The Implementation of the ESARAD User Interface, Database and Geometric Modelling Facilities

The ESARAD software is an integrated suite currently under development which will be used for the calculation of view factors, radiative exchange factors and solar, albedo and planet heat fluxes. This paper presents the experience gained as a result of prototyping this system. The prototyping activity was targetted at several aspects of the overall system, in particular the mechanisms for implementing the user interface (which utilises windows, forms and menus with input by either mouse or keyboard), the relational database which stores all the model data including results, and the constructive solid geometry model description. The problems associated with these areas are discussed and the approaches being implemented in ESARAD presented.