Next-Generation Behavior Composer for Military Simulation

Users of OneSAF are offered the potential to specify entity behaviors using a flowchart-based composer. However, that tool lacks utility because it is schematic instead of graphical, and does not foster intuitive understanding of temporal relationships. The goal of the proposed project is to simplify the behavior composing process, supplementing the composer architecture with a graphical interface, allowing users to better visualize, understand and communicate the nature of scripted behaviors. Associated benefits include heightened tactical and strategic planning and user assessment of entity interdependencies. We will leverage technology from related projects into an integrated, intuitive, tactician-centric GUI to enable soldiers and marines to sketch standard 2525B symbology and directives on maps. A processing engine will facilitate the process through script aiding similar to Microsoft Wizards and real-time previews and dialogs to insure the user's intent is realized. User preferences will be logged for subsequent sketch recognition and aiding. Our interface should allow experts to build better behaviors faster, and allow the processor to learn tactics and rapidly generate courses of action. Ultimately, we will generalize interface improvements to apply to civilian applications as well, including reduced screen sizes associated with portable data entry devices.