Before you start, learn basic operations to create objects and lines. There are 5 ways to create model elements.
Choose an icon you want to create from the tool palette then click on a diagram.
Drag a model from the tree and drop it on a diagram.
Click a mini icon that appears when you have a mouse over an object.
If you want to hide these mini icons, click an object or hold [Shift] key down.
Directly double-clicking on the diagram creates the following model elements.
Diagram | Model |
---|---|
Class Diagram | Class |
UseCase Diagram | UseCase |
Statemachine Diagram | State |
Activity Diagram | Action |
Sequence Diagram | Lifeline |
Communication Diagram | Lifeline |
Component Diagram | Component |
Composite Structure Diagram | Structured Class |
Flowchart | Process |
Data Flow Diagram | Process Box |
ER Diagram | ER Entity |
Mind Map | Root Topic |
Requirement Diagram | Requirement |
You can create models by simply pasting texts on a diagram.
There are two ways to create the same model element continuously.
You can wrap text with [SHIFT+ENTER], [ALT+ENTER] or [CTRL+ ENTER].
However, you cannot wrap the text for some models.
You can specify colors for diagram elements including line elements. There are two ways to do so:
Before you create diagram elements, choose a color you want to use then create diagram elements.
(You can also change colors for existing diagram elements.)
By selecting [Set Color] option, you can call detailed color choosers/palettes.
There are two palettes you can switch between [Custom] and [Swatches].
Also, enabling [Apply to Created Elements] option maintains the color selection, so that the diagram elements you will create stay in the selected color until you turn it off.
From [System Properties]
You can configure default color for each diagram element type. To do so, go to [Tools] – [System Properties] – [Default Item Color]. Then select color and click [Apply] – [OK].
You can set default size for all the model elements in the [Tool] – [System Properties] – [Default Item Size].
When you want to expand the space before you insert objects or reduce space to make a better diagram appearance, use this [Gap expander/remove] tool.
With Astah Professional and UML version 9.2 , you can display definitions directly on your diagrams.
You can click on the displayed definition note to edit the text. Your changes will automatically synchronize with the definition in the property view, ensuring consistency across your model.