MagicDraw 17.0.4 FR (Feature Release)
Release date: 27th May 2013
1.1. Faster opening, saving, committing, and updating of project files
1.2. Performance enhancements for dependency matrices
1.3. Faster merge operation
1.4. Java heap size optimization
| 2.1. Increased usability of Dependency Matrices |  |
2.2. Flexible inspection of model composition
2.3. Simplified Find and Find and Replace dialogs
2.4. More options for data representation in Relation Map
2.5. Validation results grouping
2.6. Ability to search for matching phrase anywhere
3. Modeling / Diagramming Enhancements
3.1. Remarkably enhanced automatic layout
3.2. Easier modeling in Activity diagrams
3.3. Other
4. Enhanced Support for Enterprise Deployments
4.1. User Account Control (UAC) utilization on Windows Vista / 7 / 8
4.2. New location of MagicDraw configuration files on Windows
5.1. Ability to merge projects including modules
5.2. Ability to turn off order changes detection
6. Enhancements for Collaborative Environment
1.1. Faster opening, saving, committing, and updating of project files
Results of the testing cases that have been performed on larger projects to compare with MagicDraw version 17.0.2 SP3 show that
- Opening a local or a server project is now 10-50% faster
- Saving a project is now about 20% faster
- Committing a project is now 20-30% faster
- Updating a project is up to 90% faster (depends on number of changes made by other users)
1.2. Performance enhancements for dependency matrices
- Even in larger matrices that represent more than 1000 elements, scrolling is smooth and remarkably faster than in earlier MagicDraw versions.
- There is no longer a delay when opening the filter selection or property value specification dialogs.
- After modifying your model, only the visible matrices are now rebuilt as opposite to all of them. You will not notice any performance degradation since rebuilding is done instantly and therefore will not interrupt your other work in the project.
Results of the most testing cases that had been performed on large projects showed that the merge operation is now performed up to 10 % faster.
1.4. Java heap size optimization
Java heap size for MagicDraw since now is automatically set according to the physical memory (RAM) size of your computer during MagicDraw installation.
2.1. Increased usability of Dependency Matrices
No Magic, Inc. is proud to introduce significant usability enhancements for Dependency Matrices. No Magic is known industry-wide for its focus on the user experience, and our easy-to-use, fast and very powerful Dependency Matrices are a tangible example of this.
In a Dependency Matrix you can now easily
- Change the scope of your analysis at any time by expanding and collapsing data hierarchies in both row and column headers.
- Specify filters (scope, element types, and dependency criteria) by dragging selected elements directly from the Model Browser.
- Hide unneeded filters by modifying appropriate property values in your dependency matrix Specification window.
- See the full name and the owner of an element as well as details of a relationship on ToolTips.
- Track and create indirect (transitive) relationships between elements by specifying Meta chain, OCL, or binary expressions as dependency criteria.
- Trace elements that are associated by the relationship in the selected cell since the appropriate row and column are highlighted.
From now on you can have your own custom process supporting matrices. A new custom Dependency Matrix type can now be created in the same easy way as a new custom diagram – a special wizard will guide you through the development process. Be advised that the old Dependency Matrix templates mechanism is no longer supported.
2.2. Flexible inspection of model composition
The latest version of MagicDraw includes a new mechanism for surveillance of your model composition, which is especially handy for larger projects. The mechanism includes tracking of potential model breakdowns as well as helps to solve model integrity issues.
With this enhancement, MagicDraw will supervise your actions and notify you in case of performing an action that might cause a model breakdown, for example, unresolved reference. Less recovered elements will unexpectedly appear in your model, and it will be easier to maintain the model integrity. The following figure shows several notifications that appear in case of potentially dangerous user actions: stop sharing a package, removing the content of a shared package, and moving elements from one module to another, when both modules are used in the read-write mode.
Users can customize their own sets of actions that should be supervised by MagicDraw to prevent the creation of recovered elements. A new option group named Composition Inspection has been added in the Environment Options dialog for this customization.
Already existing model integrity issues detected by MagicDraw active validation are now represented under the Composition Integrity violations group wherein the unresolved references are grouped by recovered elements they refer to.
The model integrity issues are by default inspected only in the project, but not in the modules it uses. For the extended inspection, which includes the modules you can change the inspection level from Standard to Advanced. Change the inspection level using the Composition inspection option that can be found in the Composition Inspection options group on the Environment Options dialog.
2.3. Simplified Find and Find and Replace dialogs
The latest version of MagicDraw features an enhanced Find dialog whose simplified GUI allows for easier setting of search criteria.
You can now search elements with one or more specific property values or elements whose textual properties either match or contain any entered text.
The Find and Replace dialog has been simplified accordingly.
2.4. More options for data representation in Relation Map
You can now
- Cut element names, if they are too long (the text exceeds reasonable length) and make the Relation Map difficult to read. See the whole name of an element on a ToolTip.
- Reorganize graphs into well-formed trees, which show duplicate nodes to avoid cyclic references.
2.5. Validation results grouping
Validation results are now grouped by validation suites as well as the results are linked together.
2.6. Ability to search for matching phrase anywhere
You can now search for a matching phrase throughout the entire name of the element in the element Selection dialog and drop-down lists. Just turn the Search matching anywhere mode on, as it is shown in the following figure.
3. Modeling / Diagramming Enhancements
3.1. Remarkably enhanced automatic layout
Experience the remarkably enhanced automatic layout for the Class, State Machine, Protocol State Machine, Activity, and Composite Structure diagrams.
3.2. Easier modeling in Activity diagrams
The following enhancements allow for easier modeling in Activity diagrams as well as help to maintain the consistency of the entire model:
- You can now create an Activity diagram directly from the Smart Manipulator toolbar of a Call Behavior Action .
- When creating an Activity diagram for the Call Behavior Action that has one or more Pins, Parameters for these Pins are created in a new Activity. In addition, Activity Parameter Nodes are created in the new Activity diagram and displayed on the Activity diagram frame.
- Double-clicking a Call Operation Action now opens the Behavior diagram.
- You can now easily navigate to the associated Parameter from the Pin shortcut menu.
- Pins are now always displayed on Actions. In earlier versions of MagicDraw, Pins could be hidden, but hiding them could cause modeling issues in some cases.
- From now on, you can easily specify a Pin type when dragging a Classifier onto an Object Flow.
- You can now draw an Object Flow directly to or directly from an Activity diagram frame. As a result an Activity Parameter Node will be created with an Object Flow connected to it.
- Incoming and outgoing flows remain connected after removal of the Action between them.
- You can now see Object Flows that are connected to an Action via Pins in the Action Specification window as well as under the Display Related Elements and Display Paths commands on the Action shortcut menu.
- Stereotypes, constraints, tagged values, and element properties can now be displayed as labels of a Port symbol on a diagram.
- You can now draw a vertical separator on your diagrams as well as change a separator's position from to horizontal to vertical, and vice versa.
- There is no need any longer to click a free space on diagram pane in order to finish typing an element name. Press ENTER instead!
4. Enhanced Support for Enterprise Deployments
4.1. User Account Control (UAC) utilization on Windows Vista / 7 / 8
In earlier MagicDraw versions, many users could not upgrade MagicDraw, install / uninstall a resource, or change the Java heap size parameters. It was not allowed at all or the message telling that it is not possible to modify the MagicDraw installation folder was used to appear. The reason of this problem was that users did not have sufficient rights to modify MagicDraw installation folder or even if they had such rights, the confirmation was anyway required.
From now on, MagicDraw uses the UAC technology to get administrative permissions to be able to change the installation folder. For example, the following UAC dialog opens when the user has no administrator rights.
4.2. New location of MagicDraw configuration files on Windows
Be advised that as of the new version, MagicDraw configuration files on Windows operating system (OS) are no longer stored directly in the user's home folder. The files can now are be found in the Local Application Data folder, as it should be according to Windows OS recommendations.
See new locations of both MagicDraw configuration files and Teamwork Server projects on different Windows OS versions in the following table.
| OS | MagicDraw configuration files | Teamwork Server projects |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Vista/7/8 | C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Local\.magicdraw\<md.version.number> | C:\ProgramData\.magicdrawserver\<md.version.number> |
| Windows 2000/XP | C:\Documents and Settings\<USERNAME>\Local Settings\Application Data\.magicdraw\<md.version.number> | C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\.magicdrawserver\<md.version.number> |
| Windows NT4 | C:\WINNT\Profiles\<USERNAME>\Local Settings\Application Data\.magicdraw\<md.version.number> | C:\WINNT\Profiles\All Users\Application Data\.magicdrawserver\<md.version.number> |
5.1. Ability to merge projects including modules
You can now merge projects including modules in one single operation rather than merging each module and finally the main project one-by-one as was the case in earlier MagicDraw versions. From now on feel free to split your larger teamwork projects into separate parts and easily merge their different versions. The nature of accepting and rejecting changes in both projects and modules is the same, so if you are familiar with the project merge, that’s all there is to it - try the new enhancement now!
5.2. Ability to turn off order changes detection
Now before merging your projects, you can define, which properties you wish to exclude from the order changes detection. With this enhancement you are able to skip the unnecessary information analysis and save your time.
6. Enhancements for Collaborative Environment
- You can now quickly access the server project history as well as the latest version information such as comments, tags, modules, and meta information.
- Using the enhanced discard changes operation, all newly created elements will be removed as well as removed elements restored while discarding changes.
- The locking operation is now slightly faster since read-only modules are not updated.
- Since now on you must have the Administer project permission, when you need to manage (create, rename, and remove) project branches or migrate projects to a later version.
- Teamwork Server service successfully keeps running after logging off the server.
- Teamwork Server is now more stable when started as a Windows Service.
- The Velocity Engine has been upgraded to a more stable version 1.7. Several bug fixes, better reporting, and less performance bottleneck are some of the improvements in the new Velocity Engine.
- A new query tool has been added to ease the process of querying multiple data with conditions or a complex model. With the new query tool, it is now easier to find elements in MagicDraw.
- The CSS 3.0 and HTML 4.01 support has been enhanced by adding colors in rgb() format, subscript, and superscript.
- A new DocBook template is now supported. You can now add the DocBook template in Report Wizard.
- The diagram overview elements have been equipped with a hyperlink that allows you to open them on a Web Publisher 2.0 report.
- A new method to generate a child report template process has been added in the FileTool to enable synchronous report generation.
- You do not need to manually declare the #import statement in the template code to include the template tools anymore. You can choose to automatically include the template tools in a template.
- Locating icon files is much easier now that icon names have been replaced by a unique filename. Each MagicDraw element icon will now have a specific generated filename and the name will remain the same regardless of how many times you export it.
- Report engines now generate reports 4 times faster and use 40% less memory than earlier versions.
- As the old Dependency Matrix templates mechanism is no longer supported, files "matrix_templates_module.mdzip" and "Matrix_Templates_Profiles.mdzip" have been removed from <MagicDraw installation directory>\profiles.
- MagicDraw built-in "UML_Standard_Profile.mdzip" has been reorganized. Inner Standard/System profiles "UML completeness constraints.mdzip", "UML correctness constraints.mdzip", and "Traceability Customization.mdzip" are no longer used, since their content has been imported into "UML_Standard_Profile.mdzip", and the files have been removed from <MagicDraw installation directory>\profiles.
Note: All your projects that have been created in any earlier version of MagicDraw will be successfully migrated once they are opened with the latest version of MagicDraw.
- You can now create a DSL element with already specified short name - abbreviation. Use the new Abbreviation property to enter the short name while specifying the customization element.
- You can now use DSL elements in Meta chain expressions.
- You can now select a name of the opposite meta association end from the drop-down list when creating a Meta chain expression.
- The numerical order is now used for sorting numbered elements in the Model Browser, Generic table, etc.
- The Model Extensions, Inheritance, and Structure tabs are no longer on the Model Browser by default.
- Non-open API Classes and Methods will be marked as Deprecated in your IDE.
- Both importers and exporters of Eclipse EMF support the UML 2.4.1 specification.
- The Multiple Windows interface style is no longer available in MagicDraw.
- MagicDraw no longer supports project export to BPEL, the EJB generator, nor the integrations with ProActivity, CaliberRM, and Intellij IDEA.
To open the list of publicly available or your own issues those have been included into version 17.0.4 FR, click here.
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You may find many more possible solutions for known issues at No Magic Community Forum that is regularly updated with new topics.
