Sequence Diagram Suggestions

[EoinWoods]

I've just bought EA and I'm starting to use it for real.  Overall, it's seems like it's a great tool.

A few annoyances related to sequence diagrams are:

1. You can't resize the object icon vertically.  You can make it wider but not deeper.  Given how valuable horizontal space is on a sequence diagram, I often want to make object boxes deeper to get the names into the box.

2. It's quite common to want to attach a note to part of a sequence diagram.  The snag with EA's note links is that they seem to only anchor to the edge of classes and objects.  For an object on a sequence diagram object this means that the link ends hanging in space as the edge of the object is invisible below the object box.  I'd like to be able to attach a note to a message or a lifeline (in fact anything really) rather than just the objects.

Cheers,

Eoin.

[DMT]

Does anyone else find the drag & drop of objects annoying as all hell in sequence diagrams? I try to click on an object that's created half way down the page, and EA wants to select another object. I find myself pulling my hair out trying to drag and drop the correct object left and right.

Another annoyance: I'll get the correct object selected, then click on a handle to resize it, and EA un-selects my object, and selects another object underneath it!!!

I'm using 3.51--does anyone know if there have been any improvements made to the sequence diagram mouse interaction in 3.6?

Thanks,
Dave

[ptmcg]

I am doing some sequence diagrams for an integration project, and have some of the same comments, especially with respect to adding notes.

Also, it is very difficult to make a copy of a diagram.  I am trying to present several integration alternatives to my customer, and it is a pain to reproduce the base interactions every time.  I'd like to follow this scenario:
1. Create sequence diagram reflecting current code
2. Copy to second diagram, rename diagram, and insert proposed changes.
3. Repeat step 2, showing different changes for different integration alternatives.

I guess when you copy a diagram, you would need to copy the objects as links - I don't think you'd want to proliferate them just for a copied diagram.

(Also, UNDO is very unpredictable.)

[ptmcg]

Also (although I am not sure this is strictly valid UML), I would like to show stereotypes on messages, to highlight those that are RPC's, or CORBA, or whatever.  This way, it marks those messages as "<<CORBA>>sendMessage()", which really helps when trying to find where interaction/integration frailties lie.

[ptmcg]

Just installed 3.60 Build 640, and diagram copy and paste is provided now.  (I still need to reconcile some object create vs. link issues, but it's a start.)