Economic and political changes are reshaping the global simulation and training marketplace, and users are becoming increasingly more sophisticated in their requirements for visual and sensor simulators. These factors are stimulating a demand for more powerful and less expensive image generation systems. Consequently, the cost and complexity of the databases which drive them are becoming increasingly significant. Highly efficient strategies for simulator database development are needed in order to meet this challenge.

This paper describes new database modeling technologies being put to use at Evans & Sutherland. Processes for the generation of geometry, terrain, and texture provide flexible modes of interaction, allowing the most effective modeling technique to be used for a given database element. Strong data commonality throughout the system maximizes IG-independent modeling and database correlation, reusability, and interoperability. The result of these improvements is a new modeling system which provides a powerful and efficient means for the generation of simulator databases.