Book a Demo
« previous next »
Pages: [1]

Author Topic: Connect Elements with Diagrams  (Read 4793 times)

jjeskiewicz

  • EA Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Connect Elements with Diagrams
« on: February 04, 2009, 12:14:36 am »
EA v.7.1.829

Case: I create a structured Activity and it automatically generated an empty diagram for that element.  If I click that element that it automatically navigates to the associated diagram.  Instead, I delete that Diagram in the Project Browser.  I realize that I need a diagram there, and so I recreate it.

Problem: Now when I double click the element it does not automatically navigate to the diagram, I guess because some association has been lost.  How do I re-establish association, between an element and a diagram?

Additionally: Can I link two separate elements to the same diagram?

Thanks,

JOE--
Logged

bioform

  • EA User
  • **
  • Posts: 230
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Forty-Two?
    • View Profile
Re: Connect Elements with Diagrams
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2009, 04:04:29 am »
Quote
EA v.7.1.829

Problem: Now when I double click the element it does not automatically navigate to the diagram, I guess because some association has been lost.  How do I re-establish association, between an element and a diagram?

DRR - Right Click activity, uncheck "Composite". (close menu) Right Click activity, check "Composite" (close menu)

It should now be "re-connected" to your 1st "new" diagram (located directly underneath the activity)

Additionally: Can I link two separate elements to the same diagram?

DRR - The way it works "I believe" is the same as a package. The first diagram located under the activity is displayed. So sinec the diagram can only be "owned" (directly under) by a single activity, I do not believe so.

DRR - Scenario Workaround...

Have Activity 1 and Activity 2 (Composite with owned diagram)
- Clicking Activity 2, navigate to owned diagram (A2D)
- Clicking Activity 1 (actually A2D hyperlink with NO text, sized to be the same as the activity, order is set to be on top.) navigates to A2D.

Hint - If you still want to be able to "select" the activity and see it's properties (from the diagram), I size the hyperlink (with diaram icon displayed) to be the same width, but taller, then place it order behind. That way click the activity to see it's info, click the diagram icon to navigate to any desired diagram, in this case A2D)

Thanks,

JOE--
« Last Edit: February 04, 2009, 04:05:43 am by bioform »
Logged
Time is what keeps everything from happening at once, Space is what keeps it all from happening to you. <unknown>

jjeskiewicz

  • EA Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Connect Elements with Diagrams
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2009, 04:21:53 am »
Found the Composite check under the Advanced Sub-Menu.  It worked, unfortunately it was a Activity type of <<conditional >> witht he dotted box.  That quality was lost when the Composite was broken.
Logged

bioform

  • EA User
  • **
  • Posts: 230
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Forty-Two?
    • View Profile
Re: Connect Elements with Diagrams
« Reply #3 on: February 04, 2009, 06:16:28 am »
Hmmm.... is this something that happens often?

If so, then easiest fix might be to update the Elements attributes in the EA table...

If you change the element's "NType" value (in the t_object table) back to "18" your problem is solved...

Hope that helps,

David
« Last Edit: February 04, 2009, 06:17:04 am by bioform »
Logged
Time is what keeps everything from happening at once, Space is what keeps it all from happening to you. <unknown>

jjeskiewicz

  • EA Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Connect Elements with Diagrams
« Reply #4 on: February 04, 2009, 06:44:36 am »
Quote
Hmmm.... is this something that happens often?

If so, then easiest fix might be to update the Elements attributes in the EA table...

If you change the element's "NType" value (in the t_object table) back to "18" your problem is solved...

Hope that helps,

David

Where do I find the t_object table to modify it?

JOE--
Logged

bioform

  • EA User
  • **
  • Posts: 230
  • Karma: +0/-0
  • Forty-Two?
    • View Profile
Re: Connect Elements with Diagrams
« Reply #5 on: February 04, 2009, 08:04:26 am »
FIRST, the easiest thing is just to delete the activity and create it again. Then make the necessary associations and your done... THIS is what I would recommend....

WARNING use this approach with extreme caution and ONLY after you have backed up your .eap file...
YOU CAN screw up the data in the file and leave your project unusable. I would NOT recommend you doing this if your not familiar with querying or looking at tables using MS Access, or your not comfortable with poking EA in it's innards.

But if you are STILL interested and you have MS Access installed, (or another application that allows you to look/modify the data in an Access database,) then you COULD do the following... NOT that I would... but, (Get the idea that I don't want to be responsible yet?)

Change the EAP file's extension to "mdb", then double-click it, Access will launch and “might” ask if you want to convert the database.  Make sure you ANSWER No!

Then, simply look down the list of tables until you see the table called “t_object” and open it up... Filter on the column “Object Type” column for "Activity", then find the activity you want to fix by by name.  Look in that row’s e column titled "NType" and the value displayed most likely is 8, just change it to 18.

Now get the heck out and don’t change anything else…Exit Access, rename the file to have an extension again of .eap, double click it and see if that did the trick...

AND remember I did NOT tell you to try this… ;)

Bioform
Logged
Time is what keeps everything from happening at once, Space is what keeps it all from happening to you. <unknown>

jjeskiewicz

  • EA Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 4
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Connect Elements with Diagrams
« Reply #6 on: February 05, 2009, 01:32:45 am »
I am very comfortable with databases.  Worked like a charm.  Thanks. :)

JOE--
Logged

Frank Horn

  • EA User
  • **
  • Posts: 535
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Connect Elements with Diagrams
« Reply #7 on: February 05, 2009, 01:38:22 am »
Quote
Found the Composite check under the Advanced Sub-Menu.  It worked, unfortunately it was a Activity type of <<conditional >> witht he dotted box.  That quality was lost when the Composite was broken.

This has been getting on my nerves for quite some time. There seems to be no way to change the type of a structured activity from the UI. So when you  create one of type "sequential",  define a lot within it and then decide you want it to be a "loop", all you can do is create a new structured activity of type "loop" and drag everything from old to new one.

Can probably be done from an AddIn though, by setting the Element.Subtype property of the activity.

no type 8
structured 16
conditional 18
loop 17
sequential 19

This should be listed in the help file, but I think it isn't.
Logged
Pages: [1]
« previous next »