Abstract: A method for synchronous representation of a virtual reality terrain in the form of polygons on a plurality of display devices by a plurality of connected simulation computers, may include generating position data specifying which region of the terrain was changed by a first computer; generating elevation data of the changed region by the computer; communicating position and elevation data the first computer to a second computer; selecting, on the basis of the position data, those polygons of the terrain which lie in the changed region by a control unit of the second computer; subdividing the selected polygons in each case into a plurality of sub-polygons by a tessellator unit of the second computer; calculating spatial coordinates of the sub-polygons in accordance with the elevation data by the second computer; and displaying the sub-polygons on a display device connected to the second computer.

Abstract: A method and simulator for training a crew member of a vehicle, especially a military vehicle, in the interior of the vehicle. A camera films the vehicle interior and is to be fixed to the head of the crew member. A display device is to be disposed in the field of view of the crew member and is to be fixed to the crew member's head. Via markers in the vehicle interior, the position of a view is defined, and at the position of the view, a detail of a virtual vehicle external environment is overlaid in the display device as a function of the position and viewing direction of the crew member.

Abstract: A method for synchronous representation of a virtual reality terrain in the form of polygons on a plurality of display devices by a plurality of connected simulation computers, may include generating position data specifying which region of the terrain was changed by a first computer; generating elevation data of the changed region by the computer; communicating position and elevation data the first computer to a second computer; selecting, on the basis of the position data, those polygons of the terrain which lie in the changed region by a control unit of the second computer; subdividing the selected polygons in each case into a plurality of sub-polygons by a tessellator unit of the second computer; calculating spatial coordinates of the sub-polygons in accordance with the elevation data by the second computer; and displaying the sub-polygons on a display device connected to the second computer.

Abstract: A method and simulator for training a crew member of a vehicle, especially a military vehicle, in the interior of the vehicle. A camera films the vehicle interior and is to be fixed to the head of the crew member. A display device is to be disposed in the field of view of the crew member and is to be fixed to the crew member's head. Via markers in the vehicle interior, the position of a view is defined, and at the position of the view, a detail of a virtual vehicle external environment is overlaid in the display device as a function of the position and viewing direction of the crew member.

Abstract: Geometric surfaces of objects are displayed by a method which generates surface data of at least one object and stores this surface data in a first memory, generates data records for all surface data stored in the first memory and stores these data records in a second memory, generates additional surface data for the representation of object segments with a lower level of detail and stores this additional surface data in the first memory, generates and stores a hierarchical data structure with several data records addressable via pointer addresses to represent one part of the objects surface in the second memory, stores the pointer addresses of the data records stored in the second memory which are not referenced by any pointer addresses stored in other data records, computes in a arithmetic unit a minimum level of detail for representation of the object segment, compares the computed minimum level of detail for each data record whose address is stored in a third memory area with the level of detail stored in