In 2012, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) wanted to improve their APE processes and systems to further support their mission of providing warfighters and major commands with timely and accurate airfield pavement evaluations. The solution would then allow engineers to more efficiently manage manage pavements, and allow planners to make accurate mission determinations in expeditionary environments worldwide.
APE was developed as an Autodesk Map 3D plug-in and utilizes data from PAVER/PCASE in conjunction with GeoBase spatial data to provide a set of comprehensive maps used in pavement analysis and survey reports. The APE data model was implemented as a standard Autodesk Industry Model that promotes data sharing between Air Force software applications, such as the Geospatial Expeditionary Planning Tool (GeoExPT).
The industry model design allows for spatial database management, workflows, and feature rules that apply DoD standards and requirements within the industry model and benefit the APE evaluation team in the overall process.