Q3 worked on the migration of a Home Design and Estimation software from a Delphi based application to the Dot Net platform by re-architecting it and enhancing several features.

Q3's global sourcing model gives the maximum benefit to customers in terms of cost savings, improved quality, access to highly talented professionals, flexibility of operations and reduced time to market.


Company Profile

Client is a leading software provider in the fields of Home Design & Estimation, Structural Engineering, and Research & Development.

Business Situation

Client requires migration of Home Design & Estimation application that is currently in Borland Delphi 6. Also, client wants a reporting tool, digital pictures module to be developed and integrated in the migrated solution. The migrated application will be a Dot Net application which will have following features:

• Easy to use: Application should be extremely easy to use so that the user can simply open an image, set a scale, and then start clicking on a computer screen.
• If it is colored, it is counted: Application not only calculates takeoff quantities, but it also displays what has been calculated. User can easily see what has been included vs. what has been missed on the plan.
• Accurately calculate area, lengths, and counts: Application allows specifying what information user want to calculate. Capable of calculating areas, lengths, and counts, the amount of information you want to calculate is endless.
• Reads eighty different file formats: Application is capable of reading eighty different file formats including .jpg, .pdf, .bmp, .gif, .tif, .CAD, .png, and many other common file types.
• Utilize digital camera pictures or a scanner: Whether user take a picture of a hard copy set of plans or take of picture of an existing house for a remodel job, application simply open the image and start tracing.
• Reports: Easily review your quantity totals with reports. Digital Takeoff automatically generates reports displaying all your digitized measurements. Use these reports to review your work or to hold subcontractors accountable.

• To enhance the functionality while keeping the existing one, Q3 used the Leadtools .Net library integrated with ADO .Net control.
• Calculating various parameters of the newly added graphical objects in real world units.
• Cropping & rotating the graphical objects along with the image.
• Drawing custom objects and calculating the corresponding parameters.

The project was initiated by studying the existing application by Delphi and Dot Net developers. Initially code is converted to C# using third party Tool Delphi3CS. The architecture of the existing application was created. Q3 realized that it was important to build the requisite application should have architecture so that clients could maintain and enhance the application, in-house, as per the changing requirements in Design & Estimation sector. A feasibility study was done at Q3 and architecture has been re-engineered to an n-tier, highly scalable, configurable, modular and easy to maintain architecture.

The older version uses File System as a database. Q3 used SQL Server 2005 as the Database of the migrated application. Q3 integrated the third party Document Imaging tool, provided by Lead tools, to draw different objects on the image.

For Reporting, Q3 used SQL Reporting Service as a reporting tool which generates reports containing layer related information and can be sent to another application.

The Delphi Application had been migrated and provides the following advantage over the existing application:

• Rapidly building high performance application by leveraging Dot Net time saving IDE and object-oriented tools, thereby providing shorter time to market. The client used to get continuous feedback and customization requirements from companies, trade shows, and partners and all this went on during the course of development process. Q3 ensured that these requirements were processed efficiently, well within the allocated timelines.
• Efficiently connecting with all the data across multiple sources and tiers.
• Customized user interfaces designed by using MS VS2008 IDE.
• Build in quality with unit testing and debugging through C# Dot Net.

Why Q3

• Q3 has been chosen based on three values that it commits to:
• Customer Success: A commitment to surpassing our customer expectations and being an integral part of their success.
• Integrity and Transparency: A commitment to be honest, sincere and transparent in our dealings with our customers, vendors and employees
• Excellence in what we do: A commitment to strive relentlessly to excel in our services, our processes, our people and our technologies
• Q3 has a dedicated team of professionals in Delphi technology.
• Q3 is committed to helping its clients in achieving their goals and maximizing their long-term systems potential.
• Q3 works closely with clients to ensure that all needs and objectives are understood.
• Q3 acts with integrity and honesty to develop trusting working relationships with clients.

Technologies

• ASP.NET 3.5 Framework and Controls/Visual Studio2008 IDE
• C# Language
• SQL Server 2005 database Technology for data content
• SQL Server 2005 Reporting Service
• LLBL Gen Pro. : O/R mapper and data-access tier generator for .NET, generates a complete data-access tier and business façade/support tier for developers (in C#), using an existing database schema set.
• Lead Tools Dot Net Version 16.5
• Delphi2CS Version 3.2 for converting Delphi Code to C#