Time Estimation Diagram and More Than 50 Other Improvements in Software Ideas Modeler 14.50

Time Estimation Diagram

The Time Estimation Diagram is a game-changer for project managers and team leaders. It allows users to visually estimate task durations, offering seven distinct levels of task time frames:

Brief: Less than 1 hour
Daily: Less than 1 working day (8 hours)
Short Term: Less than 3 days
Mid Term: Less than 1 week (5 working days)
Extended: Less than 20 days
Long Term: Less than 1 year (260 working days)
Milestone Task: More than 1 year

Each task can be assigned an uncertainty level, adding another layer of depth to project planning. Furthermore, tasks can be broken down into smaller nested tasks. If the estimated time of nested tasks exceeds that of the parent task, the parent task will be switched to a warning state with a distinctive visual style, ensuring better accuracy and oversight in project timelines.

Repeat Last Insert Action

The Repeat Last Insert Action feature is designed to streamline the process of adding repetitive elements to diagrams. This feature is particularly useful in use case diagrams, where efficiency and speed are paramount.

Use Case Scenario: Adding UML Use Cases

Imagine you're working on a use case diagram and need to add multiple use cases to a UML actor. Typically, you would select the actor, add a use case, edit its name, and then repeat the process. With the Repeat Last Insert Action, you can significantly reduce the number of steps:

Add and Edit: First, add a use case to the actor and edit its name.
Press Enter: After editing the name, press ENTER to complete the action.
Repeat Action: Instead of reselecting the actor, simply press CTRL+Insert. This command automatically repeats the last insert action, adding another use case to the same actor.

This feature saves time and minimizes the need for repetitive clicks, making the diagram creation process more efficient.

Repeat last insert action (CTRL + Insert)

Enhanced Insert Toolbox Action

The Enhanced Insert Toolbox Action simplifies the process of adding elements to container elements within a diagram. This feature ensures that when you use the Insert toolbox action or double-click on a tool, the new element is placed directly into the selected container element, streamlining the diagram creation process.

Insert element to container

Automatical UML Interface Creation

The Automatical UML Interface Creation feature enhances the process of identifying common attributes and operations across multiple classes and consolidating them into a single UML interface. This interface is then connected to the classes using realization connectors.

Create an interface for selected classes

This feature simplifies the process of organizing nested elements, ensuring that elements are correctly placed within their intended containers even when multiple containers overlap. It enhances the precision and clarity of complex diagrams by providing a straightforward method for managing nested elements.

This feature is particularly useful in diagrams like nested block diagrams but works effectively in any diagram with overlapping containers.

How Does It Work?

Select and Drag Element: Choose the element you want to place into a container. Click and hold the right mouse button while dragging the element to the desired area in the diagram.
Release Button: Once you hover over the target area with the desired container, release the right mouse button.
Context Menu Appears: Upon releasing the button, a context menu will appear. This menu includes a "Place into Container" submenu that lists all available containers in the target area.
Choose Container: Simply select the appropriate container from the list. The dragged element will then be placed into the chosen container.

Choose a container for a dragged element

Release Notes

New Features

New Time Estimation Diagram
The last insert action can be repeated using Insert or CTRL+Insert when an element is selected
When you use the Insert toolbox action or double-click on a tool, and a container element is selected in the diagram editor, the element will be inserted into that container
New diagram editor's drag-and-drop context menu action: Place into Container
New context bar action: Create a UML Interface for Selected Classes
Added new outline styles to the default style set
Added new (Default) Field Padding style property
New setting to show/hide object marquee for invisible objects (e.g., block containers)
Added new smart context bar actions: Add Sequence Action and Add Self Sequence Action
An operation can be set to a sequence message using the drag-and-drop method
Added a new context bar button for Chen ERD Entities: Add Weak Relationship
Key, Weak Key, Derived, and Multivalue Attributes can be added using the context bar and right-dragging
Make Same Size/Width/Height drag-and-drop context menu action can be applied to multiple selected elements at once
Text color can be applied to multiple selected elements using the context bar at once
Applying padding to UI Tree and UI Context Menu elements
Added new selection options to the element grid context menu in the Custom Diagram Editor: Select All, Select None, Invert Selection
Improved positioning of multiple drag-and-dropped elements from the Database sidebar
Including relationships when dragging multiple tables from the Database sidebar to the diagram editor
Added default shortcut keys for the previous and next selection actions
Implement Interfaces and Implement Interfaces actions now include super interfaces
An interface classifier can be assigned to a provided or required interface using the drag-and-drop method
Preserved containers, sizes, and relative positions of copied elements using right drag-and-drop with the Copy Here (Shared Model) action
Added other transitions for ERD entities: One to Zero or Many and One to One or Many [RQ#2739]
Improved default position for the diagram element insert action
Improved auto-size precision for UML classes
Grid settings are also applied to the Move tool
Added a setting for disabling any assistance (dialog pane options) in the diagram editor

Fixed Bugs

Fixed the placement of a new lifeline when added using the context bar
Fixed the Move tool for some scenarios in UML sequence diagrams
Fixed closing the menu after right-clicking it
Fixed showing the grip for the last horizontal/vertical segment of a connector
Fixed moving and resizing the content of the container with the simple container layout
Fixed rotation of multiple elements nested in containers
Fixed showing the model element type in the SysML frame
Fixed application crash when trying to create a hierarchy using the Add Multiple tool without specifying the Relationship tool
Fixed adding a database to the Database sidebar
Fixed binding containers in nested diagrams
Fixed Fit to Window, Fit to Width, and Fit to Height actions
Fixed loading servers and databases in the Database Selection dialog
Fixed displaying the drag line in incorrect cases
Fixed not preserving containers after right drag-and-drop and choosing Copy Here (Independent)
Fixed application crash when starting Translate without an active diagram
Fixed incorrect connector for super and sub-interface from realization to generalization
Fixed application crash when adding a new nested block to a block added from the toolbox
Fixed showing the edit box for the last extended column when it is scrolled out in the grid
Fixed paths of connectors after applying the Transpose action
Fixed recalculation of an element layout in the Classifier presentation style after deleting attributes or operations [RQ#2740]
Fixed extra space for attributes with undefined visibility [RQ#2740]
Fixed applying the Move tool to elements in locked and disabled layers
Fixed applying some move actions to elements in locked and disabled layers
Fixed incorrect connector references after converting a connected element to another type
Fixed showing properties in the Style dialog
Fixed not preserving references to fields when copying relationships
Fixed Find form positioning and calculating layout for multi-DPI settings
Fixed element bounds inflation behavior when using click+wheel