E.S.O.V. Case study

Dvolution Case Study for E.S.A.

Earth Swath & Orbit Visualisation

The European Space Agency approached us to deploy our expertise in cross platform development to the huge amount of legacy code that constituted the ESOV product. In order to create a single source base it was necessary to restructure large portions of the code for efficiency and update it for C++.

The challenge in enabling a single source code base regardless of platform was to remove all of the platform specific references to libraries that are not common. To do this we created mapping classes that reflect the Microsoft Foundation Classes and the Motif Toolkit for UNIX and LINUX based Operating systems for each of the graphical components used in the Application.

Using the Java API as a loose model for the graphics we devised a set of drawing routines that allowed us to make use of the same graphics calls to draw the Earth in its various projections and all of the satellite and plotting details. This generic library allows all of the graphics calls to work regardless of operating system platform.

After the primary section of the project was completed, we were contracted to begin adding new features to the base product and also to enhance the existing mechanisms. New features included:

• PDF generation,
• Visualisation projection for the recently launched Artemis satellite,
• New outputs for satellite and instrument visibility on the Earth’s surface
• Significant interface enhancements.

We also created a “plug-in” mechanism to allow other satellites to be added to the system as and when required by the creation of a simple configuration file.

At time of writing our software is powering Orbit visualisation for 15 satellites.