Visual Paradigm Installation and User's Guide

READ ME FIRST

• This tutorial only applies to the WINDOWS operating system, other operating systems have not yet been verified.
• This tutorial is based on this website with simplifications and modifications. You can visit that website for more detailed UML information and guidelines.
• Contact Shuokai Ma (s214919@student.dtu.dk) if you find a problem or have suggestions for this Wiki.

Visual Paradigm Installation

Downloading, Installing and Activating Visual Paradigm

1. Download the latest version of Visual Paradigm, and then install the Visual Paradigm by following the instructions of the installation wizard.
2. Start Visual Paradigm. When you see the following screen, select Subscription/Academic License.

   

   Select Subscription / Academic License

3. Expand Academic Training Partner Program License.
4. Copy the activation code from DTU Learn (Content -> UML Modelling Tools -> Visual Paradigm Academic License).
5. Paste the activation code to the textbox called Activation Code. And then enter your name and student email address (sxxxxxx@student.dtu.dk).

   

   Activating Visual Paradigm

6. Click Activate. You are prompted for an activation code.
7. Go to your email inbox and check your new email for the verification code.
8. Copy the verification code and paste it to Visual Paradigm.

   

   Pasting the verification code

9. Click OK to confirm. Visual Paradigm will be activated if the verification code is valid.

Visual Paradigm User's Guide

In order to create a diagram, you need first to create a project.

Creating your first project in Visual Paradigm

To create a project, select Project -> New from the toolbar.

Create a new project

The New Project window appears.

An overview of New Project window

No.	Name	Description
1	Name	The name of the project.
2	Author	The person who creates the project.
3	Data type set	It lets you select the programming/scripting language for the project. The language you selected mainly affects class modelling. For example, the selectable visibilities and primitive types vary among languages.
4	Description	The project description.
5	Create Project Management Lookup	Check it to automatically fill the project management lookups such as iteration, version, etc with default lookup values.
6	Create Blank Project	Click to create the project.
7	Cancel	Click to cancel creating the project, and close the window.

Enter the name of the project and your name. And then you should choose UML as the Data type set and click Create Blank Project. After creating a project, please save the current project first, since the autosave function will be enabled, if you do that.

UML modelling

This tutorial contains only the UML diagrams required for the course - Use Case Diagram, Class Diagram & Sequence Diagram.

Use Case Diagram

Perform the steps below to create a UML use case diagram in Visual Paradigm.

1. Select Diagram -> New from the application toolbar.
2. In the New Diagram window, search and select Use Case Diagram, and then click Next.
3. You can choose to create a blank diagram or use the template. We choose to create a blank diagram here. 
4. Enter the diagram name and maybe also the description. The Location field enables you to select a model to store the diagram. We are not going to change this value right now.
5. Click OK.

Create a new use case diagram

Creating a system

To create a system in the use case diagram, select System on the diagram toolbar and then click it on the diagram pane. Finally, name the newly created system when it is created.

Create a system

Creating an actor

To draw an actor in a use case diagram, select Actor on the diagram toolbar and then click it on the diagram pane. Finally, name the newly created actor when it is created.

Create an actor

Creating a use case

You can then create a use case through Resource Catalog by doing the following:

1. Move the mouse over a source shape (e.g. an actor).
2. Press on the Resource Catalog button and drag it out.

   

   Resource Catalog

3. Release the mouse button until it reaches your preferred place. (E.g. in the system box)

   

   Release the mouse button in the system box.

4. Select Association -> Use Case from Resource Catalog.

   

   To create a use case

5. The source shape and the newly created use case are connected. Finally, name the newly created use case.

   

   Use Case created

Class Diagram

Perform the steps below to create a UML class diagram in Visual Paradigm.

1. Select Diagram -> New from the application toolbar.
2. In the New Diagram window, search and select Class Diagram, and then click Next.
3. You can choose to create a blank diagram or use the template. We choose to create a blank diagram here. 
4. Enter the diagram name and maybe also the description. The Location field enables you to select a model to store the diagram. We are not going to change this value right now.
5. Click OK.

Create a class diagram

Creating a class

To create a class in a class diagram, click Class on the diagram toolbar and then click on the diagram.

Create class

Then a class will be created.

Class created

Creating an attribute

To create an attribute, right-click the class and select Add -> Attribute from the pop-up menu.

Create attribute

Then an attribute is created.

Attribute created

You can modify the specification of the attribute by right-clicking the attribute and selecting Open Specification from the pop-up menu.

Attribute Specification

Creating an operation

To create an operation, right-click the class and select Add -> Operation from the pop-up menu.

Create operation

Then an operation is created.

Operation created

You can modify the specification of the attribute by right-clicking the operation and selecting Open Specification from the pop-up menu.

Operation Specification

Creating an association

You can create an associated class in a class diagram by doing the following:

1. Move your mouse pointer over the source shape.
2. Press on the Resource Catalog button and drag it out.

   

   Using Resource Catalog

3. Release the mouse button at the place where you want the class to be created. If you want to connect to an existing class, drop at that class. Otherwise, drop at the empty space (either at the diagram background or container shape like package).
4. If you are connecting to an existing class, select Association from Resource Catalog. If you are creating a new class, select Association -> Class from Resource Catalog. If you want to create an aggregation or composition, select Aggregation -> Class or Composition -> Class instead.

   

   Create a class

5. If you are creating a new class, you should see the class now and it is connected to the source shape. Enter its name and press Enter to confirm editing.

   

   Associated class created

Editing the navigability of the association

To edit the navigability of an association end, right-click near the association end, select Navigable from the popup menu and then select the true value.

Edit navigability

Editing the multiplicity of the association

To edit the multiplicity of an association end, right-click near the association end, select Multiplicity from the popup menu and then select a multiplicity.

Edit multiplicity

Editing the direction of the association

To show the direction of an association, right-click on it and select Presentation Options -> Show Direction from the pop-up menu.

Show direction

Creating a generalization

You can create a subclass by doing the following:

1. Move your mouse pointer over the superclass.
2. Press on the Resource Catalog button and drag it out.

   

   Using Resource Catalog

3. Release the mouse button at the place where you want the subclass to be created. If you want to connect to an existing class, drop at that class. Otherwise, drop at the empty space (either at the diagram background or container shape like package).
4. If you are connecting to an existing class, select Generalization from Resource Catalog. If you are creating a new class, select Generalization -> Class from Resource Catalog.

   

   Create a subclass

If you are creating a new class, you should see the class now and it is connected to the source shape with a generalization. Enter its name and press Enter to confirm editing.

Subclass created

Creating a dependency from/to attribute/operation

You can also add a dependency from and/or to an attribute or operation in class by doing the following:

1. Select Dependency from the diagram toolbar.

   

   Dependency

2. Press on the source shape or a class member.

   

   Press on the source operation

3. Drag to the target shape, or a class member.

   

   Dragging to the target attribute

4. Release the mouse button to create the dependency.

   

   Dependency created between an operation and a member

Sequence Diagram

Perform the steps below to create a UML sequence diagram in Visual Paradigm.

1. Select Diagram -> New from the application toolbar.
2. In the New Diagram window, search and select Sequence Diagram, and then click Next.
3. You can choose to create a blank diagram or use the template. We choose to create a blank diagram here. 
4. Enter the diagram name and maybe also the description. The Location field enables you to select a model to store the diagram. We are not going to change this value right now.
5. Click OK.

Create a new sequence diagram

Creating an actor

To create an actor, click Actor on the diagram toolbar and then click on the diagram.

Create an actor

Creating a lifeline

To create a lifeline, you can use Resource Catalog:

1. Move your mouse pointer over the source lifeline.
2. Press on the Resource Catalog button and drag it out.

   

   Using Resource Catalog

3. Release the mouse button at the place where you want the lifeline to be created.
4. Select Message -> LifeLine from Resource Catalog.

   

   Create a lifeline

5. A new lifeline will be created and connected to the actor/lifeline with a message. Enter its name and press Enter to confirm editing.

   

   Lifeline created

Auto extending activation (Adding a new message / Adding a new activation)

When creating a new message between lifelines/actors, activation will be automatically extended.

Auto extending activation

If you want to split the newly created activation into two or more, you can check the section Spitting overlapping execution (activation) below.

Spitting overlapping execution (activation)

You can split the overlapping execution (activation) by right-clicking the execution and selecting Spit Overlapping Execution.

Spitting overlapping execution (activation)

Then the overlapping execution is split.

The overlapping execution is split

Creating a combined fragment for messages

To create a combined fragment to cover messages, select the messages, right-click on the selection and select Create Combined Fragment and then select a combined fragment type (e.g. loop) from the popup menu.

Create a combined fragment for messages

A combined fragment of the selected type will be created to cover the messages.

The combined fragment created

Exporting the diagram from the project

[ATTENTION] I recommend exporting the diagrams in PDF format, as PDF diagrams are vectors and therefore scalable.

Exporting the diagram as a PDF file (Recommended)

You can export the opening diagram to an image file by doing the following:

1. Select Project -> Export -> Active Diagram as Image... from the toolbar.
2. Select the image format as PDF files (*.pdf vector graphic) at the bottom of the window.

   

   Export the diagram as a PDF file

3. Specify the filename.
4. Click Save to export.

Exporting the diagram as an image

You can export the opening diagram to an image file by doing the following:

1. Select Project -> Export -> Active Diagram as Image... from the toolbar.
2. In the Save window, set the image quality. The higher the quality, the clearer the image, and the larger the image size.

   

   Set the image quality

3. Select the image format at the bottom of the window.
4. Specify the filename.
5. Click Save to export.

NOTE: There are two options for exporting as PNG files - with and without background:
- With background: export diagram's background colour. 
- Without background: ignore the background colour by exporting transparent background.

Switching the different diagrams in the current project

You can easily switch the different diagrams in the current project by pressing ctrl + tab.

Saving the current project

You can save your current project by doing the following:

1. Select Project -> Save from the toolbar.
2. Specify the filename.
3. Click Save to save the project.

Importing / Opening your project

You can import / Open your current project by doing the following:

1. Select Project -> Open from the toolbar.
2. Choose the project you want to import/open.
3. Click Open to import/open the project.