Summary

Important Observations

• Abstractions can be used to simplify your model by grouping related entities together under a common name.

• The positions of entities can be changed when the abstraction is active and will be remembered by the modeler whenever the abstraction is subsequently activated.  Similarly, when the abstraction is deactivated, the entities move back to their original positions.

• The title bar of the Logical Modeler window tells you if an Abstraction is active or if the entire model is being shown.

• Creating objects while an abstraction is active will add those objects to the Abstraction automatically.

• All entities with relationships to objects in the abstraction are not shown. Changes to entities and relationships within the abstraction are still propagated to the entire model, however, and can affect entities that are not included in the abstraction.

• An Abstraction can be part of another abstraction in order to create a drill-down effect.

Tips and Techniques

• Use Abstractions if you have a large, complex model. When working only on a small part of the model, the appropriate abstraction can be activated to give an uncluttered view of the objects with which you wish to work.

• An abstraction is not the same as using the Pan and Zoom features when viewing a model. The Abstraction forms a group of entities as part of the model's definition.

• When working with entities in an active abstraction, you may change their positions. They will move back to their original positions when the abstraction is deactivated..

• An Abstraction cannot be deleted when it is active.

• Reminder: Do not create a loop in your abstractions when drilling down. For example, if Abstraction A contains Abstraction B, and Abstraction B contains Abstraction C, then do not include Abstractions A or B into C.

What I Should Know

• How to create an Abstraction.

• How to activate and deactivate an abstraction.