KP-Environment Visual Model Editor
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[edit] What is the Visual Model Editor?
Visual Model editor (VME) is a tool for collaborative creation of visual models based on domain-specific languages and ontologies.
The Visual Model Editor allows you to create and edit various kinds of diagrams that depict the relationships among concepts or ideas. For each model you can choose from a set of predefined visual languages. These languages provide you with various types of nodes and links you can use in your model.
The picture below is an example of a diagram created with the Visual Model Editor. In this case the visual language allows you to distinguish between variables, resources, actions and goals relevant to a particular project. The different types of nodes are represented by the icons on the left-hand side of the boxes. Different types of links are represented by different colors.
The Visual Model Editor can be used to collaboratively brainstorm, organize and discuss on concepts and ideas relevant to the subject you are working on.
[edit] Working with Visual Models within the Knowledge Practices Environment
Visual Models are represented as Content Items in the Knowledge Practices Environment.
This means that you can create, modify, comment and delete visual models as you can do with any other Content Item in the Knowledge Practices Environment.
[edit] Adding a Visual Model
To create a new Visual Model you have to right-click on the background of the Shared Space you are in and then select "Add Visual Model" (See figure 3).
Or you can add Visual Model by selecting File - Add -Visual Model from the Menu bar (See figure 4).
A popup window appears and you are asked to fill in some basic metadata for the model you want to create, such as its title, description, etc. (See figure 5 below)
At the bottom of the form you are also asked to select the "visual modeling language" you want to use. This is important as the visual modeling language specifies the types of nodes and links you will have at your disposal when working with the model. In order to get an idea of what the different languages are about you can select a language by using the drop down menu and then read a short info about the language itself.
[edit] Opening a Visual Model
To open a visual model, you have to right-click on the respective Visual Model and then select "Open".
Once you have opened a visual model, a purple layer appears on top of the Content View and the visual model tab on the right hand side of the screen gets activated. The purple layer indicates that you are now working on a visual model which will be displayed 'on top' of the other content items you have created. In general, each visual model has its own layer so that you can show and hide different models if needed.
Note that once you have opened a visual model you cannot access the content items in the background. To do so you either have to close or hide the visual model. For more details, see Controls tab for viewing and hiding the Visual Model.
[edit] Editing a Visual Model
When a Visual Model is selected, it can be edited in Information Tab.
On top of this tab the title of the model you are working on is displayed. Below you have an overview of the different types of nodes and links you can use to create your model. Depending on the language you have chosen another set of nodes and links will be available. In order to get more information about a particular type of nodes or links, you can move with the course over the item and a short description will be displayed.
Note that in the following examples the Problem Analysis Language has been chosen. As the types of nodes and links available in the model editor tab depend on the visual language you have chosen, it might be that the contents of the tab looks different for you.
[edit] Adding a new Node to the Model
To add a new node to the model you have to click on the type of node you want to add. The node will be directly added to the model as shown below.
[edit] Linking Nodes
To add a link between two nodes in a visual model you have to select the type of link you want to create by clicking on the respective icon in the model editor tab. The mouse cursor changes and you can select the nodes you want to link. For this purpose move the cursor to the first node you want to link, press and hold the left mouse button while dragging the cursor to the second node you want to link. Release the mouse button and the link will be added.
[edit] Editing a Node or Link
To edit a node or link you have to right-click on the node or link and then select modify A popup window appears and shows you a form where you can specify the title and description of the node or link as well as other properties. In the current version it is not possible to change the type of a node or link.
Note that the properties depend on the type of node or link you have chosen. The specification of properties can be useful if you want to search your model for elements with common characteristics.
[edit] Commenting a Node or Link
If you want to comment on a particular node or link in the visual model you have to right-click on the node or link and then select Add comment. A popup window appears which allows you to specify the subject you want to comment on as well as a text box for the comment itself. You can also use this option to reply to previous comments.
[edit] Deleting a Link or Node
To delete a link or node you have to right-click on the link or node and then select Delete. A popup window appears and asks you whether you are sure that you would like to delete the item.
[edit] Working with Several Models in Parallel
The Visual Model Editor also allows you to work with several models in parallel. This option might be useful if, for example, several group-members have created models on their own and now want to compare them or create a joint model.
In order to open several models in parallel use the following procedure.
- Right-click on the first model you want to open and select open.
- Hide the model you just opened by deactivating the checkbox for this model in the visual model tab, in order to be able to access the content items in the background.
- Right-click on the second model you want to open and select open.
- Repeat this process if needed.
When you are working with several models in parallel, all open models will be presented on a separate layer. In order to toggle between layers you can use the radio button in the visual model tab. The model with the active radio button is displayed on top of all the other layers. Only the model on top can be edited.
