Adding Model Views to MDG

[Jayson]

Hey all

On page 129 of the MDG guide, it offers some "help" (in quotes intentionally ;-) ) on how to Add Model Views to an MDG Technology file.

The steps are:

1. Create model views you want to include in the MDG.
2. Create the MDG, checking the Model Views option.
3. Select the Model Views you want to add.

However, this doesn't seem to work for me. When I come to the MDG Technology Wizard - Model Views panel it states that "There are no items to show in this view".

I've never created a Model View before so I don't even know if I am creating the Model Views correctly.

Can anyone shed some light on this? I can't seem to find a decent help page on how to create Model Views because every time I search for it, I get the help on Meta-Model Views (which I already know how to create).

Cheers

Jays :-)

[qwerty]

I also never used that MDG thingy. To create a model view you have to hit Alt-1 and select Focus. The window then lets you create a model view. Works ok and is not too counter intuitive. Alas, I'm not really using it. But I guess without having defined something here your attempts are futile.

q.

[Jayson]

Hey Q

Thanks for that.
When I hit Alt-1 I get a panel called "Design" with 3 lists: Common, Details & Tools.
I don't see anything called Focus.

Cheers

Jays :-)

[Jayson]

Hmmm, so reading another part of Sparx's "beautifully" laid out web site, it appears that I need to export the Views as XML.
So I have done this by right-clicking on the views and select "Export to XML (Views Only).
But how do I get Sparx MDG generator to recognise this file and incorporate it into the MDG?

Jays :-)

[PeteC]

It probably is irrelevant, but I think you are referring to what is on page 134 in the current MDG Technology PDF guide (dated 2 Sept 2021). If it is, then I think you are mistaken that the views need exporting (I also can't find the right-click and export option you refer to - I'm guessing that you are not using the latest version of EA, 15.2.1559).

To create your views (in EA 15.2.1559), press Alt-1 (that's the number one not the letter L!) and select Focus.
Create a new model view. In that Create a new Views folder (I think this is optional, but I do to then organise my searches). Then Create a new Search folder.  On the search folder, right click and select the search that you would like in the model view.

When you create the MDG then the Model View (the first creation step above) will appear at the point you are saying nothing appears to add.

[qwerty]

For 13.5 type "view" in the Start search field. It yields Model Views as first result.

q.

[Sunshine]

Hmmm, so reading another part of Sparx's "beautifully" laid out web site, it appears that I need to export the Views as XML.
So I have done this by right-clicking on the views and select "Export to XML (Views Only).
But how do I get Sparx MDG generator to recognise this file and incorporate it into the MDG?

Jays :-)

I use model template to get the view in. So After you've created the XML view you need to edit the mts file manually like this

Code: [Select]

<ModelTemplates>
<Model name="Viewpoints" description="Template and examples of viewpoints for Enterprise Architecture" location="Viewpoints.xml" default="yes" icon="34" filter="Enterprise Architecture"/>
</ModelTemplates>

Then when you generate the MDG using MTS it inserts it into the MDG.

[Jayson]

Hey there

Thanks for that Sunshine.
However, I am referring to Model Views [p.129 of the MDG Technologies Guide].
What you are referring to is Model Templates [p. 156 of the MDG Technologies].

I am using 15.1.1529 and I will be buggered if I can figure out how to create a Model View.

Kp? Eve?

Cheers

Jays :-)

[PeteC]

Did you try my steps out above? If so, where did you get stuck?

[Jayson]

Hey Pete

Yes thanks I did.
As per my response to qwerty:

=========================
Hey Q

Thanks for that.
When I hit Alt-1 I get a panel called "Design" with 3 lists: Common, Details & Tools.
I don't see anything called Focus.
==========================

Cheers :-)

[qwerty]

Hmm. Since pre V15 those just opened the properties (tested V13.5 and V14). So I would guess that you have altered the keyboard shortcuts. That would be hard to diagnose (I never touched it since with every EA version any user dialogue is different; so learning to use that seems pointless).

q.

[Jayson]

Hmmm

I don't even know how to re-assign keys. I guess I could have done it accidentally.


Cheers :-)

[qwerty]

If you type "design" in the Search field of Sparx Icon Menu you get that window too.

q.

[PeteC]

Mine has Explore, Details and Tools.

Which version of EA are you using? There are different instructions on how to get to Model Views depending on the version:

15.0: https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/15.0/model_navigation/model_views_context_menus.html
15.1: https://sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/15.1/user_interface/model_views_context_menus.html

I'm guessing it's not 15.2 as your experience of the menu launched by Alt-1 is different.