Virtual Stagecraft

A browser based CAD and Resource Management tool for Theater Projects.

Overview:

• VS is online tool providing a unified collaboration, drafting, presentation and resource management environment.

• VS is both an open source community project and and a commercial project hosting service.

  • You can download VS source code to run on your own server

  • Or you can sign-up to have your projects hosted on VS's servers.

Description:

• Imagine that the design and production phase of a theater project worked like this:

  • A production manager creates a new project.

  • She gives the project a name.

  • She assigns a theater space to the project.

  • She assigns certain available resources to the project from the venue's inventory.

  • She invites collaborators to the project.

    • She gives collaborators access to certain assigned resources.

    • She creates layers and classes for each of the production departments.

    • She also gives collaborators the ability to create their own layers and classes and to share them with other collaborators either to modify or just view.

  • Collaborators create drawings right inside the VS browser window.

  • Collaborators are able to create "Scenes" to share with their collaborators and staff to help illustrate work to each other.

  • Production staff is able to create working drawings and paperwork directly from Stagecraft.

  • Collaborators and Staff are able to comment directly to each other from within the project.

• Advantages over existing systems:

  • Communication among Producers, Directors, Designers and Production in real time.

  • No files to send files or hard copies among collaborators.

  • No file incompatibility among differing CAD versions or systems.

  • Back-up and archiving happens automatically.

  • Low costs of open source software.