Chapter 6 - Automatic Diagrams Layout

VP-UML provides a layout facility for arranging diagram elements in diagrams(Use Case Diagram, Class Diagram, Communication Diagram, State Machine Diagram, Activity Diagram, Component Diagram, Deployment Diagram, Composite Structure Diagram, Timing Diagram, Interaction Overview Diagram, Overview Diagram, Business Workflow Diagram). It re-layouts the diagram elements so that they do not overlap, and the relationship links are arranged so that they will not cross over one another. Different layout styles and configurable options are provided, which allows very flexible and sophisticated layout to be adopted for diagrams.

In this chapter:

Using diagram layout facility
Setting the diagram layout options

Auto Layout

Auto Layout can arrange the shapes by selecting the most suitable layout automatically. It is best for arranging the shapes when user has no special preference in choosing a specific layout.

To apply Auto Layout to the diagram, right-click on the diagram and select Layout > Auto Layout from the popup menu.

Class Diagram

Hierarchy base (Factory class diagram)

Navigation base (Mediator class diagram)

Activity Diagram

State Machine Diagram

Communication Diagram

Other Diagrams

Performing Layout

To layout all the diagram elements in the diagram, right-click on the diagram and select Layout from the popup menu.
To layout the selected diagram elements, right-click on the selection and select Layout from the popup menu (make sure there are more than one diagram elements selected).

Orthogonal Layout

Orthogonal Layout arranges shapes based on the topology-shape-metrics approach. It is best for arranging shapes and connectors in Class Diagrams. It is the default layout in VP-UML. Every time you drag the models from the Model Tree to a diagram, the orthogonal layout will be applied to arrange the newly created shapes in the Class Diagram.

Layout Grid Size: the virtual grid size for layout. Each shape will be placed in a way that its center point lays on a virtual grid point.

Hierarchic Layout

Hierarchic Layout arranges shapes in a flow. It is best for arranging shapes that have hierarchical relationships such as generalization relationships and realization relationships.

Min. Layout Distance: the minimal vertical distance between the shapes

Min. Shape Distance: the minimal horizontal distance between the shapes

Min. Connector Distance: the minimal vertical distance of the connector segments

Orientation: the layout direction for arranging nodes and connectors - top to bottom, left to right, bottom to top, and right to left

Shape Placement: affects the horizontal spacing between shapes, and the number of bends of the connectors - pendulum, linear segments, polyline, tree, simplex

Connector Style: the style of the connectors - polyline style or orthogonal style

Directed Tree Layout

Directed Tree Layout is one of the tree layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in a tree structure. It is best for arranging shapes that have hierarchical relationships such as generalization relationships and realization relationships.

Min. Layer Distance: the minimal vertical distance between the shapes

Min. Shape Distance: the minimal horizontal distance between the shapes

Orientation: the layout direction for arranging nodes and connectors - top to bottom, left to right, bottom to top, and right to left

Connector End Point Style: how the connector end points will be placed - shape centered, border centered, border distributed

Orthogonal Connector: whether the connectors will be arranged in orthogonal style

Balloon Tree Layout

Balloon Tree Layout is one of the tree layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in a tree structure in a radial fashion. It is best for arranging large trees.

Min. Connector Length: the minimal distance between the connectors and shapes

Preferred Child Wedge: the angle that the child node will be placed around its parent node

Preferred Root Wedge: the angle that a node will be placed around the root node

Root Node Policy: determines which node is chosen as the tree root node for layout - directed root, center root, and weighted center root

Compact Tree Layout

Compact Tree Layout is one of the tree layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in a tree structure. You can set the aspect ratio (relation of tree width to tree height) of the resultant tree.

Horizontal Spacing: the horizontal spacing between the shapes

Vertical Spacing: the vertical spacing between the shapes

Min. Connector Length: the vertical distance of the connector segments

Aspect Ratio: the relation of the tree width to the tree height

Horizontal-Vertical Tree Layout

Horizontal-Vertical Tree Layout is one of the tree layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in a tree structure horizontally and vertically.

Horizontal Spacing: the horizontal spacing between the shapes

Vertical Spacing: the vertical spacing between the shapes

BBC Compact Circular Layout

BBC Compact Circular Layout is one of the circular layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in a radial tree structure. The detected group is laid out on the separate circles. It is best for arranging shapes that belongs to more than one group with ring structure.

Maximal Deviation Angle: the maximal angle of deviation

Preferred Child Wedge: the angle that the child node will be placed around its parent node

Minimal Edge Length: the minimal distance between the shapes

Compactness Factor: the parameter affect the length of connector. The smaller the compactness factor, the length of connectors will be shorter and the layout will be more compact.

Allow Overlaps: whether the shape can be overlapped

BBC Isolated Circular Layout

BBC Isolated Circular Layout is one of the circular layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in many isolated ring structure. It is best for arranging shapes that belongs to one group with ring structure.

The attributes of this layout is the same as BBC Compact Circular Layout.

Single Cycle Circular Layout

Single Cycle Layout is one of the circular layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in circular structure in single circle.

Choose radius automatically: determine the radius of circular structure automatically or manually

Minimal Node Distance: the minimal distance between the nodes

Fixed radius: the radius of circular structure

Organic Layout

Organic Layout is one of the organic layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange shapes in a star or ring structure. It is best for arranging the shapes that have highly connectivity relationship.

Activate Deterministic Mode: whether the layouter is in deterministic mode

Activate Tree Beautifier: whether or not to activate the subtree beautifier

Attraction: the degree of the attraction between shapes

Final Temperature: the factor affect the distance between shapes

Gravity Factor: the factor affect the distance between shapes and the center

Initial Placement: the initial value of placement

Initial Temperature: the initial value of temperature

Iteration Factor: the degree of iteration

Maximum Duration: the maximum degree of duration

Obey Node Size: the size of obey shapes

Preferred Edge Length: the preferred length between the nodes

Repulsion: the factor that affect the distance between shapes which belong to the same ring or star structure

Smart Organic Layout

Smart Organic Layout is one of the organic layouts in VP-UML. It is a variant of the Organic Layout. It can set the ratio of the quality to the producing time of layout and control the compactness of layout.

Compactness: the factor that set less or more compact layout.

Deterministic: whether the layouter is in deterministic mode

Minimal Node Distance: the minimal distance between nodes

Node Overlaps Allowed: whether the node can be overlapped

Node Size Aware: whether the node size can be aware

Preferred Minimal Node Distance: the preferred minimal distance between the nodes

Quality Time Ratio: the ratio of the quality of layout to the producing time of layout

Organic Edge Route Layout

Organic Edge Route Layout is one of the edge route layouts in VP-UML. It can arrange the connectors without affecting the location of shapes. It can ensure that the shapes will not overlap and keep a sepecfic minimal distance.

Minimal Distance: the minimal distance of the connectors

Route All: whether all the connectors will be routed

Use Existing Bends: whether using existing bends

Orthogonal Edge Route Layout

Route Connectors can arrange the connectors using vertical and horizontal line segments only. It is best for arranging the connectors that have complicated route.

Center to space ratio: the ratio of center to the distance between center and nodes

Coupled distances: the distance between coupled nodes

Crossing cost: the cost of crossing connector

Custom border capacity: the capacity of the border

Local crossing minimization: whether the local crossing of connectors will be minimized

Minimum distance: the minimum distance of connectors

Minimum distance to node: the minimum distance between the shapes

Rerouting: whether the connector that have many crossing will be rerouted

Routing style: the style of routing