Since we’ve mentioned Point Break before in the blog, I decided it was time to find out exactly what Point Break is. So I ventured up to the 3rd floor of our headquarters here in Exton, with a VB scripting book in hand (I was trying to blend in, the 3rd floor is where the developers work and they are more willing to share what they are doing if you look like you belong) to get the scoop on Point Break. I managed to find Patrick Cozzi, who is working on developing the renderer and primitives for this new AGI Component and this is what he had to say:
Want to learn more about Point Break but can’t wait until the UC? Check out the Point Break blog on the AGI Developer Network. Another good source of Point Break information is the Special Edition InView, written for your developers and engineers, by ours. There’s a lot of good technical information in this edition on AGI desktop applications, the application engine, and components. It just came out this week and is totally worth the read, so check it out! If you’d like to see AGI Components in action,follow the International Space Station on Twitter. We used AGI Components to periodically report the latitude and longitude of the ISS, the city that it’s over, and created a KML file that can be imported into Google Earth depicting the orbit, all in the Twitter environment!
Till next time!
Rocket Girl (aka Amanda)
AGI is buzzing with excitement right now about our ability to now bring you our “software in any form.” So grab some s’mores and gather ‘round the fireplace as Kevin Flood, AGI’s Vice President of Product Management and Support explains…
How awesome is that?! You can now get our software however you need it! Want to know more about AGI Components but can’t wait until the UC? Visit www.agi.com/components. And don’t forget Kevin is going to be giving us more details on licensing strategies in his Plenary Presentation AGI software for the enterprise and operational programs on Wednesday, October 8. So stop by and see Kevin at the UC, or post your questions on software in any form or licensing to Kevin and me here. (Kevin also has a fondness for word origins, so feel free to ask him about that as well. The origin of dead ringer is one of his favorites).
That’s what you’ll be saying in your best Yoda voice after the UC (sorry but I had to take the chance to geek out with a Star Wars reference, I love it). I know I keep mentioning how fabulous the training is going to be at the UC, but I figured you might want to hear it from our Yoda of training, too. So I tracked down our Training Manager Arianne (like the French rocket) Liepa to give you all the juicy details. During a break from conducting an STK Fundamentals training class here at our headquarters in Exton, PA, she had a few minutes to tell us all about UC training ..:
Can you believe it?! A full day of STK Fundamentals training on the optional pre-conference day on October 6, and then an array of hands-on training courses for all skill levels during the conference. Whether you want to learn how to plan a space mission using STK/Astrogator, create a custom Web service application using AGI Components, or plan a UAV mission using Aircraft Mission Modeler and STK/Coverage, Arianne’s team of highly trained Jedis, I mean expert trainers, will be ready to teach you everything you want to know. And if you’re looking for me during the conference and can’t find me, it probably means there’s a missile defense system training class going on and I’m in there brushing up on the latest and greatest! To learn more about training at the UC, visit www.agiuc.com/events/training. As always, if you have any questions for me or Arianne on what training might be best for your work or about Zero G experiments (Arianne got to take a Zero G ride in college) just let us know! Now “Nothing more will I teach you today.”
So I was headed for one of the kitchens here at AGI for my morning caffeine and sugar fix when I was brought to a very abrupt halt by a developer sighting! And not just any developer, it was our one and only Shashank Narayan. Now if you haven’t met Shashank yet coming to the Users’ Conference (UC) just to meet him is totally worth it (that and the training of course). Shashank has been with AGI for about 10 years and currently is the director of software technology integration for AGI’s Development team and the overall project lead for all new product development, architecture, and technology initiatives (if you want to learn more about Shashank visit www.agiuc.com/bios). Since I had Shashank spotted I figured it was a perfect time to invite him to sit and talk with you about the exciting things going on in development that will be showcased at this UC. Here is what he had to say:
Want to know more about the great things that Shashank and the rest of the development team here at AGI are working on? Catch his General Session presentation on AGI software integration: configuration management, distributed simulation, thin clients, SOA, and net-centric integration taking place on Thursday, October 9th. If you have any questions for Shashank (on enterprise collaboration management, components, software integration, or Nintendo Wii Bowling, he’s an expert at that too) feel free to post them here. Also, coming to the Web site later this summer, you’ll have a chance to schedule a meeting with him at the UC. Don’t forget we extended our early-bird discounted rate of $995 through May 31and this goes toward your next software purchase (and three days of training at the UC). Hurry, time is running out! Till Next Time!Rocket Girl (aka Amanda)
To bring you an important message from AGI President and CEO, Paul Graziani, about the AGI 2008 Users’ Conference. Paul took some time out of his busy schedule to share with you his thoughts on why you should come to our event this year (and you really should, you have no idea what you are missing out on if you don’t!).
So what are your thoughts on the 2008 UC? Anything you’re excited about or want to know more about? I’m still super psyched about Alan Bean being our guest speaker; the rollout of STK 9 and AGI’s Software in Any Form campaign; and the unveiling of new products like DGL and “Point Break”. Wondering about DGL and “Point Break”? Stay tuned to the blog for more details. Even better news is that we’ve just extended our early-bird discounted rate of $995 through May 31! Don’t forget this goes toward your next software purchase and you get three days of training out of it—it doesn’t get much better than that!Till next time!
NASA Astronaut Captain Alan Bean (one of my favorite astronauts) has just been confirmed as a guest speaker at our closing ceremony on Thursday, October 9. 2007 was a big year for Bean, as he was featured in the documentary film about the Apollo program, “In the Shadow of the Moon,” (which we are screening for attendees Wednesday night!). Following his speech, he’ll be autographing copies of the DVD (I’ll try not to push you out of the way as I scramble for his autograph, remember he’s one of my favorites). Captain Bean is the fourth man to walk on the Moon, landing in the Ocean of Storms with Captain Pete Conrad during the Apollo 12 mission. The Yankee Clipper (this was an all Navy crew) landed on the Moon on November 19, 1969, at 1:54:35 a.m. EST. They spent 31.5 hours on the Moon, retrieving parts of Surveyor 3 and deploying surface experiment. After the Apollo program ended, Captain Bean went on to be spacecraft commander of Skylab Mission II, living aboard America’s first space station for 59 days (from July 29 to September 25, 1973) and logging 24,400,000 miles! After retiring from NASA in June of 1981, Captain Bean moved on to painting, many of which are based on his space travels. They are amazing, check them out! http://www.alanbeangallery.com/.
We at AGI are extremely excited about the opportunity to have Captain Bean speak at our Users’ Conference and are looking forward to hearing about his experiences throughout his extraordinary career. We hope you will join us for this fantastic event! Till next time! Rocket Girl (aka Amanda)
Welcome to the AGI 2008 UC blog! We’ve developed this forum to bring you all the inside information on this year’s big event, and to hear from you about what you want to see. Leading up to the October UC, my colleagues and I will give you sneak peaks at the can’t miss UC offerings: the Technology Zone (a 13,000 sq. ft., geeked-out interactive demo area manned by engineers like me), hands-on training (always our most popular offering and quickly filled), presentations by AGI’ers and users, keynote speakers, and our world famous socials (to know our chocolate fountain is to love it!). But a little about me, I’ve been with AGI for the past four years, moving here from the Huntsville area (I do miss the Saturn V at the Space & RocketCenter). As an application engineer, I’m often on the road at tradeshows and other events demoing AGI software (I have a special fondness for STK/Missile Modeling Tools and Orbit Determination Tool Kit).
Today, at T-6 months from the UC, we’ve just extended our “Call for Presentations” deadline. So, if you are an AGI software user and you’d like to share your unique use of our technology at the event, but thought you were too late, you’re in luck! You now have until May 30, 2008, to submit your 500-word abstract to presentation@agiuc.com. We are looking for participants in all areas, from UAV Systems to Missile Defense to Space Exploration, or even in ways we never thought we’d find our technology being applied! Have you attended a past UC (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005) or a User Exchange (2006 & 2007 - aka our “mini UC”) and sat in on a really great User Presentation? Tell us who your favorite presenter was, and why, so we can invite them back!
Stay tuned for our next posting, and don’t forget, register by the end of April for an early bird registration rate of $995, then get a $1,295 software credit. It’s a win-win scenario!
