Realtech VR

Realtech VR is a group of French computer coders and artists who created PC demos and software, mostly between 1994 and 1996. Today, they still active although they stopped the demo compos.

History

The group was founded in 1993, with Guen and Execom, a graphist and a PC coder and released a first demo for the Assembly (demo party) 1994 called Megamix.

Although their first demo was a mix of bitmap and 3D realtime, the next demo, more successful, was entirely in 3D : On 28 December 1994, they came 5th at the PC demo compo at The Party (demo party) 4 with the demo Dimension Introducing fast 3D texture mapping and antialiasing. The version presented at the Party was 16-bit. Later a 32-bit version was released. They continued the 3D demo, with the attempt to release a true 3D realtime demo, capable of running on a 386 DX40 in 640x480 resolution : On 14 August 1995, they came 3rd at the PC demo compo at the Assembly (demo party) 95 with the demo DX Project, debuting the first high resolution SVGA 3D demo ever presented at a demoparty.

In the next demo, they try to push the limit higher, with a resolution independent 3D demo:On 4 November1995, they came 4th at the PC demo compo with the demo Countdown, at the Wired 95 demoparty, features higher resolution up to 1600x1200, with hardware acceleration support (for S3 chipset).

Finally, they released two last demos, always running in high resolution:On 28 December1995, they released two last demos at The Party (demo party) 5, with one SVGA demo and one 65536 color demo.

For the remembering of the 10th anniversary of realtech, a demopack, which is a collection of demos, was released. It was not a one to one conversion, but an improved version.On 14 August2005 Realtech released a demopack called Realoaded which is compilation of its best demos, improved and updated for modern hardware (with even a native 64-bit version).

Video games

During the year 1996, Realtech changed its name to Realtech VR, and developed No Gravity which came after Space Girl.The project was abandoned and resurfaced in 2005 with No Gravity as Open Source.in 1999 Realtech with the help of Olympus released [http://heroes.sourceforge.net/ Heroes] a game similar to Tron and Nibbles.

In 2007 Realtech ported and improved No Gravity for the PlayStation Portable. The game is set to be release on Playstation Network in the fall of 2008. No Gravity is the first homebrew game ever to be published and supported officially by Sony.

Other PSP games made by Realtech VR are:
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com/ultra/index.html ultra] an arcade game. (August 30 2008)
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com/newtonwar/index.html newtonwar] an arcade game. (January 27 2008)
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com/eyeliner/index.html eyeliner] an arcade/puzzle game. (January 11 2008)
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com/purplemotion/index.html purple motion] an racing like game. (February 5 2008)
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com/ukke/index.html ukke] an puzzle game. (December 30 2007)
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com/panicparadyz/index.html panic paradyz] an racing like game. (December 22 2007)
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com/freeesh/index.html freeesh] an puzzle game. (December 22 2007)

Virtual reality projects

Realtech, in association with Open Objects has released a Virtual Reality project in 1997. Using the Virtual I-O Glasses, an Head-mounted display using a 'real' 3D with double liquid crystal screens and stereo earphones with a 360° head tracker motion detector.The [http://www.ouvre.com/experiences/be/virtus.htm Virtus Virus] project was demoed at Be Developer Conference in 1997, and also was demoed and installed at the Futuroscope in 1997.

In 2001, Realtech, in association of Charamel, has released [http://www.3d-test.com/test/charamel_1.htm Charactor] , a tool for display 3D interactive avatars used for television, CD ROM, or interactive booth.

Tools

*Realtech has also released some tools for OpenGL with OpenGL Extensions Viewer in 2001 which is still updated.
*The program was ported for Mac OS X and Windows 64-bit, one of first 64-bit application for Windows.
*Realtech has released DXGL Wrapper, an DirectX to OpenGL wrapper in 2001.
*Realtech has also released SkyORB, a space simulation utility for BeOS, Pocket PC, Mac OS X and Windows) in 2002 and still working on it.
*Realtech is also developing V3X.net, a versatile game engine that is used in all its productions.

Memberlist

External links

* [http://www.pouet.net/groups.php?which=159 Pouet.net Realtech Productions List]
* [http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/02/12/1824215 An Open Source Direct3D 8.0 Wrapper for Open GL]
* [http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=9736 No Gravity Game Open Sourced]
* [http://www.realtech-vr.com Realtech VR main site]
* [http://www.v3x.net Realtech V3X.net]
* [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2004S&T...108V.100. Smithsonian/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service (SkyORB VR)]
* [http://psp.ign.com/objects/892/892151.html]