Next Design V3.1 (3.1.5.30821) Release Notes

Next Design V3.1 can import UML/SysML diagrams created with the modeling tool Enterprise Architect, enabling effective use of existing design assets.
In addition, new features have been added in response to requests from development sites, such as improved operability of sequence diagrams and rich text.

Overview of New Features

• Support for importing UML/SysML diagrams from Enterprise Architect (*)
• Improved editability of sequence diagrams
• Improved rich text usability
• Improved editability of state transition tables (*)
• Enhanced Script Editor (*)
• Automatic error checking at specific times (*)
• Other Functional Improvements

(*) Functions with extended content

Details of Functions

Support for importing UML/SysML diagrams from Enterprise Architect

• Enhanced Content: EAIntegration allows users to import a total of 17 types of UML/SysML diagrams created in the modeling tool Enterprise Architect, including class diagrams, sequence diagrams, and state machine diagrams, into Next Design. Each element in the imported diagrams can be edited while maintaining their positional relationships, allowing effective use of existing design assets.
• Click here for more information on diagrams that can be linked, and here for more information on this extended content.

Improved editability of sequence diagrams

• Elements of sequence diagrams can now be moved together. This makes it possible to efficiently perform editing work such as adding a new element in the middle of an existing sequence diagram.
• Selection and move operations in sequence diagrams have been improved as follows
  • When Ctrl+A key is pressed, all editable elements, not just messages, are now selected together.
  • When dragging while holding down the left mouse button, editable elements, not just messages, are now selected together.
  • When dragging while holding down the Shift key + left mouse button, only elements that are completely contained within a rectangular area can now be selected.
  • When moving selected elements by dragging, elements of different types are now moved simultaneously.
  • When a composite fragment is moved in a sequence diagram, the composite fragments encompassed by the composite fragment are also moved at the same time.

Improved rich text usability

• Images in rich text can now be enlarged on a separate screen. This allows you to see the details of the image.
• When adding a large image, the size is now automatically adjusted according to the screen width of the destination screen. This makes it easier to handle large images.
• Images that do not fit within the screen width can now be resized to fit the screen width or to the original size. This allows for quick image resizing.
• THE UI FOR RICH TEXT HAS BEEN IMPROVED AS FOLLOWS
  • Added context menu when right-clicking rich text.
  • The button placement on the ribbon used for editing tables in rich text has been revised.

Improved editability of state transition tables

• Enhanced content: The UML/SysML package now supports matrix swapping of state transition tables to display [state - trigger] and [trigger - state]. This makes it easier to edit state transition tables with many triggers.

Enhanced Script Editor

• Enhanced Content: ScriptEditor provides an enhanced script editor with powerful IntelliSense and script file management features. This improves productivity in script development and API testing.
• For more information, please click here.

Automatic error checking at specific times

• EnhancedErrorChecker allows users to automatically check for errors at user-specified times. This allows users to notice errors when saving a project file, thereby reducing rework.
• For more information, please click here.

Other Functional Improvements

Improved operability

• CONNECTOR ROUTING IN ER DIAGRAMS HAS BEEN IMPROVED TO BE MORE NATURAL.
  • The routing path for Bézier curves has been changed so that control points are no longer placed at extremely distant locations.
  • When rerouting a connector with a straight shape, if the straight line was a broken line, the shape is now made closer to a straight line while maintaining that it is a broken line in that orientation.
• Performance during the following operations on the trace page has been improved.
  • Continuous scrolling using the mouse wheel on a tree-style tracing page.
  • Continuously change zoom magnification on a matrix-style trace page.
• When viewing project differences, changes to related connections can now also be viewed in the model reference control. This makes it easier to keep track of changes.
• The NDGit List of Differences window and the Conflict Analysis window now show differences in models held in class type fields in the order in which they are held in those fields. This makes it easier to identify the relevant models.

Compatible with the latest operating environments

• THE APPLICATION FRAMEWORK HAS BEEN UPDATED TO .NET6.
• The latest version of Subversion 1.14 is now supported and can be used in a secure environment using TLS 1.3.

Evaluate the latest preview version

• We have added [Preview Version] as a package source for extensions. You can be the first to try out the new extension content that will be released in advance as a preview version.

Enhanced extension mechanism

• API ADDITIONS AND CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO IMPROVE EXTENSIBILITY THROUGH EXTENSIONS. PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING PAGE FOR DETAILS.
  • EXTENSION DEVELOPMENT MANUAL > CHANGES BY VERSION > CHANGES IN V3.1
• THE VERSION OF THE C# LANGUAGE SPECIFICATION AVAILABLE FOR SCRIPTING HAS BEEN UPDATED TO 10.0, ALLOWING FOR THE USE OF THE NEWER C# LANGUAGE SPECIFICATION.
• FOLDERS THAT MEET THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE SEARCH PATH FOR EXTENSION REFERENCE LIBRARIES. THIS WILL REDUCE APPLICATION STARTUP TIME EVEN IF THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF DLLS UNDER THE FOLDER WHERE THE EXTENSIONS ARE STORED.
  • Folders whose name begins with "." Folders whose name begins with ".
  • Folders containing "*.exe" files in the folder
• The package list in Manage Extensions can now show only packages available for the version of Next Design in use.

Package Updates

• Extended content: Added a package including English profiles and samples for the timing chart package.
• THE FOLLOWING EXTENDED CONTENT AND TOOLS HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO SUPPORT .
  • UML/SysML Package
  • Timing Chart Package
  • NDGit
  • Extension development project template
  • ExtensionPoints library
  • NDExt command line tool
  • NDMerge command line tool

Fixed Issues and Constraints

We have corrected problems and limitations in this version to provide more stable quality of the application.
Please refer to the following page for details of the fixed issues and limitations.

• Fixed issues and limitations (Next Design V3.1)

NOTES ON V3.1 UPDATE

There are some notes for those who are developing extensions. Please check it.

a) Those updating to V3.1

TO USE V3.1, YOU NEED TO TAKE THE MEASURES DESCRIBED IN THE FOLLOWING PAGE.

• Notes on updating from Next Design V3.0 to V3.1

b) Users who do not update to V3.1 and continue to use V3.0

IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE EXTENSION DEVELOPMENT FOR V3.0 WITHOUT UPDATING TO V3.1, YOU WILL NEED TO CHANGE YOUR EXTENSION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT SETTINGS. (NO CHANGE IS REQUIRED IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE USING EXTENSIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN BUILT.)

The following cases require a change in settings.

• Create a project using the following project template
  • Next Design Extension Project Templates
  • Next Design Extension (Extension Points) Project Template
• Create a project using the NDExt command

Please see the following page for details on changing settings.

• Notes on continuing extension development for Next Design V3.0