Yesterday I tried a whole bunch of UML tools (I am relatively new to UML) and found this one to be not only the best looking, but also the easiest to use tool. And seeing in this comments section how you answer to feature requests and how actively you develop the tool, I am totally convinced that this is the right tool to use. Thank you very much for your effort.
After trying a few basic things in a class diagram and a package diagram, I wanted to draw some classes in a package (in the package diagram). I then saw the mixed diagram which could do the trick, but required creating a new diagram and is cluttered with all the possible diagram groups even when they are closed. I would like very much if these diagrams would have a page with check boxes for all those groups in the diagram properties (greyed out enabled check boxes for groups that have elements in the diagram). Then users could disable all except the two or three groups they need in a diagram. If for example a new class diagram would be created as a mixed diagram with just the classes group enabled (which I guess it already is internally), it could be extended by just enabling an additional group in the diagram properties when needed.
And while I'm at it, a few quick suggestions more come to mind...
It would also be nice if the settings from "[Menu] Tools -> Options -> [Tab] Diagram Editor" could be moved into a "Style" property page of each diagram, just like it is with diagram elements now. That way it would be possible to color the packages in a package diagram individually (as it is now) and the background of class diagrams according to the package they belong to.
Being able to create folders and subfolders for organizing diagrams in a model could be very useful if the model contains lots of diagrams.
Now for the preview you go from the upper left corner (fixed at x=0, y=0) to the lowest rightmost position used by an element. It would look nicer if you build a bounding box around all elements, take the maximum of width and height of that box, take f.e. 5 % of that maximum and expand each side by this amount for a nice optical spacing. That would be a good rectangle for the area that should be seen in the preview.
When moving diagram elements further than the left or top boundary, they have negative coordinates, which is a good thing. So the diagram could be extended in all directions if it was possible to scroll there. That could be done by a hand tool (grab anywhere and scroll the diagram by moving the mouse) that should be located just below the selection tool. The bounding box based preview from the previous suggestion would be compatible with extending in all directions.
I hope you find these suggestions worthwile. There might be a lot more like these when I dive deeper.
Reply To: Mixed diagrams and more
Yesterday I tried a whole bunch of UML tools (I am relatively new to UML) and found this one to be not only the best looking, but also the easiest to use tool. And seeing in this comments section how you answer to feature requests and how actively you develop the tool, I am totally convinced that this is the right tool to use. Thank you very much for your effort.
After trying a few basic things in a class diagram and a package diagram, I wanted to draw some classes in a package (in the package diagram). I then saw the mixed diagram which could do the trick, but required creating a new diagram and is cluttered with all the possible diagram groups even when they are closed. I would like very much if these diagrams would have a page with check boxes for all those groups in the diagram properties (greyed out enabled check boxes for groups that have elements in the diagram). Then users could disable all except the two or three groups they need in a diagram. If for example a new class diagram would be created as a mixed diagram with just the classes group enabled (which I guess it already is internally), it could be extended by just enabling an additional group in the diagram properties when needed.
And while I'm at it, a few quick suggestions more come to mind...
It would also be nice if the settings from "[Menu] Tools -> Options -> [Tab] Diagram Editor" could be moved into a "Style" property page of each diagram, just like it is with diagram elements now. That way it would be possible to color the packages in a package diagram individually (as it is now) and the background of class diagrams according to the package they belong to.
Being able to create folders and subfolders for organizing diagrams in a model could be very useful if the model contains lots of diagrams.
Now for the preview you go from the upper left corner (fixed at x=0, y=0) to the lowest rightmost position used by an element. It would look nicer if you build a bounding box around all elements, take the maximum of width and height of that box, take f.e. 5 % of that maximum and expand each side by this amount for a nice optical spacing. That would be a good rectangle for the area that should be seen in the preview.
When moving diagram elements further than the left or top boundary, they have negative coordinates, which is a good thing. So the diagram could be extended in all directions if it was possible to scroll there. That could be done by a hand tool (grab anywhere and scroll the diagram by moving the mouse) that should be located just below the selection tool. The bounding box based preview from the previous suggestion would be compatible with extending in all directions.
I hope you find these suggestions worthwile. There might be a lot more like these when I dive deeper.
Daniel 2 July 2010 12:41:58