Wednesday, 06 July 2016 07:42

Enterprise Architect 13 beta preview

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This article provides a preview about the upcoming Enterprise Architect 13, available in its beta version since beginning of June.

SparxSystems Enterprise Architect 13 leaflet covers the main enhancements including:

  • Ribbon interface, replacing the traditional menus
  • Links between connectors for a new level of traceability
  • Time Aware Modeling with a package and element Cloning approach
  • SysML simulation with OpenModelica and parametric diagrams
  • Tagged Values support within diagram filters
  • A new "Progress bar" tagged value type
  • Various other enhancements:
    • Direct publishing to Joomla CMS
    • Improved Linux and Mac compatibility
    • Back end repository updates when accessing a shared Enterprise Architect project, hosted on a centralized database with the Security feature enabled
    • Cloud Service improved (IPv6 support, better performance)

Enterprise Architect 13 Ribbon interface

The screenshot below illustrates Enterprise Architect 13 user interface:

Traditional menus have been replaced with a Ribbon interface. As a result, some time will be needed to find Enterprise Architect features. This modern look and feel should make it easier to use features compared with the previous interface.
Activation of the main views such as notes, project browser, pan and zoom is available via the Window button, available from all ribbons.

enterprise architect 13 beta ribbon window

The Start ribbon provides access to a Search button:

enterprise architect 13 beta search ribbon

  • Search in Model opens the project search screen (also available via the Ctrl+F shortcut).
  • Search in Project Browser opens the Project Browser search dialog window.
  • Search for Diagram or Package opens an associated predefined search.
  • Browse for Diagram or Package is a new feature to browse a project tree version without the elements, making it easier to find a diagram or package. Choosing a package or diagram selects it in the Project Browser.

 sparx enterprise architect 13 beta search diagram

The Configure ribbon provides access to the project options and settings including Security, Version Control (e.g. SVN), code and MDA templates, installed MDG technologies, etc. 

ruban configure sparxsystems enterprise architect 13

Enterprise Architect tool configuration is available from the Start ribbon > Preferences.

sparxsystems enterprise architect 13 beta start ribbon preferences
The Extend ribbon shows all installed extensions/add-ins such as eaDocX, eaUtils, eaNavigator... Each extension menu can be accessed via its own button, improving the access to their features.

Important: add-ins menus in this ribbon don't match with Enterprise Architect v12.1 and earlier (see EXTENSIONS menu). Instead options from these menus match the ones listed upon a right click from the project browser. This seems to be something to fix or clarify. It would be nice to have a way also to replace the buttons images with the extensions logos.

sparxsystems enterprise architect 13 beta extensions ribbon

Current versions of Enterprise Architect (12.1, 12, 11...) make it possible to personalize and reduce Enterprise Architect menus on a local PC. This customization can be very useful in order to simplify the user interface e.g. by removing the Execution Analyzer and other features that are not used by a group of users. Enterprise Architect 13 ribbon interface can be customized via the Start ribbon > Perspectives > Show Perspectives Window > Ribbon Menu.

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta ribbon menu preferences

Menu search with the Office 2016 visual style

Visual Styles can be modified from the Start ribbon to customize the user interface. Office 2016 visual style provides a search module on the menus. To activate this style, open the Start ribbon > Visual Style and select Microsoft Office 2016.

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta office 2016 visual style search

The search feature is illustrated below.

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta office 2016 visual style search

Enterprise Architect 13 helpers

Helpers features can be enabled via the Layout ribbon.

sparx ea 13 helpers

Sweeper and HV lock provide custom behaviours when moving diagram elements:

  • Enable the Sweeper helper so a collection of elements within a diagram section can be moved altogether. Where this looks useful, one has to understand and control the definition of a section.
  • Enable the HV lock helper so selected elements can either be moved horizontally or vertically.

The Presentation mode highlights any selected element and prevents from creating associations between elements (quicklinker is disabled).

Reorder messages mode is only active in UML or SysML sequence diagrams. When enabled, it lets you move messages without ordering the surrounding ones (same effect as when using the Alt key shortcut).

Enable the Show direction helper so that connectors are displayed in red or green when an element is selected according to the following rules:

  • Green: the selected element is the connector's source.
  • Red: the selected element is the connector's target.

This feature can be useful to control that relations are set in the right direction according to traceability rules.

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta helper show direction

Links between connectors

Enterprise Architect 13 makes it possible to create links between connectors. This feature can be useful for advanced traceability needs, e.g. in a Systems Engineering context, a control flow between action pins can be associated with a matching connector between SysML blocks' ports. This provides a way to ensure consistency between the static and dynamic view of a system.

Important: to prevent "not UML compliant" error messages, the Strict Connector Syntax option must be disabled in the preferences.

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta options strict connector syntax

The following screenshots illustrate this feature.

  • Select one of the connectors to enable the quicklinker (see arrow).

 sparx enterprise architect 13 beta connector links

  • Use the quicklinker to create a dependency with another connector.

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta connector links

  • As a result, the following dependency link has been created:

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta connector links

Improvements would be required to access this type of traceability. For instance it would be useful to have a Links tab in the connectors' properties window. It would also be useful to see this link within the traceability view once a connector has been selected in the diagram.

Diagrams

The diagram toolbox displayed at the top of diagrams in current versions of Enterprise Architect has disappeared in version 13. It is however useful to easily change the colour of elements or links, the font, to align elements, apply the same dimensions, etc. Hopefully it will be available again in the final version.
All these features are currently solely available from the Layout ribbon.

 

Managing versions with a package and element Cloning approach

Sparx Systems provides a new "time aware model" feature to manage versions via a cloning approach. Right click on a package from the project browser and select "Clone Structure as a new version". Provide the new version and select a target package.

This version has been allocated to a new package (it needs to be renamed). A diagram has also been created and it contains the elements from the existing version.

Any element needs to be cloned within the new version before carrying modifications.

In the following example, Class2 has been cloned in the new version 1.1, and an attribute has been added to this class.

It is subsequently possible to display all elements onto the same diagram and apply versioning filtrers.

This feature can be useful to manage versions within an Enterprise Architect modelling project, e.g. to define and compare an "as-is" with a "to-be" vision of a model. However this approach seems to be limited when applied on a complex branch of models.

SysML simulation with OpenModelica

Enterprise Architect 13 offers an alternative and much more powerful SysML parametric simulation compared with the existing built-in tool. As regards, Sparx Systems has integrated a link with the OpenModelica, an Open Source Modelica-based modeling and simulation environment.

This feature requires installing OpenModelica tool (https://www.openmodelica.org/). Algorithms must be entered in SysML constraint blocks' invariant constraints, and SysMLSim configurations must be created via the Enterprise Architect 13 Simulate ribbon. This feature requires identifying and understanding all the properties to set prior to get a running simulation configuration.

The following screenshots illustrate the OpenModelica SysML simulation in Enterprise Architect 13.

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta sysml simulation open modelica

sparx enterprise architect 13 beta sysml simulation open modelica

Diagram filters: tagged values support

Diagram filters make it possible to hide or grey out elements from an active diagram according to a set of criteria. Tagged values support has been added in Enterprise Architect 13:

Conclusion

Enterprise Architect 13 upcoming version should be released end of 2016 or early 2017. This new version not only provides a nice and useful user interface in line with the latest applications, but also carries an interesting number of enhancements and features that will be handy once finalized.

Read 9752 times Last modified on Thursday, 07 July 2016 22:21
Guillaume

Guillaume Finance

VISEO (Sparx EA Expert, OMG OCSMP Model User certified)
 
Modelling consultant and expert on Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect modelling tool and solution, I'm helping clients with the model-based approach using standards for a number of contexts including:
- Software analysis, design and architecture with UML.
- Systems Engineering and MBSE with SysML.
- Enterprise Architecture, IT landscape with UML or ArchiMate.
- Business processes with BPMN.
My other activities include:
- Defining and maintaining the model repository including requirements, analysis and design for software projects.
- Remote support and expertise on Sparx Enterprise Architect modelling.
- Running training sessions on UML or SysML with Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect.
- Installation and configuration of Prolaborate web solution for Sparx EA.
 
I publish articles and news about modelling languages and Enterprise Architect on my blog www.umlchannel.com, maintain eaUtils free addin: www.eautils.com, and I participate in the European EA User Group events www.eausergroup.com
Contact details: guillaume[at]umlchannel.com

www.umlchannel.com

3 comments

  • Comment Link Guillaume Thursday, 25 August 2016 08:06 posted by Guillaume

    Hi.
    Thanks for your feedback!
    Pawel, you made a good point on the impact for doc generation. I'm not sure as whether Sparx intends to provide additional options to avoid ending up with incomplete chapters. I'd expect an impact for all other doc generators available (eaDocX and custom scripting ones).

  • Comment Link Pawel Zubkiewicz Tuesday, 12 July 2016 09:45 posted by Pawel Zubkiewicz

    Hi Guillaume, nice article.

    I have a question regarding managing versions with package cloning.

    When you clone package to create new version how does this impact documentation generation? Does EA understands concept of versions or just treat them as separate packages, which in results breaks the generated documentation?

    I mean, in your example package for version 1.1 has only one class element, because other element wasn't changed and its version was not bumped up. So document generator would find only one element in that package and Class1 will be omitted right?

  • Comment Link Helmut Ortmann Monday, 11 July 2016 05:42 posted by Helmut Ortmann

    Good overview and tips to understand the benefits of 13. Beta.
    I find it worth reading!

    Thanks!

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