Ideogramic UML™ User Interface
The interface of Ideogramic UML™ is intentionally very simple:
it contains an infinite workspace, a model view, and a small radar
vindow. The model view may be used to browse the model. The radar view
is used to navigate and zoom in the workspace, and also provides
context awareness.
Ideogramic UML™ user interface (click to enlarge)
(Linux version)
Ideogramic UML™ supports both freehand drawing and
diagram drawing. Freehand mode is used for generic
illustrations and annotation, whereas diagram mode is used for
creating actual UML elements. In diagram mode, input is based on
so-called gestures -- pen strokes that are intrepreted by the program
and replaced by UML symbols. If, e.g., you draw a box, the tool will
immediately interpret this as the gesture for a UML class and replace
your stroke with a UML class symbol (see below).
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Before recognition |
After recognition |
 Watch a video demonstrating the gesture recognition:
slow connection (20K-100K) | fast connection (100K+)
The gestures for creating UML elements have been designed to
resemble what developers draw on ordinary whiteboards. This makes the
gestures direct and easy to learn, and provides the user with a
intelligent and fast interaction with the program.
Unlike most UML tools, incomplete elements are also allowed. You
can, e.g., input a relationship from one class but not ending in
another class for added flexibility in the creative process. These
relationships can then later be fully spefied by moving them to other
classes.
The workspace is potentially infinite, which allows you to draw
very large diagrams. You can navigate and zoom in the workspace by
dragging or resizing the small rectangle in the "radar" view. A radar
window shows the whole drawing workspace, and the small rectangle
indicates the part that is visible in the workspace.
A radar gives overview
Try it out!
Sounds interesting? Download an evaluation
edition and try it yourself!
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