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PRESS RELEASE
Visualization and Application Builder Software
Oxford, UK, 1 April, 1995
Release 3.0 of the IRIS Explorer(TM) scientific visualization and application builder software was launched by the Numerical Algorithms Group Ltd (NAG) on 31 March 1995 on Silicon Graphics workstations. Release 3.0 is the result of a joint development program between software engineers at NAG and Silicon Graphics, Inc (SGI). NAG has taken over the development, porting, marketing, sales and support of IRIS Explorer for all future releases as it becomes decoupled from the next version of SGI's IRIX operating system. Ports of Release 3.0 to other platforms will follow, including Sun Solaris, IBM RS/ 6000, HP 9000/700, Cray, and 64-bit DEC Alpha OSF/1, 64-bit and SGI IRIX 6.
IRIS Explorer Release 3.0 features many performance improvements and system enhancements, as well as an increased module library. The list of system enhancements include the passing of geometry via shared memory and a much improved interface for running scripts. In addition, scripting itself now has improved synchronicity providing more reproducible results, and synchronisation ports on all modules provide much better control over loops. A new visual drag and drop interface has been added, as have new widgets for module control panels, and editable groups have been introduced. There has been a revision and update of documentation with both hard-copy and on-line versions available. All Release 3.0 versions of IRIS Explorer are based on Open Inventor and OpenGL and users on non-SGI platforms will also benefit from all the additional modules and enhancements introduced at Release 2.2.
"We have worked closely with SGI to bring to market a product which will extend the functional benefits of IRIS Explorer for users in all areas of scientific visualization. IRIS Explorer is arguably the best system of its kind on the market today. We are particularly pleased with the system enhancements and module library extensions especially in the area of vector data manipulation and readers for standard data file formats", said Robert Iles, Manager of the Software Environments Division at NAG. "Shared memory performance improvements and the incorporation of NAG's rich legacy of graphical, numerical and statistical library routines, which has started at this Release, redefine the product's technical edge and translate into useful benefits for our customers".
New modules in Release 3.0 include NAG-based modules which use the well-known NAG numerical libraries and the NAG graphics library; new modules for displaying vector data using particle advection, streaklining and vector display; new data analysers for interpolation through 2D and 3D data and outlining regions of interest in datasets; new modules for creating and manipulating geometry; new annotation modules; new data readers (for example, PHOENICS and NTF data); new colourmap manipulators, and many more. In addition, Release 3.0 includes the source to many more modules, more interesting datasets and new example maps.
NAG has over 20 years experience in developing, porting, distributing and supporting scientific software. NAG supplies a range of compilers, tools, software libraries and associated products for the professional programmer and for educational and industrial use. NAG Ltd is based in Oxford, UK, with subsidiary companies in Chicago, Munich and Tokyo as well as distributors worldwide.
For further information contact:
Terry Burgess
Marketing Manager
NAG Ltd
Wilkinson House
Jordan Hill Road
Oxford
OX2 8DR
Tel: +44 1865 511245
Fax: +44 1865 310139
terry@nag.co.uk
http://www.nag.co.uk
