ATLASeditor3D, 3D database editor for the ATLAS experiment

The ATLAS Experiment is the biggest detector of the Large Hadron Collider, and contains thousands of tones of equipment. Existing software at CERN allowed the configuration of the ATLAS off-detector electronics, i.e. back end; although a description of the detector itself, i.e. front end, was missing. ATLASeditor3D, a graphical user interface in Java/Java3D which interacts with Oracle databases, was developed to implement a 3D view of the ATLAS detector. The detector is synthesized in nominal position starting from basic geometrical shapes, which represent the envelopes to be connected with the back end side. In addition, detector symmetries were exploited to create multiple objects at once. The geometry, position, and logical relationship of 3D objects created through this GUI are stored in a database, so that the detector layout can be easily loaded. ATLASeditor3D has granted the interconnectivity of the ATLAS back end and front end electronics, and due to the association of Java objects with Oracle tables, its functionality has been extended. By integrating survey data, this software tool was adapted to show displacements for the Tile Calorimeter sub-detectors. In order to ensure equipment traceability of all detector equipment for safety matters, it is currently used to identify equipment location within the ATLAS cavern. As a 3D shape database editor, ATLASeditor3D can be used to synthesize any other detector of the LHC, and further development is focused on integrating a 3D view of the activation studies.