Summary of improvements for OMEdit GUI usability
— at Version 32
This ticket is meant to collect and prioritize the improvements that need to be done to the OMEdit GUI in order to make it usable with the MSL and with most modern Modelica 3.3r1 compliant libraries. Each item is covered by a specific ticket.
Features requiring the new front end to be in place
All the features listed here depend on the front-end to provide correct information to OMEdit, and to do so rapidly. It is planned to use the new front-end (see #4138) to achieve this goal. Some parts of it should be ready before the end of 2017 for use by OMEdit's API before the new front-end is rolled out for use in model compilation.
- #2960 Speed up the exploration of the package tree and the drag-n-drop actions.
- #2079 Replaceable classes and replaceable objects (e.g. the Medium package in all Modelica.Fluid models, or the HeatTransfer model in the Modelica.Fluid.Vessels.ClosedVolume) should show up in the parameter window, with a drop-down menu filled in based on the
choices or choicesAllMatching annotations. Once a specific choice is made, it should be possible to change the parameters and/or replaceable classes/models of the redeclared model/component, e.g. by clicking on a button. This feature is essential for the Modelica.Fluid library, as well as for many user libraries such as ThermoPower.
- #2081 Conditional connectors should be displayed correctly. This feature is used extensively in the Modelica.Mechanics and Modelica.Electrical libraries. It requires that the API functions return the correct visibility attribute.
- #2891 Hierarchical editing of systems for graphical modification of parameters and replaceable classes in sub-models. Requires substantial work to implement some API function, as well as in OMEdit to display the information properly.
Other features
- #4504 Allow to install OpenModelica anywhere in the file system, including the default installation directories (such as
C:\Program Files) that include spaces
- #2395 - Support the connectorSizing annotation. Required by many libraries including Modelica.Fluid, PNLib, iPSL, OpenIPSL
- #3287 Allow input of common parameters and replaceable classes in a multiple component selection. This can shorten the time to set up a model dramatically
- #2166 See exact simulation values through snap to curve feature
- #2661 Update parameter-dependent Dialog annotations correctly
- #2132 Display conditional connectors correctly by evaluating the
corresponding parameters
Past improvements
- #4508 Reduce the installation time under Windows by making the installation of contributed open source libraries optional
- #2909, #3788 Drastically reduce the waste of HD space by eliminating useless intermediate output files and reducing the number of useful files
- #3054 Clarify "Revert from previous" button
- #2908 Changes in sub-models should be reflected in models using them immediately, not only when changes to the latter models are made.
- #2906 Drop-down choices for enumeration (and possibly boolean) parameters
- #2845 Consistent view between textual view and library browser view of packages should be always guaranteed. Requires to update the views in OMEdit whenever the focus is changed between the different sub-windows.
- #2391 Improved handling of custom modifers (e.g. start attributes) from the GUI. Modifers, once applied, should still show up when the parameter window is re-opened later.
- #2390 Fully support the showStartAttribute annotation, which is widely used in Modelica.Mechanics.
- #2190 Copy class feature within the same package.
- #2903 Add option to output protected variables to simulation setup window, output tag.
- #2477 Better snap-to-grid features when using blocks from the MSL
- #2506 Keep connecting lines manhattanized and allow no-nonsense editing of models copied from the MSL (e.g. it should be possible to move one component without weird side-effects on the diagram)
- #2611 Zoom issue should be fixed.
- #2988 Zoom In/Out with MouseWheel.
- #2392 Show default values differently in the Component Parameters window.
- #2956 Moving a complete model disassembles everything
- #2596 Re-simulate with changed options. Currently if we want to make a new simulation with different simulations options, e.g. a different final time we have to re-build the whole executable, that is a waste of time.
- #2985 Updating submodel icons where they are used. This ticket is not really urgent. But it is related to #2908, that has already been fixed, so fixing this one is sort of completion of the job. In case it is difficult to fix it could be postponed.
- #1900 Handle connections to expandable connectors in OMEdit
- #2250 Support DisplayUnit and unit conversion for parameter input in OMEdit
- #3558: Flip icons with text boxes correctly
- #2676 Handle models in separate files
- #2905 Comment- and formatting-preserving parsing and unparsing is required to avoid that OMEdit scrambles up the code of existing Modelica classes when saving them on file.
- #2892 Undo/Redo feature in the Diagram view of the model editor.
- #2190 Copy class to a different package.
- #2696: Display enhancement of very large and very small numbers on vertical axis
I would like to mention #2395 - Support connectorSizing annotation.