Each system provided unique capabilities. Photo by AA Frame BPV System . The BPV system is a Silicon Graphics workstation with graphical software. It allows planners to analyze and record a COA using capabilities unavailable on any other single system. The most used and useful capability is the animation of operations.
Animation illustrates the execution of actions over time and space.
Animated scenarios were essential to a shared understanding of the many complex offensive actions considered during our planning. MCS-WIN gave us the capability to develop and disseminate the standard text portions of an order with presentation slides to highlight BPV scenarios and other information. Its most useful tools were those that we developed for collaborative planning. We developed formats using Microsoft Excel-based spreadsheets for the synchronization matrix and for our short order format. Our individual laptops were networked for simultaneous entry and review of matrices.