Enterprise
Electronics Corporation
Carnac Project
The
Challenge
EEC wanted to supply TV stations with radar systems and software
that could perform real time weather reports. EEC sought to add land maps for
radar background as well as an in-depth zooming function that would allow advance
warning of tornadoes in a precise viewing area to be produced live on the air.
This functionality required a tool that could zoom from one level to the next,
such as from the state level to the street level. EEC’s customers desired
a zoom speed of less than five seconds but preferred it in less than three seconds.
In addition, EEC needed a high-quality display, including anti-aliased text and
satellite images blended into the background for aesthetics.
The
INT Solution
To
meet the speed and image quality requirements for the SGI target platform, INT
implemented an OpenGL driver for Carnac. Phase one included the creation of basic
graphics modules, such as the data interface. The second phase involved the creation
of a map interface that was more customer-oriented, provided more functionality,
and offered a large variety of map features. The second phase also included integration
in which the old EEC's graphics modules were replaced with the new graphics modules
built using Carnac.
The
Results
INT successfully
met all of EEC's requirements, making the project a showcase application. INT
even increased the zoom rate from the required five seconds to a record three
seconds. The improved functionality afforded EEC a more competitive advantage
in the marketplace; however, the ultimate reward in development of the application
was the potential to save lives with advance weather warnings.
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