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VTX: Typo "To" -> "Too" as in something is too expensive.

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{{Short description|3D graphics hardware architecture}}
{{Infobox GPU
| name = RealityEngine
| designfirm = [[Silicon Graphics]]
| image = SGI-re2-ge10v.jpg
|caption = Geometry Engine board.
| codename =
| created = {{start date and age|1992}}
| entry =
| midrange = VTX
| highend = RealityEngine
| enthusiast = RealityEngine2
|predecessor =
|successor = [[InfiniteReality]]

| support status = Unsupported

|architecture= }}
[[File:SGI-re2-rm4.jpg|thumb|Raster Manager board.]]
'''RealityEngine''' is a 3D graphics hardware architecture and a family of graphics systems which was developed and manufactured by [[Silicon Graphics]] during the early to mid 1990s. RealityEngine was positioned as the company's high-end visualization hardware for its [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]]/[[IRIX]] platform. RealityEngine is designed for deployment exclusively within the company's [[SGI Crimson|Crimson]] and [[SGI Onyx|Onyx]] family of visualization systems, which are sometimes referred to as "graphics supercomputers" or "visualization supercomputers". The RealityEngine was marketed to large organizations, such as companies and universities that are involved in computer simulation, digital content creation, engineering and research.

It was succeeded by the [[InfiniteReality]] in early 1996, but coexisted with it for a time as an entry-level option for older systems.

== RealityEngine ==

The RealityEngine is a board set comprising a Geometry Engine board, up to four Raster Manager boards, and a DG2 Display Generator board. These boards plug into a [[Backplane|midplane]] on the host system.

The [[Geometry Engine]] is based on the 50 MHz Intel [[Intel i860|i860XP]].

=== VTX ===

The VTX is a cost-reduced RealityEngine and as a consequence, its features and performance are below that of the RealityEngine. It is not the VGX or [[VGX (award show)|VGXT]] board set. The name is said to stand for Venice Too eXpensive, Venice being the internal name for RealityEngine.

== RealityEngine2 ==

The RealityEngine2, stylized as "RealityEngine<sup>2</sup>", is an upgraded RealityEngine with twelve instead of eight Geometry Engines. The Reality Station workstation is based on RealityEngine2.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sgidepot.co.uk/rsavs.html|title=Reality Station: Advanced Visualization Station}}</ref> In February 1995, SGI reduced the entry price of Reality Station to {{US$|179540|1995|about=yes|round=-2}}.<ref name="low-end">{{cite news | newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Low-end sales boom | date=February 21, 1995 | page=49 | author=staff reporters | url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/120364228/ | via=[[Newspapers.com]] | url-access=registration | access-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref>

RealityEngine2 was succeeded by the [[InfiniteReality]] in early 1996. It uses the GE10 Geometry Engine board, RM4 Raster Manager board and DG2 Display Generator board.

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* {{cite web | last=Akeley | first=Kurt | url=http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~ravir/274/15/papers/p109-akeley.pdf | title=RealityEngine Graphics | work=[[SIGGRAPH]] '93 | page=109-116}}

{{Silicon Graphics}}

[[Category:3D computer graphics]]
[[Category:Graphics chips]]
[[Category:SGI graphics]]

RealityEngine - Revision history

imported>BlueyTheDog: /* VTX */ Typo "To" -> "Too" as in something is too expensive.