ENGAGEMENT SIMULATION APPLICATIONS ON MICROCOMPUTERS

HUNDREDS OF SMALL ARMY UNITS NEED PRACTICE IN OPPOSING FORCE OPERATION IN BUILT-UP URBAN AREAS AND DCCLUDED TERRAIN IN GENERAL. SINCE BUILDING CITIES FOR PRACTICE IS IMPRACTICAL THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO DEVELOP GENERALIZED SOFTWARE PACKAGES FOR MAKING SIMULATIONS ON LOW COST MICROCOMPUTERS. EXISTING SOFTWARE PACKAGES WILL PRODUCE COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGES OF TRANSPARENT BUILDINGS AND TERRAIN AS VIEWED FROM A SINGLE LOCATION. THE TACTICAL ENGAGEMENTS NEED SOLID BUILDING AND TERRANIN AS VIEWED FROM A SINGLE LOCATION. THE TACTICAL ENGAGMENTS NEED SOLID BUILDING TO OBSCURE WHAT IS BEHIND THEM AND MULTIPLY VIEW-POINTS FOR THE LOCATIONS OF EACH SMALL UNIT PARTICIPANT. THE HARDWARE IS AVAILABLE AT LOW COST. IT IS ONLY THE SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY THAT IS MISSING. THE PRESENT EFFORT IS TO REDESIGN CGI SOFTWARE PACKAGES SO THAT (1) DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR EACH PERSON PARTICIPATING IN A SMALL UNIT ENGAGMENT SIMULATION AND (2) THE CGI IMAGES ARE NOT TRANSPARENT, I.E., THE IMAGES OCCLUDE WHAT IS BEHIND THEM FOR EACH PARICIPANT'S VIEWPOINT\LOCATION. SOLUTION OF THESE BASIC TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WILL PROVIDE THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF A GENERALIZED SOFTWARE PACKAGE FOR DEVELOPING LOW COST OPPOSING FORCE SIMULATIONS IN PHASE II THAT MEET A NEED IDENTIFIED BY THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND DEFENSE SCIENCE BOARD.