VBS1 Press Release and Information

[Gordo_Viper]

US Distribution and Improvements

Distribution and licensing of the VBS product range post-March 2006

Australia - 23rd March 2006

From March 2006 Bohemia Interactive (BI) is distributing the Virtual Battlespace 1 (VBS1) simulation product directly to North American customers. North American customers may purchase VBS1 through either Bohemia Interactive (via the online shop - http://www.virtualbattlespace.com/store) or contacting BI directly at vbs@bistudio.com. Bohemia Interactive is also available to provide Virtual Battlespace (VBS) simulation modification and content development for North American customers as required.

VBS Licensing

Over the coming months the VBS website (http://www.virtualbattlespace.com) will be updated to reflect the changing nature of the application and improve quality of service. Bohemia Interactive is pleased to offer a range of additional licensing options for VBS1 to suit larger customers (such as military or civilian organizations).

Licensing options now include per-seat, site and enterprise licensing. Prices are standardized for all customers and include a range of support options. Site and enterprise licensing may also include provision of VBS tools to allow customers to develop content (such as 3D models and terrain). If you are interested in purchasing either a site or enterprise license of VBS1 please contact BI directly at vbs@bistudio.com.

BI is available to provide training on the use of VBS or tools, conduct content development, or modify the simulation engine to suit a specific customer requirement. BI currently fields development teams in several locations around the globe, offering responsive, reliable and cost-effective development options for both military and civilian users of VBS. BI is also available to facilitate HLA or DIS integration between VBS and other virtual, live or constructive simulations. BI has already facilitated the integration of VBS with the constructive simulation JSAF via HLA.

VBS has matured into a flexible and comprehensive training and analytical simulation, providing high-fidelity virtual environments suitable for a range of purposes. Over the past 18 months a wide range of product enhancements have been developed (guided by the customer requirement). New VBS1 components include:

US Army 1 Module

The US Army 1 add-on for VBS1 is the most comprehensive and complex VBS1 add-on module ever created, providing highly detailed and realistic representations for a large number of US Army vehicles and weapons. The pack contains new functionality and detail not yet seen in VBS1, including basic CAS simulation, customisable vehicle markings and numbers, new effects, radar for air units, animated TOW on Bradley IFVs and artillery units that integrate seamlessly with the VBS1 Artillery Module.

Instructor Interface

The VBS1 Instructor Interface allows an administrator to modify scenario elements in real time (during a scenario). Designed to reduce the amount of time spent in scenario creation, the Instructor Interface allows objects, vehicles, units and groups to be created and given tasks (if applicable) whilst a scenario is running. For example, IEDs can be placed on-demand, fire support can be simulated, and units (participants or AI) can be given orders, allowing an administrator to move large numbers of forces around the battlespace (similar to a constructive simulation).

Convoy Training Enhancements

Previously VBS1 vehicles only provided a single position that a unit may fire from. Convoy training enhancements allow any vehicle occupant to fire their personal weapon and move around on the back of moving vehicles in a realistic fashion. Tank commanders can turn out to use their personal weapon or use binoculars. Vehicles may also have working indicators as well as operable doors and hatches.

Terrain Development

Terrain Pack 3 contains five new desert terrain areas for VBS1. Three of the maps are generic (not based upon any particular location), and two are based upon actual areas in Iraq (As Samawah and Al Anbar). All maps contain brand new models, including many enterable buildings and new vegetation. The town of As Samawah, located in the Al Muthanna province of Iraq, has been replicated in the most complex terrain area ever created in the VBS1 Real Virtuality simulation engine. Additionally the Baghdad Green Zone and the Iraq Al Muthanna province have been developed (contact vbs@bistudio.com for more information).

After-Action Review (AAR) and Mission Analysis and Review System (MARS)

The VBS1 AAR records and replays full VBS1 scenarios, replicating unit animations and vehicle movement. The playback can be run at up to 64x the original game speed and paused, stopped or restarted at a specific time. MARS is a separate AAR application that does not require VBS1 to be installed, and allows VBS1 recordings to be replayed on computers totally separate from those upon which the VBS1 session was conducted. This allows MARS to be distributed with VBS1 recordings as part of 'take-home packages' often provided following training sessions.

VBS1 DVD Suite

Bohemia Interactive is pleased to announce the VBS1 DVD Suite, a special offer available through the VBS online store (http://www.virtualbattlespace.com/store). Including almost all available VBS1 content, the VBS1 DVD Suite provides a significant discount for those interested in purchasing VBS1 on a per-seat basis.

[Snake@War]

Sweet...

But $1000 for it all!?!?

Whoah... I'll wait for AA.

[hotshot]

Yeah but

"VBS1 DVD Suite provides a significant discount for those interested in purchasing VBS1 on a per-seat basis."

so it's still cheaper than buying every module individually.

Does this mean CTCorp is outta there, or just that they are selling VBS along side BIA in N.America?

[Gordo_Viper]

LVRS

Military Orientated.. Interesting Stuff

Bohemia Interactive has been chosen by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to develop a number of Loadmaster Virtual Reality Simulators (LVRS), combining cutting-edge simulation technology with the latest in Virtual Reality tracking and display systems. Due for completion in November 2006, the VBS LVRS project shall deliver six simulators, each a turnkey solution for helicopter loadmaster training.

Through the dynamic, large scale and high fidelity virtual environment provided by VBS, the LVRS offers an alternative method for the conduct of loadmaster training and assessment. The LVRS is a fusion of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software and hardware, providing a cost-effective, expandable and networked solution.

The LVRS provides a helicopter mockup that can be resized to suite the S-70A Blackhawk, MRH-90, and CH-47D Chinook airframes, as well as the Rotary Wing Flying Training Review (RWFTR) aircraft. Up to three loadmasters can be situated within the mockup, each equipped with a VR headset. Their positions are tracked in 3D space, and they view a high-fidelity virtual representation of the aircraft and the surrounding environment. They are free to move around the cabin and operate in the same manner as they would in a real aircraft.

A loadmaster instructor operates the LVRS from an instructor station outside the mockup, controlling the aircraft through a modified version of the VBS Observer system. An entirely new helicopter flight physics model has been integrated into VBS, including artificially intelligent pilots that fly in a highly realistic manner. The instructor has precise control over the helicopter, and is provided with a range of maneuvers to present a range of challenging situations to the trainees. A number of additional monitors replicate the view provided to the loadmasters – at all times the instructor can see precisely what the trainees are observing and where in the aircraft they are located.

The VBS LVRS has significant advantages over similar systems, including:

Flexibility. Numerous helicopter types are supported, and the mockup is lightweight and easily configurable and transportable.

Networking. The LVRS can be linked to any VBS session over a local or wide area network. Up to three crew members can train in the one aircraft, and multiple simulators can be linked for practice in formation flight. The LVRS can also be linked to other simulations via DIS or HLA.

Cost. The LVRS is made from entirely commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and software.

Loadmasters from the ADF are being consulted during LVRS development, and in accordance with their requirement the VBS engine is undergoing an amount of modification, including:

Joysticks to control weaponry. Loadmasters have access to a joystick from within the mockup to operate weaponry mounted on the helicopter.

External loads. The engine will support external load carrying including a simulation of rope tension.

Voice over IP improvements. Loadmasters will use the same toggle switch they do in a real helicopter for the intercom, however all voice communication will travel over the network. All voice communication will be recorded for inclusion in the after-action review (AAR).

Improved helicopter simulation. The default VBS helicopter simulation has been entirely replaced by a new, highly realistic model that is configurable for different aircraft types.

Interface enhancements. The VBS Observer is being updated to provide a range of information to the Instructor, including distance from the helicopter to objects, visual indication of impact point and collision markers when collision occurs (the normal VBS damage model has been suppressed).

Hoisting. Loadmasters shall have access to an operable winch on helicopter types that support hoisting.

The VBS LVRS is the first hardware integration project involving the VBS engine, highlighting the flexible nature of the product and the ease in which the product can shift from purely desktop-based training to providing a high-fidelity virtual environment for human-in-the-loop simulation. The VBS LVRS shall be available worldwide following delivery to the ADF (November 2006), providing a cost-effective alternative for the training and assessment of helicopter loadmasters.

[Gordo_Viper]

ADF and NZ VBS

Bohemia Interactive is pleased to announce that a VBS1 enterprise license has been negotiated with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), which includes provision of VBS1 and an update to VBS2 for both the ADF and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

The purchase follows several years of successful VBS1 employment in Australia, which has seen VBS1 used for a range of purposes across the ADF. VBS1 was employed for limited mission rehearsal, area of operation familiarization and worst case scenario analysis during the Al Muthanna Task Group (AMTG) Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRE) in October of 2005. VBS1 has also been employed as part of mission rehearsal for SECDET, the rotation to the Australian Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. In addition to the operational usage, VBS1 is employed for collective training on a day-to-day basis by Australian forces at Tactical Training and Simulation Sites (TTSS) around the country.

A range of functionality enhancements were implemented in VBS1 in order to support the use of VBS1 in Australia. Guided by user feedback, the Instructor Interface module was developed to allow administrators to modify scenario elements in real time through an intuitive dialog interface. The Al Muthanna province (including the town of As Samawah) and Baghdad Green Zone were modelled in VBS1, along with hundreds of Iraqi-style objects that populate the terrain areas. A range of Iraqi-style civilian units were also provided. The VBS1 engine was improved to allow units to fire from moving vehicles, operate hatches on armoured vehicles and use binoculars when turned out.

A prototype UAV trainer was developed for the Australian Defence Simulation Office (ADSO), in addition to an interactive educational military history product designed to teach Australian service men and women about the battles of Long Tan and Coral during the Vietnam War. ‘Australians in Vietnam’ was delivered in late 2005, incorporating a cut-down version of the VBS1 engine and two Vietnam-style terrain areas modelled from topographic maps of the actual battlefields. 12 scenarios were included that recreate the experience of fighting as a soldier during these historic battles.

ADSO has also sponsored the development of the VBS1 - HLA gateway, which is currently being upgraded for VBS2. The gateway, developed in partnership with Calytrix, allows VBS to be integrated into the both the Joint and Army Simulation Environments for use either as a HLA visualiser (a high-fidelity 3D Stealth Viewer) or in support of training or operations. Defence personnel using VBS1 are now able to participate in large-scale actions coordinated by a constructive simulation such as Joint Semi-Automated Forces (JSAF), with full two-way communication between the VBS1 session and the external simulation via HLA.

Under the Enterprise License, Bohemia Interactive Australia is providing the following BIA-produced VBS1 components and modules:

Animal Pack 1

ADF1 and ADF2 packs

USMC1 pack

OPFOR1 pack

Special Forces 1 pack

Terrain Packs 1, 2 and 3

After Action Review 3 (AAR3)

Observer 3

Instructor Interface

The following additional modules are also included:

Artillery and Mortar Trainer Modules, customised to suit ADF requirements

Area Control Module (integrated into the instructor interface) and Marker Module

Enhanced functionality module

Bohemia Interactive is also providing to the ADF a cut-down version of VBS1 for use as an interactive medium for the provision of individual training. ‘VBS1 Lite’ is to be provided to Defence personnel for home use, and will include a range of training scenarios as required. VBS1 Lite provides limited mission editing and multiplayer capabilities, designed to allow soldiers to practice collectively without having to travel to a TTSS.

The decision by the ADF to roll out VBS marks a milestone for the product, and Bohemia Interactive shall continue to improve the simulation in accordance with the feedback we receive from professional users of the product. VBS1 has matured into a robust, flexible training solution and VBS2, shaped by the military requirement, will provide a new benchmark in commercial-off-the-shelf simulation technology. Watch for more information regarding VBS2 to be released in the coming weeks.

[Gordo_Viper]

ITEC VBS Demo

Bohemia Interactive shall be attending the ITEC conference this year and will be demonstrating the VBS product range. ITEC is to be held at ExCeL in London from May 16 - 18, 2006. Bohemia Interactive will be located at booth 268, co-located with our HLA/DIS integration partner Calytrix. Registration to access the exhibition is free - see http://www.itec.co.uk.

The past 12 months have seen major improvements in VBS1, with product development sponsored by customer organisations such as the Australian Defence Force (ADF). VBS1 was major component of the simulation stand for a number of different mission rehearsal exercises, and VBS1 has been rolled out across Australia and New Zealand under an Enterprise License arrangement. VBS1 was integrated with the constructive simulation JSAF via HLA, and further developed as a convoy trainer with numerous vehicle enhancements and the integration of the VBS1 Instructor Interface. VBS1 development continues, with a New Zealand Defence Force and UK Forces modules, a Loadmaster Virtual Reality Simulator and further HLA integration on the way.

At this point VBS1 is a mature, proven product and is of course available right now from the VBS1 online store at http://www.virtualbattlespace.com. VBS1 will be fully supported by Bohemia Interactive for years to come. Bohemia Interactive is prepared to offer a free trial license of VBS1 to any organisation, please contact our staff at ITEC or via email to vbs@bistudio.com if this is something you may wish to pursue.

High Fidelity Military Simulation - Affordable COTS Technology

Bohemia Interactive has spent the years since the release of the Operation Flashpoint (OFP) conducting rigorous R&D, refining and developing what was an already outstanding product. Today, the Real Virtuality simulation engine represents the cutting edge of COTS simulation technology, and includes a wide range of graphical and functional improvements to suit the demands of both the entertainment and military markets. Our core simulation has undergone rigorous improvement and optimization, and our latest engine will represent a similar milestone to that represented by OFP back in 2001.

The VBS2 engine, due for release in Q3 this year, is being developed in accordance with the user requirement of customer organisations based upon their experiences with VBS1. Designed to provide more than simply a virtual environment, VBS2 aims to provide a ‘virtual tool kit’ incorporating the synthetic environment, model and world editing tools as well as comprehensive scenario editing and after-action review capability.

"The fundamental difference between VBS2 and similar COTS products is that we want to allow the customer to quickly develop high fidelity, large scale geo-typical terrain areas based upon data they already have, without needing to use a 3rd party company or pay large sums of money."

- David Lagettie, Managing Director of Bohemia Interactive Australia

VBS2 will allow a user to develop very large (over 100 x 100km) terrain areas (at any terrain resolution), populate the terrain area with hundreds of thousands of objects in accordance with VMAP shape data, and then texture-map the entire representation with high-resolution satellite imagery or aerial photography. All that is required is the VBS2 toolset, a standard GIS application and training.

Once the terrain representation is exported into VBS2, the Real Virtuality engine will provide a life-like simulation of the real world, incorporating moving trees and grass, ground clutter, ambient life (birds, animals), shadows, dynamic lighting, weather and time of day. New streaming capability provides a very efficient means of loading complex terrain areas - object and texture data is processed only when required, allowing for large, high-fidelity virtual environments. View distances are now typically 5 times greater than in VBS1 (depending on processor speed) - level of detail culling has been improved to allow attack helicopters and armoured vehicles to engage at realistic ranges, and forward observers to call fire from greater distances.

Functionality Improvements

VBS2 provides a range of functionality improvements specifically developed for the military market. Visit the Bohemia Interactive booth at ITEC for a comprehensive listing. New features include:

Real-Time Mission Editor. The VBS1 Observer, Instructor and After-Action Review playback interfaces are replaced by a single system in VBS2 known as the Real Time Mission Editor. Doubling as a command and control interface, this editor allows an administrator to modify all scenario components in real time, allocate tasks to agents or teams (such as squads or platoons), pause the simulation, save the current state of the mission to a new scenario, respawn units, modify weapon and ammunition load outs, view in-game participants from multiple perspectives - this powerful and easy to use system is highly configurable and extendable (you can even script your own AI using the new graphical task-editor).

Improved Simulation of Weapon Platforms. The fidelity of vehicle mounted weapon systems is being vastly improved for VBS2. Armored vehicles are being improved to provide a gunnery simulation that can be easily customized to suit specific weapon platforms. Multiple vehicle turrets (multiple machine guns mounted on a tank turret for example), commander override, highly detailed weapon effects and correctly modeled ballistics, the capability for fire control system simulation (lase, lead lock etc) will enable VBS2 to perform as an effective crew procedural trainer.

Improved Simulation of Urban Areas. VBS2 provides improved simulation of complex urban areas, including dynamically destructible buildings (ask for a demonstration at ITEC), round penetration through walls and operable doors that can be destroyed. The particle system has been optimized allowing for large amounts of dust, smoke and haze for more realistic combat environments. Tracers are improved and now ricochet off objects and the ground in a realistic fashion. Collision detection and engine physics have been vastly improved, allowing participants to smoothly control entities within built up areas and around buildings without collision problems.

HLA and DIS compliance. The VBS1 HLA/DIS gateway is being updated and improved for VBS2, which contains highly improved network code and support for many more players than previous products.

We look forward to your visit to the Bohemia Interactive booth (#268) at ITEC, where you will be able to view a demonstration of both the VBS2 product and the As Samawah terrain area (including UK forces models) in VBS1. Please ask our staff about a demonstration version of VBS1 that your organisation may trial, and also ask to be included on the VBS2 newsletter that will commence in early June.

More information about VBS can be found at http://www.virtualbattlespace.com, or contact vbs@bistudio.com.

About Bohemia Interactive

Bohemia Interactive is an independent game development company, with studios in Czech Republic and Australia, founded in 1999, that focuses on developing state of the art computer software and the research of advanced real time 3D graphics, artificial intelligence and physical simulation technologies for real-time interactive environments. For more information about the company visit http://www.bistudio.com.

[Gordo_Viper]

USMC VTK

Bohemia Interactive announces United States Marine Corps (USMC) VBS2 Enterprise License and development of the VBS2 Virtual Took Kit (VTK)

Australia - 9th August 2006

A pdf version of this press release is available here.

Bohemia Interactive is extremely pleased to announce that the United States Marine Corps (USMC) has purchased an enterprise license of Virtual Battlespace (VBS). The license provides an unlimited number of VBS1 and VBS2 licenses to the Marines for use in tactical training, mission rehearsal and experimentation. The decision by the USMC to purchase an enterprise license of VBS marks a milestone for the product and validation that the Real Virtuality engine remains one of the most flexible, extendable and cost-effective military simulation tools available today.

Bohemia Interactive is delivering a wide range of VBS1 modules and functionality improvements including the USMC1 pack, After Action Review 3 (AAR3), Instructor Interface and other USMC-specific enhancements. Two versions of VBS1 will be delivered – ‘VBS1 Developer’ provides a fully functional product for use in simulation centers, and ‘VBS1 Lite’ is provided for wider distribution.

Bohemia Interactive is working closely with the USMC to finalise Virtual Battlespace 2 (VBS2), a completely new product based upon the brand new game engine Real Virtuality 2. VBS2 is being constantly improved in accordance with military feedback received from a range of VBS1 customers, including the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and the USMC. VBS2 extends the adaptable, customisable nature of Operation Flashpoint and VBS1 to provide a tool that delivers rapid terrain generation for mission rehearsal in high fidelity, realistic environments, in addition to a host of other functional and graphical improvements.

Thanks to LVC (Live-Virtual-Constructive) Game by Calytrix, VBS1 and VBS2 will also be integrated into the USMC DVTE network, seamlessly interoperating with simulations such as JSAF. The DVTE will soon leverage a wide range of VBS2 enhancements including command and control functionality, modifiable agent-based AI and real-time mission editing. VBS1 and VBS2 may also be integrated with C2PC to provide a high-fidelity, networked environment linking the live and virtual domains (live marines in the field, tracked by GPS, interoperating with virtual entities controlled from within a USMC simulation centre).

Beyond VBS2 – VBS2 Virtual Tool Kit

Bohemia Interactive will soon commence development of the Virtual Tool Kit (VTK), a project designed to allow the end user to modify every aspect of the simulation. As most users of serious games have already experienced, it can be difficult if not impossible to effect a change in a simulation engine without either a great deal of time or financial investment. Bohemia Interactive intends to reverse this model through providing a range of editors that will enable every aspect of the simulation to be easily modified and configured; to the extent that the product could be repackaged by any typical user to suit a new training requirement or demand.

To be sponsored by the USMC, the VBS2 VTK provides configuration, weapon and unit editors, improved (easier to use and more functional) terrain and modelling tools, easily modifiable artificial intelligence behaviours, an API for ‘plugging-in’ new AI models, deformable terrain and a range of other improvements beyond the extensive enhancements already available in VBS2. Bohemia Interactive intends for VBS2 VTK to provide the benchmark for the serious games industry; a completely modifiable, low-cost and customer-oriented product suitable for any conceivable use (be it military training or otherwise).

Bohemia Interactive will be directly supporting both the USMC and Joint Combined Training Centre (JCTC) at I/ITSEC 07. A full press release will be available at http://www.virtualbattlespace.com shortly, as well as information on the upcoming VBS2-based product Virtual Responder Trainer.