RAVEL, a support system for the development of distributed, multi-user VE applications

Presents the Remote Attribute Virtual Environment Library (RAVEL), a support system for the development and implementation of distributed, multi-user virtual environment (VE) applications. The system extends earlier work in low-latency communication between sub-task processes of an application to provide communication of arbitrary environment attribute information between tasks, independent of the location of the tasks involved or which task produces or consumes attribute data. In addition, the RAVEL system provides for consistent updates to a particular attribute, and provides for causally consistent ordering of events that occur in the environment, while providing the level of service efficiency required for immersive and interactive VE applications.