Example DIS Applications
There are a number of example applications of DIS available. This section simply shows a few so the reader can get an idea of what DIS is capable of helping implement. Some of the applicatons shown are commercial.
The company MetaVR has created a scene application that uses a DIS implementation they called the Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG). The VRSG application can implement views of terrain, with varying weather, and includes aircraft.
MetaVR Has an example web page devoted to the Virtual Reality Scene Generator application. Another web site for VRSG is at here, which features aircraft at the Yuma proving grounds and ships at the Strait of Hormuz.
Figure 1: Meta VR
Figure 2: Meta VR
This application is put out by Battlespace Simulations, Inc.
MACE is a physics-based, many-on-many simulation and threat environment with a large order of battle, ideally suited for both standalone mission rehearsal and distributed mission simulation. MACE provides computer generated forces (CGF), sometimes called semi-autonomous forces (SAF), as well as scenario creation, management and IOS features. Using MACE, you can quickly and easily extend your distributed simulation framework. MACE supports the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) architecture including simulation management, entity state, fire, detonate and emissions PDUs.
The ACM project is a free game that can be used in the Debian operating system.
A major web site is at the ACM sites
According to the site, this is multiplayer aerial combat simulation. Players engage in air to air combat against one another using heat seeking missiles and cannons.
Main features include:
- Simulation with 6 degrees of freedom.
- Structural limit to the vertical positive/negative load.
- Classic instruments, navigation and head-up display (HUD).
- Several aircraft models implemented, both civil and military.
- Two scenes provided, with many runways and radio stations.
DISWebGateway is a small web-based project. The a least a sort-lived example lies running at track.movesinstitute.org As with other applications, DISWebGateway reads DIS applications. But the unusual step is running a web-based application inside of a web browser, such as Google Chrome, FireFox, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. The web-based applications all run on JavaScript web-based applications, which lets them achieve inexpensive upgrades and deployments. The web application can be deployed even inside a phone.
In the past few years the WebTCP and WebRTC applications have made TCP and IP applications (covered later) to send legitimate network traffic. In addition other utilities can be used. The web applications such as Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, or Microsoft Bing let you use them for terrain. The DIS traffic can be interpreted by a Javascript implementation of DIS and used in a variety of ways, including 3D graphics, mapping, log reporting and application state, and more.
This can be quite interesting. A web server with internet access allows access to a significant range of capabilities, including remote web-based data. The screen capture above shows an entity mapped by the Google Maps library. (Note that Google charges for significant traffic that uses their library.) Open Street Maps is also a good tool, and fee-free.
We can also information from any other source on the web, such as weather forecasts, traffic, and more. A server attached to the open network can make use of many data sources. For applications behind protection some good sources can simply be brought inside firewalls.
Blended Warrior has been a project at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC convention. It is the largest convention in the simulation industry.
Blended Warrior involves dozens of exhibitors and vendors, and various government attendants, all trying to get their own applications working together for what may be very much the first time. Very often DIS has been used as an organizing pattern to solve this difficult problem, a problem not very different from what happens at training sites. Blended Warrior may well be more difficult. The project changes every Blended Warrior year, and this requires new planning, while a training station is similar to that of Fort Irwin. The changes between months at Fort Irwin can be significant, but not as bad as events that change more or add many completely new applications. The academic papers published by I/ITSEC are interesting.
The link is to youtube video for the 2016 event. The papers generated for each year's Blended Warrior and published by I/ITSEC are also good reading.
I/ITSEC shows an example PDF showing a pre-planned example of Blended Warrior:
https://exhibits.iitsec.org/2016//custom/Playbook_OBW_NTSAfinal1110.pdf