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At least 91 records · Page 5

Program Helps Design Composite Panels

Panel Analysis and Sizing Code (PASCO) computer program developed for buckling and vibration analysis and sizing of prismatic structures having arbitrary cross sections. Intended for analyzing and sizing stiffened panels made of laminated orthotropic materials, and of particular value in analyzing and sizing filamentary composite structures. Macintosh version of PASCO includes interactive, graphic preprocessor called MACPASCO. Main objective to make use of PASCO faster, simpler, and less error-prone. Includes graphical user interface (GUI). PASCO written in FORTRAN IV. MACPASCO written in Macintosh Programmers Workbench 3.0, MPW Pascal 3.0, and MacAPP 2.0.

Lucas, Stephen H.

Preprocessor Program For Use With PASCO

MACPASCO is interactive, graphical preprocessor program designed to make use of Panel Analysis and Sizing Code, PASCO, (COSMIC program numbers LAR-13004, LAR-13164, and LAR-14799) faster, simpler, and less error-prone. Is Macintosh-based preprocessor program that includes graphical user interface (GUI) program to simplify specification of panel geometry, making modeling and analysis of panel designs more efficient and reducing potential for user input errors. Written in Macintosh Programmers Workbench 3.0, MPW Pascal 3.0, and MacAPP 2.0.

Lucas, Stephen H.

Enhanced networks operations using the X Window System

We propose an X Window Graphical User Interface (GUI) which is tailored to the operations of NASA GSFC's Network Control Center (NCC), the NASA Ground Terminal (NGT), the White Sands Ground Terminal (WSGT), and the Second Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Ground Terminal (STGT). The proposed GUI can also be easily extended to other Ground Network (GN) Tracking Stations due to its standardized nature.

Linares, Irving

A new programming metaphor for image processing procedures

Most image processing systems, besides an Application Program Interface (API) which lets users write their own image processing programs, also feature a higher level of programmability. Traditionally, this is a command or macro language, which can be used to build large procedures (scripts) out of simple programs or commands. This approach, a legacy of the teletypewriter has serious drawbacks. A command language is clumsy when (and if! it attempts to utilize the capabilities of a multitasking or multiprocessor environment, it is but adequate for real-time data acquisition and processing, it has a fairly steep learning curve, and the user interface is very inefficient,. especially when compared to a graphical user interface (GUI) that systems running under Xll or Windows should otherwise be able to provide. ll these difficulties stem from one basic problem: a command language is not a natural metaphor for an image processing procedure. A more natural metaphor - an image processing factory is described in detail. A factory is a set of programs (applications) that execute separate operations on images, connected by pipes that carry data (images and parameters) between them. The programs function concurrently, processing images as they arrive along pipes, and querying the user for whatever other input they need. From the user's point of view, programming (constructing) factories is a lot like playing with LEGO blocks - much more intuitive than writing scripts. Focus is on some of the difficulties of implementing factory support, most notably the design of an appropriate API. It also shows that factories retain all the functionality of a command language (including loops and conditional branches), while suffering from none of the drawbacks outlined above. Other benefits of factory programming include self-tuning factories and the process of encapsulation, which lets a factory take the shape of a standard application both from the system and the user's point of view, and thus be used as a component of other factories. A bare-bones prototype of factory programming was implemented under the PcIPS image processing system, and a complete version (on a multitasking platform) is under development.

Smirnov, O. M.

The Mars mapper science and mission planning tool

The Mars Mapper Program (MOm) is an interactive tool for science and mission design developed for the Mars Observer Mission (MO). MOm is a function of the Planning and Sequencing Element of the MO Ground Data System. The primary users of MOm are members of the science and mission planning teams. Using MOm, the user can display digital maps of Mars in various projections and resolutions ranging from 1 to 256 pixels per degree squared. The user can overlay the maps with ground tracks of the MO spacecraft (S/C) and footprints and swaths of the various instruments on-board the S/C. Orbital and instrument geometric parameters can be computed on demand and displayed on the digital map or plotted in XY-plots. The parameter data can also be saved into files for other uses. MOm is divided into 3 major processes: Generator, Mapper, Plotter. The Generator Process is the main control which spawns all other processes. The processes communicate via sockets. At any one time, only 1 copy of MOm may operate on the system. However, up to 5 copies of each of the major processes may be invoked from the Generator. MOm is developed on the Sun SPARCStation 2GX with menu driven graphical user interface (GUI). The map window and its overlays are mouse-sensitized to permit on-demand calculations of various parameters along an orbit. The program is currently under testing and will be delivered to the MO Mission System Configuration Management for distribution to the MO community in 3/93.

Lo, Martin W.

XRTD: An X-Windows based, real-time radiometric display and analysis system

XRTD is a graphical user interface (GUI) based tool for monitoring real time radiometric spacecraft data. The tool is designed to allow the navigation analyst to both view and analyze the characteristics of Doppler and ranging data. This capability is critical if ground personnel wish to verify the correct performance of ongoing maneuvers. The raw tracking data is transferred from Deep Space Network (DSN) computers to a local workstation, where the predicted value for the observable is subtracted from the actual observed value to create a residual. The tool then allows the navigation analyst to rescale and replot the data using simple GUI techniques. The navigator may then perform a number of data analysis and modeling techniques on the resulting residuals to allow for the real time characterization of spacecraft events. These techniques include the modeling of maneuvers, the compression and differencing of data, and Fast Fourier transforms of the data. This tool has shortened the amount of time required for initial characterization of spacecraft maneuvers from several hours to a few minutes.

Pollmeier, Vincent M.

Automating a human factors evaluation of graphical user interfaces for NASA applications: An update on CHIMES

Capturing human factors knowledge about the design of graphical user interfaces (GUI's) and applying this knowledge on-line are the primary objectives of the Computer-Human Interaction Models (CHIMES) project. The current CHIMES prototype is designed to check a GUI's compliance with industry-standard guidelines, general human factors guidelines, and human factors recommendations on color usage. Following the evaluation, CHIMES presents human factors feedback and advice to the GUI designer. The paper describes the approach to modeling human factors guidelines, the system architecture, a new method developed to convert quantitative RGB primaries into qualitative color representations, and the potential for integrating CHIMES with user interface management systems (UIMS). Both the conceptual approach and its implementation are discussed. This paper updates the presentation on CHIMES at the first International Symposium on Ground Data Systems for Spacecraft Control.

Jiang, Jian-Ping

Volume serving and media management in a networked, distributed client/server environment

The E-Systems Modular Automated Storage System (EMASS) is a family of hierarchical mass storage systems providing complete storage/'file space' management. The EMASS volume server provides the flexibility to work with different clients (file servers), different platforms, and different archives with a 'mix and match' capability. The EMASS design considers all file management programs as clients of the volume server system. System storage capacities are tailored to customer needs ranging from small data centers to large central libraries serving multiple users simultaneously. All EMASS hardware is commercial off the shelf (COTS), selected to provide the performance and reliability needed in current and future mass storage solutions. All interfaces use standard commercial protocols and networks suitable to service multiple hosts. EMASS is designed to efficiently store and retrieve in excess of 10,000 terabytes of data. Current clients include CRAY's YMP Model E based Data Migration Facility (DMF), IBM's RS/6000 based Unitree, and CONVEX based EMASS File Server software. The VolSer software provides the capability to accept client or graphical user interface (GUI) commands from the operator's console and translate them to the commands needed to control any configured archive. The VolSer system offers advanced features to enhance media handling and particularly media mounting such as: automated media migration, preferred media placement, drive load leveling, registered MediaClass groupings, and drive pooling.

Herring, Ralph H.

TransFit: Finite element analysis data fitting software

The Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) mission support team has made extensive use of geometric ray tracing to analyze the performance of AXAF developmental and flight optics. One important aspect of this performance modeling is the incorporation of finite element analysis (FEA) data into the surface deformations of the optical elements. TransFit is software designed for the fitting of FEA data of Wolter I optical surface distortions with a continuous surface description which can then be used by SAO's analytic ray tracing software, currently OSAC (Optical Surface Analysis Code). The improved capabilities of Transfit over previous methods include bicubic spline fitting of FEA data to accommodate higher spatial frequency distortions, fitted data visualization for assessing the quality of fit, the ability to accommodate input data from three FEA codes plus other standard formats, and options for alignment of the model coordinate system with the ray trace coordinate system. TransFit uses the AnswerGarden graphical user interface (GUI) to edit input parameters and then access routines written in PV-WAVE, C, and FORTRAN to allow the user to interactively create, evaluate, and modify the fit. The topics covered include an introduction to TransFit: requirements, designs philosophy, and implementation; design specifics: modules, parameters, fitting algorithms, and data displays; a procedural example; verification of performance; future work; and appendices on online help and ray trace results of the verification section.

Freeman, Mark

The virtual library: Coming of age

With the high speed networking capabilities, multiple media options, and massive amounts of information that exist in electronic format today, the concept of a 'virtual' library or 'library without walls' is becoming viable. In virtual library environment, the information processed goes beyond the traditional definition of documents to include the results of scientific and technical research and development (reports, software, data) recorded in any format or media: electronic, audio, video, or scanned images. Network access to information must include tools to help locate information sources and navigate the networks to connect to the sources, as well as methods to extract the relevant information. Graphical User Interfaces (GUI's) that are intuitive and navigational tools such as Intelligent Gateway Processors (IGP) will provide users with seamless and transparent use of high speed networks to access, organize, and manage information. Traditional libraries will become points of electronic access to information on multiple medias. The emphasis will be towards unique collections of information at each library rather than entire collections at every library. It is no longer a question of whether there is enough information available; it is more a question of how to manage the vast volumes of information. The future equation will involve being able to organize knowledge, manage information, and provide access at the point of origin.

Hunter, Judy F.

Seals Flow Code Development 1993

Seals Workshop of 1993 code releases include SPIRALI for spiral grooved cylindrical and face seal configurations; IFACE for face seals with pockets, steps, tapers, turbulence, and cavitation; GFACE for gas face seals with 'lift pad' configurations; and SCISEAL, a CFD code for research and design of seals of cylindrical configuration. GUI (graphical user interface) and code usage was discussed with hands on usage of the codes, discussions, comparisons, and industry feedback. Other highlights for the Seals Workshop-93 include environmental and customer driven seal requirements; 'what's coming'; and brush seal developments including flow visualization, numerical analysis, bench testing, T-700 engine testing, tribological pairing and ceramic configurations, and cryogenic and hot gas facility brush seal results. Also discussed are seals for hypersonic engines and dynamic results for spiral groove and smooth annular seals.

Liang, Anita D.

Design document for the Surface Currents Data Base (SCDB) Management System (SCDBMS), version 1.0

The Surface Currents Database Management System (SCDBMS) provides access to the Surface Currents Data Base (SCDB) which is maintained by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). The SCDBMS incorporates database technology in providing seamless access to surface current data. The SCDBMS is an interactive software application with a graphical user interface (GUI) that supports user control of SCDBMS functional capabilities. The purpose of this document is to define and describe the structural framework and logistical design of the software components/units which are integrated into the major computer software configuration item (CSCI) identified as the SCDBMS, Version 1.0. The preliminary design is based on functional specifications and requirements identified in the governing Statement of Work prepared by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) and distributed as a request for proposal by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Krisnnamagaru, Ramesh

Design document for the MOODS Data Management System (MDMS), version 1.0

The MOODS Data Management System (MDMS) provides access to the Master Oceanographic Observation Data Set (MOODS) which is maintained by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO). The MDMS incorporates database technology in providing seamless access to parameter (temperature, salinity, soundspeed) vs. depth observational profile data. The MDMS is an interactive software application with a graphical user interface (GUI) that supports user control of MDMS functional capabilities. The purpose of this document is to define and describe the structural framework and logical design of the software components/units which are integrated into the major computer software configuration item (CSCI) identified as MDMS, Version 1.0. The preliminary design is based on functional specifications and requirements identified in the governing Statement of Work prepared by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) and distributed as a request for proposal by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Source record

Knowledge-based critiquing of graphical user interfaces with CHIMES

CHIMES is a critiquing tool that automates the process of checking graphical user interface (GUI) designs for compliance with human factors design guidelines and toolkit style guides. The current prototype identifies instances of non-compliance and presents problem statements, advice, and tips to the GUI designer. Changes requested by the designer are made automatically, and the revised GUI is re-evaluated. A case study conducted at NASA-Goddard showed that CHIMES has the potential for dramatically reducing the time formerly spent in hands-on consistency checking. Capabilities recently added to CHIMES include exception handling and rule building. CHIMES is intended for use prior to usability testing as a means, for example, of catching and correcting syntactic inconsistencies in a larger user interface.

Jiang, Jianping

A 3DGRAPE/AL: The Ames/Langley technology upgrade

This paper describes a new three-dimensional structured multiple-block volume grid generator called 3DGRAPE/AL. It is a significantly improved version of the previously-released and widely-distributed program 3DGRAPE, with many of the improvements taken from the grid-generator program 3DMAGGS. It generates volume grids by iteratively solving the Poisson Equations in three-dimensions. The right-hand-side terms are designed so that user-specified grid cell heights and user-specified grid cell skewness near boundary surfaces result automatically, with little user intervention. Versatility was a high priority in this code's development, and as a result it can generate grids in almost any three-dimensional physical domain. Improvements include added kinds of forcing functions, improved control of cell skewness, improved initial conditions, convergence acceleration, the ability to take as input the output from GRIDGEN, and a simple but powerful graphical user interface (GUI).

Sorenson, Reese L.

An Assessment of IMPAC - Integrated Methodology for Propulsion and Airframe Controls

This report documents the work done under a NASA sponsored contract to transition to industry technologies developed under the NASA Lewis Research Center IMPAC (Integrated Methodology for Propulsion and Airframe Control) program. The critical steps in IMPAC are exercised on an example integrated flight/propulsion control design for linear airframe/engine models of a conceptual STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) aircraft, and MATRIXX (TM) executive files to implement each step are developed. The results from the example study are analyzed and lessons learned are listed along with recommendations that will improve the application of each design step. The end product of this research is a set of software requirements for developing a user-friendly control design tool which will automate the steps in the IMPAC methodology. Prototypes for a graphical user interface (GUI) are sketched to specify how the tool will interact with the user, and it is recommended to build the tool around existing computer aided control design software packages.

Walker, G. P.

Visual interface for space and terrestrial analysis

The management of large geophysical and celestial data bases is now, more than ever, the most critical path to timely data analysis. With today's large volume data sets from multiple satellite missions, analysts face the task of defining useful data bases from which data and metadata (information about data) can be extracted readily in a meaningful way. Visualization, following an object-oriented design, is a fundamental method of organizing and handling data. Humans, by nature, easily accept pictorial representations of data. Therefore graphically oriented user interfaces are appealing, as long as they remain simple to produce and use. The Visual Interface for Space and Terrestrial Analysis (VISTA) system, currently under development at the Naval Research Laboratory's Backgrounds Data Center (BDC), has been designed with these goals in mind. Its graphical user interface (GUI) allows the user to perform queries, visualization, and analysis of atmospheric and celestial backgrounds data.

Dombrowski, Edmund G.

LTCP 2D Graphical User Interface. Application Description and User's Guide

A graphical user interface (GUI) written for NASA's LTCP (Liquid Thrust Chamber Performance) 2 dimensional computational fluid dynamic code is described. The GUI is written in C++ for a desktop personal computer running under a Microsoft Windows operating environment. Through the use of common and familiar dialog boxes, features, and tools, the user can easily and quickly create and modify input files for the LTCP code. In addition, old input files used with the LTCP code can be opened and modified using the GUI. The application is written in C++ for a desktop personal computer running under a Microsoft Windows operating environment. The program and its capabilities are presented, followed by a detailed description of each menu selection and the method of creating an input file for LTCP. A cross reference is included to help experienced users quickly find the variables which commonly need changes. Finally, the system requirements and installation instructions are provided.

Ball, Robert