How to use CIMap editor

The description of CIMap itself is hereB

Screenshot

Description of each panes

[Tab]

One tab is for one project(file). Each project has the default of fore color/back color/font etc. If you check "Using as system default", the default of the current project is saved as system default.

[Component Tree]

The hierarchy of components is displayed on this pain. One treenode (component) has one diagram, a diagram of selected component is displayed on [Graphics Editor]. In general, you should create a base element which indicates the boundary of the component on each diagram.

[Graphics Editor]

You can edit by the following ways. (Most of actions is to use a context menu by clicking right mouse button.) The edge point of elements are align to 10 point grid.

New/Delete/Cut/Copy/Paste elements
Rectangle elements like Component/User/ExternalSystem/Note etc. are called "BOX type". Line elements like Interaction/Link etc.are called "LINE type"
"LINE type" elements generally has "From" and "To" elements on each edge. If it has no element, it has a warning indicator.
Change shape(size)/Move element
Dragging the handle of a single selected element changes its shapeBStarting a drag in the element moves them.
Changing any "BOX type" elements makes moving its peripheral interactions automatically
Move orderiBring to front/Send to backj
Move a single selected element to front or back. But, "Note" is the first, next is "LINE type" , next is "BOX type" except "Note".
Select connected elements
Select the element , connected interactions to it, and connected elements through them. You can copy&paste when you break a component down.

Dragging a empty point cause to scroll a page. To select by a rectangle area, you can drag with [Shift] key. Or you can click with [Shift] key for multiple selection.

About "Element"

CIMap has four basic elements "Component", "User", "ExternalSystem" and "Interaction". But this editor has the following elements in additional.

notes: "LINE type" elements cannot connect to "BaseComponent", "Note", "Image" element.

BaseComponent
Used to indicate the boundary of component.
Note
Used to write a note.
Image
Image itself is stored as "Image Entity". You can use a bitmap image by assigning an image entity.
Diamond
For any diagrams except CIMap. (flowchart etc.)
Triangle
For any diagrams except CIMap. (class diagram etc.)
Link
Prepared as a line without an arrow head. This element has not fill color.
DirectLine - Arrow/Link
BezieLine - Arrow/Link
If you select this element, you should imagine a standard poly-line element. Near by the edge is desirable. (^^;)

[Property]

[Propety] pane is devided to two panes. Left side is for single element, right side is for multiple elements.

[Property] pane (for single element)

Two text box, the left one is a displayed text on [Graphics Editor], the right one is a description saved as a part of its properties.

You can assign "Entity" to each "Element" manually.

About "Entity"

On several diagrams, you may use elements which indicate the same one . Using "Entity", you can identify them as the same one.
"Component" on [Component Tree] is an "Entity", and "Component" on [Graphics Editor] is an "Element". (It is same about User/ExternalSystem/Interaction.)
By assigning "Entity" to "Element" manually, you can connect them.

If you check "Indicate elements entity not assigned" on "View" menu, they are displayed using warning color.

[Property] pane (for multiple elements)

Element Type
You can change element type in range of "BOX type" or "LINE type". Changing might cause missing connection to entity.
Change line type
Change to Solid/ Dash / Bold.
Multiple mark
Drawing element by piled up. (only "BOX type") This indicates multiple instance.
Duplicate mark
In case of interactions are crossing and complex, you can draw the duplicate element at the other place on same diagram. Duplicate mark(a triangle at right-up side of element) indicates it. (only "BOX type")
Set direction (only "Triangle" element)
Set colors/font
For each element, you can set Line color(L), Fill color(F), Fill transparency(X), Font type/color(T).
If you set default of project, use Default (D).
Adjust size
Adjust to max/min of width/height of selected elements. (only "BOX type")
Adjust position
Adjust position to align left/right/center, up/bottom/center, fixed interval(horizontal/vertical). (only "BOX type")

Other dialogs

[Assign/Edit Entity]

Other functions

[Generate Entity List]

[Print]

Other use case

This editor is for drawing CIMap, but you can use for the other way.

Deployment diagram of Node etc.

As an introduction of "System design using CIMap", you can use for drawing a physical deployment diagram.

Discussion

You can create an "Image" element from an existing document, and discuss while drawing elements on it. In this case, you can set a lower value to initial transparency on "Setting".