Bug 95736

Summary: Add more universal drawing objects
Product: [Applications] umbrello Reporter: bugs-kde
Component: generalAssignee: Umbrello Development Group <umbrello-devel>
Status: CONFIRMED ---    
Severity: wishlist CC: ymaska
Priority: LO    
Version: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: Mandrake RPMs   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed In:
Attachments: Example drawing shapes
The same drawing shapes in OpenOffice Draw .SXD format

Description bugs-kde 2004-12-23 19:52:27 UTC 
Version:           1.2.2 (using KDE KDE 3.2.3)
Installed from:    Mandrake RPMs
OS:                Linux

In addition to boxes, some other primitive drawing objects would be handy in Umbrello.

Particularly bad is the lack of ability to draw such arbitrary elements like:

   * straight lines (with various formatting: solid, dotted, dashed styles; different colors; adjustable thickness)
   * segmented lines (by adding nodes to straight lines by double-clicking on them like we currently do for associations and others)
   * arrows (lines with specific ends)
   * ellipses (with formatting like in straight lines, plus fill options - solid color, "no fill", possible bitmap/pattern fills)
Comment 1 bugs-kde 2004-12-23 19:53:11 UTC 
Created attachment 8792 [details]
Example drawing shapes
Comment 2 bugs-kde 2004-12-23 19:53:38 UTC 
Created attachment 8793 [details]
The same drawing shapes in OpenOffice Draw .SXD format
Comment 3 Jonathan Riddell 2004-12-24 00:40:07 UTC 
Boxes are used for grouping items together, what would these other drawing objects do which can't already be done in UML?
Comment 4 Jonathan Riddell 2004-12-28 18:53:16 UTC 
Need a good reason for them
Comment 5 bugs-kde 2005-01-11 16:51:06 UTC 
Well, in practice UML diagrams are sometimes augmented by some non-UML elements to better communicate non-technical concepts.

On a whiteboard you often end up sketching some non-UML elements to communicate something to the non-technical types. A UML diagram can be used not olny for code generation, but also (even more often) to better express ideas of a complex system to many viewers.

And one might need to sketch something from the real like, like a desktop computer, or a bush, or a car e.g. to place outside the system box on a use case diagram. Such a diagram works much better with imagination of non-tech types from the management.