Open a diagram

Modeler renders diagrams in an editor panel, scoped to the file you are working on, a single element, or a SysML view. This page covers the ways to open that panel and the modes that decide which files a diagram can see; Use diagram panels covers working with the panel once a diagram is on screen.

To visualize your currently open .sysml or .kerml file, you have three options:

  1. Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+V

  2. Command Palette: Press Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+P and search for “Syside Modeler: Visualize current file”

  3. UI Button: Click the Syside logo in the top-right corner and select “Visualize current file”

Diagrams are rendered by the Tom Sawyer SysMLv2 Viewer.

Note

The visualization reads the saved file, so make sure to save (Ctrl/Cmd+S) before visualizing or refreshing.

A diagram of the drone mission model open beside its source file

The panel pans, zooms, and can save the diagram to disk; for a single element it also chooses the diagram type and the layout. See Use diagram panels for the toolbar and the pickers, and Diagram views for writing the views themselves.

Model resolution modes

The model resolution mode decides which files Visualize current file can see. The element and view entry points below draw across files regardless of the mode. Syside Modeler has two modes:

  • Standalone - treats each file as a standalone model. This mode is useful for small models that fit into one file. However, when the model is split into multiple files, this mode might not be able to show some elements correctly and will instead show them as <placeholder>.

  • Folder (this is the default mode) - treats all the SysML files in the current folder (and its subfolders, like you see on the VS Code explorer view) as a single model. This mode fixes the issue of some elements showing up as <placeholder>. However, this mode still visualizes only a single file, which means that you will not see elements from other files.

You can change the visualization mode by looking at the bottom of your VS Code window, where you should find a Syside logo with “Mode: Folder” written next to it. Clicking on it will open a quick pick dialog where you can select the desired mode.

Mode selection. The button is highlighted in red.

Visualize one element or a view

In addition to the modes above, you can visualize specific elements or views directly from the editor:

Tip

You can open multiple visualizations at once. Each element or view opens in its own tab, allowing you to compare diagrams side by side.

  • Visualize elements Labs - generates a diagram scoped to a specific element and its descendants. You can open it with:

    1. Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd+Alt/Option+E

    2. Right-clicking an element in the editor and choosing Visualize element (labs) → As nested diagram or As tree diagram

    The shortcut renders whichever layout syside.modeler.visualization.defaultElementRendering names, nested by default; see Settings in the editor.

    Editor right-click menu with As nested diagram highlighted, diagram below

  • Visualize views Labs - generates diagrams from SysML v2 view definitions in the model, scoped to the view’s exposed elements. Works with models split across multiple .sysml files. You can open it with:

    1. Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl/Cmd+Alt/Option+V

    2. Right-clicking a view definition in the editor and choosing Visualize view (labs) → As diagram

    The same submenu’s As table entry opens the view as a grid instead (Open from the editor).

    See Select diagram elements for what a view exposes and filters, and Configure diagram views for the diagram kind and the attributes that shape it.

    Editor right-click menu with As diagram highlighted, rendered view below