I am getting closer to finishing a Beta version of BSA as a pure Modeling tool. It helped a lot starting to use BSA on a PLC project and the visual dictionary UI is a step in the correct direction. What you see below is one of my remaining bugs. I removed connection points after some testing, but the lines below is still computed as if CP’s are precent. I Only need to click on Actuator and move it forth and back and lines are corrected, but it is a very annoying error. As I save the diagram and re-load it the error is fixed so it is only minor.
Dictionary organized to show main diagram content is a step in the correct path. Switching to the alpabetic content list (below) you can see the example BSASymbol – I now get BSASymbol + a clear indication of precentations of BSASymbol. All in all th dictionary starts to function as a navigator, but it still lack some critical functionality like the capability to drag existing objects into a diagram.
My first objective was to release a UML Class modeling version, but state diagrams and PLD is also included now. What I do lack is a UI to import/export between precentation classes and the original entry, but having the freedom to draw as you pleace is important.
The weakest part of this release is PLD that will need a bit of work before it is fully functional, but as is it is great as an addition to a UML State diagram. I don’t think PLD will be completed before I start generating code. It is a matter of actually coding with PLD on real examples and see what is missing. I am working on a PnP robot and need to modify the existing firmware (C/C++) so it could be fun to test that up against BSA. It is specially the G-Code engine that I need to work on. I think a few projects that drive the last bit of development will be needed because it is not possible to see what is missing otherwise.
But, lets focus on dictionary and integration between diagrams first – PLD modeling and Code Generation is next.