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SyCaTool - Software and System Cartography Tool

Since 2005

Objective

The System Cartography Tool SyCaTool (formerly known as SoCaTool) provides functionalities to automatically generate semantically consistent visualizations of data modeled according to an arbitrary object-oriented information model. The tool has initially been developed in the project Software Cartography to support the generation of software maps. With the extension of the focus of  our research concerning maps as means for describing complex systems, the tool has migrated to the System Cartography project.

Sponsors

Siemens AG, as sponsoring partner of the Center for Knowledge Interchange (CKI)

 

This screenshot shows the rich-client standalone version of the tool "in action".

 

Partners

Siemens IT Solutions and Services (SIS)

Contact

Summary

The SyCaTool is written in java and developed as a plug-in architecture to the eclipse OSGI-platform implementation equinox. The core components of the tool are

  • a resource manager for (dynamically) loading and unloading of data as well as respective object-oriented information models (based on the eclipse modeling framework - EMF),
  • a transformer for performing model-2-model transformations written in java,
  • a two-step layouter for computing the layout of the graphical visualizations, and
  • a basic renderer building the infrastructure for actually rendering visualizations.

The above components are employed in both variants of the tool, namely

  • the rich-client standalone version - realized in the rich-client platform (RCP) of eclipse based, among others, on the graphical editor framework - GEF and
  • the web-based service version - realized in the jetty-eclipse integration based on eclipse server-side equinox as a restful webservice.

OpenSource, Evaluation, and Download

SyCaTool has been released as an OpenSource tool, which is hosted at SourceForge.

If you want to try the current version of the SyCaTool (2009-01-08) you can register for the SoCaTool group of this web site. After your account has been activated you may download the SyCaTool as a single zip file (64 MB). After extracting the zip file the SyCaTool can be started by running the included executable file. A Java runtime is included in this package, so there is no need for additional software to be installed.

Known open issues of the SyCaTool can be found on this web page.

SyCaTool Videos

To see the SyCaTool in action you can use the following videos. Click on the images to open a new window showing the video.

 

Introduction to SyCaTool (2 MB)

SyCaTool generating a
Process Support Map (1 MB)

SyCaTool generating a
Time Interval Map (2 MB) 

SyCaTool generating a
Cluster Map with Layers (2 MB) 

 

 

Publications (in reverse chronological order)

[Bu07c] Buckl, S.; Ernst, A.; Lankes, J.; Matthes, F.; Schweda, C.M.; Wittenburg, A.: Generating Visualizations of Enterprise Architectures using Model Transformations (extended version). In: Enterprise Modelling and Information Systems Architectures - An International Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, Germany, 2007.
[Bu07b] Buckl, S.; Ernst, A.; Lankes, J.; Schweda, C.M.; Wittenburg, A.: Generating Visualizations of Enterprise Architectures using Model Transformations. In: 2nd International Workshop on Enterprise Modelling and Informations Systems Architectures - Concepts and Applications, St. Goar/Rhine, Germany, 2007.
[Er06b] Ernst, A.; Lankes, J.; Schweda, C.; Wittenburg, A.: Using Model Transformation for Generating Visualizations from Repository Contents - An Application to Software Cartography. Technische Universität München, Institut für Informatik, Lehrstuhl für Informatik 19, Technischer Bericht TB0601, 2006.

Student theses (in reverse chronological order)

[Gr08]

Gröhl, K.: Analyse und Realisierung von Linienführungsalgorithmen in einem Werkzeug für die Softwarekartographie.Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Informatik, Master's Thesis, 2008.
[Ra08] Ramacher, R.: Werkzeugunterstützung für das graphische Nachbearbeiten von Softwarekarten. Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Informatik, Systementwicklungsprojekt, 2008.
[Wi08] Wiegelmann, J.: Analysis and Application of Model Transformation Languages for Generating Software Maps. Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Informatik, Bachelor's Thesis, 2008.
[La07] Lauschke, S.: Automatische Generierung von Softwarekarten: Entwicklung eines Ansatzes zum Layout deklarativ beschriebener Visualisierungen. Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Informatik, Master's Thesis, 2007.
[Sc06] Schweda, C.: Architektur eines Visualisierungswerkzeuges für Anwendungslandschaften - Anforderungsanalyse und prototypische Realisierung. Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Informatik, Diplomarbeit, 2006.
[Sc05] Schweda, C.: Atomare und komplexe Darstellungsregeln der Softwarekartographie - Identifikation, Konzeption und prototypische Implementierung. Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Informatik, Projektarbeit, 2005.
[BuSp05] Buckl, S.; Spiegel, R.: Modellierung und prototypische Implementierung eines Werkzeuges zur Softwarekartographie. Technische Universität München, Fakultät für Informatik, Projektarbeit, 2005.