Patent ID: 8490024

Claim:
A system for development of a land plan, the system comprising: a processor; a computer storage medium storing program instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to generate a user interface, the user interface comprising: a side bar including: a guide window configured to display tool buttons, the tool buttons each including a button having a textual description of a function of the button and a graphical illustration of the function, and the tool buttons each being selectable to initiate different functions associated with a land plan, wherein a first tool button of the tool buttons is selectable to initiate a function to define an element of the land plan, and wherein the guide window is also configured to remove the tool buttons from the guide window upon selection of the first tool button and replace the tool buttons in the guide window with instructions to the user that describe one or more inputs needed from the user to complete a function associated with the selected tool button in the land plan, the instructions containing at least one graphical element illustrating an aspect of the function or clarifying an instruction; a tool box window configured to display a selectable set of tool box buttons, each tool box button operable to cause the guide window to display different sets of the tool buttons for performing different types of functions associated with the land plan when the tool box button is selected; and an information window configured to display information relating to the element of the land plan when the element is selected; and a planning window configured to generate a graphical representation of the land plan, the graphical representation of the land plan including the element, wherein the planning window is arranged adjacent the side bar such that the guide window, the tool box window, and the information window do not obscure the land plan in the planning window.