A 3D visualization approach to validate requirements

Abstract

The importance of correctly determining the requirements of a system at the very beginning of the development process it is a well known fact. Experience shows that the incorrect definition of the requirements leads to the development of deficient systems, increases the cost of its development or even causes projects to fail. Therefore it is crucial for the clients to verify that the planned system satisfies their needs. In this context, visualization techniques appear as a useful tool to help the users in the process of requirements understanding and validation. This paper describes an approach to validate system requirements with the user using 3D visualization techniques. The use of these techniques could reduce the communication gap between the clients and the developers resulting in a much more effective process of requirements validation. The approach tries to take advantage of the benefits of 3D visualization, complementing this with the advantages of formal specifications. As well as a research prototype tool, called ReqViZ3D, that materializes the proposal was developed. The merits of applying ReqViZ3D for the validation of requirements are illustrated using several case studies.