Sparx Systems Forum

Enterprise Architect => Uml Process => Topic started by: Paolo F Cantoni on May 05, 2005, 02:34:53 am

Title: Metafiles, Metafiles wherefore art thou Metafiles?
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on May 05, 2005, 02:34:53 am
Hi,

Anybody have any stereotype metafiles they'd be willing to share with the user group?

Save re-inventing the wheel... and improve consistency! :D

Paolo

BTW: on the local Australian ABC "Inventors" TV programme last night someone did produce a re-invented wheel! ;D
Title: Re: Metafiles, Metafiles wherefore art thou Metafi
Post by: KP on May 05, 2005, 03:39:01 pm
http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/Image_Library.htm to get you started

HTH

Neil
Title: Re: Metafiles, Metafiles wherefore art thou Metafi
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on May 05, 2005, 08:51:54 pm
Quote
http://www.sparxsystems.com.au/Image_Library.htm to get you started

HTH

Neil


Thanks Neil,

Although they are very interesting and potentially useful, they're not what I was after (in this post).  I realise now I should have been a bit more specific...

I'm after images that look like UML elements. Say like the Component image etc.

Paolo
Title: Unselecting (or reverting) an alternate image
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on May 05, 2005, 09:06:04 pm
Ok,

So I added an alternate image... But, horror, I attached it to the wrong shape! :(

How do I revert to the default? representation?

help and menus give no clue... ???

Paolo
Title: Re: Metafiles, Metafiles wherefore art thou Metafi
Post by: KP on May 05, 2005, 09:41:31 pm
The diagram objects built into EA are drawn; they are not metafiles.

To remove an applied metafile from an object, you need to apply a null one: Ctrl+Shift+W then select nothing (clicking to the right of the second column will clear the selection) and press OK.
Title: Re: Reverting an image...
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on May 06, 2005, 02:15:05 am
Quote
The diagram objects built into EA are drawn; they are not metafiles.

To remove an applied metafile from an object, you need to apply a null one: Ctrl+Shift+W then select nothing (clicking to the right of the second column will clear the selection) and press OK.


Thanks,

I understood that the first point is the case, that's why I asked if anybody had metafiles instead...  :D

As to the second...  Real intuitive!  ???

Paolo
Title: Re: Metafiles, Metafiles wherefore art thou Metafi
Post by: JohnWSaundersIII on August 16, 2005, 11:58:31 am
That's not exactly the most-intuitive UI I've ever seen! I was looking for a <select one> or <none> entry in the list, or a "Reset" or "Default" button next to it.

I couldn't even see the "right of the second column" until I resized the columns!

There are many great features in this product, but "intuitive UI" isn't one of them.
Title: Re: Metafiles, Metafiles wherefore art thou Metafi
Post by: thomaskilian on August 16, 2005, 12:24:12 pm
Yes. Funny quite often. But once you get used to it and see the advantages of EA you overlook these things ;)
Title: Re: Metafiles, Metafiles wherefore art thou Metafi
Post by: Paolo F Cantoni on August 16, 2005, 01:21:36 pm
Quote
Yes. Funny quite often. But once you get used to it and see the advantages of EA you overlook these things ;)
Well, actually you don't overlook them (at least I don't)  you use it in spite of them, because the payback is there.

However, it does NOT improve the user experience.

I was taught a very valuable lesson nearly 15 years ago...  For my sins I became a professional services manager with a world wide Database vendor.  I did the "royal tour" of the customer base to be introduced to them.  One chap, said: "I've had a bad experience with O***** Professional Services in the past, but that was some time ago.  You seem like you know what you're doing.  I might use you guys again.  However, every day I turn on this terminal, I'm hit in the face by a bug I reported over three years ago!  How do you think that makes me feel about O*****?"

With Services, you can always try again!  With product - Who's name is on the box?  What's the user experience?

Since then, fixing bugs has always been my top priority...  The best way to fix them is NOT to put them there in the first place... :)

Cogitatively,
Paolo

By the way, as far as I can tell, UI at Sparx stands for Unique Interface...  ;D