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Spotlights

Available in product editions: ArchitectProfessional

Introduction​

Spotlights provide a comprehensive view of a model element's relationships across all diagrams it may be used in. With one click, you can see how the element interacts with other elements, regardless if they are used in one diagram or several.

This feature helps you:

  • Understand dependencies across your architecture
  • Identify hidden connections that may impact design decisions
  • Ensure consistency by tracking relationships beyond individual diagrams

Spotlights overview​

The Spotlights page provides you with an overview over all model elements in your project as a starting point for your spotlight. With a click on one model element label, its spotlight view is opened in an overlay that can be closed again by clicking the X icon in the top right corner or ESC on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can open the spotlight via the table row actions by selecting Open spotlight.

Filtering​

Custom filters​

In all tables within the Solution Designer, you can filter the view to only display the information you need via the Configure filter dialog accessible via the filter icon which is located right above each table. You can set a filter for one column at a time. Select the column you want to filter for, choose an operation and enter your filter value. This is a list of all operations available (note that depending on the column type some operations might not be available):

Standard Text Filters​

These operations search for text inside a column without worrying about capital or lowercase letters.

  • Includes: Shows rows where the column text contains your filter value anywhere inside it (e.g., searching "apple" will find "Pineapple", "Apples", and "snapple").- Not Includes: Shows rows where your filter value cannot be found anywhere inside the column text (e.g., searching "apple" will hide "Pineapple" but keep "Banana").
  • Equals: Shows rows only if the column text matches your filter value exactly from start to finish (e.g., searching "Apple" will find "Apple", but will hide "Apples" or "Green Apple").
  • Not Equals: Shows rows only if the column text is different from your filter value (e.g., searching "Apple" will keep everything except rows that say exactly "Apple").
Case-Sensitive Filters​

These operations work exactly like the standard text filters, but capitalization must match exactly.

  • Includes (case sensitive): Finds the value inside the column, but capital and lowercase letters must match perfectly (e.g., searching "Apple" will find "Green Apple", but will hide "pineapple" because of the lowercase "a").
  • Not Includes (case sensitive): Hides rows that contain the exact capitalized value, but keeps rows if the capitalization is different (e.g., searching "Apple" hides "Green Apple" but keeps "pineapple").
Multi-Value List Filters​

These operations are used when a column contains a list of multiple items and the user enters multiple values to filter by (only available for data type tags, selection list, and rating).

  • Includes all: Shows rows only if the column contains every single one of the selected values (e.g., filtering for "Red" and "Large" only shows items that are both Red and Large).
  • Not includes all: Hides rows only if they contain every single one of your values at the same time; it keeps rows that have only some or none of them.
  • Includes some: Shows rows that contain at least one of the selected values (e.g., filtering for "Red" and "Blue" shows items that are Red, items that are Blue, and items that are both).
  • Not includes some: Hides rows if they contain any of the selected values (e.g., filtering for "Red" and "Blue" will hide any item that has Red or Blue in it).
ℹ️note

Please note that you can only add one filter value per filter (expect for columns of data type tags, selection list, and rating). If you want to combine filters, add additional filter(s) per value via the Add filter button. They will be combined with a logical OR. That means rows will be shown if at least one of the filters matches a data set.

After clicking on Apply, the table is displayed filtered according to your given values. The filters are additionally displayed above the table, where you can also remove individual ones via clicking their x icon, or clear all filters at once via Clear filters to return to the standard view of the table.

Quick filters​

For some tables in the Solution Designer, pre-defined quick filters are available and displayed permanently above the table. These fixed filters can also be combined with additional custom filters as described above.

Spotlight view​

The spotlight view show the corresponding model element in the center of the canvas with all the relationships of all diagrams the element is used in displayed around it.

❗️info

You can also open the spotlight view from the Model elements overview by selecting Open spotlight in the overflow menu in the element details or within its table row actions.

With one click on a model element card, you can open its details; here you can view the same information that is also provided in the Model elements overview:

  • Details: Master data of the model element (see also Create a model element)
  • Description: Decription and specification of the model element
  • Usages: Displays the diagrams where the model element is already in use
  • Relationships: This tab comprises all Incoming and Outgoing relationships to other model elements of the project. In a diagram, these relationships are visualized as arrows between model element cards.
  • Loop: Here, you can find links and connections to other parts of the project.

Similarly, you can view the details of each relationship between model elements.

ℹ️note

Please note the spotlight view is read-only, thus it is not possible to edit fields of model elements from here. To edit its details, open the model element on a diagram or in the model elements overview.

Adding additional model elements to the spotlight​

If you want to display also the relationships of non-spotlighted elements on the spotlight view as well, e.g. of a contained element of the spotlighted one, right-click on the element in question and select Add related elements (also available in the context menu above the element card).

Additionally, you can optimize the displayed connections between elements by selecting the capability Optimize connections in the same menues.

Creating a new diagram out of a spotlight view​

In the top right corner of the canvas, you can create a new diagram out of the current spotlight view by clicking on the blue model icon Export spotlight to new diagram . The newly created diagram will depict exactly the view that has been arranged in the spotlight.

Exporting the view as PNG​

Similarly, it is possible to export the current view as a PNG. The action can be found in the overflow menu in the top right corner of the spotlight header.