Sketch and Canvas revamp ideas - archimatetool/archi GitHub Wiki

Following some posts on Tom Graves blog and some tweets exchanged, I think it's time to start thinking about a Sketch/Canvas revamp.

The goal IMHO is to propose a solution to collect and organize the mess and help create (usefull) information from data.

As a starting point (yet to be detailed) here are some ideas:

  • Sketch and Canvas should be merged. In fact Canvas offer same features as Sketch with the addition of templates that can be saved and reuse for later need. I propose to keep the name "Sketch" as Canvas is one usage between others.

  • All notes/postit/pictures should be created using the current Canvas "Block" element which allows both text and image whose position can be specified (we should add a "fill" option).

  • We should be able to add a link to every notes/postit/pictures. This link can be a URL, a file...

  • We should be able to add any model element to a Sketch (currently only possible with views). This would allow to start working on architecture changes without having to comply with ArchiMate metamodel. We should not keep ArchiMate figure but just keep color and text, and allow to insert image (same as current Canvas "Block" element) on those model element (see below for justification).

  • We should add an option to create a Sketch as a copy from an ArchiMate view. This would allow to replace archimate figures with any pictures or icons. The main goal is to create "free" sketch for presentation to stakeholders.

  • re: above - Perhaps we should define another class of entity within Archi as a "Sketch Element" which is associated with some small graphic image (uploaded to Archi) and have the ability to define a relationship to the elements on a view such that when generating the "Sketch View" the element icon is substituted with the Sketch Graphic according to the define relationship for that view.

  • We should add an option to create a sketch from a picture. This would show a "file open window" to select a picture which will be added in a note used as a background. The goal is to help importing real sketchs done on paper (or whiteboard) and scanned (for example with apps like CamScanner).

  • An alternative to picture import would be to be able to draw on screen. This would allow users of Windows or Linux based tablet to create sketch with stylet.

  • re: above - Wouldn't this be rather a waste of the developers' time? There are plenty of drawing packages out there that result in an image - no need to reinvent that wheel. Better to allow an imported image as a sketch background and have clickable elements in front - and that problem was solved 25 years ago with the HTML Image Map.

  • We should add some easy way to add notes and relations (e.g "double clic" create a new note...). This would allow user to create concept maps easily (like the very good CmapTools)

  • We should be able to create transparent Notes (i.e. Notes with no color). This would allow to create Notes in front of background image (e.g. real sketch) to create "mixed-media" Sketchs (start with paper, end with digital).

Suggestion:

Regard Sketches/Canvases (no real distinction between them) as just special Views that are not subject to Archimate constraints. Would also suggest that such views support HTML Image Maps - ie comprise two parts - the (static) image itself and clickable elements logically in front that are associated with a URL or link to other views or elements in the model - or indeed web pages elsewhere. Media-wiki does this quite well.