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The Context Menu

You can perform a wide range of tasks and operations on a diagram and its contents. To access and initiate these operations, you select options from the diagram's context menu.

Access

Context Menu

Right-click on the diagram background

Options

Option

Action

See also

Specialize

Provides two sets of functions:

  • Scripts - scripts created using the Scripting facility, to be executed on diagrams; click on a script name to execute it (this option is not shown if no appropriate scripts have been created)
  • Extensions - a list of the enabled technologies on the system, each of which provides options for performing technology-specific operations on the diagram
Scripting

Collaborate

Select this option to display a short menu of options to exchange electronic notes on the selected diagram with team colleagues, in the form of Reviews, Discussions and, if User Security is enabled, Chats and Model Mail messages.

Options for setting automatic refresh intervals can also be found here.

Model Security Auto Refresh

Switch View

Provides options to display the diagram contents in a number of alternative formats:

  • Graphical View - the standard graphical display format
  • List View - a tabular, editable list of elements
  • Gantt View - shows the Project Resources assigned to each element
  • Specification View - each element is represented by a text description in the Specification Manager
  • Relation Matrix View - a table showing the relationships between the diagram elements
  • Construct View - displays the resources and progress of work on the diagram elements
  • Inline Specification view - when in the graphical display format, select between displaying and hiding a Specification view of the diagram elements in the right half of the diagram
Open Relationship Matrix Specification Manager - Overview Diagram List Gantt View Diagram View

Show All Bookmark Values / Hide All Bookmark Values

It is possible to assign bookmarks with numerical or text values to elements on a diagram. Each bookmark is displayed as a red circle containing the bookmark value, just above the parent element.

These two menu options reveal or hide all the assigned bookmarks on the diagram.

Element Context Menu Operations Annotated Bookmarks

Properties

Displays the diagram 'Properties' dialog, through which you can define properties including name, author and version information, zoom factor, paper size and layout, diagram notes and various appearance attributes. Some properties influence the display of the diagram and some are logical attributes that appear in the documentation.

Diagram Properties

Validate Diagram

(In a Business Process diagram) Validates the diagram, and the elements and connectors within the diagram, for correctness.

The results of the validation are displayed in a tab of the System Output window.

Model Validation

Insert

Displays a short menu of options for adding objects to the diagram:

  • Other Element - displays the Select Element browser, through which you locate and select an existing element to add to the diagram as a linked element
  • Store Document(s) in Model - displays the default file browser, through which you locate a file to store as a File Artifact element in the model and in the diagram; double-click on the Artifact to show the file contents
  • Link to Document(s) in File System - again displays the default file browser, but when you select a file the system creates a hyperlink to that file
  • Show Toolbox - Select this option to display the Diagram Toolbox at the appropriate pages for the type of diagram, if the Toolbox is not already displayed
Select Dialog Create File Artifacts Diagram Toolbox

Paste

Displays a short menu of options for pasting copied elements or images into the diagram.

  • Element(s) as Link - paste copied elements into the diagram as links to the original element(s)
  • Element(s) as New - paste copied elements into the diagram as new elements
  • Image from Clipboard - paste an image held on the clipboard into the diagram (shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+Insert)
  • Image Asset - paste an image held on the clipboard into the diagram as a new Image Asset Artifact
Image Assets Copy Elements Between Diagrams

Hide Diagram Frame / Show Diagram Frame

This option applies to these diagram types when the diagram is a composite diagram:

  • Any SysML type
  • UML StateMachine

The elements on the diagram are automatically enclosed in a Diagram Frame representing the element that owns the diagram. Click on the options to hide and redisplay this Diagram Frame.

On a SysML diagram, the frame will:

  • Auto-resize to fit the bounds of the diagram if the frame is non-selectable, expanding from its default size but not shrinking smaller

Note that diagrams showing Diagram Frames applied using release 14.0 or later of Enterprise Architect will draw the parent object on the diagram when opened using a release of Enterprise Architect earlier than release 14.0.

Composite Elements

Interaction Parameters

(On an Interaction diagram.) Displays the 'Interaction Occurrence' dialog, on which you define the arguments, return value and attribute to create an Interaction Occurrence.

Supress Activations

(On a Sequence diagram.) Hides or redisplays the activation rectangles on the Lifeline elements of the diagram.

Sequence Element Activations

Set Top Margin

(On a Sequence diagram.) Displays the 'Top Margin' dialog, through which you change the space above the Lifeline elements on the diagram to between 30 and 250 units.

Change the Top Margin

Sequence Communication Messages

(On a Communication diagram.) Displays the 'Communication Messages' dialog, through which you can change the order of the communication messages in the current diagram.

Re-Order Messages

Synchronize Structural Elements

Applies to a SysML Internal Block diagram or a SysML Parametric diagram, where it shows all structural elements (such as Ports and Parts) relating to the Block that owns this diagram.

This command will also generate Properties defined by existing Association connectors.

Swimlanes and Matrix

Displays the 'Swimlanes and Matrix' dialog for diagrams, through which you can add or modify Swimlanes or a Swimlanes Matrix on the diagram.

Swimlanes Swimlanes Matrix

Roadmap

Displays the 'Roadmap options' dialog, which you use to define a Roadmap Timeline on the diagram.

Roadmap Diagrams

Kanban

Displays the 'Kanban' dialog, through which you can define the structure, content and appearance of a new or existing Kanban diagram, or to convert a different type of diagram to a Kanban diagram.

Kanban Options

Clear all Checklists

Clears all selected checkboxes within every Checklist Artifact element in the current diagram.

Using the Checklist and Audited Checklist Artifacts

Set diagram flow direction

(On a Business Process diagram) Displays a short menu of options to set the flow orientation of the diagram. Click on:

  • None (the default, no specific orientation set)
  • Horizontal (diagram flows across the page, Pool and Lane elements occupy the full width of the diagram), or
  • Vertical (diagram flows down the page, Pool and Lane elements occupy the full height of the diagram)

Statechart Editor

(For a StateMachine diagram.) Displays a short list of options to switch the current format of the diagram to:

  • Diagram
  • Table (State-Next State)
  • Table (State-Trigger) or
  • Table (Trigger-State)
StateMachine Table

Lock Diagram

Select this option to lock the diagram to protect it from inadvertent changes.

This does not apply in the Corporate, Unified and Ultimate Editions if security is enabled, in which case you lock the model elements.

Lock Diagram Locking Model Elements

Find in Project Browser

Locates and highlights the current diagram in the Browser window.

Shortcut: Shift+Alt+G

Execute Simulation

(On a behavioral diagram.) Displays a short menu of options for performing a model simulation:

  • Interpreted simulation - perform dynamic execution of a simulation (Corporate and extended Editions)
  • Manual simulation - step through a simulation manually (the only option available in the Professional Edition)
  • Using Script - if simulation scripts exist for the diagram, list the scripts available; if no scripts exist, the option does not display
Introducing Simulation Dynamic Simulations Set Up Simulation Script

Save Current Changes

Saves any changes to the current diagram.

Shortcut: Ctrl+S

Help

Displays the Help topic on this type of diagram.

Notes

  • Not all the menu options described appear on the context menu of every diagram