toc@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu (Timothy F. O'Connor) (10/12/89)
Several people have asked that groups with real ISIS applications post messages. Here in the Cornell Program of Computer Graphics, ISIS has proven to be a useful tool for developing parallel algorithms. We chose to convert to ISIS about six months ago, because we were being overwhelmed by the amount of low-level coding necessary to safely move data from one machine to another. The ISIS message-passing facility and the process group abstraction have greatly reduced the time necessary to code parallel algorithms. My research has focused on parallelization of a global illumination algorithm known as the radiosity method. In a nutshell, the radiosity method simulates the diffusion of light in a three-dimensional environment, creating an image of photographic quality. Unfortunately, parallel implementations of the radiosity method all tend to move large amounts of data across the net. In the past, ISIS has had troubles keeping up with our communication demands, but the BYPASS code should alleviate those problems. If you have any questions about our work, I can be reached at "dwg@terra.graphics.cornell.edu". Dave