Enterprise Architect 12.1 now available
Features of the release are highlighted on this page. Registered users can download the release here.
Enterprise Architect's Help is now web based, visit the User Guide for version 12.1 here. If you are unable to access the Help for any reason a downloadable version is provided.
For a full list of all changes in this release please see the Release History page.
Project Management
Roadmap Diagrams
Expand your enterprise planning and portfolio management with the help of the new roadmap diagrams.
- Visualize changes over time such as release cycles, state changes and project life cycles
- Combine roadmaps with the new 'Legend Auto Color' capability to add a further dimension to the roadmaps
- Segment fill and line colors illustrate the progress of a single element through multiple states on the one visual timeline
A typical example is the visualization of a software products' support lifecycle from release through the end of mainstream support, to the end of product life.
More information on Roadmap Diagrams is available from the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Kanban
Enterprise Architect's Kanban diagrams have been improved with the addition of sublanes.
- Use Sublanes to assist with grouping within each classification
- Split long columns into sublanes for greater readability
Sublanes are easily edited using the 'Swimlanes, Matrix and Kanban' dialog via the right click context menu on the Kanban lane. Using the same context menu you can easily copy sublanes from one lane to another.
More information on the Kanban Facilities, including sublanes, is available from the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Gantt
You now have greater control over the display of the time scale, with the ability to increase the Enterprise Architect Gantt View time-scale from days to years or decades.
- Visualize projects that run over extended periods of time
- Easily modify the time scale by holding Ctrl and scrolling with the middle mouse button
The result of these changes is a more refined approach to project management that better caters for long term projects spanning many years.
More details regarding the Gantt View are available within the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Diagramming
Auto Coloring with Diagram Legends
Diagram Legends in Enterprise Architect 12.1 have had a major update, now offering a convenient method to convey model information using the automatic application of visual cues and colors. Use the configuration dialog to:
- Apply a legend to specific element type
- Check element properties such as phase for a specific value or a range of values
- Specify which visual properties will be altered based on matching values including fill color, line color and line width
Easily scan a diagram and immediately identify any high priority elements or highlight connectors of a specific type, tagged value or other properties. Diagram Legends makes it easier than ever to visualize model information, allowing you to rapidly scan diagrams to find what you need.
- Apply a legend to any specific element or connector type for more flexibility in how diagrams are presented
- Differentiate between elements and connectors by setting fill color, line color and line thickness
Diagram Legends can now match ranges when setting colors, for example anything in phase 1..3 can be set to blue, 4..7 can be set to amber and 8..10 can be set to red.
For more information on Diagram Legends, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Info View
Enterprise Architect 12.1 model elements now include an Info View, a new and innovative way to quickly expose element information on any diagram. At a glance you can instantly check the status or author details, without resorting to opening the properties every time. Simply use the context menu to enable the Info View. You can optionally add other fields including Type, Stereotype, Phase, Status, Author and Version.
For more information on the Info View, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Virtualized Connector Ends
Enterprise Architect now allows you to virtualize elements on a diagram. This allows you to show a connected element multiple times on the one diagram, providing a simpler layout when an element participates in many relationships.
For more information on Virtualized Connector Ends, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Wireframing for Windows Phone
With version 12.1, Enterprise Architect gives you the ability to model and design wireframes specifically tailored for Windows Phone. The toolbox provides a base illustration screen type that can be dropped onto a diagram, then various controls for text, images, buttons, hyperlinks, tiles and other controls can be added to build your mockups.
The properties dialog for each component gives you access to customization options including sizing, text, color, images and much more. Some of these properties will change the look and feel of the elements.
Link the wireframes in with other elements like requirements and use cases to build up your complete Windows Phone experience at design time.
Other Diagramming Enhancements
Enterprise Architect 12.1 has undergone a number of significant enhancements to diagramming, helping to improve performance, modeling productivity and the overall appearance of diagrams.
Some highlights include the ability to:
- Apply a tiled background image to the current diagram only
- Improved Metafile rendering
For more information on Diagramming, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
NIEM 3
Enterprise Architect now supports and implements the NIEM 3 UML profile based on the OMG NIEM-UML 1.1 Specification.
Model Package Descriptions (MPDs) are now defined instances of predefined classes and the relationships between them:
- Provides a much more flexible approach to define common properties between multiple MPDs
- An MPD is defined starting from an instance of the ModelPackageDescription class
- Properties of the MPD are specified by any combination of connected objects and child objects
- Model Wizard includes package containing standard MPD classes
- Model Wizard includes template MPD description to use as a base for your own definitions
Model Framework Patterns Updated:
- NIEM 3.1 Framework model now available
- NIEM 3.0 Framework model now uses NIEM 3 UML Profile
- NIEM 3.0 and 2.1 Framework models updated to improve Schema Composer usage
Generation of both NIEM 2 and NIEM 3 schemas improved:
- Generated schema will now match the targetted version conventions and imports
- Many fixes and improvements applied to both versions
NIEM schema import added:
- Imports a NIEM XML schema with dependencies using conventions for NIEM Platform Independent Model
Schema Composer updated to copy subsets relationships between attributes of Property Holders to the subset model
More information on NIEM is available from the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
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Schema Composer
The capabilities of the Schema Composer have been extended, providing further automation and improving support for open standards such as CIM, NIEM and UN/CEFACT.
Schema composer profiles
- CIM Schemas can now be reverse-engineered to create Schema Composer profiles
- When loading classes into the Schema Composer from Message Assemblies or from Class Diagrams, all classes referenced through inheritance and associations are also loaded, ensuring the inclusion of all classes required for generation of valid schemas
National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)
- Subset creation now automatically includes the target of a References relationship when adding a derived attribute
- Subset creation now automatically includes any supertypes that are part of the same namespace when adding a type
UN/CEFACT UML Profile for Core Components (UPCC)
- Schema generation of Business Data Types (BDTs) supports mapping of Supplementary Component (SUP) attributes
- Subset generation now creates basedOn relationships between Business Data Types (BDTs) and their source Core Data Type (CDTs) and also between Aggregate Business Information Entities (ABIEs) and their source Aggregate Core Components (ACCs)
Find out more about the Schema Composer in the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
SysML 1.4 Support
Enterprise Architect 12.1 now supports SysML version 1.4, through its integrated MDG Technology for SysML. This powerful systems engineering capability allows for quick and simple creation of SysML 1.4 models. Support for earlier versions of SysML has also been enhanced, with additional features and functionality.
- Multiplicity is now shown for SysML 1.2 and 1.3 ports displayed in a compartment on their parent block.
- On Parametric diagrams, SysML 1.3 Properties owned by constraint blocks or constraint properties are now drawn as a small box with an external label
- The ID and Text values of SysML requirements can now be displayed in the Summary window and can now be edited from within the Specification Manager
- Behaviour of copies of SysML requirements updated such that Text tagged value on copies is pinned and updated as the original is updated
Additional resources relating to SysML can be found within the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
BPSim 1.0 Support
Enterprise Architect supports BPSim, a specification for parameterization and exchange of process analysis data, allowing the creation, comparison and reuse of different simulation configurations stored within the model. BPSim takes into account a wide range of runtime information such as statistical information, random variations, queuing, scheduling and resources.
BPSim configurations can be exported from Enterprise Architect for consumption in a 3rd party simulation engine.
The BPSim toolset provides flexibility in assigning operating information to a model, and in assessing the quality of the solution based on results from a compliant BPSim engine. The BPSim configuration screens have been divided into multiple perspectives, each focusing on one aspect of the setup process at a time:
- The Control Perspective defines how activity flows through the process, moderated by the likelihood of a sequence of events and the priorities of certain events
- The Time (Temporal) Perspective defines how the duration of one or more phases in the processing of an Activity influences the business process
- The Resource Perspective defines the involvement of workers and other resources along with their types, roles, required numbers, costs and availability
More information on BPSim support is available from the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
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Charting
Heat Maps
Heat Maps can be used to visualize model elements, custom SQL or CSV data in an easy to read format. Use simple visual cues, such as color and relative size, to convey information that can facilitate decision making, identify risk and improve analysis.
Heat Maps are ideally suited to improving management and allocation of resources:
- Identify business areas that will provide the best return on investment in terms of human and financial resources.
- Diagnose underperforming business segments or architecture, then develop and implement appropriate intervention strategies.
- Communicate areas of importance to all key stakeholders before they appear on balance sheets or productivity reports.
Enterprise Architect's Heat Maps can be populated using a package of elements, by a custom SQL statement or by directly entering comma separated values into its properties. Each Heat Map can have a custom color set applied, or use the auto-color option to let Enterprise Architect automatically generate the color palette.
More information on Heat Maps is available from the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Connect with External Models
You can source Chart data from within the model and from any number of external models concurrently, providing a consolidated overview of the activity from multiple models at once, turning Enterprise Architect into the ultimate enterprise project reporting center. External models can be hosted in the Cloud, on a local file system, or via an ODBC connection.
Link directly to Time Series charts in external models that have scheduling enabled, thus providing a local view of the chart.
All chart data is cached, so that charts can be viewed offline; when reconnected, simply refresh the chart to see the latest data.
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Specification Manager
Enterprise Architect 12.1 includes a number of significant enhancements to the Specification Manager that simplify editing, navigation and usability. The Project Browser selection is now synchronized with the Specification Manager selection, making it easier to open specific packages within the Specification Manager. The management of hyperlinks within notes and scrolling behavior has also been significantly improved.
An updated context menu brings new flexibility to how you can use the Specification Manager. Use the Specification Manager to change font color, add bullets and numbering or even add Tagged Value columns.
New options include:
- Automatically create Glossary Items
- Create new elements from selections
- Form links to existing elements
- Create hyperlinks
- Format text using bullets and numbered lists
For more details about the Specification Manager, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
User Guide
The Enterprise Architect User Guide or Help has been redesigned to make it easier to search and navigate. By default, it will be accessed via the Internet.
- Access to the Help and the ability to search the Help, is now seamlessly embedded into the Enterprise Architect 12.1 menu system
- The format of the Enterprise Architect User Guide is now web based, ensuring that you always have access to the most up to date and relevant Help content at all times
- For those customers without access to web, an offline version of the User Guide is available for installation locally
- Online help now integrates with Google Translate for automatic translation. Set your preferred language from the Enterprise Architect Help menu
Explore the new Enterprise Architect User Guide for yourself.
Download a local version of the Enterprise Architect User Guide for offline use.
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Model Wizard Customized Patterns
The Model Wizard provides a convenient way for setting up new models, especially when setting up large complex structures where each Pattern contains numerous packages and sub-packages.
The Model Wizard's 'Select Packages' dialog offers greater control over the selection of which Packages to add to your model and which to omit, providing increased customization when building your project.
If more than one Pattern is selected, the Select Packages dialog displays for each Pattern in turn - if no Package checkboxes are selected, all Packages in each Pattern will be imported into the model.
For more details about Model Wizard Customized Patterns, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Project Security
Management of users and groups in Enterprise Architect 12.1 just became easier with the support for synchronization between the Enterprise Architect Security Groups and Active Directory Groups.
- New team members added to an Active Directory Group can now be synchronized into the project Security Group with minimal effort
- New functionality in Security Group Management presents permissions and member details more effectively, showing group associations and allowing "sort by date"
For more details about Project Security, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Database Engineering
Enterprise Architect 12.1 extends its Database Engineering capabilities across a range of popular DBMSs.
- New functionality in the Database Builder provides improved usability and performance
- DDL Generation dialog now supports sorting objects by stereotype and name
- Inclusion of unique DBMS structure types for MySQL, PostgreSQL and Oracle
- Introduction of reverse engineering capability for MSAccess 2013
For more information about Database Engineering, please visit the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Reporting
Refinement of reporting functionality continues, with more than 35 updates including reporting tagged values specific to packages and options for specific elements to be omitted from associated documentation.
Document script fragments can now also be utilized within the Enterprise Architect Document Generator to produce fragment contents as RTF, thus increasing customization capabilities of document reports.
Other Reporting refinements include:
- Customization of heading levels within Table of Contents
- Inclusion of Element Status colors within documents
For more details about Reporting, please read the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Automation
Automation extended to allow further customized integration of Enterprise Architect. Improvements to the Automation Interface allow for tighter integration and a more streamlined approach to creating customized extensions.
- Additional style properties have been exposed through the API, giving extensions access to set colors, line widths and display properties for DiagramObjects and DiagramLinks
- New Get and Set methods within the DocumentGenerator API, streamline access to project constants.
- The DocumentGenerator now supports inclusion (insertion) of existing documents into the generated document
Additional information regarding Automation available in the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
Start Page Enhancements
The functionality of the Start Page has been improved, providing greater flexibility with respect to accessing recent models.
- Ctrl+Click on any model in the Recent Models list to open the model in a new instance of Enterprise Architect
- Right-click on any model in the Recent Models list to reveal a convenient new menu, with options to open the model in a new instance of Enterprise Architect, or remove the model from the list.
Additional resources relating to Start Page Enhancements can be found within the Enterprise Architect User Guide.
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