We are excited to announce the release of Sirius Web 2024.9, bringing several new features and improvements to enhance the user experience. Below are the key updates included in this release, you can find the complete list of bug fixes and improvements in the changelog on Github.
Laying the foundation of Tree Representation
A major focus for this release is the introduction of the Tree Representation feature, which allows users to visualize their models in a tailored hierarchical tree structure. This marks the beginning of a new way to interact with complex models, offering an intuitive and structured view that many users have been eagerly anticipating. We’ve included the foundational elements of this feature, and over time, we aim to enable multiple tree representations for the explorer, allowing users to switch between different views as needed.
Improving Visual Clarity
Maintaining clear and well-organized visual representations is critical for users working with large or complex models. Several new features in this release focus on enhancing the visual clarity and customization of diagrams:
Max width expression in the View DSL for labels
To prevent labels from becoming too large and cluttering diagrams, we’ve introduced a "Max Width Expression" property. This property allows you to define the maximum width a label on a node can take, complementing the existing overflow strategies such as wrapping and ellipsis. By setting a maximum width, you can ensure that labels don’t become excessively large, preserving the visual clarity of your diagrams.
Styled string for tree items
For users working with tree structures, this release enhances the ability to style specific parts of labels. By allowing finer control over label appearance, this feature makes it easier to highlight important information or differentiate between various elements. It’s a small but impactful change that improves both usability and visual consistency. You can now apply specific styles to individual parts of a label, allowing for more fine-tuned and customized visual representations.
Prevent Edges from Passing Through Nodes
We’ve also introduced an experimental feature that refines the way edges interact with nodes. Instead of allowing edges to pass through nodes, they now contour around them, ensuring that edges do not obscure important elements. This enhancement improves the readability and overall clarity of models, especially in more intricate diagrams. If this new feature proves conclusive, it should be activated by default in the next releases.
Selection Dialog
We have reimplemented the selection dialog for diagrams, which allows you to define a tool that opens a dialog box for selecting an element. The list of elements presented in the dialog is configurable when specifying the tool. For instance, one of the simplest examples is using this dialog to select one of the other nodes present in the diagram and copy its name.
Extending Sirius Web : More Opportunities for Customization
One of the core strengths of Sirius Web is its extensibility, and with this latest release, we are taking that even further.
This update introduces a streamlined, modern architecture that aligns with our planned architectural enhancements, improving both performance and the overall user experience. By offering a more efficient and customizable platform, we are ensuring that Sirius Web continues to meet the evolving needs of its users.
In addition, we’ve added numerous new extension points, allowing users to contribute their own components and features, whether it’s for the explorer, diagrams, or other areas of the workbench. This flexibility empowers users to tailor Sirius Web to their unique needs, expanding its capabilities to fit a wider range of use cases.
- footerExtensionPoint: to contribute your own footer in the application.
- treeItemContextMenuEntryExtensionPoint: to add custom options to the context menu of elements in the explorer.
- diagramPaletteToolExtensionPoint: to add custom tools to the palette of a diagram.
- projectActionButtonMenuItemExtensionPoint: to add custom entries to the menu available on a project.
- projectsTableRowExtensionPoint: to customize the content of a line describing a project.
The Sirius Web 2024.9 release represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide a more flexible, efficient, and user-friendly platform. Whether it’s the foundational elements of tree representation, improvements in visual clarity, or the architectural enhancements, this release is all about building a stronger, more capable Sirius Web.
We look forward to continuing this journey with you, and as always, your feedback plays a crucial role in shaping the future of the platform. Stay tuned for more updates and new features in the coming months!