ORLANDO, Fla. (USA) — Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), a global developer of advanced military simulation and training software, announced today the release of VBS Blue IG 20.1, which includes the latest updates to the company’s high-performance, 3D whole-earth image generator. Customers can download VBS Blue IG 20.1 with VBS License Manager or contact support@bisimulations.com for the latest updates.
Here’s a quick overview of what’s in the release:
- Updates to VBS Blue’s atmospheric modeling for more realistic rendering
- Performance optimizations to display thousands of AI entities in a scene
- Improvements to terrain detail including 3D trees
- New thermal simulation capabilities
VBS Blue IG provides high-fidelity and high-performance rendering from space down to blades of grass and ocean floor. It offers unlimited view distances with photo realistic ground detail. VBS Blue IG provides a baseline global terrain that is procedurally enhanced from real-world data, offers users the option to blend procedural terrain with satellite imagery or high-resolution terrain, and enables users to override the procedural terrain to use satellite imagery and other data directly. Without procedural generation, VBS Blue IG is a cutting-edge ‘typical’ IG, with procedural terrain and the global terrain database it allows immediate training in areas not mapped in detail and gives wider area context to detailed terrain insets - it is the best of all possible options.
Performance Optimizations
Optimizations to VBS Blue IG engine have resulted in a significant increase in visual performance. Additionally, VBS Blue IG’s entity processing has been updated in version 20.1 to allow for thousands of entities to be present in a scene while reducing the impact on graphical performance compared with the previous version.
Atmospheric Lighting Model Improvements
BISim updated VBS Blue IG’s atmospheric lighting model and fog to behave realistically under all possible light conditions. For instance, air scenarios benefit from correct horizon brightness that the new models will bring. The updates to the lighting model also increase rendering performance for VBS Blue IG.
Terrain Detail Improvements
In VBS Blue IG 20.1, terrain detail was enhanced by improving the procedural simulation of erosion. Terrain detail also was improved by doubling the resolution of surface maps, compared with version 19.1. These improvements were achieved with minimal impact on performance.
Improvements were also made to how large groups of buildings in cities are rendered when viewing cities from a distance so that fading happens smoothly.
VBS Blue IG 20.1 also now represents trees at the highest level of fidelity as 3D models for detailed ground and rotary wing training. The vast majority of image generators today only use 2D billboard trees to model densely vegetated environments. By using 3D trees, VBS Blue IG offers users greater realism and reduced negative training.
Thermal Simulation Improvements
VBS Blue IG 20.1 includes automatic simulation of thermal heating over time. This can be simulated from a connected VBS simulation host or from third-party, CIGI-capable simulation hosts. In the screenshot below, on the left a Humvee has been idling while another Humvee (pictured right) has just been driving and firing its turret.
VBS Blue IG can be used across individual part-task trainers, VR/AR solutions and full-motion simulators with multiple synchronized displays. Using the Common Image Generator Interface (CIGI) standard, VBS Blue IG integrates with any CIGI-compliant host software including VBS3 or VBS4. TerraTools from TerraSim, a BISim company, makes it easy to add new high-resolution terrain areas and custom data sets to VBS Blue IG.
About Bohemia Interactive Simulations
Founded in 2001, Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) is a global software company at the forefront of simulation and training solutions for defense and civilian organizations. BISim utilizes the latest game-based technology and a 200-strong, in-house team of engineers to develop high-fidelity, cost-effective training and simulation software products and components for defense applications.
Globally, more than 500,000 military personnel are trained every year using VBS software. More than 50 NATO and NATO-friendly countries and over 250 integrators/prime contractors use VBS technology, many making significant funding commitments to extend VBS product capabilities. Customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Australian Defence Force, Swedish Armed Forces, French MoD and UK MoD and most major integrators. VBS products have become, by far, the world’s most widely used COTS product range in the military-simulation sector, supporting hundreds of military use cases and vastly greater military exploitation than any comparable products.