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OntoModel

[[screenshot:=ontomodel11.PNG|

Screenshot
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Developed by Janiko Naber, Tian Bai, Saartje Brockmans, Peter Haase
Review not available
Status not available
Last Update 05.11.2008
Current Version [[current version:= <ask format="template" template="CurrentVersion" limit="1" searchlabel="" sort="version number" order="descending" default="no version available"> 1.x/OntoModel *</ask>]]
Homepage [http://ontomodel.sourceforge.net/ 1.x/OntoModel Website]
Activity
License EPL
Affiliation
NTKVersion 1.2.3

[[description:=OntoModel is a UML-based editor that works with OWL ontologies. The usage of the UML extension mechanism [1] makes it possible to develope and maintain OWL ontologies with MDA technologies.]]


Contents

Functional Description

OntoModel is a UML-based editor that works with OWL ontologies. The usage of the UML extension mechanism makes it possible to develope and maintain OWL ontologies with MDA technologies. In order to work with large ontologies it is possible to use several diagrams for a single ontology.

Over a module extraction mechanism it is possible to separate a part of an existing ontology into a module.

User Documentation

After the installation process with the NeOn Toolkit update mechanism, a new node called "diagram" will appear in the Ontology Navigator, as a subnode of the ontology.

Create a new Diagram

To create a new diagram use the context menu of the "diagram" node in the Ontology Navigator and choose "Add View".

OntologyNavigator.PNG

This will open the diagram perspective and show a blank diagram. To visualize elements in this diagram, drag and drop the element you want to show from the Ontology Navigator into the diagram. It is also possible to drag and drop a selection of elements. Connections between dropped elements and existing ones in this diagram will appear immediately.

AddElement.png

Over the "Add View" action you can add multiple views of the same ontology. Every time this action is invoked it will create a new blank diagram, which can be filled by the already described drag and drop mechanism with any element from the ontology. With this mechanism you can display and edit the same element in different diagrams. If you change a property of an element, this change will be synchronized immediately with other diagrams that show this element and with the Ontology Navigator. These diagrams will be saved in the project directory. To open an existing diagram, expand the diagram node and choose the diagram you want to show.

Changing a Ontology in the Diagram

With the tool box on the right it is possible to create the most common constructs for classes, individuals and properties. This new elements will also be created in the ontology and shown in the Ontology Navigator.

Extract a Module

OntoModel includes also a module extraction mechanism. You can split elements from an existing ontology into a self standing module. This mechanism will help you to keep the correctness of the separate elements.

To create a new module from an existing ontology, select the classes or individuals and properties you want to separate in the Ontology Navigator or in the diagram and choose "`Create New Module"' from the context menu. With the selection of some or all Object Properties you can configure the connections, which will be followed for one step if one included concept is in the domain of one of the selected Object Property. This means, that if an included class or the class of an included individual is in the domain of a selected Object Property, the property and the class in the range of this property will also be included in the new module. This assures, that each included property has a correct domain and range regarding to the included elements in the module.

CreateModuleDialog.PNG

In the displayed dialog you can configure the module extraction. You can choose the target project and set the namespace of the new module. Through the checkboxes it is possible to include more corresponding elements:

Include Individuals:
This includes all individuals of all included classes
Include Super Classes:
If an included class has a super class, this class will be recursively added to the module
Include Super Properties:
This includes the super properties of Data and Object Properties like the super classes
Include Restriction:
This will include restriction and the classes in a restriction of a included class, if the corresponding property is selected


The click on "OK" will start the extraction process. This can take a few seconds.

Add Elements to an existing Module

If you want to add elements from an ontology to an existing module, select the elements in the Ontology Navigator and drag and drop them into a diagram of the target module. This brings on the same dialog as described above. Except the target project and the namespace, you have exactly the same configuration options with the result, that the extracted elements will be added to the target module.