Center for Computational Research Receives Donation of 3-D Virtual-Reality Equipment from SGI, Inc.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The high-end visualization capabilities of the Center for Computational Research (CCR) at the University at Buffalo have been expanded through the donation of a virtual-reality wall system and an Onyx300 system valued at $190,325 by SGI, Inc., and Rochester-based Clarix Technologies, Inc.

The SGI 3300W three-dimensional, virtual-reality wall system complements CCR's existing three-dimensional, virtual-reality system, an SGI Fakespace ImmersaDesk.

CCR Director Russ Miller, UB Distinguished Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, said the new system was put to use immediately.

"The demand for access to the ImmersaDesk, and the projected increase of high-end visualization needs at UB necessitated the acquisition of such a system," Miller said. "The higher-end systems are necessary for computer-intensive work involving numerous display objects, which are prevalent in scientific, engineering and urban-planning applications."

CCR, which is one of the world's leading supercomputing sites, will make use of the new equipment in several areas of work, including urban planning, where staff members are working on visualization of proposed projects involving bridges between the United States and Canada, planning on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo and visualization of proposed renovations on various roadways.

Miller added that the new equipment will improve the quality of the images the systems produce.

"The current 3D systems were powered by an SGI Onyx2 visual supercomputer. The

new SGI Onyx300 system is able to power both the 3300W and the ImmersaDesk and provide much higher quality images to the user than the previous version of the Onyx line," he said.

The SGI system integrates two-dimensional, three-dimensional, volumetric and video data into a seamless visualization environment. The high-quality images are achieved through the use of a host of features, including 48-bit RGBA, interactive volume rendering and 256MB of texture memory.

SGI, also known as Silicon Graphics, Inc., is the world's leader in high-performance computing, visualization and storage. SGI's vision is to provide technology that enables the most significant scientific and creative breakthroughs of the 21st century. Whether it's sharing images to aid in brain surgery, finding oil more efficiently, studying global climate or enabling the transition from analog to digital broadcasting, SGI is dedicated to addressing the next class of challenges for scientific, engineering and creative users. SGI was named on FORTUNE magazine's 2003 list of "Top 100 Companies to Work For." With offices worldwide, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and can be found on the Web at . Clarix Technologies, Inc., is a provider of design automation and scientific computing systems and services.

The donation is part of the "Campaign for UB: Generation to Generation," now in its final phase.

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