A multi-dimensional user oriented synthetic environment system allows application programs to be programmed and accessed with input/output device independent, generic functional commands which are a distillation of the actual functions performed by any application program. A shared memory structure allows the translation of device specific commands to device independent, generic functional commands. Complete flexibility of the mapping of synthetic environment data to the user is thereby allowed. Accordingly, synthetic environment data may be provided to the user on parallel user information processing channels allowing the subcognitive mind to act as a filter, eliminating irrelevant information and allowing the processing of increase amounts of data by the user. The user is further provided with a craft surrounding the user within the synthetic environment, which craft, imparts important visual referential an motion parallax cues, enabling the user to better appreciate distances and directions within the synthetic environment. Display of this craft in close proximity to the user's point of perspective may be accomplished without substantially degrading the image resolution of the displayed portions of the synthetic environment.

A driving simulator for a video game is disclosed. It includes an apparatus and method for moving the visual display of the dashboard relative to the visual display of the outside scene by horizontal scrolling when the car is being turned. A model processor calculates an acceleration vector acting on the drivers head based upon conditions affecting the vehicle such as acceleration during turns. This acceleration vector is scaled and converted to an integer from floating point. The integer value is then digitally low pass filtered to eliminate the graininess of the discrete nature of the process. Finally two routines are called which use the integer data to calculate where the dash, mirror and cab sidepost are to be displayed in the scene of the simulated environment displayed to the driver. Another routine is then called to load the appropriate data into the hardware which performs the scrolling.

In a computer image generation system, the choice of a path for a vehicle model over a landscape is not restricted. Objects and features in an image to be displayed are defined by polygons. Plumb vectors, having a predetermined relationship with the vehicle model, are used to obtain samples of the terrain at the intersection between the vectors and polygons defining the ground in the vicinity of the vehicle model. The vectors may sample in advance of the vehicle model in the direction of motion or under the vehicle model. The polygons may be encoded with characteristics of the terrain they define so that appropriate noise cues can be generated from information extracted at the intersection of the plumb vectors and polygons. Predetermined ones of the sample points are interpolated for inferring the contour and slope of the terrain before interaction between the vehicle model and interpolated terrain is determined. The display of an image is modified in response to the real-time interaction between the vehicle model and local topology to reflect such interaction at a predetermined viewpoint.

A racing system for a group of exercise machines is disclosed. The race is entirely flexible, in that each exercise unit communicates electronically with all of the other potential racing units. Any user may offer a race, accept or reject another user's race offer, or join a race during a limited countdown period. More than one race can be underway. For cost reduction, a daisy chain hookup is used, in which each unit's microprocessor has an input port receiving message flow from the output port of the preceding unit, and an output port transmitting message flow to the input port of the following unit. The racing function is controlled by the same microprocessor which is embedded in each exercise machine as the controller for that machine, receiving commands from the user and feedback from the machine.

The driver training simulator system of the present invention includes a visual display system and a student station. The student station has simulated automotive control elements such as a steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, etc. The visual display system includes an arrangement for presenting images to the student, for example it may include a motion picture projector and an associated display screen. The images which are presented to the student include a plurality of separate sections. Each of the separate sections of the image is recorded by a separate camera. One of the sections of the image presented to the student is a conventional front looking "driver point of view" image, that is, the image that a driver would see looking through his front windshield. Another section of the images consists of images that were recorded by one or more cameras which were facing rearward. The student is therefore simultaneously presented with a forward looking "driver point of view image" and with one or more images representing what one would see looking toward the rear of the vehicle. Since these different views were independently filmed, they can be independently edited and arranged to produce the optimum pedagogical effect.