Innovator 16.1 Release Notes

The “Bookmarks” view in model content has been redesigned. Along with all options you are familiar with, elements can now also be set multiple times in various folders. You can can also limit the view to one text pattern.

The diagram’s relationship view is also available in read only operating modes which do not have the Design ribbon.
No changes can be made. The “Display>Relationships” command is on the Start ribbon in this case.

Concepts now have a new node display called “Grouping” which make a dashed rectangle. This is used in the standard configuration for ArchiMate grouping.

Either the opened element itself or the first table row is selected when a table is opened for elements. You can set this using  “Select First Table Row” in the “Options” dialog in the “Display” tab.

As with the model editor, the administration program starts with a splash screen. This helps you to see much earlier that the program has started successfully.

When the model editor is started for the first time, a dialog opens for adopting interface settings. These settings can be adopted as a whole or as groups targeted to an old Innovator installation. Model-specific folders for models which were logged-in to in the older version can be selected or deselected as required.
The dialog can then be accessed at any time in the “Help & Support” backstage.

The “Has a Prompt Notification”, “Has a Daily Notification”, “Has a Weekly Notification”, “Has a Monthly Notification” and “Has Any Notification” properties can be used in the advanced search to find elements with a set notification. Only notifications from the current active user are evaluated.

You can also use the “Values” property for slots in the advanced search. Regardless of the type, a combined string is mapped from all set values of a slot; this is then evaluated for the search.

Two new relationship evaluations in the framework of combined views are now available in the Details tool window, Impact Analysis and in the advanced search. Starting from a feature in a combined view, use  “combined features” to see the features in the subselects. Starting from a feature in a subselect, use  “combined features” to see the feature in the combined view. The subselect and combined view must have the same number of features.

If a Join From clause for Amazon Athena begins with the keyword UNNEST, then this expression is not written in the ON clause; the UNNEST expression which should resolve an Array column, is generated directly in front of the From shortname instead of in the target table. Example:

• <Join Type> <Unnest Expression> (<From Name>)

Or, more precisely

• CROSS JOIN UNNEST(COALESCE(t1.arraycol, ARRAY[null])) v (t2)

You can formulate answers for an annotation in a diagram; these are then shown as a thread (as with comments in Office or Teams).
The following applies:

• The “Answer Annotation” command can be seen for an annotation in the context menu and under “Review>Annotations”
• You require the “Edit Annotations” privilege to be able to create an answer
• The annotation can no longer be changed once an answer exists for an annotation
• Only an administrator or the person who created the annotation can delete it
• The person who created the annotation can only modify or delete answers if they are empty or no subsequent answer exists for them

The ArchiMate Export determines all existing translations in the model for the elements to be exported; these are then added to the file as long as they are not empty.

Similar to Import, ArchiMate Export has application configurations and a tool window for configuration. Compared to the previous menu, new Options have also been added.

The ArchiMate export takes individual colors of nodes and edges into consideration.

String properties can be mapped to enumerations if these were already created in the model. Both the stereotype property and its values must have already been created before the import. The logical names in the model must also be the same as the names in the import file.

ArchiMate import configuration now has the new “Expand Relationships” option. Use this function to select a structure relationship to be created between the container and the nested element upon import if this relationship is missing in the file. This will normally be an aggregation, but compositions and assignments are also permitted in accordance with the specification. This relationship is only created if it is permitted.

Nodes without additional content which are at least as big as the smallest container are already displayed as containers.
The new  “Minimum Size For Container Presentation” option also allows the minimum width and/or height to be set which determines at which size a node without content will be displayed as a container.
This enables better layout if there are lots of large boxes next to each other in the diagram.

As with BPM Import, ArchiMate Import configuration also enables scaling between 100 and 300%. If the size of the diagram node in the file to be imported is considerably smaller than the minimum size in the diagram (80×60 for “standard notation”, icons are normally slightly larger), then a suitable scaling can be used to make more space in containers. Using this scaling avoids containers being enlarged to different sizes or strange edge contouring.

If you select a node size of e.g. 53×53, then a scaling of 160% would be required for  “standard notation” and 200% for “Icon Only”.
It is possible to use existing settings for diagram nodes and this scaling to improve the layout for diagrams with a lot of nesting.
This option is only available in the configuration tool window for saved configurations and not in wizards.

The current status of a model server’s models is backed-up on the data carrier using two rotating back-ups.
The statuses are backed-up automatically at set security times (as long as write access occurred),when a model server is started or closed, or after specific commands, e.g. in the administration program with the “Model>Model Server>Update” menu command.
To compare or restore (e.g. if a user deletes something by mistake) a managed model, use the “Model>Create>New Backup>Backups From the Latest Update Data” menu command to create your own backups from automatic backups.

Names are automatically assigned and contain the time of the respective update.
Backups are write-protected and can be restored as the model version with the environment right if the backup and respective model version are inactive.

A participant’s referenced process, the previous process in front of an event and the subsequent process after an event can all be shown as an edge in the whiteboard diagram. In Impact Analysis, previous events in front of an event and subsequent events after an event, as well as previous processes in front of a process and subsequent processes after a process can be followed as a relationship.

A data association edge can be created in the BPMN diagram between a data object and a sequence flow.
The edge represents two data associations; one runs from the sequence flow source to the data object and the other from the data object to the sequence flow target.
You can change the settings to view both or just one of these data associations.

Data objects can use states from UML state machines. Permissible UML states need to be assigned to the data objects in an extension profile using the “States (UML)” relationship role. A business object with a classifier as data structure also needs to be assigned to the data object. All available states are then available to this classifier. In this case, “available” means that the state machine is either defined directly in the classifier or in a generalization of it. The states can originate from various state machines.

The Diagrams status bar now has a new button which centers the selected element and then highlights it using an animation.

The compartments for attributes, operations, ports and receptions can be shown for a class in class diagrams. If a class specializes another class, then compartments can also be shown for inherited contents. The inherited contents are added to the entire inheritance hierarchy and always shown in alphabetical order. Inherited contents are also supported for the  “Parameters”, “Enumeration Literals” and “Service Operations” compartments.

If incoming concept connections are possible at a concept connection, then these can be displayed as a property at the connected concepts. The property is displayed with the name of the opposite concept.
For a business application, for example, the name of an assigned role is provided as a property. The property can be assigned to an actor who takes the role.

Conditions can be used to constrain notifications to specific changes.
The type of affected elements can be set so that these elements are created, deleted or modified. The type of change can also be narrowed, e.g. by changing a label to a certain value.
The “Notifications” view in the model content contains a wizard for creating conditions.
Conditions can be reused: Custom conditions from any schedule can be assigned to a model element in the  “Notifications” model content view using the Properties area.

In addition to the localized names and descriptions, the imported translations of names and descriptions are also shown in the configuration editor. You require the “Translate Model Elements” privilege to edit imported translations.

Innovator’s Confluence Integration enables Innovator diagrams to be displayed in Atlassian Confluence.
Integration Prerequisites

• Installation of Confluence Data Center, Confluence’s Enterprise Edition.
• An environment for running the Docker container which will run the Innovator Confluence integration.
• A license extension for using the Innovator Confluence integration.
• The “OSLC Connector for Confluence” plug-in.
• SVGs must exist in the Innovator model.

Translations are also copied in all display languages when copying model elements. If different display languages are set in the source model and target model, then only translations in common display languages are adopted.

The “Consider Database Model of the Target” option is available in the default import for both DB and DDL import.

Decisions and information can have a structure definition as variable type. If a used structure definition is marked as collection, then this collection is indicated in the decision diagram by three vertical lines (icon for a parallel multiple instance). This may result in changed node sizes.

As well as dependencies and generalizations, concept connections are also shown in the Dependencies tool window.There are separated sections for relationships with the current element as owner or target of an incoming relationship. The configuration determines which sections are available for an element and which create templates are available for creating new relationships.

Version 1.5 DMN files can be imported to and exported from Innovator.

For structure definitions, groups and entries, the values of a basic type can be restricted in DMN with the “Type Constraint” feature.

The FEEL functions for time specifications, context, rounding rules and text  added in DMN 1.4 are available in the IntelliSense menu with the corresponding label (1.4).
The boxed expressions for conditions, iterations and filtering added in DMN 1.4 are available as commands in the ribbon and in the context menu.

It is possible to set sorting according to modification date, creation date or a user-defined sort order for model element enumeration chapters. An element type’s elements are then sorted within a chapter according to this criteria. An extra structure chapter has to be added when sorting elements from different element types. Elements from different element types can be sorted in one list if you activate the afore-mentioned sorting for structuring chapters and deactivate the sorting for enumeration chapters.

An owner can be selected when importing data from an Excel file. If no owner is given in the Excel file, then the selected model element is used as owner. If a value is given in the Excel file and no one owner can be clearly determined using it, then the owner which is found first is entered and the  command appears in the respective cell. You can then click on  to select another owner. The selected owner is used for all model elements which have the same value entered. This selection can be saved.

The “Go to>Table Editor” command can be used for elements which can be edited in a table editor.
You can navigate to a target element directly in the table editor using the “Go to>Linked Elements” command.

ArchiMate Export takes translations of stereotype properties (name), diagram frames (frame title) and comments (text) into consideration. Comment edges are also exported if their target is a junction or edge.

ArchiMate import can import translations of diagram frames (frame title) and comments (text).
Comment links can also be created to edges and junctions.

If an edge on the source or target side is linked with a new element in a diagram, then the edge’s edge points are deleted and the most direct connection is made.
A sequence flow edge can be interrupted by a node in the activity, concept and BPMN diagrams. The existing edge on the target side is linked with the new node and a new edge is created between the new node and the old target. The edge’s edge points remain the same and are distributed on both edge parts.
When deleting a node with an incoming sequence flow and an outgoing sequence flow in the BPMN diagram, then the incoming sequence flow is reassigned to the outgoing sequence flow’s target node. The edge points for both sequence flows remain and are used for the remaining sequence flow.

If you double-click in a process table or content table in a cell which contains formatted specification text, then this text is jumped to in the specification editor.

User data can now be imported from LDAP via an encrypted connection.

The repository server’s log file can be viewed and saved in the “Administrative Tasks” tab in the model editor’s backstage view.

Support for object-relational database model: Innovator enables assignment of entities or tables as types for entity attributes and/or table columns so that a column may contain complex structures or arrays.

As with classifiers, packages are also shown in composite structure diagrams as package nodes with compartments for content or supported as structured package nodes for graphic nesting. The structured nodes (Classifiers and Packages) can be nested as many times as necessary to represent the hierarchy of elements.

Plug-ins can be individually deactivated in the Option dialog in the “Plug-Ins” tab; this takes dependencies to other plug-ins into account.

The “Do Not Delete Elements” privilege can be used so that users of a role cannot delete model content. Only one of the user’s roles need to be assigned this privilege. The user does not need to actively select this role. This privilege deactivates  “Delete” on the interface. It is not possible to undo creation of elements and an error message appears if you try to do so. The user can only delete notifications; this is because this is a personal setting.

Diagram SVGs are now available in the model and are used e.g. by the Confluence integration.
A Windows Service must be set up to keep the SVGs up-to-date upon modification of the model.
For more information, please see: Confluence Integration.

All model servers on a computer can be accessible via a common port to minimize the number of ports to be opened in the firewall. This is done by using InnoProxy, which can be started on any machine running model servers. If an InnoProxy is running, then all clients from other computers will communicate with the model servers via this InnoProxy.
The proxy can be installed as a service under Windows.

You can rename managed models.

Innovator has a REST-API in C# which enables access to model server content. The necessary configurations are made available via the InnoRest application and can be edited in a new view in the Administration program.

The value or list of values is available as a property in the Properties editor for a slot.
Depending on the type of defined property, the respective applicable editor can be opened for displaying or modifying the values. The “Set Slot Values” command is omitted.

If texts from other elements (e.g. Synchronized elements) are shown as write-protected in the specification editor, then you can open the original text and jump to it by holding Shift and double-clicking on the text’s tab.

For installation in Linux, the Docker Compose file with the respective .env file and the “nginx.conf” nginx configuration file are stored in the “docker/innooslc” directory.

Modifying and deleting application configurations does not reset the undo stack. This means that background plug-ins which modify application configurations no longer impede deleted content being restored.
Deleting and modifying application configurations can be undone.
The “Deploy” button is no longer available in the “Manage”, “Search”, “Manage Saved Perspectives” and “Manage Table View” dialogs. This is because deleted user-defined configuration cannot be restored when undoing a deployment.
However, you can still deploy application configurations with “Save As”.
The “Copy” button has also been removed. It is possible to copy using “Save As”.
The Manage dialog now also contains the “Save As” button.
If you delete a user-defined configuration, the message appears to warn you first that this action cannot be undone.

The “User>Edit>Copy Group” command can be found in the “Groups” tab in the administration program’s user management. This creates an exact copy of the selected group. This makes it even easier and quicker to create groups which have a similar set-up.

Boundary events with event definition type Compensation and activity nodes marked for compensation must not be involved in a sequence flow. The verification routine “Compensation is involved in sequence flow.” detects these situations.

The names of diagrams displayed can be shown in the whiteboard diagram. The display can be (de)activated via display options on the diagram nodes in the whiteboard diagram. A diagram’s name can be displayed above or below the diagram.

The Innovator client runs on Microsoft .NET 7. Innovator is delivered and installed for Windows with the required runtime environment.

If you click on one of the commands in the “Go to” menu for a synchronized element, then all other synchronized elements are treated as if they had been selected themselves. This creates an additional list of jump targets for the default jump and an extra level is added to the jump targets’ tree structure for the linked elements.

The  “Model” ribbon in the Administration program has been redesigned for standalone and managed models.

When comparing models, some elements are created as new and others are modified. The time of synchronization is set as the time of creation for new elements and then time of modification for modified elements.

ArchiMate Export does not export default names of concept connections which have not been modified or empty text translations.

The “Export to Excel” context menu item and “Export>Excel” command in the Design ribbon have been replaced by the “Import/Export>Export>Table Content (WYSIWYG)” command in tables for content, process tables and table editors for elements.

The way a stereotype icon is displayed is controlled in all diagrams using the “Display Stereotype Icon” display option.
The new “Display Stereotype Icon For” display option replaces this function in the concept diagram; this enables more precise display of stereotypes in nodes and containers. “Display Stereotype Icon” is changed to  “Display Stereotype Icon For” upon migration. The activated display is now “Container & Node” and the deactivated display is “Container”.

If an element which is not a concept itself is added to a concept diagram using drag-and-drop, then a suitable concept is searched for or a new one is created and linked with a concept realization. If the element is synchronized with a concept, then this concept is added to the concept diagram and no evaluation is carried out using the concept realization.

Grouping icon depiction has been aligned with the ArchiMate 3.2 Specification in the standard notation and container view of the “Folder” node depiction. Within the framework of ArchiMate, this node depiction can be used as an alternative to “Grouping”; this allows for a more descriptive depiction of icons with the wide tab, also when in the standard notation and container view.
This visually improves process maps.

An element’s stereotype determines the available properties, labels and texts. Once the stereotype is changed, some of these properties, labels and texts can no longer be reached. If the values are available, then they are mapped to properties, labels or texts with the same names. All other values are deleted. The properties, labels and texts affected are shown in a confirmation dialog.

A new property has now been added for synchronized stereotypes: “Display Synchronized Properties at the Top”. If the property is activated, then an element’s synchronized properties are listed at the beginning in the Properties editor. If the property is deactivated, then all the element’s properties are shown in the set order. Additional properties of the synchronized elements are added at the end.

Adding a list of schema separated by commas to the database connection enables data for multiple schema to be read and processed at the same time. If the “Consider Database Model of the Target” option is selected, then the objects are distributed to the schema with the applicable name and any missing schema are created upon import.

A database view can be imported when importing a DDL file. View, view column and from clause expressions in the DDL file are often formatted with spaces, tabs and word wraps. This formatting is retained upon import, meaning expressions can also be displayed as formatted in Innovator.

The jump from process to call task is available as default jump.

All individual steps are not recorded in the change log when working in a diagram. When closing the diagram, it may be necessary to refresh the preview diagram because the diagram display has changed. This is recorded as a modified graphic in the change log. Diagram content can be adopted for diagrams when comparing models. In this case, all the many individual modifications are also not recorded in the change log. There is only one entry for modified diagram content. If changes are undone, then these changes are also logged as diagram content.

Structured display of packages in composite structure diagrams has been adapted to suit the UML Specification.

DMN import fully works with application configurations that can be created in the import configuration tool window. The format of the application configurations is JSON.
Old application configurations in XML format with the purpose MID.Innovator.DMNImport no longer work. If such exist, they must be deleted.

Configuration errors in the application configuration for the process manual can be seen under “Model>Help & Support>Event Viewer”. The model editor needs to be restarted once changes have been made to the application configuration.

The directories for model-specific user settings are stored in the “ModelSettings“ subdirectory.

Performance for Find and Replace in hyperlinks has been considerably improved in the SpecTextReplacer plug-in.

The “Event Definitions” property for tasks and subprocesses collects all event definitions used for compensation. It is only shown if “is for Compensation” is activated. Only event definitions of the  “Compensation” or “Unspecified” type can be selected. The “Activity” property in the event definition sets the use by task/subprocess. Selection is narrowwed to the suitable types for Escalation, Error and Signal.

The standard notation for an entity relationship diagram is now James Martin notation.
This only affects create templates if a new template is created.
Once a 16.0 repository has been transformed, then the templates it contains are still in SERM notation. This will not change until the migration profile is added.

The minimum requirement for Java is changing from version 17 to version 21.
Its own OpenJDK runtime environment (version 21) is included and installed within the scope of delivery of Innovator for Windows.
You do not need to install any further Java runtime environments on the server or client to run Innovator.

Running license servers do not appear in the list of model servers in the network in the “Open & Login” backstage in Innovator unless it contains a model which the user can log-in to.
An exception to this is the set license server.

With the option “Use Recent Change Set”, the log-in is automatically performed with participation in the most recent change set. If this option is enabled, the system searches for the last change set in which the user was involved when logging in, and then reactivates this change set. If no such change set is found or the option is not activated, then a new change set is created.
Initially the option is activated. So the default behavior when the “Change Sets” backstage view is disabled is to continue using the same changeset for each session. To achieve the previous default behavior, the option must be deactivated.

Modified application configurations can be recognized as such thanks to the red font and disc icon in front of the type icon now, rather than the asterisk at the end of the name, which was often hidden if the name was too long.

It is possible to change the name for the main license server under “Edit Properties” in the administration program. This is then displayed instead of “Main License Server” when selecting license servers.

Due to the transition to WiX 4, feature selection via the command line using the ADDLOCAL variable is no longer possible for the Bunde installer (InnovatorEnterprise-en-ENE.exe). Only the MSI Installer needs to be used for this.

Node display for “Grouping” and “Risk Domain” has been changed to “Folder” in the “ArchiMate 3” and “ArchiMate 3 Extensions” profiles. This now corresponds to the alternative depiction in the ArchiMate Specification: a rectangle with a tab with a dashed edge. The new node display has the same size as the old one in the Container display, so diagram layout is not affected.
Note: The configuration profile first needs to be migrated before changes come into effect.

If notifications are set up for an element, then there are additional properties to control the schedule of notifications. These properties are displayed in the “Properties” tool window in a separate “Notifications” tab. The display in the ” Properties” tab is omitted.

The “Use Dependency Editor” privilege is obsolete and has been removed.

Use the transformer (inotrans) to select all managed models for the transformation. Edited models only previously used to be displayed once all models had been transformed. Now each model is individually output as soon as the transformation is completed.

The description of the stereotype is shown as a tool tip for the element type in the configuration editor’s Properties dialog.

The previous “Short Name” column in the result region and model element list has been renamed  “Information”; this is because a stereotype property’s value can also exist here.

An interaction is always created in a classifier. An interaction reference to other interactions can be used in the interaction. Both its own and inherited interactions of the classifier can be used.

The maximum number of displayed predecessor and successor processes can be set with the “Maximum Number Of Displayed Predecessor/Successor Processes” display option. The numerical value set determines the maximum number. An additional message appears if other processes exist. All processes are displayed if the numerical value is 0. If no display option is given, then a maximum of seven processes are shown.

The SpecTextFontSetter on-demand plug-in is used to standardize fonts in specification texts; it can now also correct translations.

You can split concept connections in the context menu. A junction splits the connections; the junction is used as the target for the split concept connection. The connection point is used as the source and a new concept connection is created which connects the original target. Both concept connections are standalone elements. Existing connections to comments or attachments are also attached to the new concept connection. The junction is then shown twice in the diagram; there is no graphic connection between both depictions. You can jump between both depictions in the context menu.
If you wish to merge a junction, then the incoming connection is linked with the target of the outgoing concept connection. The junction and outgoing concept connection are deleted. The incoming concept connection remains.
If the concept connection or the junction is displayed in multiple diagrams and you want to merge or split it, then a message appears to say that multiple diagrams will be affected by the change. The user can then either cancel the action or carry it out regardless. You can jump to the affected diagrams via “Go to>Occurrences in Diagrams… “.

A standardized XML file is saved below a selectable path upon table content export. This file can also be opened straight away in Excel.

Tables for content and process tables contain columns with information about the history (creator, time of creation and user and time of last modification).
Available type system options are also shown as columns as content in tables for database elements.

You can activate text display for diagram content in the translation window.
This makes it possible to translate both available elements and their texts.

Slots can be used as both source and also target for dependencies.

If necessary, a number suffix is added to a name to make it unique. This also applies for elements with a period in the name. As an exception, attachments and artifacts are treated as file names; their file ending may not be changed. The name is made unique for these elements in front of the period and file ending. There is also a second deviation for instance names of classifiers (e.g. List<String>). The name is made unique in front of the parentheses.

All changes are logged so that changes to the user management can be tracked:

• The changes are logged in the license server.
  Logging is only active if the INO_LOG_PERSONAL_DATA = 1 environment variable is set on the license server.
• Changes to the user management are shown in the “Show Information” view in the Administration program if:
• The main license server is selected and
• The INO_LOG_PERSONAL_DATA = 1 environment variable is set on the license server and
• The user is logged-in as license administrator or has user management rights.
• Entries are logged for changes to the user management and contain the following information:
• When which action was carried out by whom.

Expressions of view columns, from clauses and database views can be formatted using tabs.

If a relationship should be created between two existing elements when importing and a relationship of the desired stereotype already exists, then a new relationship is not created; the existing relationship is used instead.

Elements which can be reused are found in the model for ArchiMate Import in the entire namespace, not just in the import root.

The Excel import function can be used to import decimal numbers with a comma. The values can be imported to stereotype properties or labels with the “Decimal Number” type.

If no value is entered in the name column upon Excel import, then a warning icon appears in the cells with the empty values. All other values are shown correctly.

Bookmarks work in managed models with common settings, even when multiple versions of one model are open at the same time. Structural changes to bookmarks in other versions can be made visible with “View>Synchronize>Reload Content”.

The linked elements for associations and association classes are set using both the permissible attributes and the permissible types of these attributes. If different attributes are permissible, then there are theoretically lots of ways to get from a start element as an attribute’s type to the association and then to get from there to a target element as the type via an attribute.
The attributes of the create template are evaluated when creating an association; this then constrains the list of permissible combinations.

LDAP synchronization no longer has a limit of 1000 entries.

If the license server has been stopped for a longer period of time, then an InoAgent which is still active reports as operational when the license server is restarted.

A new stereotype has been added for decisions, making junctions much easier to recognize in the process map.
Note: The configuration profile first needs to be migrated before changes come into effect.

The progress dialog only counts the selected verifications for model verification.

Background colors of links remain when formatted text is saved.

If process maps which are exported from Innovator to Bpanda contain supporting processes, then it is possible to click in their pentagonal area to follow the link to these processes.

The “Undo” and “Redo” commands work with graphics and hyperlinks in specification texts.

The verification in the Verification Results tool window is not carried out again when changes are made in the model.
If a model element is deleted, then this is also removed from the tool window. You can carry out a verification again by clicking on the “Repeat” button.

No error appears when starting the model if you use a verification configuration with your own verifications with a class which is not available. When the verification is accessed, the verification does not appear and can therefore not be executed.
A message appears in the tool tip saying that the class could not be found in the class library.