New Developments in VBS3 - GameTech 2014

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New Developments in VBS3 – GameTech 2014


Agenda

VBS3 status

VBS3 v3.4 released

VBS3 v3.6 in development

Key new VBS3 capabilities

Paged, correlated terrain

Command and control

Advanced wounding

Helicopter mission simulation

VBS3 focus: 2015

The New VBSDN

• VBS3 as a Development Platform

Engine improvements

• AI enhancements

• Solving the “Terrain Problem”

• Modularity



VBS3?

VBS3 is a game-based tactical training & mission rehearsal tool

First-person “virtual sandbox”

Tailored for military use: large terrains, “military-specific” capability

Can be tailored to meet new training needs: “open platform”

Combined arms, UAV, ISTAR, C2, Image Generation, part-task…


VBS3 Status

VBS3 3.4 released

Most stable VBS release, after several man-years

of US Army and USMC testing

Major new features in 3.4:

More realistic 2D map

Event log in after-action review (AAR)

Advanced wounding: specify wounds in-game,

view more detailed wounded info in AAR

Support for bridge laying

Logistics report

Ability to jump and climb obstacles

Improved fast roping

Air resupply

Next public VBS3 release, 3.6, will be

available in November


VBS3 Status

Improved 2D map example (v3.4), with shaded relief (v3.6)


VBS3 Status

Support for bridge laying (v3.4) - video

http://youtu.be/7meg3yNKH5g


VBS3 Status

Ability to jump and climb obstacles (v3.4) - video

http://youtu.be/Bh27raYeMno


VBS3 Status

Editor object tree structure (v3.4) - video

http://youtu.be/LGemb008GRk


VBS3 Status

Advanced wounding (v3.4) - video

http://youtu.be/XRoVVrlvCHA


VBS3 Status

Additional wounding information in the AAR (v3.4) - video

http://youtu.be/UKIytL5Qpj0


Key New VBS3 Capabilities


Key New Capabilities: Terrain

Larger terrains through improved terrain paging (v3.6) - video

Example: 2200km x 2200km East Coast USA terrain, can load in under 10 seconds*

Supports high detail insets

Supports procedural biotopes for complete vegetation coverage

Correlates with other simulations, has been terrain tested with OneSAF

* Depends on hardware, SSD preferred

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhUOvbSVCOU


Key New Capabilities : Terrain

Larger terrains through improved terrain paging (v3.6) - video

Example: 2200km x 2200km East Coast USA terrain, can load in under 10 seconds*

Supports high detail insets

Supports procedural biotopes for complete vegetation coverage

Correlates with other simulations, has been terrain tested with OneSAF

TerraTools and MatieralMap are key for building large VBS terrains

TerraTools is highly effective for multi-maps, with offline procedural generation

MaterialMap accelerates the process of applying surface materials to VBS terrains

* Depends on hardware, SSD preferred

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhUOvbSVCOU


Key New Capabilities: ARH

Improvements to the VBS3 ARH

(Eurocopter Tiger) flight model to

support mission simulation (v3.4)

Simulation of cockpit systems

Moving map

Electronic Warning System

Reference marks (waypoints)

Helmet mounted sight display

More realistic NVG simulation

Forward Air Refueling Points

Weapon simulation Rockets

Hellfire missiles

Video

http://youtu.be/QXPXIyaMer0


Key New Capabilities: C2

Command and Control Improvements (v3.5) - video

Build order of battle (ORBAT) command hierarchies in the VBS mission editor

Command units can be given movement orders which will move the entire formation

Example ORBAT formations:

Company level: columnPlatoon level: lineSquad level: wedge

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grjgxK-dtf4


Key New Capabilities: Avatar

In-game “avatar” reflects real life attributes

Fitness

Weapons skills

Vehicle skills

Appearance (face and body shape)

DTMS integration



Soldier parameters can be loaded from DTMS or entered manually

Custom load-outs can be created through the Avatar interface



Support for custom orders of battle (Squad hierarchy)

Support for validation by administrator


Key New Capabilities: CCTT (VBS IG)


Key New Capabilities: CCTT (VBS IG)

VBS IG is the first delivered plug-in built using our new plug-in

architecture

The VBS IG plug-in turns any VBS3 instance into an IG

VBS3 optimizations were implemented to ensure high frame rates at

7km object draw and 100km+ view distance

Included terrain format optimizations

Includes a maintenance console for administration and debugging of

VBS3 instances


The VBS3 Sensor API allows 3rd parties to define own sensors like FLIR

through a plug-in interface

Geometry can be “peeled”, so sensors can "see" through certain

materials like bush and grass (depth peels)

Per-pixel information accessible includes material ID, RGB color,

lighting info etc

Sensors can be enabled and disabled through VBS script

Key New Capabilities: Sensor API


Key New Capabilities: RTT from a plug-in

VBS3 v3.6 supports render to texture (RTT) from a Fusion plug-in

Allows a plug-in to render to an in-game 3D object

Following images show rendering a web browser and “pong” in-game (video)

Lots of possibilities, e.g. cockpit instrumentation, CCTV, radar visualizations…

http://youtu.be/qsCrAP65rRY


Key New Capabilities: Oculus Rift DK2


Key New Capabilities: Oculus Rift DK2


VBS3 Focus: 2015


VBS3 for Integrators – "The New VBSDN"

VBSDN (VBS Developer Network) is being re-launched next April

VBS3 + modules + development tools + improved docs + improved support

Employ VBS3 on desktops, as an Image Generator… or anywhere in

between!



Dedicated support engineers and improved documentation

Interop interface access (build your own APIs, DIS or HLA gateway etc)

Example plug-ins include VBS IG and the new Sensor API

Render VBS3 as part of a windows application

Non-proprietary development pipeline (as far as possible)

Improved terrain development tools (TerraTools / V4 integration)

Supporting both procedural generation and hand-editing

Export correlated terrain for other runtimes directly from VBS3 terrain


Example: Motion capture by Microsoft Kinect v2

BISim is building a new pipeline for animation import into VBS3 based upon “Blender”

Following are examples of raw (on left) and clean (on right) Kinect v2 data applied to a

skeleton, processed in Blender




Example: Improved character head rig

The new VBS3 head rig provides many more bones for a wider range of expressions

Further work is scheduled to add more mimics, blend mimics more smoothly, support

idle animations and improve blinking

Future work will include the addition of wrinkle maps and corrective morphs


AI Overhaul


Solving the “Terrain Problem”

VBS3 currently supports large, paged terrains

2200km x 2200km proven, East Coast USA

Offline generation of terrain, buildings and other features through TerraTools

Runtime generation of biotopes and roads based upon polygons and linears

… but, this relies on accessible, quality source data

We have commenced a project to deliver:

Round earth, with base terrain procedurally created directly from source data (DTED)

Smooth transition from high elevation to ground level


Solving the “Terrain Problem”

Procedural data fills out the entire planet, but real data (generated

through an offline process) can be used where required


The Future “Modular” VBS


In conclusion…

VBS3 is constantly evolving and improving in accordance with the

military training and simulation requirement

VBS v3.4 is released, VBS3 v3.6 coming in November

We are planning to re-launch VBSDN as a tailored product for military

system integrators

Our roadmap will see VBS3 become a more modular product suited to

the widest possible range of military training uses

Technology

New Developments in VBS3 - GameTech 2014