3. Use cases

• A developer is writing a VRML file importer. VRML data standards require that distance data is stored in meters, time data in seconds and angle data in radians. The developer identifies these as the default units for the VRML data during processing. However, not all VRML images adhere to this standard - particularly in regard to distance units - and so the exact units can be selected by a user, resulting in an accurate, equivalent representation within Facsimile.
• Two Facsimile simulation models have been developed independently by two different consulting firms, but the two models need to communicate with each other. The first consulting firm prefers to enter distance data in millimeters, time date in seconds and velocities in kilometers per hour. The second firm prefers inches, minutes and feet per minute. The two models interact perfectly, being able to share such data without any need for explicit measurement unit conversions.
• A client contracts a simulation consultant to model a facility in feet and inches. Mid-way through the project, they are taken over by a firm that insists that all engineering drawings use millimeters. The Facsimile simulation adapts to the change effortlessly, with no re-scaling of data required.