Dacopan project                                MEETING MINUTES
                                               Mar 30th, 2004

Meeting

    Mar 30th, 2004, at 16:15

    Department of Computer Science, room C474


Attendance

    Carlos Arrastia Aparicio, secretary
    Jari Aarniala
    Jarkko Laine
    Jonathan Brown
    Turjo Tuohiniemi, instructor
    Vesa Vainio, chairman
    Alejandro Fernandez Rey

Absent

    Nobody was absent.


1. Start

    Mr. Vainio started the meeting at 16:20


2. Assessment of the situation

    The design document is being written. The groups assigned to the different
    components of the animator are refining their previous models due to some
    issues that have appeared during the design process.

3. Discussion

    3.1 Communicaton issues

    Mr. Korzun proposed in the last days a mechanism to formalize communication
    between Helsinki and Petrozavodsk groups. This proposal will be accepted
    but will be suggested not to involve the supervisors in the process.

    3.2 XML DTD
    
    Proposals on adding information about layers and protocols. This could make
    the animator more generic.
    Add also a list of variables per protocol to be used in the animator to
    quicky identify the variables that are present in the protocol 
    events/scenario file. Constant values for hosts will be added here as well.

    3.3 Data structures
    
    An apart class will be created to manage information about the list of
    variables and the values for the constant host variables.
    Information about layers and specific protocols should be added to the data
    structures as well.
    All these new data added need naming and localization values.

    3.4 User interface
    
    Mr. Laine presented a diagram with the class hierarchy.
    The resize method in the AnimationPanel should be removed and substituted
    with other mechanisms that Java provide.
    Some aspects about UFO representation were discussed.
    The initial toolbar class has been replaced by an instance of JToolBar.
    Mr. Laine will research about listeners for the toolbar to interact with
    the control signal framework.
    A description about the buttons functionality should be added to the design
    document.
    An idea for the toolbar is also enable/disable buttons depending on the
    function or state of the animator.

    3.5 Breakpoints, notes and animation sequence.

    Notes doesn't fit in the animation sequence data structures and a 'notes
    framework' should be created and mapped to the data structures.
    Notes should be separated by layers and time. Creating notes for different
    endpoints is not necessary. A column to show them is enough.
    The animation sequences are ordered and contain start and end time.
    Repeated times are used to show again the animation from different
    perspectives.
    A mechanism to turn off breakpoints in explore mode should be implemented.
    The notes will be shown in the 'special area' of the UI and notes can be
    created in explore mode in the current time by clicking some button.
    Editing follows some similar mechanism.
    An option to explore the notes is add some icons for then at one side of
    the timeline in the MSC animation. Problems that can arise from the listen
    to events in MSC panel should be studied.


4. Action points
   
    - Mr. Tuohiniemi will contact the P-group to inform them about the
      decision taken corresponding to the communication mechanisms suggested
    - Mr. Arrastia and Mr. Fernández will work in a draft for variable classes
      and a 'notes framework'
    - Mr. Laine will research on UI listeners and Animation Sequence framework
      semantics and interface.
    - Mr. Vaino will work in Animation Sequence Control over MSC.
    - Mr. Aarniala will refine and introduce changes into the XML format.   

5. End

    Mr. Vainio ended the meeting at 17:53

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