Level Up to Software Ideas Modeler 15 - Live Wireframes, Simulations, Calculation Diagrams and SysML v2
A Cleaner Workspace That Helps You Think
The first thing returning users will spot is the refreshed interface.
The Properties dialog tabs gained compact icons, so your eye lands on the right setting without hunting through text labels. Subtle retouches—flatter shading, a calmer color palette—reduce visual noise and let diagrams take center stage. The project navigator bar, zoom bar, diagram menu and toolboxes now have an improved modern look. It may be small changes, but after an hour or two of concentrated work you can feel the difference in reduced fatigue.
From Static Screens To Clickable Stories
Wireframe prototypes no longer stop at "nice picture": the new Wireframe Simulation mode turns screen sketches into interactive mock-ups you can click through like a real app or site. Whether you are collecting early feedback from stakeholders or running a quick hallway usability test, you can stay entirely inside Software Ideas Modeler instead of exporting to an external prototyping service.
Simulations
Simulation is not limited to user interface. Flowcharts, state machines or SysML behavior diagrams can be animated step-by-step, so you can demonstrate logic during a review meeting, record a screencast for hand-over, or simply watch complex interactions unfold to verify that no branch ends in a dead end.
Calculation Diagrams: Visual Spreadsheets That Talk To AI
The headline newcomer is the Calculation Diagram — a hybrid canvas where spreadsheet tables, formula elements (SUM, COUNT, custom expressions) and AI processors link together through connectors. Picture a live spreadsheet embedded in a flow:
- Table element – holds your data and cell-level formulas.
- Function element – consumes one or more tables or scalar values, produces an aggregated result.
- AI processor element – takes any upstream result as a prompt variable, adds your instruction text and chosen LLM model, and returns generated output.
Because every piece is a node in the diagram, you can trace dependencies visually, reuse intermediate results elsewhere, or swap a manual function for an AI step with a single connector. It is perfect for anything from cost estimators through KPI dashboards to scenario-planning worksheets powered by generative text.
New Diagram Families: Deeper Coverage, Broader Audience
IDEF support (IDEF0, IDEF3 Process and Object diagrams) opens the door to organizations that prefer the classic structured-analysis notation—often found in manufacturing, logistics and defense.
For system engineers, SIM 15 ships with an early implementation of SysML v2 views. You can describe the same system from complementary angles—General, Action Flow, Sequence, State Transition, Interconnection and Use-Case-like Case View.
A fresh Fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram template speeds up root-cause analysis workshops, while the Electric Circuit diagram lets software-oriented teams express simple hardware wiring without switching to a heavyweight ECAD suite. Finally, Calculation Diagrams bring lightweight formula support to wireframes, perfect for price calculators, loan estimators or any page that needs a live total.
Mind maps, once again relevant at any project stage
Brainstorming maps grow quickly; keeping them tidy often breaks your creative flow. Version 15 adds one-click auto-layout, inline editing that begins at the root node, and an expand/collapse button that appears exactly where you need it. Together these tweaks make mind maps viable not just for the kick-off meeting but for ongoing release planning as well.
Quality-of-Life Touches You Discover Day by Day
- Insert now drops a context-aware default element into an empty canvas—handy when you open a new diagram and want to start drawing immediately.
- Diagrams can be locked from the Properties dialog, protecting polished deliverables from accidental drags during presentations.
- Hovering an element shows tagged values in the tooltip; no detour to a properties window required.
- Screen Flow diagrams gained outline references, action-on-flow assignments and optional modal navigation, making them closer to real user journeys.
Release Notes
New Features and Improvements
- Improved User Interface
- Enhanced look and feel of the model navigator bar
- Added icons to Properties tabs
- Refined visual style of the user interface
- Wireframe Simulation
- Calculation Diagram
- New IDEF Diagrams
- IDEF0 Diagram
- IDEF3 Process Diagram
- IDEF3 Object Diagram
- SysML2 Diagrams
- General View
- Action Flow View
- Case View
- Interconnection View
- Sequence View
- State Transition View
- Electric Circuit Diagram
- Fishbone Diagram
- Simulation
- Draggable flag for UI elements
- UI menu items, context menu items, and panel buttons are now referenceable model elements
- Added "modal" navigation mode to flows in Screen Flow Diagrams
- Added context menu to the Related Elements control (in Element Browser and Properties dialog) with options to open properties, rename, or delete elements
- New options for reverse engineering source code into existing or new diagrams [RQ#2761]
- Auto layout option added to Mind Maps
- Entire Mind Map can be edited starting from the root node using Fast Editor
- Context bar button added to expand/collapse nodes in Mind Maps
- Diagrams can now be locked via the Diagram Properties dialog
- Tagged values are now displayed in tooltips in the diagram editor
- Comments window auto-resizes when a new comment is added
- Pressing the INSERT key adds a default element to an empty diagram
- Highlighting of referenced elements on the screen element for selected flows in Screen Flow Diagrams
- New Outline References attribute for screen elements (Screen Flow Diagram) to display all referenced elements via outgoing flows
- Action can be assigned to Flow connectors (Screen Flow Diagram)
- Added Current Page setting for UI Pager element (Web Page Diagram)
- Added Tab Index attribute to UI elements (Wireframing)
- Context bar visibility (in the diagram editor) can now be toggled
- Added Duplicate action to context menu in Folder Overview tab [RQ#2765]
- Added new AI models to settings
- Improved UI window styling (button styles can now be adjusted separately using the Symbols substyle)
- Enhanced UI trackbar rendering
- Added new UI "On/Off Button" styles: Circle, Square, Rectangle, and Narrow Rectangle
- Introduced new UI "Breadcrumb" styles: Arrow, Slanted, and Slanted Reversed
- Added support for rounding styles in the UI Grid element
- Improved connector insertion when the source or target element is in edit mode
- Text is now rendered according to the actual shape bounds (not just rectangular bounds) for the following elements:
- The Documentation Format dialog now supports Portrait and Landscape page orientations
- Enhanced UI Menu element rendering with support for margins and proper clipping of selected menu items
Fixed Bugs
- Fixed the Related Elements tree state resetting in the Element Browser when reactivating the window
- Fixed overly fast mouse wheel scrolling in the New Diagram menu
- Fixed crash when connecting elements using certain connector types
- Fixed missing shadows for UI Grids
- Fixed duplicate items in print control combo boxes
- Fixed issue where transitions were not copied with their triggers [RQ#2765]
- Fixed issue where elements were not unselected when Ctrl-clicking on their name field
New Comment