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How to Animate a UML Sequence Diagram?

Animation is a tool to help you make an interaction active by presenting the flow in animation form. This enables you to analyze your design easier, especially for a complex design. Besides, you can control the flow of animation yourself to help demonstrating your work to client with your annotation. In this tutorial, you will try to animate a simple UML sequence diagram about a login process.

Compatible edition(s): Enterprise, Professional, Standard

  • April 26, 2010
  • Views: 46,129
  • PDF

  1. Download Login.vpp. You can also find this file at the bottom of this tutorial.
  2. Open the downloaded .vpp file in Visual Paradigm. To open a project, select Project > Open from the application toolbar.
  3. Open the UML sequence diagram.
  4. Study the diagram, which models is a simple login process.
    Simple sequence diagram
  5. Select Modeling > Animation from the application toolbar.
    Open Animation tool
  6. On the left hand side of the Animation window, two paths are listed. They refer to the possible execution path you can find on the UML sequence diagram.
    Sequence Diagram Animation window
    Move the Animation window to elsewhere such that the sequence diagram in background is not being covered. Select Path1 and observe the highlighted path on diagram. Them, select Path2. You can see that Path1 refers to the path about valid login, while Path2 refers to invalid login.
    Path selected
  7. Select Path1 and click the Play button.
    Play a path
  8. Watch the animation on diagram. There is a tiny black ball which walks through the chosen path.
    Animated sequence diagram
  9. Click the Show Dialog button at the bottom right corner.
    Show Dialog
  10. Now, let's export the path to Adobe Flash movie. Before this, rename the paths for better understanding. Double click on Path1 and rename it into Login valid. Rename Path2 to Login invalid.
    Paths renamed
  11. Check the paths and click Export to Flash... at the bottom left corner.
    Export to Flash
  12. In the Export to Flash dialog box, specify an output path and click Export. Watch the exported animation in a Web browser.
    Animation playing in web browser


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