Abstract: A method is provided to represent a product development to a plurality of users. The product development comprises a collection of heterogeneous product development data elements manipulable by a plurality of heterogeneous application processes. A rendered three-dimensional virtual room is displayed to the user. The virtual room includes a plurality of walls. The displaying step includes displaying iconic images on the walls. The iconic images correspond to at least some of the product development elements with the visual organization of the displayed iconic images corresponding to a desired visual organization of the product development. Selection input is accepted from the users to select the iconic images and an indication of the input is provided to appropriate ones of the application processes to access and manipulate the product development elements to which the iconic images correspond.

Abstract: A computer program executes a simulation. The computer program includes a plurality of service programs, where the service programs are configured to collectively determine simulated attributes of objects of an environment under simulated operation. Each service is associated with at least a subset of object attributes in an object database. Furthermore, each service is executing at a rate independent of the other services, and at least some of the services access and operate upon object attributes, from the object database, with which the service is associated. A write queue program is associated with each service, to queue write requests from the service to write determined simulated attributes to the object database. Nodes coordinate execution of the queued requests to cause the determined simulated attributes to be written to the object database in a manner such that each service has a coherent view of all the object attributes.

Abstract: A computer program product is provided for use with a computer system to execute a simulation. The computer program product includes a plurality of service computer-readable program code means. The service program code means are configured to collectively determine simulated attributes of objects of an environment under simulated operation. Each service program code means is associated with at least a subset of object attributes in an object context. At least some of the service program code means include attribute accessing computer-readable program code means coupling the service program code means to the attributes in the object context for intercommunication therebetween and for operating upon the object attributes. The intercommunication is based on identifications of the attributes by the service programs that are recognizable by the object context.

Abstract: A method is provided to represent a product development to a plurality of users. The product development comprises a collection of heterogeneous product development data elements manipulable by a plurality of heterogeneous application processes. A rendered three-dimensional virtual room is displayed to the user. The virtual room includes a plurality of walls. The displaying step includes displaying iconic images on the walls. The iconic images correspond to at least some of the product development elements with the visual organization of the displayed iconic images corresponding to a desired visual organization of the product development. Selection input is accepted from the users to select the iconic images and an indication of the input is provided to appropriate ones of the application processes to access and manipulate the product development elements to which the iconic images correspond.