EMVISE

What does EMVISE stand for?

It hasn't really been decided yet. Take your pick:

EMVISE Modelling / Visualization In Scripting Environments
Enhanced Modules -- Virtually Imaginative Scriptable Extension
Expertly Mastered Vision Integrated Scalable Enhancement
Eeak! More Verbose Initialing. So Exhausting!

Okay, so the name is meaningless. What can EMVISE do for me?

Nothing much at the moment. It is still in the pre-alpha stage. EMVISE aims to become a collection of dynamically loadable modules for TclTk, Perl, Python to ease the task of building custom 3D modellers and rendering engines. It is not the intention to produce one comrehensive completely integrated monolithic application (say, like 3D Studio Max, or Lightwave, or Maya). Instead one builds small tools to handle a restricted set of tasks as the need arises -- the aim is to make it possible to do this rapidly by supplying components that are easy to connect (or integrate, if you prefer). The scripting language environments (Python, TclTk, Perl, etc) are the means by which integration is achieved -- a simple form of "middleware".

What is the current status?

There is source code but it's in pieces -- in the form of separately loadable shared object files (.so files, or dynamically loadable libraries). No real integration yet. But you're welcome to play with the code.

3D homogeneous vector transform library has been implemented.
There is a simple tessellation framework for triangulating parametric surfaces (such as NURBS).
A very rudimentary triangle rasterizer is ready for testing.
2D image interpolator (i.e. morphing) has just been added.
The beginnings of the z-buffer template has to be fleshed out.
An OpenGL extension for Tk is in the begining stages -- this should grow into a component for prototyping interactive 3D modellers. Update: I've since discovered SWIG and FLTK and will be refocus the architecture for these components, though this should not preclude the integration of other GUI libraries.
A small amount of Python code is used to test out algorithms before implementing as a C/C++ module. A lot of 3D manipulation can be performed using Python alone.

I still need to make a start on the programmable shading, motion blur support, tangent plane continuous surfaces, etc. So much to do. So little time...