Visual modeling is the graphic representation of objects and systems of interest using graphical languages. Visual modeling is a way for experts and novices to have a common understanding of otherwise complicated ideas. By using visual models complex ideas are not held to human limitations, allowing for greater complexity without a loss of comprehension. Visual modeling can also be used to bring a group to a consensus. Models help effectively communicate ideas among designers, allowing for quicker discussion and an eventual consensus. Visual modeling languages may be

General-Purpose Modeling General-purpose modeling (GPM) is the systematic use of a general-purpose modeling language to represent the various facets of an object or a system. Examples of GPM languages are: * The Unified Modeling Language (UML), an industry standard for m ...

(GPM) languages (e.g., UML, Southbeach Notation,

IDEF IDEF, initially an abbreviation of ICAM Definition and renamed in 1999 as Integration Definition, is a family of modeling languages in the field of systems and software engineering. They cover a wide range of uses from functional modeling to da ...

) or Domain-Specific Modeling (DSM) languages (e.g., SysML). Visual modeling in computer science had no standard before the 90's, and was incomparable until the introduction of the UML. They include industry open standards (e.g., UML, SysML,

Modelica Modelica is an object-oriented, declarative, multi-domain modeling language for component-oriented modeling of complex systems, e.g., systems containing mechanical, electrical, electronic, hydraulic, thermal, control, electric power or process ...

), as well as proprietary standards, such as the visual languages associated with VisSim,

MATLAB MATLAB (an abbreviation of "MATrix LABoratory") is a proprietary multi-paradigm programming language and numeric computing environment developed by MathWorks. MATLAB allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementat ...

and

Simulink Simulink is a MATLAB-based graphical programming environment for modeling, simulating and analyzing multidomain dynamical systems. Its primary interface is a graphical block diagramming tool and a customizable set of block libraries. It offe ...

OPNET OPNET Technologies, Inc. was a software business that provided performance management for computer networks and applications. The company was founded in 1986 and went public in 2000. In October 2012, OPNET was acquired by Riverbed Technology, fo ...

, NetSim, NI Multisim, and Reactive Blocks. Both VisSim and Reactive Blocks provide a royalty-free, downloadable viewer that lets anyone open and interactively simulate their models. The community edition of Reactive Blocks also allows full editing of the models as well as compilation, as long as the work is published under the

Eclipse Public License The Eclipse Public License (EPL) is a free and open source software license most notably used for the Eclipse IDE and other projects by the Eclipse Foundation. It replaces the Common Public License (CPL) and removes certain terms relating t ...

. Visual modeling languages are an area of active research that continues to evolve, as evidenced by increasing interest in DSM languages, visual

requirements In engineering, a requirement is a condition that must be satisfied for the output of a work effort to be acceptable. It is an explicit, objective, clear and often quantitative description of a condition to be satisfied by a material, design, pro ...

, and visual OWL (

Web Ontology Language The Web Ontology Language (OWL) is a family of Knowledge representation and reasoning, knowledge representation languages for authoring Ontology (information science), ontologies. Ontologies are a formal way to describe Taxonomy, taxonomies and ...

References

External links

Visual Modeling Forum
A web community dedicated to visual modeling languages and tools. Programming language topics Unified Modeling Language Simulation programming languages {{comp-sci-stub

See also

References

External links