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Model Element Dashboard |
Overview
This helper provides an alternative to the Add New menu by providing graphical dashboards.
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Applicable To |
All |
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Menu
Entry |
Power
Pack Model Element Dashboard |
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Demonstration |
The Model Element Dashboard is primarily designed for models that use custom profiles but can be used on any model.
On launch, the Model Element Dashboard reads any available Model Element Dashboard Maps and uses them to present a dashboard that allows the user to quickly and easily add new model elements.
Disabled Dashboard Controls
Some dashboards may have disabled controls. This is all performed automatically by reading the Aggregates and Owners properties of any new term stereotypes in the model. For example, on the currently selected element only Missions and Mission Diagrams are allowed. Unavailable buttons are greyed out and unavailable combo box options are given a strikethrough:
Some profiles (for example SysML) contain no such properties and may result in dashboard elements that are not allowed in the model but are not disabled because this cannot be detected until the creation attempt. If the selected element has no Aggregates, then any dashboard element will be available – UNLESS that dashboard element is a new term and has Owners. Effectively dashboard controls start enabled and may be disabled either by the presence of Aggregates (on the selected element) or Owners on the dashboard element.
Adding New Elements
Clicking a cell in the dashboard (or one of the options in a combo box) creates a new model element of that type under the currently Selected Element (on launch this will be the element from which the helper was launched but may change as new elements are added - see below. If, for any reason the addition fails (for example the element is not allowed in that location) then an error is reported in the Rhapsody log window.
If the menu option Name on Create is selected, then a popup dialog allows naming the element immediately. If not, then it is created with the default name (Rhapsody uses an internal counter to decide what the default name should be).
When a new element is created, it is highlighted in the Rhapsody model (this may be disabled using the Navigate to Element on Creation option in the options menu)
Locking and Unlocking the Editor
The status bar at the bottom of the Dashboard provides a Lock button that keeps the Dashboard locked to the selected element even if a new element creation causes it to be highlighted in the mode browser. This allows multiple elements to be created successively on the same model element. Clicking the Lock toggles it to Unlocked in which case the Dashboard detects when an element becomes selected and switches context to it. In either case the current context element is shown:
Changing the Selected Element may:
· Disable / enable elements in the dashboard (if the new selected element is a new term with different owners and aggregates)
· Present a completely new dashboard (if there exists a dashboard specifically for the selected element)
Spawning New Dashboards
If the dashboard is Locked and the menu option Use New Dashboard is selected, then creating a new element will also spawn a new dashboard locked on that element (which may / may not have a new map). Clearing the Lock will also clear Use New Dashboard.
Tooltips
Some cells may have tooltips depending on the underlying model element(s) or if the Map Designer has implemented them. Tooltips may be simple or rich and may be disabled using the Options menu:
