MATLAB Central Newsreader - Matlab Virtual Reality Toolbox - speed? / several other questions

Matlab Virtual Reality Toolbox - speed? / several other questions

Alexander — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:23:01 -0400

Hello,

I have become aware of the Matlab Virtual Reality Toolbox, but I am currently having some problems running it on Linux. Nevertheless, I have several general questions about the toolbox.

- How fast is it? A project I am currently working on is implementing several rather simple models in a 3D environment and rotating them with numerical solutions of differential equations. Would VReality be fast enough for a realtime simulation? Is it much slower than let's say OpenGL?

- Do I necessarily have to use Simulink to communicate with the VReality toolbox? I find solutions of differential equations using e.g. ode45, so I don't use Simulink.

- Once my simulation is ready, what can I do with it? Can the toolbox export to any popular formats which might be used by other well-known applications (maybe CAD, Maya...)?

Alexander

Re: Matlab Virtual Reality Toolbox - speed? / several other questions

Jan Houska — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 06:43:16 -0400

Hi Alexander,

Alexander wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have become aware of the Matlab Virtual Reality Toolbox, but I am currently having some problems running it on Linux. Nevertheless, I have several general questions about the toolbox.
>
> - How fast is it? A project I am currently working on is implementing several rather simple models in a 3D environment and rotating them with numerical solutions of differential equations. Would VReality be fast enough for a realtime simulation? Is it much slower than let's say OpenGL?
>
> - Do I necessarily have to use Simulink to communicate with the VReality toolbox? I find solutions of differential equations using e.g. ode45, so I don't use Simulink.
>
> - Once my simulation is ready, what can I do with it? Can the toolbox export to any popular formats which might be used by other well-known applications (maybe CAD, Maya...)?

The Virtual Reality Toolbox (now renamed to Simulink 3D Animation) uses
OpenGL for rendering. There is indeed some overhead caused by parsing
the VRML files and transferring values from/to MATLAB, but that overhead
is not big and generally the speed is comparable with OpenGL. Having a
hardware-accelerated OpenGL graphics driver definitely helps performance
substantially. As to real-time simulation - that depends on the
complexity of your virtual world and the frame rate you want to achieve.
It cannot be answered without knowing how complex worlds you plan to
animate.

The command-line interface allows you to fully control your virtual
world from MATLAB programs. So you do not necessarily have to use
Simulink, but you do lose some comfort without using it.

Simulink 3D Animation uses VRML as the format of its virtual worlds.
This is an ISO standard and is supported by many CAD and animation
software, although the level of the support in individual programs will
of course vary.

Good Luck, Jan

--
Jan Houska HUMUSOFT s.r.o.
houska@humusoft.com Pobrezni 20
http://www.humusoft.com 186 00 Praha 8
tel: ++ 420 284 011 730 Czech Republic
fax: ++ 420 284 011 740

Re: Matlab Virtual Reality Toolbox - speed? / several other questions

Alexander Erlich — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:18:39 -0400

Thanks Jan!

That's very helpful to know.

Alexander