The Delta3D Gaming and Simulation Engine:

An Open Source Approach to Serious Games • Curtis Conkey: NETC• Rudy Darken: MOVES Institute• Perry McDowell: MOVES Institute• Erik Johnson: MOVES Institute

Purpose

MOVES builds and does research on training applications, why did they

build an open source engine?

To fill the need for a cheap, easy to use system to build training systems; there were no open source solutions that fully met requirements

Why hasn’t M&S become a mainstream part of every service member’s training?

• It’s not ubiquitous … not even close yet• Too few products

• Still costs way too much,• Takes way too long to get products to the

warfighter, and• We still deliver products that don’t fit user

requirements.

Why?

Assumptions

• What do we typically assume before we acquire any training system?

• This thing is going to be expensive

• Better find lots of customers to make a business case for it

• It’ll be years before it’s done

Project Failures 2004

Infoworld, 8-16-04, p. 42

The problem with BIG software

40000

30000

20000

10000

010 2 3 4 5Percent Change in Requirements

Fu

nctio

n P

oin

ts

Impossible to build

Feasible

Take Aways

1. Expensive projects tend to fail.

2. Projects with very large numbers of developers tend to fail.

3. Large projects with many function points tend to fail.

4. Projects with rapidly changing requirements tend to fail.

The “Revolution” in Training

• The CNO has made it clear that simulations and games are a big part of his plan to bring training to all parts of the Navy.

• All Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines need training

• Let’s make sure that they all benefit from M&S products– Next year, not in five years…

• We can’t give him what he’s asking for unless we solve these issues.

Why Use Game Based Training?

• More Navy training is being done out of the “schoolhouse”

• Need to do something to catch Sailors’ attention

• Training Sailors in a way that makes them want to be trained more

• Training is much more effective when the learners are actively engaged

Current MethodologyDetermine Training

Requirement

Determine Training Objective

ClassroomMedia

InteractiveMultimediaInstruction

SimulationStimulation

DistributedLearning

TSA•Existing Skill Base•Required Skill Base

EvaluateAlternatives

TacticalTraining

Equipment

Embedded

TSA - Training Situation AnalysisTSAR - Training Systems Alternatives Report

TSAR•Cost/resources•Effectiveness analysis•Technology Assessment•Media Analysis

Traditional Gaming

B

Current MethodologyRequirements

functional descriptionDefineContract•Scope•License

AwardContractAccept

Product

Build Training App.Use Proprietary

game engine technology

Field ApplicationNew requirements

Waterfall Dev.

Training Effectiveness Eval.

VendorAvailable? Gone

Time

NoStart Over

B

B

Very Successful Model

• Marine Doom• Close Combat: Marines• America’s Army• Full Spectrum Warrior• To name just a few….

Proprietary Models Do Not Always Apply

Why?• Flexibility

– Restrictive license agreements– Long cycle times between upgrades

• Need that source code

• Affordability– GE license fees / recurring fees

• Over-Kill – Don’t require latest graphics card effects – Stay out of the upgrade cycle - MS / Intel

• Size – Small project - economics unattractive to vendors

Our Approach

• We’re building an open source game-based simulation engine

• The goal is to drive development costs of training games down to:– Raise the probability of success for each product– Target specific training needs, bring developers in

contact with fleet customers– Bring training “games” to anyone, anytime,

anyplace

Delta3D Hierarchy

OpenOpen SourceSource ModulesModules

Delta3DDelta3D

ApplicationApplication

Delta3D• Open Source Gaming Engine• Combination of Best of Breed OS Components• Active Development Community• Offers whatever the community develops• Seed funding from NPS, NETC & JNTC1

ApplicationsApplications

AudioAudio

Open Source Gaming Engine APIOpen Source Gaming Engine API

NetworkingNetworking PhysicsPhysics CharactersCharacters ScriptingScripting Scene GraphScene Graph

FLTKOpenAL Open Scene Graph

Open Dynamics

Engine PythonCAL3DHLA TinyXML

DataData

WindowsLinux

WindowsLinux

GUIGUI

1: NPS = Naval Postgraduate School, NETC = Naval Education and Training Command, JNTC = Joint National Training Capability

Feature Summary

Delta3D Summary

Features– OpenGL rendering

– Character animation

– Realistic physics

– Hi-level classes (rapid development)

– 2D/3D audio

– Multiple file formats

– Python scripting

– Multiple terrain rendering methods

– Particle systems

– HLA networking

– Distributed rendering

– Advanced environmentals

– Abstracted input devices

– Record/playback capabilities

Content Creation Tools– 3D model viewer – Graphical particle editor– BSP compiler

No added run time costsCross platform compatibleMaintained by a dedicated teamUser support forums

Delta3D MethodologyRequirements

functional descriptionDefineContract•Scope•Spec Delta3d

AwardContract

AcceptProduct

With Code

Build Training App.Use Delta3d

Field Application

Training Effectiveness Eval.

B

New requirements

Spiral Dev.

Delta3D Examples

• FOPCSIM – Forward Observer Trainer• CSAR Demo – Uses derivative of an America’s Army

Level• Plane Guard – Water and Particle Engine• Fire Fighter Demo – FPS Style Trainer• Physics Demo – Dynamics Engine

Time to commoditize game based solutions

Gaming technology is another tool in our training toolbox