Sparx Systems Forum
Enterprise Architect => Automation Interface, Add-Ins and Tools => Topic started by: steen.jensen on December 12, 2019, 09:55:43 am
-
As there are several flaws in Sparx own Archimate MDG, I wonder how much effort there is to make one?
I Have have suspicion that severel of you out there have done that :)
What time effort and/or what whould the cost be to buy one with all the Metamodel & Profile diagrams for us to expand & change by me and my staff.
PS) As one suggested here before, what a advantage there whould be with an Open Source MDG for Archimate :)
-
As there are several flaws in Sparx own Archimate MDG...
Have you tried the EA 15.1 Beta released this week? That addresses a number of ArchiMate issues.
-
Or maybe, there is some way to reverse enginering the current Archimate MDG from the XML-file to recreate all profiles diagrams etc?
-
Not with EA tools. Try to create a profile export. Good luck with that. Once you did that you can go the way back.
q.
-
As there are several flaws in Sparx own Archimate MDG, I wonder how much effort there is to make one?
I Have have suspicion that severel of you out there have done that :)
What time effort and/or what whould the cost be to buy one with all the Metamodel & Profile diagrams for us to expand & change by me and my staff.
PS) As one suggested here before, what a advantage there whould be with an Open Source MDG for Archimate :)
I think it's Sunshine who has a complete one of his own (I struggle to keep the remember the non de plumes of the locals I know the real names of). he's shared it with me the the past. He might be up for putting it in a Git repo.
-
Yes I've developed an ArchiMate MDG as way back Sparx EA didn't have one. Over the years since I've shared it with a few folk in NZ Govt under the creative commons licence. I can probably put it in Git Hub sometime. Just got to tidy it up a little first as its got a few attributes on Application Components and Work packages that are unique to the organisation I'm working with at present.
The thing is the ArchiMate MDG I've built doesn't have is restrictions on relationships as it was just too time consuming to do. Plus it wasn't until ArchiMate V3.01 that they actually sorted out the relationships properly. I've lost track on how many hours I've put into creating and modifying it over the years but a guess is probably in the order of 80 or 90 hours.
Its not a task for the faint hearted as its a little tricky to get MDG's to work as there are a number of places errors can be made and prevent it working.
There was a storm last weekend and my backyard got flooded so I'm planning on digging some drainage this weekend so may not get around to publishing it for a few weeks.
I can put the link to it on this thread once I've published the source on Git hub. In the meantime I've published the MDG files last year here https://github.com/EASunshine/Sparx-EA (https://github.com/EASunshine/Sparx-EA). Try them out and if you want the source models that created them let me know.
The ArchiMate MDG with Sparx EA V15.1 is probably better now the only thing is that people often want to add custom tag values to the ArchiMate elements. For example Application Component often needs extra tag values like Product Owner, Commissioned Date, Retired Date etc.
Another approach that might be less time consuming is to use the V15.1 ArchiMate MDG and run a script to add tag values or intercept the event of adding an element and adding the desired tag values to the element.
Just some alternative thoughts there.
-
I can put the link to it on this thread once I've published the source on Git hub. In the meantime I've published the MDG files last year here https://github.com/EASunshine/Sparx-EA. Try them out and if you want the source models that created them let me know.
Nice Sunchine :) I take a look.
I tested the EA 15.1 Beta Archimate 3.1 but I dont like ValueStream symbol as it does not suport streatching out with nice looking arrows as Archis implementation does.
-
I can put the link to it on this thread once I've published the source on Git hub. In the meantime I've published the MDG files last year here https://github.com/EASunshine/Sparx-EA. Try them out and if you want the source models that created them let me know.
Nice Sunchine :) I take a look.
I tested the EA 15.1 Beta Archimate 3.1 but I dont like ValueStream symbol as it does not suport streatching out with nice looking arrows as Archis implementation does.
I think the weakest thing about the built-in MDG is the shapescript.
-
I just tested to copy the EA 15.1 B Archimate3.xml file to the Archimate3.xml file on a computer with EA 14.1 and it worked :).
So now even the PC with EA 14.1 have Archimate 3.1 capability :)
-
The thing is the ArchiMate MDG I've built doesn't have is restrictions on relationships as it was just too time consuming to do. Plus it wasn't until ArchiMate V3.01 that they actually sorted out the relationships properly. I've lost track on how many hours I've put into creating and modifying it over the years but a guess is probably in the order of 80 or 90 hours.
Pro-tip. Look in the built-in ArchiMate 3 technology from 15+ for the RelationshipTable. You'll need to change the keys in the first two lines to match your stereotype names, but I'd estimate you could get it going in half an hour.
The ArchiMate MDG with Sparx EA V15.1 is probably better now the only thing is that people often want to add custom tag values to the ArchiMate elements. For example Application Component often needs extra tag values like Product Owner, Commissioned Date, Retired Date etc.
Which I would recommend adding as a redefines stereotype (https://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/15.1/modeling/redefine_ster_other_prof.html) within your own profile. Then set the technology containing your own definition as active.
I tested the EA 15.1 Beta Archimate 3.1 but I dont like ValueStream symbol as it does not suport streatching out with nice looking arrows as Archis implementation does.
I see what you mean. If we don't decide to change it, you can use a redefines like above to replace the shape script. Were you expecting something like the following? (It's defaulting to non-rectangle notation to make it easier to see the behavior. If you swap that condition to check against "1" it will be rectangle notation by default)
shape main
{
if(HasProperty("rectanglenotation","0"))
{
SetFixedRegion(70,0,100,0);
StartPath();
MoveTo(0,0);
LineTo(70,0);
LineTo(100,50);
LineTo(70,100);
LineTo(0,100);
SetFixedRegion(0,0,30,0);
LineTo(30,50);
LineTo(0,0);
EndPath();
FillAndStrokePath();
}
else
{
DrawParentShape();
}
}
-
I just tested to copy the EA 15.1 B Archimate3.xml file to the Archimate3.xml file on a computer with EA 14.1 and it worked :).
So now even the PC with EA 14.1 have Archimate 3.1 capability :)
I think you'll lose all quicklinkers and connector rules though.
-
Yes Eve, but most importent now is the posibilitys for us is use ValueStream object :)
think you'll lose all quicklinkers and connector rules though.
When an real Archimte 3.1 in EA 15.x released, it take us at least 1 month the get it packed and distributed to ouer Architect (About 40)
We try to restrict packing & distribution to 1 or 2 releases / year as the GUI is chnaging every time :'(
and if posible only major releases with first minior version, as 13.5, 14.1, possible 15.1 if testing goes okey.
-
If the new MDG makes use of the meta constraints it could be worth a try to copy the <QuickLink .../> line from the previous MDG into the new one.
q.
-
It takes much more time to define what to do (in terms of semantics, language, transformation process and tools) then to do it.
If you know what to do then it would take one months to make something usable (at least to start with).
You might want to fix ArchiMate at the same time and come up with a language with real semantics.
Alain
-
Thanks Eve for the shapescript, its works perfectly ;D
-
Hey, I didn't say thanks to myself... But you're welcome.
The good news is you won't need it as the non-rectangle shape will become the standard one in EA.
-
Whoa. The other thread from 2014 where I posted recently has made it to production. Too bad I won't see it in 13.5 :-/
q.
-
Declaration of interest - I'm the author of Model Expert.
If you're using mostly a sub-set of Archimate, then an alternative approach is to first create some models that you're happy with, then use Model Expert to reverse-engineer them into a 'Reference (meta) Model', which you can then apply to new bits of model. Meta-model rules are applied real-time, and the Ref Model is saved in EA, so can be updated quickly and changes re-deployed.
There's also an option to generate a simple MDG so that diagrams each have the correct set of items in the toolbox - either Archimate stuff, UML, or anything else.
Might save you some time, especially of your modelling style is evolving.
see www.eadocx.com/modelexpert (http://www.eadocx.com/modelexpert)
-
Thanks Ian.
Im going to check it out :)
-
I suggest you to try EA 15.1 Beta, its good than others, I hope you will also find it better than others.