Drawing Sequence Diagram with Resource-Centric Interface
A sequence diagram shows the sequence of actions that occur in a system. It is simply used to illustrate the dynamic view of a system by showing the objects’ interaction with message transmissions between objects.
With the Resource-centric interface, you can conveniently create another object from the current object you are working on working on, without having to jump to another screen or doing too much mouse movement.
The resource-centric interface also helps you focus on the available step-by step interactions from an object to another and also prevents you from drawing invalid interactions.
Watch Demo
Drawing Sequence Diagram using Resource-centric
On the menu, select
File > New Diagram > UML Diagrams > Sequence Diagram to create a new sequence diagram.
Draw a lifeline by choosing the
LifeLine icon on the diagram palette then click on the diagram.
Mouse over the lifeline, the smart resource is visible. By default it shows the recently selected resource.
Either click and drag on the smart resource to empty space to create a new shape.
(For example creating a new lifeline by clicking and dragging the
Message → LifeLine resource to an empty space).
OR click and drag on the smart resource to an existing lifeline/actor
(For example creating a new message by clicking and dragging the
Message → LifeLine resource of the
Withdraw Money lifeline to the
ATM Machine lifeline).
You can also click on the recent smart resource to expand the list of available resources. Then follow step 3 to create/connect shape with a selected resource. The selected resource will become the default resource of the smart resource (only within this application session and for this diagram).
| LifeLine Smart Resource |
| Icon | Description |
 | Message → LifeLine |
 | Duration Message → LifeLine |
 | Create Message → LifeLine |
 | Self Message → LifeLine |
 | Recursive Message → LifeLine |
| Actor Smart Resource |
| Icon | Description |
| Message → LifeLine |
| Duration Message → LifeLine |
| Create Message → LifeLine |
| Self Message → LifeLine |
6. If click once on the Message/Duration/Create message resource with no dragging, a list will appear for selecting the target lifeline/actors
(For example click once on the Message → LifeLine resource)
7. Mouse over a message, you will see the Message Type resource to change the message type (Unspecified, Call, Send, Return, etc.),
and the Create Return Message resource for creating a return message.
8. You can also select 2 or more lifelines, click on Create Combined Fragment for Selected LifeLines to create a combined fragment for the selection.
9. Mouse over a Frame shape, the Create Gate resource can be used to create a Gate shape.
10. Mouse over the Gate shape, the Message → LifeLine resource can be dragged to the new area to create a new message from gate to a new lifeline.
Smart Resources for Elements on the Sequence Diagram
| LifeLine Smart Resource |
| Icon | Description |
| Message → LifeLine |
| Duration Message → LifeLine |
| Create Message → LifeLine |
| Self Message → LifeLine |
| Recursive Message → LifeLine |
| Actor Smart Resource |
| Icon | Description |
| Message → LifeLine |
| Duration Message → LifeLine |
| Create Message → LifeLine |
| Self Message → LifeLine |
| Message Smart Resource |
| Icon | Description |
 | Message Type |
 | Create Return Message |
| Frame Smart Resource |
| Icon | Description |
 | Create Gate |
| Gate Smart Resource |
| Icon | Description |
| Message → LifeLine |
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