Software Ideas Modeler 13 with 13 New Diagram Types
The previous major version 12 was released almost two years ago. Numerous improvements have been implemented since then. So, when versions 12.00 and 12.96 are compared, significant progress is evident. However, the time has come for another great change has come. We want to present you a new major version – Software Ideas Modeler 13. A lot of notable new features are introduced. There are more than 120 improvements. Hopefully, these will be found useful by you, our users, and they will help you design better diagrams and models faster and easier.
New Diagrams and Notations
This new major version of Software Ideas Modeler brings 13 new kinds of diagrams. The Autosar diagram, Petri Net diagram, Nassi-Shneiderman diagram, Cause and Effect graph, Organizational chart, Object-Role Modeling (ORM) diagram, C4 diagrams (System context diagram, Container diagram, Component diagram, Deployment diagram), UPN (Universal Process Notation) diagram, DMN (Decision Model and Notation) diagram, and Gantt Chart are introduced
These allow you to visualize concepts and ideas from more domains than ever.
Dark Mode and Improved User Interface
The User Interface was improved in various ways. The dark mode is supported now. Dialogs with tab controls were rebuilt for faster resizing. The settings that were available from the ribbon were added to the Options dialog. Some actions that had originally been present only in the ribbon were added to the classic menu, too.
The Folder overview page got a new button for adding diagrams.
Redesigned Options Dialog
The Options dialog was completely revamped. A side menu with setting sections instead of the tab control is used, the settings are better organized, and you can search in them. Now the option may be found much easier than in the previous versions.
Mapping Definition
Mapping definition is another great feature. It allows you to define a mapping between two different diagrams (of any type). You may map e.g. a conceptual class diagram to an entity-relationship diagram. The mapped diagrams can share names of objects (however, different names may be used for the mapped objects).
Improved Modeling
Software Ideas Modeler 13 improves modeling capabilities with the external element concept, too. It allows you to reference the elements from other SIM projects. This way you may have separate models in separate project files and still reuse some of their elements in other project files.
Improved User Interface Diagram
The User Interface Diagram got the support of size labels. You can assign a separately placed size label to any UI element or you can turn on overlapping size labels directly in the UI element. The paragraph element from the User interface diagram has supported different styles of texts – actual text, schematic lines, and schematic waves. This option is extended to all UI elements with texts now (you may use it to checkboxes, buttons, etc.)
Improvements for Other Notations and Diagrams
Except for user interface diagrams, numerous small improvements were implemented in UML, SysML, and ER diagrams. There is a new Backman style for ERD relationships. Editing SysML requirements is much more comfortable now. Editing options for ERD IDEF1X diagrams are as good as those for classic ERD diagrams.
Improved Diagram Editor
The diagram editor supports new useful context actions. You can create a parent container for selected elements. You can choose a type of container element from container types that are defined for the particular diagram type. Another improvement applies to containers, too. Now you can easily collapse and expand them. The new version supports custom shapes for all elements. You can just drag the desired shape from the Graphics sidebar and drop it over an element in the diagram.
The improved diagram editor provides better handling of the elements in Stack/Flow/Table container layouts. Changing the parent container for such elements and also changing their order is easier now.
The editor allows you to select an individual grouped element from a group. Just hold the ALT key and click on the desired element.
New Saving and Backup Options
The new version allows you to turn on the Auto-Save option. The project will be saved automatically when you close the application. The default saving behavior is the same as in the previous versions. By default, a new backup feature is enabled. It saves the project each time you close the application and allows you to restore unsaved changes the next time the file is opened.
Another useful feature is provided in the File/Open menu – Restore to the original state. It allows you to revert the changes you have made to your project since opening it.
Improved Custom Diagrams
Custom diagrams gained a big boost in this version. Custom properties for custom elements may be defined. You can specify the alignment of the border elements whether they should be placed inside or outside of the element. They can also be aligned to the middle of the element border as before.
With the new custom diagrams, you can restrict the element sizing to a fixed ratio, fixed size, fixed width, or fixed height. Alternatively, you can keep the free sizing which is the default setting for elements.
Improved Source Code Generation and Reverse Engineering
Reverse engineering to diagram supports the update of existing models. It also allows you to choose to delete missing elements. The choice of elements you want to import is easier now, as you can check and uncheck the whole namespaces with all their nested content.
Now you can analyze the effect of your changes easier using the new code preview feature in the Source Code Template editor. You can choose which project elements will be used for the preview.
From this version on, reverse engineering and source code generation is supported for the DART programming language too. Source code generation for C# was improved to support generic interfaces and interface generalization.
Release Notes
New Features and Improvements
- Added dark theme
- Improved user interface
- New better Options dialog with search support
- Added support for referencing elements from other projects
- Added Mapping definition (for mapping any element or field to any other element or field)
- Added Autosar diagram
- Added Petri Net diagram [RQ#1667]
- Added Nassi-Shneiderman diagram
- Added Cause and Effect graph [RQ#1674]
- Added Organizational chart [RQ#1671]
- Added Object Role Modeling diagram
- Added C4 diagrams [RQ#1679]
- C4 System context diagram
- C4 Container diagram
- C4 Component diagram
- C4 Deployment diagram
- Added UPN (Universal Process Notation) diagram [RQ#1680]
- Added DMN (Decision Model and Notation) diagram
- Added Gantt Chart
- Added new Flowchart shapes:
- Offline Storage
- Card
- Added new common element: Diagram Reference [RQ#1591]
- Added new UI element: Size Label
- Added a new option for UI diagram elements - caption type: Custom text / Schematic lines / Schematic waves
- Added support for size label for every UI Element (UI diagrams)
- Added support for separators to UI Context Menu
- Added Bachman style for ER diagram relationships
- New context bar action: Create parent container for selected elements
- New Plus button for adding diagrams in Folder overview window
- Add Element button for adding owned element to folder in Folder overview window
- Added container expanding/collapsing
- Added support for custom shape for any diagram element (set using drag&drop from Graphics sidebar)
- Added support for custom properties in custom diagram elements
- Added support for border element alignment to Custom Diagram element definition
- Added size type to Custom Diagram element definition (free size, fixed ratio, fixed size, fixed width, fixed height)
- Added source code generation for DART language [RQ#1670]
- Added reverse engineering for DART language
- Improved source code reverse engineering
- Added support for model update
- Added support for deleting missing elements
- Added Select submenu to the context menu for choosing from multiple elements at the clicked position
- Improved adding an element to a container when the element overlap multiple containers
- Added Transpose layout command
- Added support for template parameters to UML Interface
- Added support for interface generalization and generic interfaces to C# source code generation
- Improved setting another language to GUI without restarting the application
- Improved task table - days are grouped by weeks
- Added unsinged and zerofill types to MySQL type set
- Added a new type set for MariaDB
- Added new template language commands: Associations(relationshipStereotype?, elementStereotype?), Dependencies(relationshipStereotype?, elementStereotype?), Generalizations(relationshipStereotype?, elementStereotype?), HasAssociations(relationshipStereotype?, elementStereotype?), HasDependencies(relationshipStereotype?, elementStereotype?), HasGeneralizations(relationshipStereotype?, elementStereotype?)
- Option to hide the outline for UI Thumbnail View
- Improved UI Window element rendering
- Added export to Draw.io format (partial support)
- Added import from Draw.io format (partial support)
- Added support for SysML constraint properties
- Duplicate name warning is suppressed for connectors
- Option to choose custom elements for output code preview in Source Code Template editor [RQ#1678]
- Resource item link can be changed
- Deleted change-tracked elements are excluded from the generated code
- New source code template parameter 'CanBeDeleted' that allows the template processor to process elements marked as deleted
- Auto checking/unchecking subnodes in the project tree in the Source code reverse engineering dialog
- Added navigation between stereotype-defined fields using UP/DOWN keys in diagram editor
- Automatic creation of SysML Quantity Kind after entering its name to quantity kind field of SysML Unit
- Better auto size for columns in decision table editor
- Loading/saving user settings from/to Software Ideas Server for logged users
- Added confirmation dialog for Options closing
- Resizable rows in requirement table (Requirement diagram)
- Added option for live preview of changes to Style Set's Style editor [RQ#1608]
- Added button 'Open in Style Set Editor' to Style Set sidebar for editing the current style set
- Diagram editor settings that were available only from the ribbon (or menu) were added to the Options dialog (Indicators, Pin Container Header)
- Added option to import an existing diagram from Software Ideas Server
- Added setting for default auto path option for connectors [RQ#429]
- SysML Requirement properties are included in Property dialog
- Added support for multi-line text for SysML Requirements
- Impoved SysML Requirements window [RQ#251]
- Added button: Add new requirement
- Delete requirement (context menu)
- Insert to diagram (context menu)
- Properties (context menu)
- Resizable rows
- Tagged values can set as hidden (always omitted from diagram renderings)
- Slightly improved action searching in smart action box
- Added a new relationship rendering mode: Always on background
- Primary and foreign key editing for IDEF1X Entity attributes using the ribbon (Field context tab) and using the context menu
- Added support for drag&drop reordering for IDEF1X Entity attributes
- Added specific icons to IDEF1X toolbox
- Added Auto-save on Close setting [RQ#1682]
- Added new backup option: Backup on project open
- Added new backup option: Backup on project close
- Restore project to original state when it was open (Open / Restore to original state)
- Added restore backup prompt and auto check for the presence of a project backup with newer changes than the opened project file
- Easier reordering and container change for elements in container with stack/flow/table layout
- Allowed to selected an element within a group (ALT - Click)
- Improved separator alignment for UML classes (especially for wider border lines)
- Added option 'More...' for Convert Element button in the context bar
- Improved conversions between elements with attributes
- Added new context bar button for UML Classes: Add Template Parameter
- Improved context bar placement
- UML class attribute can be pasted to the grid in the Properties dialog
Fixed Bugs
- Fixed navigation between template parameters using up and down keys
- Fixed applying default size for custom diagram elements
- Fixed incorrect text box updating after clicking up/down button in Numeric Up Down control in the ribbon [RQ#1675]
- Fixed updating print margins after typing a new value
- Fixed changing width and height values in the print setting page after changing from landscape to portrait and vice versa
- Fixed rendering of FTA Undeveloped Event
- Fixed application crash when trying to edit properties of BPMN Call Conversation
- Fixed refreshing list of ports in SysML Block after removing, adding ports
- Fixed removing ports from SysML Block list of ports
- Fixed bounds of diagram outline frame
- Fixed Cancel button in the Stereotype choice dialog
- Fixed application crash when confirming Enumeration dialog with pasted empty lines
- Fixed application crash when drawing too small ribbon
- Fixed setting interrupting BPMN Boundary Event using the Properties dialog
- Fixed deleting elements for tracking changes mode
- Fixed unwanted converting tagged value type to string after editing in grid (Properties dialog)
- Fixed calculating bounds of tagged value fields displayed in diagram
- Fixed default name of some diagrams [RQ#1682]
- Fixed IDEF1X entity layout [RQ#1682]
- Fixed redundant Add Attribute button for IDEF1X entity in the ribbon group Model / Add
- Fixed filtering tasks in Task Management grid
- Fixed updating element positions afer changing container layout
- Fixed moving groups with with relationships and sequence messages
- Fixed auto-size of elements with fields in some scenarios
- Fixed rendering texts for other than Best quality
- Fixed class template parameters reordering
- Fixed application crash when pasting rows to field grids in Properties dialog
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