APEX, N.C. February 6, 2007 – Computational Engineering International (CEI) announced today an industry first with the latest release of EnSight DR, an extreme visualization tool that now allows users of distributed computing to accurately and rapidly render complex transparent objects. The new distributed rendering technology breaks through significant computing barriers, making for fast and cost-effective transparent renderings that were once impractical in a distributed-computing environment. Scientists and engineers working with large and complex datasets can now take advantage of the new technology to visualize multiple transparent layers on any object.

Image of EnSight DR rendering with transparency on 4 nodes of a cluster, image is a supernova simulation. 

“We are proud to be the first to bring users a fast and effective way to render multiple transparent layers in a distributed-computing environment,” said Randall Frank, a senior developer at CEI and the creator of the new technology. “The novel fixed-overhead algorithm behind this technology means that in practical terms, the speed and quality of rendering is essentially the same no matter how large or complex the dataset. This is a real boon for users of distributed rendering in numerous industries and disciplines.”

The new transparency capabilities now standard in EnSight DR 8.2.3 produce highly accurate alpha-blended transparencies, which were previously unattainable for users of distributed computing. This significant breakthrough sets a new visualization standard and makes obsolete so-called “screen-door” transparencies, a widely used, yet highly limited, workaround technique for rendering transparent surfaces in a distributed-computing environment.

CEI introduced EnSight DR in 2005 to give users of the extreme visualization package the ability to process visualizations in parallel across networked computers, and across multiple platforms. CEI’s flexible architecture allows users to mix platforms within a single visualization session, within a workgroup, or across an entire corporate network.

CEI’s licensing model is platform-independent. Users of any major platform within an existing CEI customer site can simply install EnSight DR and contact the network administrator to obtain the license key to use the software.

EnSight DR 8.2.3, with full transparency capabilities, is now available as a no-cost update to all users with an existing EnSight DR license.  Those who do not currently hold a license but would like to learn more about EnSight can visit www.ensight.com/ensight-dr.html or call 919-363-0883 for more information.

About CEI
CEI (www.ensight.com) offers a complete suite of engineering and scientific visualization tools, from meshing to plotting to animation, on all major operating systems. The company’s products can be run on everything from laptops to workstations, clusters and supercomputers, with animations displayed in stereo and in immersive VR. CEI has corporate headquarters in Apex, N.C., and authorized distributors around the world.   

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