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Connections inside ContainerShapes [message #716846]

Thu, 18 August 2011 11:14

Robert Brodt
Messages: 343
Registered: August 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Senior Member

Hi all,

It appears as if all Connections have the Diagram as parent. I'm trying to create connections inside a ContainerShape such that when resizing the container, the connection lines are clipped to the container bounds.

Failing that, is there a way to put another Diagram inside a ContainerShape?

Thanks!

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Re: Connections inside ContainerShapes [message #717109 is a reply to message #716846]

Fri, 19 August 2011 06:42

Michael Wenz
Messages: 1272
Registered: July 2009
Location: Walldorf, Germany

Senior Member

Bob,

that's true, but connections being direct children of the diagram is only
part of the issue. There is a lengthy discussion on this in a GEF bugzilla:
https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=195527

After that discussion we stepped back and had a look on this topic from
another point of view. Does it make sense to design diagrams containing
shapes that are too small to show their actual content? Ok, you might say
that clipping works for contained shapes but not for connections, so that is
somewhat asymmetrically - agreed. But even in hidden child shapes I see a
usability issue and would strongly recommend to avoid that.

Do you have a use case where this makes sense? Could you elaborate on that a
little?

Michael

"Bob Brodt" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:j2j9l6$de4$1@news.eclipse.org...

Hi all,

It appears as if all Connections have the Diagram as parent. I'm trying to
create connections inside a ContainerShape such that when resizing the
container, the connection lines are clipped to the container bounds.

Failing that, is there a way to put another Diagram inside a ContainerShape?

Thanks!

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Re: Connections inside ContainerShapes [message #717159 is a reply to message #717109]

Fri, 19 August 2011 09:19

Robert Brodt
Messages: 343
Registered: August 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Senior Member

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the quick response. Just to give you some context here: I'm working on the BPMN2 Modeler (http://www.eclipse.org/bpmn2-modeler) specifically the sub-process element. A sub-process can have a "collapsed" and "expanded" state; when collapsed, the figure looks exactly like any other task figure in the editor except it has a "+" activator button which, when clicked, changes its state to expanded. In the expanded state, it *should* behave very much like the top-level diagram except that it should still have the same visuals as before (i.e. no grid lines, gradient background, etc.). Sub-processes can contain tasks and connections and when it is resized, the task figures are correctly clipped but the connections are not (as you already know). This makes for a very confusing user experience as the sub-process figure is rearranged to achieve an optimal layout.

I tried adding a Diagram as a child of the sub-process' ContainerShape and then adding the connections to that Diagram, but this does not appear to have any effect (the connections still are not clipped).

I've also considered using a drilldown feature, but this makes for an even more confusing user experience - an expanded sub-process is intended to be viewed within the context of the entire process and additional editor tabs or windows defeat that purpose.

I suppose an acceptable solution would be to constrain the minimum size of an expanded sub-process so that all of its child elements are visible...any other suggestions?

Thanks again,
Bob

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Re: Connections inside ContainerShapes [message #717236 is a reply to message #717159]

Fri, 19 August 2011 12:56

Robert Brodt
Messages: 343
Registered: August 2010
Location: Colorado Springs, CO

Senior Member

Hmm, apparently this has been fixed in GEF: https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=195527

Any idea if this will be added to Graphiti and how to enable it?

Anyway, I think this may be moot because I've decided to go with the constrained minimum figure size solution instead Sad

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Re: Connections inside ContainerShapes [message #922212 is a reply to message #717236]

Mon, 24 September 2012 17:01

Anis Boubaker
Messages: 8
Registered: June 2012

Junior Member

Any new on this?

I'm having the same issue... Thanks!

Anis

[Updated on: Mon, 24 September 2012 17:01]

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Re: Connections inside ContainerShapes [message #924275 is a reply to message #922212]

Wed, 26 September 2012 13:30

Aljoscha Hark
Messages: 23
Registered: March 2012

Junior Member

Hi there,

to constraint the size of a ContainerShape or better its GA, you could easily create a custom ResizeFeature that checks its children inside #canResizeShape(IResizeShapeContext) and disallow a size smaller that its contents (+padding Smile

), I think.

This has the side-effect that the user has to be very precise when trying to resize it to the allowed minimum. Therefore, another solution would be to create such a ResizeFeature and make some adaptions inside resizeShape(IResizeShapeContext) where you can easily change the 'final' size to the wanted minimum.

Hope it helps,
Aljoscha

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