Creating views and viewpoints

You can create Views and Viewpoints to define specific aspect of the system, and rules to address the requirements of the view.

About this task

A View is a representation of a system or subsystem in a package. With a view, designers can focus on specific aspects of the system that are important to them. For example, they want to define the security system within a manufacturing system for a new factory or the fuel efficiency components of a new engine.

A Viewpoint defines the rules and conventions to address the requirements for a view. For example, the viewpoint for a factory security system might include security requirements, the security functional and physical architecture, and the security test cases.

Procedure

  1. To create a view, highlight the system, or subsystem for which the view is required.
  2. Right-click and select Add New > General Elements > View.
  3. Type the name of the new view into the browser location created.
  4. Open the Features window to define the newly added view.
  5. To add a viewpoint to the view, highlight the view, right-click, and select Add New > General Elements > Viewpoint.
  6. Type the name of the new viewpoint into the browser location created, and open the Features window to define the viewpoint.

Results

The view can be dragged from the browser onto the diagrams.

Note: You can change an existing package into a View using Change To > View.

You might use the tags in the SysML profile to define your viewpoint:

To add new elements highligh the item in the browser to which you want to add the new element. Select Add New > General Elements, and select the element type from the following offered possibilities:
  • Comment is a textual annotation that does not add semantics, but contains useful information
  • Constraint shows restrictions associated with one or more model elements as a logical constraint, a condition on a decision branch, or a mathematical expression
  • Problem describes an unfavorable environment situation that needs to be addressed
  • Rationale states the reason for a specific requirement or design feature
  • Viewpoint specifies the rules and conventions for constructing a View to address a set of stakeholder concerns.
  • Conform details compliance with the Viewpoint rules and conventions.
  • Dependency shows a relationship
  • Refinement describes how a model element or set of elements can be used to further define a requirement.
  • Realization specifies the relationship (as a super class) between an interface and a class that implements that interface
To create the element:
  • For the Comment, Constraint, Problem, Rationale, and Viewpoint elements, type the name of the new element into the browser location created.
  • For the Conform, Dependency, and Refinement elements, select the element on which it depends, and click OK.
  • For the Realization element, select the class to become a super class of the selected browser item, and click OK.

Open the Features window to define the newly added element. These new elements might be dragged from the browser onto the diagrams.

Note: Elements can be removed from a view, or deleted from the model entirely.

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