SDSX Requirements

This is the requirements document for the future Scenery Design Suite X (SDSX) tool. For discussions about this tool, please use the SDSX forum.

FIRST DRAFT DESCRIPTION FOR NEW SCENERY DESIGN TOOL

WORKING NAME: Scenery Design Studio X [SDSX]

DESIGN PLATFORM: dotNet 2.0

PRIMARY DESIGN LANGUAGE: C# (although plug-in modules and self contained parts of the program could be created in any CLR compliant language and compiled to dlls)

PROGRAM LICENSE: Freeware

This covers a Phase 1 tool. - Future extensions such as adding new scenery elements should be possible via plug-in technology. These would include land class, mesh etc

OBJECTIVE: To develop a Scenery Design Tool with the ability to:

- read FS9 and FSX XML based scenery BGLs

- enable users to view, modify and create FSX scenery in a graphical environment using drag and drop techniques.

- handle all existing FS9 and FSX XML based objects and effects

- create 'compound objects' such as fence lines, area fills and so on.

- Display background images

- Display background geographical information (road, rail, coastlines, elevation data etc) either by reading from the Sim or from GIS data Sources.

- be flexible in design so that new objects, simple or compound can be added without the need to change or re-compile the base program. These should be addable by using plug-in components

- compile and deploy FSX scenery bgls.

- provide analysis tools related to scenery

- manage object libraries

- Operate in either a stand alone mode or in client/server mode for co-operative working with design teams

TARGET AUDIENCE: Cater for casual as well as power users

TARGET SIM: FSX

INPUT FORMATS: FS9, FSX, Shape Files, GIS Data

OUTPUT FORMATS: FSX (May also include an XML output)

DATA STORAGE FORMAT: To be agreed

USER INTERFACE: 2D top down GUI using the Visual Studio IDE as a model enabling drag and drop from toolboxes, creation of objects parameters using property lists and so on.

A 3D interface would be expected as part of a later phase