This section of the Help describes individual parts of the Innovator user interface.
Innovator Parts
The Innovator Enterprise Modeling Suite consists of the following:
- The License Server, which manages the licenses, and the model servers, which make the models available
- The central Innovator model editor ("Innovator" for short), which provides the functions of the Innovator editions and, among other things, editors for model comparison and for impact analysis
- The administrative tools
Administration Program, which manages your licenses, independent model servers, managed models and users and enables the definition of environment variables and the setup of Innovator servers as Windows services
The Configuration Editor provides you with support for the transparent and secure definition of profiles, the definition of display properties such as colors and font types, and for engineering actions, verification routines, and document structures.
- The Information tool, which displays information about a procedure (for example, a merge) or a profile element.
- The Transformer tool, which transforms repositories from predecessor versions into the current version during a migration
User Interface of the Innovator Model Editor
The Innovator model editor consists of the following interface elements:
- Title bar (1) contains individual quick access toolbar, model name (repository name or version name), and window icons
- Status bar (2) contains model icon, model name (repository name or version name), icon for active Model/Display Language, or active change set, user icon and name (button for temporary administrator rights), toggle icon for Rights from all roles, current role used, path to current selection and icons for diagram size, if applicable
- Ribbon including Model tab (3)
The Model tab contains the backstage views Recently Used, Open & Login and New as well as other backstage views and commands depending on what model you are in. - Workspace (4-8)
A model's workspace is split into different window areas:- The Model Content area (5) is used as a table of contents for this model. The Model Structure can be extended with the Model Element List, which displays all the subordinate elements (owned elements) of a model element selected in the model structure.
- The central document area (4) primarily displays diagrams, tables or specifications from this model. The start page is also shown in the document area.
- Tool windows (6-8) provide specific structures and functions for navigating in the model, getting information about the model and its elements and so that you can work with particular details of model elements. Tool windows can be assigned to the document area. The tabs are at the top.
- Dialogs and wizards are used to obtain certain inputs or confirmations from the user.
What Technology is Behind the Innovator Model Editor?
The GUI is based on the current Microsoft technology (.Net, Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)) and Actipro Software's commercial GUI library "WPF Studio". This means you can e.g. structure the interface elements as you want them and save this layout in its own perspective so you can use an interface best suited towards your uses.
What are Document Windows Used for?
The central document area displays diagrams, tables, specifications or dependencies.
- Relationships between the model elements are modeled in the diagram. Impact analysis diagrams show the interconnection of model elements using configurable graphs.
- The table editor is used for quickly editing related data.
- Specification texts describe model elements within a certain aspect.
- The dependency editor is used for easily editing large sets of similar dependencies.
- You can carry out various mappings (ER-DB, DB-ER etc.) using the Mapping window.
Why do I Need Tool Windows?
Tool windows provide specific structures and functions for navigating in the model, getting information about the model and its elements and so that you can work with the model elements.
General Tool Windows
General tool windows are not linked with a specific process but are always available for model processing.
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Use the Dependencies tool window to maintain dependencies of the selected element.
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In the Attachment Preview tool window, you can view an attachment in certain graphics formats.
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The Beamer tool window supports the role-based, flexible and transparent mapping of elements and can be configured in many ways.
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The Details window shows elements which are linked with the element selected. Unlike the model structure, all roles are taken into consideration not just the owner. Elements which do not even appear in the model structure can also be shown. You can customize the structure of the Details window in the Configuration Editor in the Documentation Structure view (Details configuration).
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The Diagram Overview tool window shows the entire contents of the active diagram (apart from impact analysis diagrams) and supports navigation.
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A model element's essential properties can be edited in the Properties tool window. The properties are grouped according to properties, labels, access rights etc. Certain properties can also be edited in the document window or in other tool windows.
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Use the Result Region tool window to collect any number of elements to e.g. edit multiple elements in one fell swoop.
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The Info tool window shows information about an element.
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The Verification Results tool window shows model verification results.
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The Specification Preview tool window shows the specification texts of the selected element.
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In the Translation tool window, you can translate model content into the active display languages.
Tool Windows for Processes
Tool windows for processes are linked with a certain process and require special prerequisites to be used to the best of their ability.
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Use the DB Manager tool window to align an Innovator database model with a real database in a DBMS. (Innovator for Information Architects)
This chapter contains the topics:
