Perspectives for Security Groups

Within a model, the model administrator can tailor the Perspectives and/or ribbons available to each user security group, as a Perspective Setting or Ribbon Set for each group.

A Perspective Setting consists of a number of Perspective Sets and some or all of their Perspectives. Perspective Settings associated with security groups within a model allow administrators and business owners to customize the view and scope of particular modeling staff based on their area of concern and capability. For example, business modelers used to working with BPMN could be limited to working with the BPMN technology, removing all unnecessary Perspectives and technologies from their interface when they are in a particular model. Likewise, particular ribbons can be hidden to further customize and focus the modelers' workspace.

It is important to note that the 'hidden' technologies are not disabled - the model is still logically correct and fully supported for every underlying technology; it is simply that a particular security group will not be able to model using the hidden technologies.

This feature allows for a very fine and targeted set of custom working environments to be configured for end users, based on expertise and area of concern. Model administrators should carefully look at the potential for streamlining their users' experience to enhance modeling accuracy.

This feature is available in the Corporate, Unified and Ultimate editions of Enterprise Architect, from Release 15.0.

Access

Create a Perspective Setting for a Security Group

1. Click on the required security group name, then click on the icon on the right of the field in the Perspectives column. The 'Perspectives for Security Group' dialog displays.
   
   The dialog lists all of the Perspective Sets available in Enterprise Architect and, when you click on the name of a Perspective Set, all of the Perspectives available in the selected set (as shown for the 'Analysis' Set). All Sets and Perspectives have checkboxes, which initially are all selected.
2. To make a complete Perspective Set unavailable to users in the security group, click on the corresponding checkbox to clear it.
3. To make individual Perspectives unavailable within an active Perspective Set, click on the corresponding checkboxes to clear them.
4. Work through all the Perspective Sets to define all the Perspectives that are not available to the users in the security group. If you want to reset all unselected checkboxes to selected, click on the Reset All button.
5. When you have defined the Perspective Setting, click on the OK button. The 'Perspective Settings for Security Groups' tab of the Manage Project Options dialog redisplays, with the value 'Set' in the 'Perspectives' field for the selected security group.
6. You can repeat the process for another user security group.
7. When you have set up your Perspective Settings for the security groups, click on the Close button to close the 'Manage Project Options' dialog.

Create a Ribbon Set for a Security Group

This process is similar to that for creating a Perspective Setting for a security group.

1. Click on the required security group name, then click on the icon on the right of the field in the Ribbon Set column. The 'Ribbon Set for Security Group' dialog displays.
   
   The dialog lists all of the ribbons available in Enterprise Architect and, when you expand the name of a ribbon, all of the option panels available in the selected ribbon (as shown for the 'Design' ribbon). All ribbons and panels have checkboxes, which initially are all selected.
2. To make a complete ribbon unavailable to users in the security group, click on the corresponding checkbox to clear it.
3. To make individual option panels unavailable within an active ribbon, click on the corresponding checkboxes to clear them. Clearing all the panel checkboxes for a ribbon also hides the complete ribbon (you cannot display an empty ribbon).
4. Work through all the ribbons to define all the option panels that are not available to the users in the security group. If you want to reset all unselected checkboxes to selected, click on the Reset All button.
5. When you have defined the Ribbon Set, you can also identify one ribbon as being the default that is shown whenever users in the selected security group open Enterprise Architect. Click on the drop-down arrow in the Default Ribbon field, and select the required ribbon name.
6. Click on the OK button. The 'Perspective Settings for Security Groups' tab of the 'Manage Project Options' dialog redisplays, with the value 'Set' in the 'Ribbon Set' field for the selected security group.
7. You can repeat the process for another user security group.
8. When you have set up your ribbon sets for the security groups, click on the Close button to close the 'Manage Project Options' dialog.

Notes

• Only model administrators can edit these settings
• You cannot hide the 'Start' ribbon, 'Specification - Specify' ribbon or 'Document - Edit' ribbon, or any panels that they contain
• If the 'Configuration' ribbon is hidden, the Model Administrator's login overrides that to ensure that the administrator can administer the model
• Using the Reset All button for a Perspective Setting or Ribbon Set effectively cancels any special settings for the security group, and gives the member users access to all Perspectives and ribbons