Author Topic: Element Shadow Color doesn't change color with change of defined status  (Read 22622 times)

2pointO

  • EA Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 12
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
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

qwerty

  • EA Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 13584
  • Karma: +396/-301
  • I'm no guru at all
    • View Profile
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.

2pointO

  • EA Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 12
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
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

qwerty

  • EA Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 13584
  • Karma: +396/-301
  • I'm no guru at all
    • View Profile
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.

KP

  • EA Administrator
  • EA Expert
  • *****
  • Posts: 2919
  • Karma: +54/-3
    • View Profile
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...
« Last Edit: April 14, 2016, 09:30:15 am by KP »
The Sparx Team
[email protected]

VKN

  • EA User
  • **
  • Posts: 187
  • Karma: +9/-1
    • View Profile
Did you check Show status colors on diagrams (Tools | Options | Objects) ?

Paolo F Cantoni

  • EA Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 8595
  • Karma: +256/-129
  • Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
    • View Profile
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

Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
... Therefore, aim for consistency; in the expectation of achieving correctness....
-Semantica-
Helsinki Principle Rules!

KP

  • EA Administrator
  • EA Expert
  • *****
  • Posts: 2919
  • Karma: +54/-3
    • View Profile
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).
The Sparx Team
[email protected]

Glassboy

  • EA Practitioner
  • ***
  • Posts: 1367
  • Karma: +112/-75
    • View Profile
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.

Paolo F Cantoni

  • EA Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 8595
  • Karma: +256/-129
  • Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
    • View Profile
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
Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
... Therefore, aim for consistency; in the expectation of achieving correctness....
-Semantica-
Helsinki Principle Rules!

2pointO

  • EA Novice
  • *
  • Posts: 12
  • Karma: +0/-0
    • View Profile
Re: Element Shadow Color doesn't change color with change of defined status
« Reply #10 on: April 14, 2016, 05:28:04 pm »


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

Paolo F Cantoni

  • EA Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 8595
  • Karma: +256/-129
  • Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
    • View Profile
Re: Element Shadow Color doesn't change color with change of defined status
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2016, 09:29:20 am »
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?
Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
... Therefore, aim for consistency; in the expectation of achieving correctness....
-Semantica-
Helsinki Principle Rules!

Glassboy

  • EA Practitioner
  • ***
  • Posts: 1367
  • Karma: +112/-75
    • View Profile
Re: Element Shadow Color doesn't change color with change of defined status
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2016, 01:23:02 pm »
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.

Paolo F Cantoni

  • EA Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 8595
  • Karma: +256/-129
  • Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
    • View Profile
Re: Element Shadow Color doesn't change color with change of defined status
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2016, 03:05:59 pm »
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
Inconsistently correct systems DON'T EXIST!
... Therefore, aim for consistency; in the expectation of achieving correctness....
-Semantica-
Helsinki Principle Rules!

qwerty

  • EA Guru
  • *****
  • Posts: 13584
  • Karma: +396/-301
  • I'm no guru at all
    • View Profile
Re: Element Shadow Color doesn't change color with change of defined status
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2016, 05:30:03 pm »
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.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2016, 05:38:41 pm by qwerty »