ADF has served the AGTEK mobile applications well since 2010 but there have been additional requirements. It is desirable to add new capabilities to ADF and should be done in a way that's backwards compatible with existing applications. Generally backwards compatibility is accomplished by providing new entry types in the ADF zip, and older applications ignore the new entry types. Thus this requirement note doesn't aspire to change existing ADF types.

Modern use cases are as follows:

1. A user places notes, pictures, perhaps other types of single point marks on a project. When reopening the file the marks should be retained. These should be part of the ADF so it can be uploaded to the server and other users are able to see these notations. Placemark style objects - Photos, Notes, others.
2. A user creates a track, or measures an area. When reopening the file these should be retained. These should be part of the ADF so it can be uploaded and other users are able to see these notations. Path like object - User tracks, measure areas, etc.
3. Layer settings should be part of the ADF so the visibility state can be retained. This functionality is part of SmartPlan, but should be part of ADF and standardized across all applications. Visibility, selectibility, color, layer information (HTML fragment) information for layers.

Object 1 & 2 must be LLA based. This means that ADF files without benchmark information can not display this information since the bulk of ADF is NEZ. (e.g. SmartGrade with no benchmarks can't display).

MORE TO COME… 2018-03-20