A CAVE system based on the CryEngine2 game engine

A Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE), is an implementation of a virtual reality system consisting of a closed room where video projectors are directed to two or more of its walls, creating an impression of being “inside” the virtual environment.

At TU Eindhoven we developed a CAVE system named Cryengine automatic Virtual Environment (CryVE) based on the game engine CryEngine2. The game engine is a multiplatform game development middleware that provides state of the art, photorealistic real-time visuals and enhanced physics, handling both interior spaces and vast landscapes in single- or multi-player settings. For the prototype implementation we use the multiplayer game Crysis Wars.

The improved visuals and performance of the CryEngine2 over the game engines used by similar systems like CAVEUT, confirm CryVE system as a solid alternative to bring state of the art technology and photorealistic graphics to low-cost CAVE systems. CryVE is a low-cost implementation that offers advantages to the scientific, gaming, and graphics enthusiasts communities.

CryVE software

The CryVE software implementation consists of three components: a game modification (mod), a game flowgraph and a modified multiplayer map. A CryEngine2 game mod is a piece of code (usually written in C++) that can access the low-level data structures and API of the game engine, and extends its functionality by modifying the behavior and appearance of characters, and even the gameplay itself. A flowgraph is a graphical representation of a script that allows different mods to be called upon, and be connected to other com- ponents/mods available in the game system.

A game map is a representation of the virtual world that includes flowgraphs, characters, assets, textures, 3D models, player behaviors and all other elements that will be loaded by the game engine upon game start. The software is still in development phase but you can already try it out with your Crysis game!.

The National Historic Museum Project:
A CryVE demonstrator

Based on the prototype implementation of the CAVE, we developed a conceptual design of an exhibition for the Nationaal Historisch Museum in the Netherlands. This museum is an initiative that aims to engage the general public into discovering and appreciating their cultural heritage, by combining latest media and technology with more traditional museum approaches. The exhibition consists of a virtual museum tour that reproduces events of the history of The Netherlands. You can find more information about this demonstrator after the jump

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