Sparx Systems Forum
Enterprise Architect => Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools => Topic started by: 2pointO on April 13, 2016, 04:47:01 pm
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Hello
I've set up my Enterprise Architect to show Element Shadows (in the Tools-Option-General-Diagram-Appearance menu).
After that I've created some custom shadows at Settings- Project Types - General Types and applied it to all elements.
As a result I have a normal grey default shadow shown, but it won't switch colors when changing the status to the right color.
Any hits on how to go about that?
Greetings Sarah
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In former EA version the shadow was hardly visible, but visible. Current versions render the shadow merely invisible, but for me unusable. I also remember that turning it on test wise gave me a hard time. ICR the details, but View/Visual Styles might have some influence.
Instead of the shadows, where appropriate, I use shape script to create some meaningful highlighting (color box).
q.
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I use EA Version 11 and the colors are working fine with a good distinction between background and elements but my collegue uses EA Version 12.1 and there only the default grey shadow is shown.
I already have a shape script on the elements, the shadow was an additional option to vistualize information the easy way, I thought :(.
Maybe it's a bug in the newest EA Version?
lg Sarah
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No, I think it's not a bug but a feature. ICR when I had this encounter, but maybe when V12 was introduced. I'm pretty sure one of the Sparxians will comment later.
q.
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Have you also set Tools > Options > Diagram > Appearance > Element Shadows On?
What is the element type? The requirement-like elements, e.g. Issue, Change, Feature, don't have coloured shadows. There may be other types as well.
EDIT: I just noticed you said you are using a shape script. It appears that shape script shadows don't show status colours. I don't know if that is intentional or not: I suspect it probably is, because you have freedom in shape scripts to add any kind of status colouring to your shapes that you want. You could report a bug and get an official answer...
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Did you check Show status colors on diagrams (Tools | Options | Objects) ?
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Have you also set Tools > Options > Diagram > Appearance > Element Shadows On?
What is the element type? The requirement-like elements, e.g. Issue, Change, Feature, don't have coloured shadows. There may be other types as well.
EDIT: I just noticed you said you are using a shape script. It appears that shape script shadows don't show status colours. I don't know if that is intentional or not: I suspect it probably is, because you have freedom in shape scripts to add any kind of status colouring to your shapes that you want. You could report a bug and get an official answer...
No, I think it's not a bug but a feature. ICR when I had this encounter, but maybe when V12 was introduced. I'm pretty sure one of the Sparxians will comment later.
q.
I assume q was being ironic...
It's actually NOT turned off by the shapescript, there's a second setting that KP missed: "Tools | Options | Objects | Show Status colours on diagrams" that controls whether the status colours are shown. However, the shadows are VERY anaemic and hardly visible. A more emphatic shadow would be preferable (perhaps a user selectable - even per diagram shadow width).
Paolo
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there's a second setting that KP missed
Yeah, no I didn't. Doesn't work with shape scripts. At least, not in my version of EA (which is, admittedly, a development build and quite different to anything out in user land).
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there's a second setting that KP missed
Yeah, no I didn't. Doesn't work with shape scripts. At least, not in my version of EA (which is, admittedly, a development build and quite different to anything out in user land).
I'm fairly certain that it has been stated before that it doesn't work with shape scripts.
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there's a second setting that KP missed
Yeah, no I didn't. Doesn't work with shape scripts. At least, not in my version of EA (which is, admittedly, a development build and quite different to anything out in user land).
YMMV - works for me... ::)
I think we NEED to get to the bottom of this. >:(
I've just noticed, not all shapes are responding to the show status colours - whether they do or don't have a shape script. There SEEMS to be NO rhyme or reason...
It does seem to be related to the underlying t_object type however.
At a minimum we need a list of the shapes that don't respond... But we really need them ALL to respond - so we can decide.
Concistency, konsistency, consistensy! TMUffe - after Paolo
Paolo
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(http://i.imgur.com/fg4tikC.jpg?1)
Both setups have the exact same options. Only difference is the component color , but even if I change my component color as well it works fine. There is a clear visible shadow but just the color remains the same.
The Shapescript doesn't effect my shadow colors in any way , but even without the script the shadows doesn't work with EA 12.1
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Hi Sarah,
I see you're using Components. Try using Classes. As I said above, shadows seem to work for some element types and not others... KP also alluded to that.
Paolo
For Glassboy: I originally mistyped "some" above as "somme". Perhaps a Freudian slip?
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For Glassboy: I originally mistyped "some" above as "somme". Perhaps a Freudian slip?
I think you may just be going over the top with that one.
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For Glassboy: I originally mistyped "some" above as "somme". Perhaps a Freudian slip?
I think you may just be going over the top with that one.
Now why didn't I think of that? Good one!
Paolo
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Out of curiosity I tried this feature once again. So I looked into the options and found that the flag was turned on. But no colors. Of course.
Bow I remember that there is another page where to define the element to which the colors shall show. But where is that page compared to the Tools/Options? I'm in a maze of twisty little passages...
q.
P.S. Ariadne helped me from within my brain. Now this dreaded 2nd option part (which I now realize has been mentioned in the original question) Diagram/Appearance/Configure Status Colores. Here I checked all elements to apply to and the color reappeared. Meanwhile it is even recognizable again.
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Out of curiosity I tried this feature once again. So I looked into the options and found that the flag was turned on. But no colors. Of course.
Now I remember that there is another page where to define the element to which the colors shall show. But where is that page compared to the Tools/Options? I'm in a maze of twisty little passages...
q.
P.S. Ariadne helped me from within my brain. Now this dreaded 2nd option part is Diagram/Appearance/Configure Status Colores (which I now realize has been mentioned in the original question). Here I checked all elements to apply to and the color reappeared. Meanwhile it is even recognizable again.
oops. Seems I used Quote, rather then Modify...
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Out of curiosity I tried this feature once again. So I looked into the options and found that the flag was turned on. But no colors. Of course.
Bow I remember that there is another page where to define the element to which the colors shall show. But where is that page compared to the Tools/Options? I'm in a maze of twisty little passages...
q.
P.S. Ariadne helped me from within my brain. Now this dreaded 2nd option part (which I now realize has been mentioned in the original question) Diagram/Appearance/Configure Status Colores. Here I checked all elements to apply to and the color reappeared. Meanwhile it is even recognizable again.
Yes! I'll try it on our corporate repository when I get home (I'm on the bus now). Connection will tax my little 3G PocketWifi... :D
Thanks q!
Paolo
[Edit: Confirmed, Diagram | Appearance > Configure Status Colors... setting all the checkboxes will generate status colours for all the element types I'm interested in.
Perhaps a Sparxian will confirm if there are any Types that override (or are not in) this list and therefore won't show status colours.]