CigiClient Plugin

Common Image Generator Interface (CIGI) protocol is a standard way for a host device to communicate with an image generator (IG). It is widely used in the simulation industry.

The Unigine implementation of CIGI supports its common functionality (versions 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3).

The CigiClient plugin enables the ability to use CIGI protocol in the Unigine engine. It listens the CIGI Host, which sends CIGI sentences.

This plugin can work in both master and slave modes. The master IG can respond to the CIGI Host by creating a packet and sending it to the host. The slave IGs only listen sentences from the host.

In order to use CIGI, you need to activate the CigiClient plugin and take a look at data/samples/plugins/cigi_client_00 sample.

To run the plugin sample from the Unigine SDK Browser, press the CigiClient plugin button on the Plugin Samples tab.

To use the plugin, specify the extern_plugin command line option on the application start-up:

main_x86d -extern_plugin "CigiClient"
				

By default, the Washington demo is configured to work in a separate local subnet (192.168.0.0/24). A master computer should have the 192.168.0.2 IP address. Also, the firewall should be disabled or configured not to block the following ports: 8080, 8001, 8000, 8090.

To launch master and slaves, follow the instructions below:

1. Start washington/cigi/track_N/PacketSniffer.exe (for example, on the master computer with the 192.168.0.2 IP address)
2. Start washington/washington_cigi_master.bat on the same computer
3. Start washigton/washington_cigi_slave.bat on the other computers

The PacketSniffer only plays recorded CIGI sentences (emulating real CIGI host work).

When you get running the master and slaves, you can configure viewports via the console as follows (no engine restart required):

channel_name <name>
				

• landscape_left
• landscape_center
• landscape_right
• portrait_left
• portrait_center
• portrait_right

In addition to the commands listed above you can control various rendering settings (time of day, shadows, density of clouds and forests) with a simple web-dashboard, which is available on the master (http://192.168.0.2:8080 by default).

If you have different network configuration, you need to modify the following:

• washington/cigi/track_N/config.dat (change send_to_name IP to the broadcast address of your network)
• Console variable cigi_send_host to match the IP of computer, on which the PacketSniffer.exe is run
• Console variable cigi_sync_host to match your network broadcast address
• server_host to match the master's IP address (only on the master). Required to launch a simple web-dashboard on the master