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The graphical modeler plug-in

This plug-in provides a graphical layer to build graphically, to visualize, and to better understand a SME Model. For this purpose, we defined six different kinds of diagrams:

Each of these diagrams represents a specific aspect in the modeling of a SME Model and will be detailed in the following. Before this, we first explain how to create a new project and a new diagram.


Creation of a new SME diagram from a Template

To help the user during the creation of a new SME Diagram, the modeling editor has a wizard which allows to create a model from a template model file. The role of the wizard is to make more convivial the task of creation by accompanying the user. The creation will proceed in a few stages.

To start the wizard, right-click on the project where you want to create your model, and select New-> Other... and then select the following diagram : Polychrony->SME Diagram.

Remark: If you have successfully switched to the Topcased Modeling perspective, there is a shortcut directly accessible from the pop-up menu (see the picture below).

Once you have selected the SME diagram, the SME wizard is opened (following picture). Thus, you have to choose the name of the diagram and the kind of diagram you want to display.

Remark: In the SME wizard, you can only create four of the six kinds of diagrams: the Mode Automaton Diagram and the Tuple Type Diagram can not be used as root of a Signal specification, but can be used inside them.


Creation of a new SME diagram from an existing SME file model

It is also possible to create a diagram from an existing SME model file. For this purpose, right-click on the SME model file and select New->SME Diagram.

When the SME Diagram wizard is opened, you have only to choose the kind of root diagram (see next part for a description if each kind of diagrams). If the diagram must be initialized directly, check the corresponding check box. You can also drag the different elements from the Outline to position them more relevantly.


Diagram Accessibility and Aspects

The diagram can be created for the root of a new SME file through the SME wizard, but also for some specific model objects. Thus, we can have hierarchic diagrams.

Moreover, three kinds of diagram (Interface Definition, Data flow, and Clock Relations and Dependences) are complementary: it means that for some model objects, you may have to use two or all of these diagrams to build the specification of these model objects. That's why, we refer to these three kinds of diagrams as “Aspect” of the modeling for the corresponding model objects.

Here, we give, for each kind of diagram, the list of model objects that can be used as root of the diagram:

To create diagrams for these model objects, you just have to right-click on the model element inside the Outline view, and by selecting Add Diagram and choosing the diagram. You can also double-click on the graphical element, which represents the root element of a diagram and it opens automatically the corresponding diagram.

For all elements, which can have several Aspects, it opens the Interface Definition Diagram (if possible) or the Data flow Diagram, and then there are also some facilities to go from one Aspect to another:

Remark: For elements with multiple Aspects, when a diagram is created, all children elements present in the others Aspects and that can appear in the created diagram will be automatically added to it.



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