8.0 diagram enhancements

[Paolo F Cantoni]

The ability to resize an entity, eg a note so that it is just the right width and height for the text it contains.

Perhaps by double clicking on the border, also with a context menu option.

Looks like the keyboard shortcut Alt-Z (auto-size selected elements) will do this, but it would be good to have a context menu item as well.

Well, that's only really true for elements that have visible features.  If, as I do, you do a lot of work at the higher levels (conceptual etc) you often have elements with notes, but no features...

Try [Alt+Z] on those and you get somewhat unexpected results.

I will shortly be putting forward some proposals to rectify this - following some bugs in the API and rendering I've found recently.

Paolo

[Ericga]

again and again and again and again...be able to display the full name of a class. Just a check box will do but if you want to be fancy look at MagicDraw

[Jim Koke]

Allow the z-order for connectors to be specified, ie send back, forward, to back, to front.
So that connectors can be placed behind objects

I think we had a whole thread on this subject a long time ago. The reason we don't allow it is because it would be impossible to tell at a glance the difference between a line going behind an object and two lines attaching to an object.

I know I'm late to the party on this issue, but I have a few whacks for the dead horse.

You could add connector "dots" to show when a line actually connects with something v. crossing over or under it.  The dot would essentially be another "arrow head" that is used by default.

Leave it to the user how to deal with lines that cross over/under objects with which they have no interaction.  Create an option that forces the Z-order of connectors to be "on top" otherwise the user can edit the order.

At the least, let me put Notes at the top of the Z-Order so I can cover a section with a comment box and not have the connectors bleed through.  (I do have multiple reasons to cover a section with a Note box.)

[Ericga]

You are not late as they still haven't done anything to fix the basic diagram issues. Some of the problems were reported 2 years ago and we are still waiting. I've switched to MagicDraw in the meantime because it can at least display the class name correctly

[skiwi]

Being able to label Boundary element swimlanes.
See Naming boundary swim lanes

Also

• Adjust swim lane widths individually
• Control placement and formatting of swimlane labels

[Manfred Kröpfli]

Allow dynamic filters in diagrams to work with connectors (1)

This actually works fine, when connectors connect elements directly. If both elements are displayed, the connector displays as well.

Unfortunately, if a connector connects two embedded elements, like ports or interfaces, the connector does not adapt to this automatic behavior :-(

[skiwi]

This actually works fine, when connectors connect elements directly. If both elements are displayed, the connector displays as well.

I'm thinking of a diagram used for, say, current state and future state.
In the current state the connector (relationship) does not exist, in a future state it does (or vice versa).

[skiwi]

Allow Note Links to connect Notes and Text Elements to be associated with Connectors.

[AndyJ]

When I am naming the flows from a decision point in a BPMN diagram, I'd like the label to appear next to the decision point, rather than at the far end of the flow...

This seems intuitive to me, i.e. Is this a valid transaction? Yes, follow this line, No, follow this line.

Having to trace a line to the end to find out what the decision was seems... ...odd.

Moving the label to the other end, created disconnected labels that don't move when you move everything else on the diagram, and can result in very strange diagrams.

[skiwi]

Renaming contents of a model document.

When I select a package embedded in a model document and press F2 EA allows me to rename the reference to the embedded package.


However on pressing enter the change is lost.


I consider this to be a bug.
The rename should work, as it would if I renamed the reference from the dialogue box, viz
..

Actually, and this has been raised before, renaming the source package should, IMHO, propagate the name change through to the reference in model documents.

[skiwi]

Diagram notes have a "Properties" menu item.

When selected nothing happens? What the ...

This is a bug, either the menu item should be removed or greyed out, or it should open (say) the properties dialog for the diagram.

And in passing can I reiterate that the diagram notes ignore formatting options such as fill and border. Really.

[Paolo F Cantoni]

[size=18]...[/size]And in passing can I reiterate that the diagram notes ignore formatting options such as fill and border. Really.

Consistency, Consistency, Consistency! ^TM

Paolo

[B3ip]

Nice feature  , but far too cumbersome thru the UI  

Short cut the "Link to Element Feature" dialog box by allow a connector drag and drop from one element feature to another directly.

e.g.
from Element [attribute/operation/element]
to another element's [attribute / operation / element]

also drag black box end point and drop on element's [attribute / operation / element]

There an many, many cases where the current UI is so cumbersome the model does not get specified correctly because it is too much work.  

[qwerty]

Three questions:

• How many feature request does this thread contain?
• How many of these have already been realized by Sparx since 21 June 2010 (first post)?
• How many of these will be realized by Sparx in the near future (6 months)?

q.

[skiwi]

Three questions:

• How many feature request does this thread contain?
• How many of these have already been realized by Sparx since 21 June 2010 (first post)?
• How many of these will be realized by Sparx in the near future (6 months)?

q.

For a partial answer see All I want for a Sparxly Christmas