Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

Diagram Filters

DiagFilterWindow

Diagram Filters (Dynamic Visual filters) enable you to modify the display of diagram components, so that the relevant items are immediately identified for the reader's attention without damaging the structure and integrity of the model. Currently the feature operates on elements and connectors, and filters according to properties such as Author, Status, Date Created or Stereotype.

Access:    View | Diagram Filters

Topics:

Topic

Detail

See also

Use

Use Diagram Filters to tailor the display of diagrams:

  • For different users, so that - for example - technical staff and stakeholders each have a view that highlights the information pertinent to them
  • To show what elements have been recently developed or changed
  • To show which part of a model was developed by a particular person
  • To show which parts of a diagram are at a particular phase, status or version

Filters for elements can also be applied to the Package Browser and Diagram List; the Select filter effect does not, however, make a difference in these contexts

Package Browser

Diagram List

Work With Diagram Filters

Develop Diagram Filters

You create and define as many filters as you require, setting up each filter by defining which element or connector properties to specifically check for and (depending on how you set up the filter parameters) whether to include or exclude elements or connectors having particular property values

You cannot combine element and connector properties in one filter, but you can apply an element filter and a connector filter to a diagram at the same time

You can select to:

  • Mute the irrelevant items in grayscale or a faded color
  • Hide the irrelevant items completely, or
  • Highlight (with a hashed line) the items that are relevant

Work With Diagram Filters

Filter Action - Mute or Hide

If you select to Mute or Hide items, the action of the filters is to exclude items that do not match the parameters rather than include items that do

If, for example, you selected to filter on element name, looking for elements with the word Class in the name, the filter would apply the following logic:

                  Does Name contain string Class? If No, apply effect; if Yes, take no action

The elements you want are therefore what is left on the diagram, rather than what was operated on

The filter effect remains in force while you do other work on the diagram, until such time as you disable the filter

Work With Diagram Filters

Filter Action - Highlight

If you select the Highlight effect, the logic is reversed:

                  Does Name contain string Class? If No, take no action. If Yes, apply effect.

In this case, the filter effect is not permanent, and clicking off the items deselects them

This effect is excellent for selecting items having the same characteristics across a large diagram, to be processed in a single task; instead of having to locate the items and select them with ( Shift ) +click individually, you can apply the filter

If you inadvertently lose the selection by clicking off the items, you can get it back again almost immediately by re-applying the filter.

Work With Diagram Filters

Application

You can use filters singly, in sequence, or in combination; for example, you could:

  • Set up a filter for immediate use on a diagram, and modify that filter as you review the diagram so that you highlight elements with different values for the same properties - perhaps, by filtering on Phase, to compare 'as-is' and 'to-be' elements
  • Set up a filter and leave it active so that all diagrams you display are automatically filtered the same way
  • Set up a series of filters to use:
  • in one or more sequences to progressively highlight a diminishing set of items, or
  • alternately to highlight contrasting views of the diagram

 

Learn More: