Develop Custom Applications Using the STK Engine

STK Engine enables engineers and scientists to rapidly build and deploy custom software applications that embed AGI's premier geodynamic analysis and visualization engine. It is the most comprehensive and accurate environment for analyzing the interrelationships among land, sea, air and space elements in a time-dynamic environment. STK Engine developers have the flexibility to build their own interface, or "container application," in the software environment of their choice and with a GUI designed for their mission needs.

What you need to build and deploy an STK Engine application

From the STK DVD:

  • Install STK: This provides the necessary files to start building an engine application
  • Install STK Engine Resources: This provides the merge modules to deploy an engine application

The functionality of the STK Engine application you develop depends on the STK license that you purchased. Any STK license (Pro, Premium, Enterprise) will enable you to deploy an STK Engine application.

STK Engine along with STK Programming Interface documentation provides the tools and examples that will assist you in developing and deploying an STK Engine application.

How to get the STK Engine SDK

STK Engine is installed as part of STK Pro. You can download the STK Pro install from AGI Support -> Quick Resources -> Software -> Downloads.

What you can do with the STK Engine

Using STK Engine, you can create a custom mission-specific application based on the STK Engine that provides only the functionality required by the end user and then deliver it in a container application. A container application can be a program (created with C++, C#, Visual Basic, Java, and other languages), a Web page, an MS Office application, or any application capable of using ActiveX controls.

With STK Engine, you can:

  • Create an analysis application, using the STK Engine technology platform and a GUI that you design, to help your customers quickly analyze complex data.
  • Create a visualization and analysis application, using the STK Engine calculation engines for analysis and the Map and Globe windows for visualization, to help your users understand a problem and aid them in solving it.
  • Develop custom reports for access calculations.
  • Distribute the stand-alone, custom-created STK Engine application as a commercial product to your customers.

For example, using STK Engine, you can build a Windows application, using GIS data, that will monitor the relationships between moving platforms and spatial data with just a few button clicks. You can then deploy this application to your clients who need a way to watch certain assets for homeland defense.

Tutorials

An STK Engine tutorial is available that walks you through:

  • Setting up a project
  • Adding STK Engine controls
  • Sending commands to STK Engine
  • Responding to user-created events and events raised by STK
  • Setting STK Engine properties, including customization of the splash panel

Tutorial (PDF) available in the following programming languages: