How to create an icon for a stereotype in an MDG

[Arnoud_B]

Well extending ArchiMate3 gives me headaches so I am going another direction; create an MDG from scratch but one of the things to do is to create icon's.
The documentation only tells:

Contains the bitmap file location of the 16x16-pixel icon displayed beside all elements defined by the Stereotype, in the Browser window. This does not apply to Package elements. The icon is also automatically used as the Diagram Toolbox image wherever the stereotyped element is listed.

That is not very specific, anybody created icons?
What do you have to create a bmp a jpg encode it base64 ... any tips and freeware tools (or even payed tools) people use to do this are more then welcome.

[qwerty]

Use simply Paint. Must be 16x16 in 256 colors (right out of my head).

q.

[Geert Bellekens]

I use paint.net

You can make a 16x16 image and save it as .bmp (the default option will work)

Set the background color to RGB 192 192 192

Use the profile helper to set the icon property to the path to your image file.

The "export as UML profile" takes care of the base64 encoding in the xml file.

Geert

[Sunshine]

I did an ArchiMate MDG from scratch and developed it over the last decade or so. Has Icons, shapescripts, tagged values etc. Might give you a head start.

Put the model and MDG on github as I've had a few people approach me for a copy.
https://github.com/EASunshine/Sparx-EA/blob/master/EAMDGProfile.zip
Unzip file into C:\Users\Public\Documents and it should be ready to use
Has instructions in the model how to create profiles and generated MDG with MTS file.
Sorry don't have time to support with questions etc. so you'll be on your own to figure it out.

[Arnoud_B]

Hi Geert,
Thanks again, it works! learned another thing today. I'll get there step by step; i'll 'release' my first MDG next week to my colleagues as it now supports our modelling of technology standards. I'll extend it into other areas over the coming weeks-months-years who knows.

[Arnoud_B]

Hi Sunshine,
I downloaded your zip and will take a look at it soon. Many, many thanks I am sure it will be an very valuable source of inspiration. This forum has been a life saver in many instances as I struggle through the documentation (which is actually not that bad it is just not enough) and often I do not understand or I think I understand and it does not work etc. Having an example will be very helpful to 'steal' and adapt. Hope I get better in this and maybe return the favour one day and fix a problem for you.

[Ian Mitchell]

Just to say that @Sunshine's example MDG (see above) is EXCELLENT - a full-scale, fully worked, well document example of an uber-MDG.
Thanks mate.

[Sunshine]

Just to say that @Sunshine's example MDG (see above) is EXCELLENT - a full-scale, fully worked, well document example of an uber-MDG.
Thanks mate.

You're most welcome, developed it over many years. Needed to use ArchiMate back in 2007 when it wasn't available in Sparx EA then developed extensions. Every organization I've been in since has had similar but different needs so decided to share it as a base for others to use as its a big learning curve along with lots of trial and error.
Not sure if I've managed to keep the documentation 100% upto date - start running out of steam after a couple of hundred iterations if you know what I mean.
Glad to hear its being used.