Webel: SysMLv1: Overview of annotated Diagram Slides and Note pages related to general high level SysML modelling principles (some specific to MagicDraw/Cameo). Recommended reading for all Webel SysML/MBSE course attendees.
TIP: SysMLv1: MagicDraw/Cameo: Activity Diagrams: Consider using the Pin display mode 'Name And Type Labels Inside' for 'Position of Labels'. Dr Darren swears by it!
[FIXED in v2022Refresh1]: BUG: MagicDraw/Cameo: 19SP3/v2022xGolden: Activity Diagrams: Pin display mode 'Position of Labels' does not stick, label positions in Diagrams have sometimes moved after re-opening a project [and "FIX"] ARCHIVAL (2022): This content is now considered historical only!
MagicDraw/Cameo: UML/SysML: TIP: Activity Diagrams: Learn how to use the Refactor > Extract feature to divide-and-conquer and identify cleaner flow and logic. Get control of those crossed wires!
Webel: MagicDraw/Cameo: UML/SysML: TIP: Activity Diagrams, StateMachine Diagrams, and port-based IBDs: Keep it loose initially with oblique (no break) paths, then square it up with rectangular paths at the very end
Mathematica: The Webel Units` package has Quantity variables for frequently used units using a naming convention 'unit$[Symbol]' or 'unit[DescriptiveName]' or unit[Acronym], each with a corresponding '$unit...' for the units identifier String(s).
MagicDraw/Cameo 19SP3/v2022xGolden: [FIXED in v2022xRefresh1]: Activity Diagrams: Pin display mode 'Position of Labels' does not work correctly for 'Name And Type Labels Inside', only shows the Name inside (not the Label) [and WORKAROUND] ARCHIVAL (2022): This content is now considered historical only!
The targeting of the Modelica and Simulink simulation language families by the SysML Extension for Physical Interaction and Signal Flow Simulation (SysPhS) encourages development of SysML models aligned with known practices for a wide class of problems!
UML/SysML: In Internal Block Diagrams: If you have a Port with a name that indicates a unique role AND and if there is an ItemFlow on a Connector that implies or suggests the Type of the Port, consider hiding the Type on the Port symbol.
MagicDraw SysML/Cameo has a nice feature 'Tools > Delegate Port(s)' accessible from the context menu for splitting Connectors that cross block boundaries into multiple Connectors with "exporting" Ports.
Progressively "exporting" internal Ports of usages of Blocks to the boundary of their using Block may seem like a bit of extra work, but it means you can progressively develop with clean black box views without the Connectors crossing Block boundaries.
SysPhS-1.1: Apparent use of part Property with «port» keyword (instead of standard SysML Port) leads to property path symbols appearing inside the boundary of context blocks (instead of within a Port symbol on the boundary) in IBDs and Parametric Diagrams
Webel vs SysPhS-1.1: Recommend use standard SysML Ports instead of block part property with «port» keyword
Webel Best Practice: SysML/SysPhS: DO NOT use overlapping Connector lines from/to one Port (can be misunderstood as "summed" flow and/or physical node/fork/junction).
A "staging" BDD for defining the flows, ports, and item properties on blocks to be used in an IBD does not have to be a "work of art" if it is not intended as a final presentation diagram.
In Package Diagrams and Block Definition Diagrams use the owner indicator display option for Classifier symbol headers to indicate the owner (except where a containment operator suffices). The mode 'Below Element Name' is preferred.
Webel Parsing Analysis: If the dashed-line "anchors" from your «snippet» ElementGroup symbols to elicited elements make a «pa» Parsing Analysis Diagram (PAD) too hard to read, try making them light grey using symbol properties.
MagicDraw/Cameo: You can control how or whether applied Sterotypes are displayed on most Element symbols using the 'Show Stereotypes' display option (and in some cases this affects how the entire symbol is displayed).
MagicDraw/Cameo: You can assign values to 'tagged values' of Stereotypes via the Tags section in the specification dialog. Make sure you have one of the 'On Shape' or 'In Compartment' Show Tagged Values display options enabled.
ALL Model-Based Engineering: Just because you can't see a Feature or some other aspect of a SysML (or UML) Element in a tool on a symbol does NOT mean it does not exist in the underlying model (repository)! The model is not just what is DISPLAYED!
Webel: Recommend maintain a basic black-and-white style file for starting new projects. Webel course attendees have access to a basic Webel.stl file (or clone and tune the 'OMG SysML style').
Webel: MagicDraw/Cameo: First recommended display style settings and project option steps for every SysML (and UML) project. [Includes TIP: DO NOT show the Diagram Name in the optional Diagram Info adornment, show it on the Diagram frame only]
Webel «pa» Parsing Analysis Diagrams (PADs) are "scratchpads" used to elicit model elements traceably from text Snippets (extracts from source Documents). While BDDs are a good initial choice, most types of SysML diagram can be used as a «pa» diagram.
Webel Parsing Analysis: If you wish to show a «snippet» comment symbol (with its body text) in a presentation diagram (that is NOT a «pa» diagram) remove the '/member' tagged value from display so the only visible tagged value is 'source'.
Webel Parsing Analysis «pa» diagrams are NOT intended as final presentation diagrams! They serve merely to traceably elicit model elements, which may then be shown in other (typically much tidier) presentation diagrams elsewhere.
SysMLv1: Associative BDDs are best used as staging diagrams for you the modeller (and SysML-fluent readers). IBDs usually make better presentations diagrams for a wider audience of general engineers and other stakeholders.
Webel has a proposal for clearly revealing anonymous typed elements in SysML callouts and on derived Properties from operation queries.
SysML: Non-anonymous (concise please) block property names and port names may help a little in tracing participation of properties and ports in requirements relationships and play nicely with current SysML callout style. Short role indicators are best!
"Trust the Port or Pin Type!" - Often the name of the Type of an anonymous Port or Pin is completely sufficient to indicate its role, unless a clear indication of its direction or unique role is required.
UML/SysML: In Internal Block Diagrams: Consider hiding the name of a named Port or Property in a Diagram if its Type is sufficient to indicate its role.
In most Webel examples, the default is chosen to be 'out' if there is a single FlowProperty, so a Port with the type applied will act as a source. If an InterfaceBlock is used, then a Port typed by the conjugating ~InterfaceBlock will act as a sink.
Provided/required Interface "lollipop" and "socket" (a.k.a. ball-and-socket) notation can quickly lead to clutter in UML Composite Structure Diagrams and SysML Internal Block Diagrams. SysML provided/required DirectedFeature notation is cleaner.
[HISTORICAL] ISSUE: UML: MagicDraw UML: Showing Port labels (name and type) inside Port rectangle symbols does not always work well with provided/required Interface "lollipop" and "socket" (a.k.a. ball-and-socket) notation ARCHIVAL (2021): This content is now considered historical only!
SysML-1.6: double-callout into one Note from 2 part Property symbols in 'Figure 16.4: Requirement satisfaction in an internal block diagram' is not tool friendly
MagicDraw/Cameo: How disable icons in requirement relationship compartments and tagged values compartment on Requirement symbol?
SysML-1.6: Consistency: either show the [metaclass] on all Stereotype symbols in profile diagrams or on none
MagicDraw/Cameo does not seem to offer the display option Apply SysML Callout Style on CentralBufferNode
Webel recommends (usually) display the header of a Package, Model, ModelLibrary, or Profile in the 'tab' (rather than 'top')
In the Webel trail versions of the SysML-1.6 spec sample Figure D.38, the alignment of ObjectNode symbols over the ActivityParameterNode boundaries is completely contrived, please DO NOT mimic it; please use explicit Pins instead!
MagicDraw/Cameo: Does not support ConstraintNote: Can't callout the Constraint of the ConstraintBlock of a constraint property into a Note on a Parametric Diagram (show on the constraint property symbol instead)
Avoid punctuation in Property names (except when used to "quote text"). You can usually avoid underscores in Property names (even if they are used in the Type name) if you can "Trust the Type"!
TIP: UML/SysML: MagicDraw/Cameo: Consider showing the constraint parameter name and type label inside the small rectangular parameter symbol on SysML Parametric Diagrams. Dr Darren swears by it!
Webel: "Trust the Metaclass or Stereotype" of an Element to indicate what type of element it is (you don't have to repeat it in the name)
FlowProperty naming. Use anonymous or just 'i' for in, 'o' for out, and 'io' (or 'oi') for inout. "Trust the Type". For conjugation ~InterfaceBlock use 'o' for in, 'i' for out, and 'io' (or 'oi') for inout.
TIP: MagicDraw/Cameo: Consider showing the Port name and type label inside the Port symbol! CAVEAT: This loses the direction indicators on Ports typed by Blocks with flow properties (but is fine if ItemFlows show the direction, or for "contract ports").
SysMLv1: Prefer not show Port symbols on the boundary of Block symbols in BDDs, just list them in compartments. One can't connect them in a BDD anyway. Recommend only show Port symbols in IBDs.
SysML directed features displayed on Port symbols are often far clearer than UML-style provided/required Interface "ball (lollipop) and socket" notation
MagicDraw/Cameo tool support for Association composition "trees" is not good, and they end up being fiddly to maintain (and they can also cause issues for InformationFlows). Avoid them!
As an alternative to composition Association "trees" consider instead using symbol resize to visually "bracket" composed items (can however be a bit fiddly).
MagicDraw/Cameo: the coloured stereotype icons for some kinds of elements can't be removed from all diagrams, tables, or matrix views
In MagicDraw/Cameo the name and any stereotype keywords of a Classifier subject of a UseCase may be shown in the top-middle (not just top-left)
SysML: Webel: "Trust the Type!" - Often the name of the Type of an anonymous Property or instance-level element is completely sufficient to indicate its role - unless multiple Properties of the same Type have different roles within the same owner context!
In SysML diagrams, showing the context name and type in the diagram frame can lead to clutter and is not always clear to non-SysML stakeholders (although that is the style used in the specification samples)
The Webel modelling style, naming conventions, and Best Practices for SysML are more consistent than most SysML spec diagrams. When following Webel courses please DO NOT use the spec sample diagrams (which serve a different purpose) as visual references!
Webel: SysMLv1: Highly recommend creating a "focus" Block Definition Diagram (BDD) for each main Block with expanded feature details and relationships to at least nearest neighbours
Style: use line width 2 or 3 on the border of the "focus" element in "focus" diagrams (such as the main Block or Class of a dedicated Block Definition Diagram or Class Diagram)
SysML: MagicDraw/Cameo: Diagram Style: Recommend DO NOT use shadows or gradient fill adornments on diagrams! [TIP OFTEN IGNORED]
Webel: SysML symbol colour styles: Recommend use black symbol borders and no symbol fill (or white symbol fill) EXCEPT for special highlighting. Recommend DO NOT use the default VENDOR-SPECIFIC line and fill colours for symbols! [TIP IS MOSTLY IGNORED]
