Archimate to use iconic representation

[gs100]

I want to use Archimate template but want to use the iconic representation rather than the default rectangle. Here in the link below it suggests to use the new Tagged Value. I added the tagged value (iconstyle and value true)But still does'nt change to iconic representation, but shows in rectangular representation only. Any help !

http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/modeling_languages/archimate.html

[qwerty]

You can not simply add a tagged value. To make the element part of the MDG you need to stereotype it accordingly and call Synch with Tagged Values from the context of the MDG toolbox. That will look for elements with missing tags and add these as "from the toolbox" as opposed to what you do "added manually".

q.

[KP]

ArchiMate 2 elements don't use the iconstyle tagged value. Right-click the element and toggle the "Advanced > Use Rectangle Notation" command.

[edit]This help page may be more useful to you: http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/9.3/domain_based_models/archimate.html[/edit]

[RoyC]

What release of Enterprise Architect are you using?

The web Help page you linked to is rather old. I believe that the web Help has been updated since that page was loaded, and we might be in the process of updating it again. However, it is usually better to refer to the Help loaded with your installation of Enterprise Architect. For release 10, build 1007 of EA, the Archimate page describes a more extensive set of Toolbox pages, and includes the following paragraphs:

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You can modify the appearance of elements by toggling the Advanced | Use Rectangle Notation context menu option on the element in a diagram.

For Artifact, Process, Function, Interaction, Service, Event, Actor, Role, Collaboration, Interface, Component, Node and Device elements:

• Select Use Rectangle Notation to show a rectangle with a decoration in the top corner
  

• Deselect Use Rectangle Notation to show the iconic representation of the element
  

You can set an Interface element  to provided, required, symmetric or assembly, through its interfacekind Tagged Value. If Use Rectangle Notation is unselected, the orientation of the interface shape is determined automatically by the edge to which an incoming connector is attached.

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Edit: And ... KP got there first!

[Thelonius]

Roy

I'm using the latest version of EA, and in an ArchiMate 2 diagram, I'm not seeing an option for Advanced > Use Rectangle Notation for Interface, Collaboration, or Interaction when I right-click on one of those elements.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks
Jon

[RoyC]

I had a similar problem, but then I realized I was using the Archimate Toolbox page and not one of the five Archimate2 Toolboxes (although only the first two - Business and Application - have all the element types you listed, and the Infrastructure set only has Interface from that list).

All the elements I then created had the Advanced | Use Rectangle Notation option available and selected. So first check is, do you have the right Toolboxes? And secondly, is the View | Workspaces and Commands > Commands page correctly set? If you select Complete and expand Element Management > Element Context Menus > General > Advanced Properties > Use Rectangle Notation, make sure they are all selected.

If those two things don't help, I'm not sure what the problem is. Send in a bug report so that we can examine it in more detail.

[KP]

I had a similar problem, but then I realized I was using the Archimate Toolbox page and not one of the five Archimate2 Toolboxes

The number one thing to take away from that is that if you are using ArchiMate 2, disable ArchiMate 1. Similarly, only ever have one version each of BPMN and SysML enabled at a time. It will save much heartache.

[adama]

All the elements I create with Archimate2 or Archimate3 do NOT show the
 'Advanced | Use Rectangle Notation' context menu.

Same with UML::Actor

I tried every permutation: new Archimate2/3 diagram, Archimate2/3 toolboxes, other types of diagrams with the Archi toolboxes.  Nothing shows the context menu.

Regarding:
   View | Workspaces and Commands > Commands page
and
   Complete and expand Element Management > Element Context Menus > General > Advanced Properties > Use Rectangle Notation

I have no idea what this means. Could not find corresponding commands in R1309.

Can you be more specific about the steps to success here?

[qwerty]

I also had this issue and the only thing I remember is that I spent quite some time to get it right. Unfortunately (!) all details were lost in memory. Maybe a night sleep and a good coffee can help to solve your issue :-/

q.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

Our research says that in order to get the [ ] Use Rectangular Notation menu item, you need to have the rectangular notation test within the shapescript.

Code: [Select]

if(hasproperty("rectanglenotation","0"))
{
}This will trigger the addition of the [ ] Use Rectangular Notation item to the menu.

Thus, if the base shapescript doesn't have the test, it's pretty difficult.

Also, for some ArchiMate elements, Sparx have "hijacked" the test to allow them to create multiple "iconic" forms, but that means that you can't create REAL rectangular forms.

HTH,
Paolo

[qwerty]

Exactly. Now I remember again :-)

q.