Session 11A: Modelica Tools & GUIs

Title: MoVE A Standalone Modelica Vector Graphics Editor
Authors: Nicola Justus, Christopher Schölzel and Andreas Dominik
Abstract:Modelica models can have a graphical icon defined as a bitmap or vector graphics. Vector graphics have several benefits, the most obvious being free scaling of images from icon to poster size. With OpenModelica there already exists one open source tool that can be used for editing these vector graphics icon annotations, but it does not reach the usability comfort of professional vector graphics editing tools. In this paper we present the Modelica Vector Graphics Editor (MoVE), a standalone open source editor for Modelica's vector graphics syntax that provides many convenience features inspired by the vector graphics editor Inkscape. These features include grouping, snap to grid, move to foreground/background, rotation handles, and drawing perfect circles and squares as well as horizontal and vertical lines when holding Shift. We hope that MoVE, as a part of the Modelica Tool Ensemble (MoTE), can enrich the open source ecosystem of Modelica by simplifying the creation of more elaborate vector graphics icons for Modelica models.
Links: Full paper

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Title: Mo|E A Communication Service Between Modelica Compilers and Text Editors
Authors: Nicola Justus, Christopher Schölzel, Andreas Dominik and Thomas Letschert
Abstract:The Modelica language is becoming increasingly popular among scientists and engineers as platform for modelling physical or biological systems. Although Modelica is maintained as non-proprietary language by the Modelica Association, a considerable number of commercial implementations and development environments is complemented by a surprisingly small number of open source tools. In this paper, we present the communication service Mo|E that connects any text editor as front-end with a Modelica compiler as back-end. Based on the simple HTML communication protocol, editor plugins for a software developer's favourite text editor can be developed easily, hence turning any editor into a lightweight Modelica development tool. We also present a first implementation of a plugin for the text editor Atom that exhibits features necessary for efficient software development, such as display of compile errors, code completion, go to declaration or view of context-sensitive documentation. In addition, Modelica-specific checking of the number of equations in a model is supported.
Links: Full paper

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Title: Traceability Support in OpenModelica Using Open Services for Lifecycle Collaboration (OSLC)
Authors: Alachew Mengist, Adrian Pop, Adeel Asghar and Peter Fritzson
Abstract:A common situation in industry is that a system model is composed of several sub-models which may have been developed using different tools. The quality and effectiveness of large scale system modeling heavily depends on the underlying tools used for different phases of the development lifecycle. Available modeling and simulation tools support different operations on models, such as model creation, model simulation, FMU export, model checking, and code generation. Seamless tracing of the requirements and associating them with the models and the simulation results in the context of different modeling tools is becoming increasingly important. This can be used to support several activities such as impact analysis, component reuse, verification, and validation. However, due to the lack of interoperability between tools it is often difficult to use such tools in combination. Recently, the OSLC specification has emerged for integrating different lifecycle tools using linked data. In this paper we present new work on traceability support in OpenModelica where the traceability information is exchanged with other lifecycle tools through a standardized interface and format using OSLC. In particular, OpenModelica supports automatic recording and tracing of modeling activities such as creation, modification, and destruction of models, import model description XML, export of FMUs, and creation of simulation results.
Links: Full paper

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Title: A Simulation Environment for Efficiently Mixing Signal Blocks and Modelica Components
Authors: Ramin Nikoukhah, Masoud Najafi and Fady Nassif
Abstract:There exist several specialized tools that provide environments for the development and simulation of either pure Modelica models or pure signal based models. These environments have each their own advantages and flaws. solidThinking Activate\tm/ has been developed to mix these domains and take advantage of both of these approaches to system modeling. This paper presents this mixed Signal-Modelica environment, and in particular the efforts and challenges faced in its development.
Links: Full paper