DSim includes two entity providers - Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) and High Level Architecture (HLA).
Distributed Interactive Simulation
The Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) provider is used to read DIS data feeds. The table below describes the parameters that control the DIS connection.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Configuration File | The mapping file that defines the display of entities received from the feed in STK. Click the ellipsis  button to browse to a different configuration file. Click Edit... to open the Configuration File Editor. |
| Application Number | The application identifier. |
| Exercise ID | The exercise identifier. |
| Site ID | The site identifier. |
| Update Rate | The rate at which RT3 receives data updates from the feed. |
| Heartbeat | The minimum frequency at which an entity's state is transmitted, if there are no changes to the entity that trigger an update. |
| Network Mode | Select from:
|
| Port | The connecting port number for the feed. |
| Address | The IP Address to use for a multicast or unicast network mode. |
| Specify TTL | Select to specify the distance, in network multicast terms, that the data will be streamed; the value range for this field is 0 - 255. A value of 1 means that data will only be distributed to clients connected directly to the feed server, while a value of 255 means that the feed server will attempt to distribute the data to the entire network. |
| Adapter | Select the network connection to use for the provider. |
High Level Architecture
The High Level Architecture (HLA) provider is used to read HLA data feeds. The table below describes the parameters that control the HLA connection.
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Specification | The HLA specification number. |
| Update Rate | The rate at which RT3 receives data updates from the feed. |
| Configuration |
The mapping file that defines the display of entities received from the feed in STK. Click the ellipsis AGI provides configuration files for different FOMs for MAK's RTI, but does not provide any RTI configuration files. |
| Federation | The exercise identifier. |
| Federate | The simulating application identifier. |
| FED File | Select to specify the FED file to be used; click the ellipsis button to browse to the file. |
| RPR | Select to use the RPR Federated Object Model; select the version from the drop-down menu. |
| Custom | Select to use a custom Federated Object Model - either from a DLL file or the MATREX FOM. If you select From DLL, click Settings... to open the FOM Mapper DLL Configuration window and select the FOM Mapper DLL file and initialization string. |
RTI Compatibility
DSim supports all versions of the MAK RTI and is binary compatible with all DMSO compliant HLA 1.3 RTIs.
HLA 1516 requires the MAK RTI.
RTI and STK Compiler Compatibility
MAK provides different installs for their RTI, based on compiler. The version of the MAK RTI that you are using needs to match the compiler used for STK. For example, if you are using STK 11.1, which is compiled on Visual Studio 2012, you will need a version of the MAK RTI compiled on msvc++11.0. To determine which compiler is used for each version of STK, refer to the following table:
STK Version and Compiler Information
| STK Version | Compiler |
|---|---|
| STK 11.2 | Visual Studio 2015 (vc++14.0) |
| STK 11 through STK 11.1.1 | Visual Studio 2012 (vc++11.0) |
|
STK 9.1 through STK 10.1.3 |
Visual Studio 2008 (vc++9.0) |
| STK 9 | Visual Studio 2005 (vc++8.0) |
Configuration File Editor
The Configuration File Editor can be used to customize the mapping of entity classes to specific markers and models for display in STK, and to define object templates to model entities received through a DSim DIS or HLA entity provider. The fields and values all conform to SISO standards.
The Grid
The Add button inserts a row at the bottom of the grid. The Remove button deletes the currently selected row, while the Remove All button deletes all rows in the grid. The Defaults button restores the grid to the installed default rows and settings. Click Save to save the current Configuration File, or Save As... to save it with a different name. To exit the editor, click Close; you will be prompted to save any changes.
The Fields
The Kind, Domain, Country, and Category fields have been populated with selections consistent with these standards; click the field to select the desired value from the drop-down menu. The SubCategory, Specific, and Extra fields can be manually populated with compliant data; click once the field to enter a value. The Marker and Model fields can be edited by clicking once and then manually entering a value, or by double-clicking to open the Marker Settings or Model & Template Settings window. The Kind, Domain, Category, SubCategory, Specific, and Extra fields are defined on a cascading basis; you must have defined each field to the left to enter a value for that field.
Marker Settings
The Marker Settings window provides four options for defining the marker to be used for an entity, which are described in the following table:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Do not use a marker | No marker will be displayed for the entity. |
| Generate MIL-STD-2525B symbology from entity type | Use the default symbol for the entity type. |
| Use MIL-STD-2525B symbology | Select a specified symbol. Enter the symbol code in the field. |
| Use a marker file | Select a marker file. Click the ellipsis button to browse to the desired marker file. |
Model & Template Settings
The Model & Template Settings window provides three options for defining the model to be used for an entity, which are described in the following table:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Do not use a model or template | No model will be displayed for the entity. |
| Use a model file | Select a model file. Click the ellipsis button to browse to the desired model file. |
| Use a template file | Select an object template file. Click the ellipsis button to browse to the desired model file. |