Main features of the new version

Stratum 2000 maintains now all design cycle of the project from the analysis of the system and simulation. The built - in visual tools allow simplifying the process of designing, debugging of the system and modification. The simulation makes possible to experiment with created system. Easy-to-use, it is intended for students, scientists and engineers.

Analysis

The analysis of the project allows to overview and to evaluate the future system, to specify and to formalize user's requirements. The built - in graphics tools of visual designing enables mapping the structure of the system. For mapping units of the system, the static and dynamic pictures and text are used. The links between units are shown by information lines. It makes possible to apply the various methodologies of the systems structural analysis. The user can use the most convenient way of the formal description of the system. For the systems analysis Stratum 2000 provides:

• creation and editing of system hierarchy;
• drawing of information links between objects and support of their integrity;
• creation of object libraries and possibility of reusing the objects;
• navigation over the structure of developed system;
• support of multi-layer pictures structure;
• support of hyperlinks between sheets of the project;
• multi-developer support. Stratum supports a group of developers, each of whom projects his own submodel. At every moment of time all those submodels can be united into a single model of a system;
• different ways of the object description

Designing

The Stratum supports object oriented designing. Specific object is abstraction of subject area, which is defined in analysis stage. The appearance and conduct of an object is defined by its model which is described by user in a convenient form such as graphic, mathematical, algorithmic etc. The system is easy-to-change. Objects designed once can be used in another system and updated by itself. On the stage of projecting, Stratum provides:

• composition and decomposition, inheritance hierarchy;
• visual designing object links (Ì:Ì, 1:Ì, Ì:1);
• design of date structures, databases, object models;
• design of user interface;
• creating and editing two and three-dimensional ate and dynamic images and scenes;
• automated code generation and thus executability of a designed system prototype;
• modeling of the prototype of the system at any step of development.

Modeling

Analysis and projecting allow to create a prototype of a further system and provide process modeling, functioning laws and objects state in a short time. The model of object can be described by the simple mathematical language. The Stratum  tools for automatic code generation  transform mathematical model of object to an executed code with the control of syntax and logic rules. Stratum brings its users to new heights such as modifying a model even when it runs and analysing effects of changes. All variable models are available for review and change. There is a possibility to investigate behaviour of system at any cycle of development with the purpose of revealing the most critical parts and definition of the characteristics. The description language of models contains:

• different data types;
• arithmetic and logical operators;
• functions (mathematical, matrix, vector, string, graphical, etc.);
• systems of linear, non-linear and differential equations.

It is possible to create new functions either in environment or to add a set of standard DLL libraries, which are written in any of the different program languages.

Graphic features

Usage of graphic in Stratum environment allows usage of standard and creation of user’s two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects, text, video, to manipulate them and to change attributes. Raster and vector graphics, two-dimensional and three-dimensional graphics can be combined.
Features of a two-dimensional graphics:

• virtual screen surface;
• image and vector graphics;
• groups of objects and hierarchy;
• easy access to parameters of graphics objects;
• availability of common parameters (brush, penl, font, etc.);
• support of formats JPG, GIF, PCX, BMP, (BMP with compression), PNG, TGA, ICO, WMF (Windows Metafile). 

Features of three-dimensional graphics:

• three-dimensional scene is shown in several projections;
• support of various render algorithms of scene with an opportunity of new addition;
• management of a viewpoint;
• perspective is shown by different ways;
• built-in 3d editor;
• support of format 3DS files, imported objects keep the information about position, name and material.

Multimedia

Stratum allows to use completely audio and video opportunities of your PC. There are tools for sound as digital form (WAV files), as note form (MID files) and for CD. It is reproduced any fragment of record or fragments at any sequence. The reproduction of video clip can be reproduced in direct and in the opposite direction. The same film can be observed simultaneously in various scales and in different windows. There is framing access to video. It is possible to pass from the frame to the frame in the any order. The quantity of frames is not limited. All functions are available in environment or on model. They don’t need special drivers.

Access to databases

The work with databases is established on IDAPI (Integrated Database Application Programming Inter-face). This decision provides reliable work with all existing databases, guaranteed by 40 leading companies of the USA, and gives the following opportunities:

• Compatibility of various formats of data, including those stored in different networks;
• Integration of information systems, realised on the basis of different models of access to a data;
• Use of the built - in SQL interpreter and simple functions, carrying out access to a data;
• Interactively edit the tables, data processing, (database - model - visualisation).

Network interface

Work into the network supposes creation of shared models, working on different computers. Every computer can calculate its own part of the main task. This is being realized using Windows Sockets. Thus, models may exchange data via TCP/IP protocol. The distance between computers influences only the speed of data exchange. As a part of a network model may be not only Stratum model, but also models written in any other computer language (e.g.: C++, Delphi, Pascal, etc.)

System Requirements

IBM compatible 386/486 PC with Windows 95/98,Windows NT 4.0 or higher, 8 MB RAM, 20MB hard disk space. 16 - bit versions for Windows 3.11 are also available.