nishri@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Alex Nishri) (01/29/88)
Nine hundred years ago, William the Conqueror commissioned the Domesday Project, to assess the wealth and resources of his kingdom. The survey took a year to do, and was recorded on parchment with quill pens. To celebrate the 900th aniversary of the Domesday Project, the BBC undertook a second such survey of the United Kingdom and its people. This time it took two years to complete. If printed, the 1986 Domesday Project would fill over 300 volumes. Instead it was put on two interactive video discs -- each the size of an LP record. On Tuesday February 2 at 9am & 11am, the Computing Services will be hosting demos of this remarkable technological application. Those interested in the role of computers in eduction, or in interactive disc technology, should find these sixty minute demos to be of great interest. The video discs contain text, maps, graphs, sounds, still color photographs, motion color video, and numerical data. They are very easy to use. The first disc, the Community disc, is accessed through maps arranged in six levels. At the first level the United Kingdom fills the screen. By pointing at an area, you decend to the second level, satellite photos by Countries. By pointing again you decend to satellite and aerial photographs for 40x30 km regions. Point again and the screen fills with 4x3km local blocks. Another level down and you are looking at street maps. And finally, a level below that and you are looking at floor plans for an individual building. (This last level is restricted to special sites! Even so, this scheme uses 24,000 maps to give you the six levels!) At each level, you can access photos and text relating to the area you are interested in. Another portion of the Domesday discs lets you walk through an art gallery. You can call up a floor plan to the gallery which includes sections on such topics as Royal Heritage, social life, etc. The gallery consists of still pictures depicting where you are in the gallery. By clicking in the direction you want to "walk" you can go in any direction and view art work hanging on the walls. Behind each piece of art is more information. There may be slides of a factory, a tour of a typical country home, a country walk in Scotland, etc. The demos will be held in the Education Facility of the Computing Services department in the Bancroft Building. The Bancroft Building, formerly known as the old Textbook store, is located next door to the Graduate Students' Union on Bancroft. Bancroft Street is only accessible off Spadina (north of College.) Don't be alarmed by the construction -- there is a walkway which leads you safely into the Bancroft Building -- you will want the second floor. Alex Nishri Computing Services 978-7109