3D Immersive Software Development Environment
Proposal by Jeroen Lapré 12Oct2K7

Most software development environments have been either text-based, or utilise two dimensional user interfaces.

With virtual reality and 3D computer gaming developing sophisticated 3D engines, perhaps software development could benefit from these technologies.

Software development concepts such as Classes, Methods, and Attributes, could be mapped onto three dimensional objects in a virtual software Universe.

Classes are represented as 3D rectangular blocks, with the public, protected and private method represented as label / symbols on the surface and inside these cubes. Public, protected, and private attributes are 3D labels floating inside the class cubes, inside transparent, and increasingly frosted interior nested cubes.
The visual frosted property is a visual metaphor for protected and private attributes.
Methods are connected between class cubes, via 3D tubes, through which the method attributes flow as a debugging tool.

Think of a cross between Tron 2.0 and Snow Crash.

3D Ontology Explorer

A natural extension of the 3D software development environment would be a 3D Ontology Explorer.
OWL Classes and Attributes could similarly be represented by three dimensional objects.
The Semantic relationships between the classes could also be represented by connecting tubes.

Contact: madmemelabs@distant-galaxy.com