One of the most challenging problems in adding realism to the battlefield environment in DIS Exercises is treatment of the dynamic physical materials and processes resulting from battlefield munitions (i.e., battlefield smoke and dust, blast and shock damage to buildings, cratering of terrain and roadways, etc.). Currently, there is no alteration of terrain and cultural features due to nuclear weapon effects (NWE). This Phase I proposal addresses the need to provide an integrated model of the important dynamic environmental effects resulting from surface or near-surface nuclear detonations. The environmental representation will be designed to incorporate validated nuclear environments and effects, all operating in compatibility with the current DIS standard. Emphasis in Phase I is on establishing the feasibility of developing a software architecture for the visualization of dust clouds, ground craters, blast damage, and other nuclear effects for use within DIS. Another emphasis is to assure that the NWE models are integrated in a physically-based manner.
