First Steps with Software Ideas Modeler

After starting Software Ideas Modeler, you will see a similar screen as on the picture above. You have several options how to start.

If you want to create an empty project – click on Create New Project (3a) or on icon with empty paper on standard bar (3b).

You can start directly with a specific diagram – just click into the Start with box (1) and start to type the name of the diagram. Later, once you have created some projects, the list will include also names of project files, which you will be able to open same way as to create a new project with a diagram. This projects will be also listed in Recent Projects (2).

If you want open any other existing project (.simp file), click on Open project (4a) or on the icon with yellow folder on standard bar (4b).

When you create a new project without an initial diagram – the Project Properties tab will show. There you can set the name of your project (1), name(s) of project author(s) (2), write something about the project (3) and optionally protect the project with a custom password (4). After saving the project, the full path to the project file will be given in the File name box (5).

Now when you named your project, you can add your first diagram – you can choose it from list Add New Diagram... (6) – just click on the icon of diagram or on the free space in the list and start to type a diagram name – the list of diagrams will be filtered. (for example if you type ‘use’, the list will contain only Use Case Diagram (UML and SysML) and User Interface Diagram).

You can add other diagrams clicking on green plus after the last tab on tab bar (1). The diagram menu will show. You can click on the icon of the diagram kind you want to add (2). Diagrams are grouped to several groups (UML, SysML, BPMN, etc.), the first group Favorite contains five most used diagrams and it is personalized to you. If you can’t find the desired diagram kind, you can start to type its name. A black box will appear (3) and the list of diagram kinds will be filtered by name. You can cancel the filter clicking on close button (4). The new diagram will be added to the active model by default, however, you can change it to any other model using the combo box (5).