Custom ArchiMate Viewpoints

Select UML Perspective

New Viewpoints are created using the UML Profile mechanism within Enterprise Architect. In order to create a Viewpoint the current Perspective must include the UML Structural elements.

Create a Profile

Drop a Profile from the 'Package' page of the Toolbox. The name given to this item will be visible to users when selecting a Viewpoint to use. When prompted, create a Class diagram for the Package.

Create a View Specification

Open the diagram you have just created. This will also display the 'Profile' page of the Toolbox.

Drop a View Specification from the 'Metamodel' section of the Toolbox. The name given to this item will be visible to users when selecting a Viewpoint to use.

In practice, you can include multiple View Specifications within your Profile.

Create a New Stereotype

Drop a new Stereotype element from the Toolbox.

Use the Properties window to mark the Stereotype element as 'Abstract', to indicate that it isn't being defined within this profile.

To extend one of the diagram types defined for ArchiMate by Enterprise Architect, give the stereotype one of these names:

• ArchiMate3::Business
• ArchiMate3::Application
• ArchiMate3::Technology
• ArchiMate3::Motivation
• ArchiMate3::Implementation

Create an Extension Connector

Each Viewpoint must be an extension of one or more diagram types. This is specified by creating an Extension connector from the View Specification to the element representing  the target diagram type.

Create References to ArchiMate Types

Drag a Metaclass element from the Toolbox onto your diagram. On the resulting dialog, go to the 'Stereotypes' page to select the ArchiMate3 profile. You can then add as many ArchiMate element and relationship types as you require.

Optionally Add References to Non-ArchiMate Types

You can even add types from multiple modeling languages to your Viewpoint. Simply repeat the process of adding a Metaclass element from the Toolbox to select types from any other modeling language supported by Enterprise Architect.

Add Exposes Relationships

Add an Exposes relationship from your View Specification to each of the types that you want displayed in the Viewpoint.

Import Package as UML Profile

If you have developed the profile for your Viewpoint in the model that you want to use it in, the easiest way to start using it is to directly import it into the model.

To do this, select the profile in the Browser and, in the ribbon, select Specialize > Technologies > Publish Technology > Import Package as UML Profile.

This automatically wraps your profile into an MDG Technology and imports it into the model so that all users of the model have it available.

Deploy MDG Technology

If you want to use your Viewpoint across multiple models you have to export the Profile and generate an MDG Technology to include it. This offers much more flexible deployment options and also allows you to include additional customizations, such as allowing you to define model patterns, scripts and reporting templates to complement the Viewpoint definition described here.

For a New Diagram

Within the 'New Diagram' dialog, any diagram type that offers Viewpoints will allow the type to be expanded and a Viewpoint selected.

In Diagram Properties

In the docked Properties window for a diagram, the defined Viewpoints are available in the 'Applied Metamodel' drop-down.

In the 'Properties' dialog, the defined Viewpoints are available in the 'View' drop-down.