technology beyond its traditional applications in defense, aerospace, and entertainment," said John Murphy, president of Coryphaeus Software. Drew Henry, director of advanced graphics marketing at Silicon Graphics added, "Since most of the cost of a major construction project is committed when a design concept is chosen, urban simulations can save project planners millions by giving them the best possible insight into the final result even before construction begins."

Coryphaeus Software’s MetroSim was developed specifically for modeling urban scenes that incorporate buildings, roads, rivers, trees, and vehicles. With these simulations, developers and planners can interactively visualize the many components, building types, and infrastructure that comprise cities, as well as entire cities. MetroSim integrates three Coryphaeus tools to provide a comprehensive urban simulation software solution — Designer’s Workbench for real-time 3D modeling, texturing, and model optimization; DXF Translator for importing existing graphics files; and EasyScene for establishing the environment and real-time display. Complementing MetroSim is EasyT, Coryphaeus’ tool for creating massive databases of data used for creating realistic simulations.