computer science

Second Reality

Second Reality is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Second Reality rather than just read about it. In short: Second Reality (originally titled Unreal ][ – The 2nd Reality) is an IBM PC compatible demo created by the Finnish group Future Crew. It debuted at the Assembly 1993 demoparty on 30 July 1993, where it was entered into the PC demo competition, and finished in first place with its demonstration of 2D and 3D computer graphics rendering.

Key takeaways

Second Reality belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Second Reality to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Second Reality from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Second Reality (originally titled Unreal ][ – The 2nd Reality) is an IBM PC compatible demo created by the Finnish group Future Crew. It debuted at the Assembly 1993 demoparty on 30 July 1993, where it was entered into the PC demo competition, and finished in first place with its demonstration of 2D and 3D computer graphics rendering. The demo was released to the public in October 1993. It is considered to be one of the best demos created during the early 1990s on the PC; in 1999 Slashdot voted it one of the "Top 10 Hacks of All Time". Its source code was released in a GitHub repository as public domain software using the Unlicense on the 20th anniversary of the release in August 2013.

Description Second Reality consists of many effects that were popular in demos at the time, such as real time 3D graphics, scaling and warping of images, and Moiré patterns. Notably, it is also synced to the background music, which was uncommon at the time of its release. The demo can be started with command line arguments 2-5 to start from different parts of the demo. Furthermore, starting the demo with argument "u" will show an effect with stars moving towards the screen.

Technical characteristics Analysis of the source code also disproved speculation that Second Reality uses its own memory manager that accesses the MMU directly; it uses standard DOS memory management functions. Second Reality was designed to run on an Intel 80486 (although it can run on 80386 machines) PC with a Gravis Ultrasound or a Sound Blaster Pro (or register-compatible clone). In the original version which was released, the demo had a bug which caused a slow down. A patch was later released to rectify this problem.

Remakes Second Reality C64 (pouët.net) by Smash Designs – An adaptation of the original demo for the Commodore 64. Flash Reality (pouët.net) by The Scampers – A Macromedia Flash remix, with many scenes recreated using the Actionscript programming language. Second Reality 2013 (pouët.net) by Checkpoint – remake for Atari ST 8K Reality (pouët.net) by Fulcrum – a remix done in 8 kibibytes of executable PC code. Released at Revision 2015 demoparty where it was ranked second. The two-dimension drawings were modelled using metaballs. Rocky Reality (pouët.net) by Bedrock Bros. - a port done for the Pebble Smartwatch. Released at Evoke 2016 demoparty where it was ranked second in the alternative platform category. Holo Reality (pouët.net) by Bedrock Bros. - a demake for the Looking Glass holographic display. Released at Demosplash 2018 demoparty where it ranked first in the modern category. First Reality (pouët.net) by Holo Sapiens - a 3D augmented reality remake. Second Reality X16 (pouët.net) by Team FX - an adaptation of the original demo for the Commander X16. Second Reality 1993 (project site) by Chris Stanchak – a browser-based JavaScript reconstruction of the original demo, based on Future Crew's released source code and running without DOS or x86 emulation.

References

External links

Second Reality download on scene.org Second Reality soundtrack in ScreamTracker 3 format Second Reality source code on GitHub Video footage taken during the making of Second Reality In-browser MSDOS emulation by the Internet Archive Video capture of Second Reality on YouTube

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Second Reality

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Second Reality claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Second Reality before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Second Reality ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Second Reality

In research: Second Reality appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Second Reality in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Second Reality is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1993 software, Demos, Formerly proprietary software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Second Reality outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Second Reality in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Second Reality means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Second Reality out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Second Reality in simple terms?

Why does Second Reality matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Second Reality?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Second Reality.