A quick synopsis.. this is as much about it's potential as what is on the table, but they are good bets at this time.

The rendering engine for 2d display and the interface for viewing the object database have begun to take shape. A simple UI approach keeps almost all important functions two clicks away. The program supports a user-defined geometry that is extensible, and has a strict object oriented architecture that will allow:

• simultaneous rendering to different output devices (2d/3d,etc.)
• easy on-the-fly conversion of object data to multiple formats for preparing simulations<br> - rich input and output functions

 Other points:

•  Any type of metadata can be associated with objects and the details of how that information is used when exporting or rendering the objects also works like a plugin so that the program should remain relatively future-proof.
• Because the concept of grouping objects is tightly woven into the design, multiple non-contigous regions of a design can be monitored and manipulated.
•  Adding a new primitive requires minimal coding. A new primitive might be anything from text style to a cube in OpenGL or even an object that loads it's status dynamically over the network.
•  Made with MDI in mind - copy and paste between N documents, and simultaneous sessions can routed to different output devices.
• The program will be complete - although an external editor for user-defined shapes may yet be in the works, creating new templates can be handled entirely through this interface.
•  The next phase of development will center on making a functional set of design objects for testing, building the interface for modifying objects, and the beginnings of the import/export (and by extension, save) capabilities.

See It.

Originally posted by Michael McLay — last modified Mar 05, 2005 12:04 PM