First steps with Capella

Capella is an open source modeling tool. It is particularly interesting because the modeling language, method and tool are closely linked. This has advantages - the user is better guided. But it also has disadvantages - some of the flexibility is lost.

But that makes Capella particularly interesting for beginners who simply want to experiment with modeling. And the fact that Capella is free also helps, of course.

By the way reported several times on Capella and ARCADIA. A good overview is provided in this one-hour webinar mediated.

Eclipse as a platform

Capella can downloaded as a ZIP file from the website and unpacked. As long as a suitable Java is installed on the computer, no further installation step is necessary.

Those who do not Eclipse familiar with Capella will first have to find their way around. A new "Capella Project" can be created via File > New, and once created, an editor opens to guide the user through the first development steps. The tabs at the bottom of the editor reflect these steps.

The process icons are linked and open the corresponding tab, where you will find further information:

At this point at the latest, however, we need further documentation on the modeling language and the method. This is because the links then create a corresponding diagram. Without knowledge of the modeling language, you can hardly get any further. And the modeling language is not SysML.

Capella is not SysML

Capella's modeling language has a lot in common with SysML common, but are not identical. This topic is so important that it has its own page explaining the similarities and differences.

This approach also makes sense and is pragmatic. After all, the Capella developers don't want to reinvent the wheel either. The adaptations ensure that the modeling language really fits the ARCADIA method cleanly.

To familiarize yourself with Capella - and ARCADIA - we find on the website a lot of resourcesneatly sorted and categorized. Incidentally, this also includes case studies that demonstrate the business value of Capella. This shows, among other things, that the project has a commercial driver and is suitable not only for teaching, but also for industrial use.

Learn Capella and ARCADIA

The resources also include a very detailed tutorialwhich explains Capella from installation to document generation. This can be worked through in one day. For me at least, tutorials like this are always one of the best ways to get to grips with a new technology, as you can really get to grips with it.

The tutorial should at least provide enough knowledge to be able to judge whether Capella could be a viable option in a specific context or not.

The next steps

If you really want to get started with Capella, you should work your way through the official tutorial or use the other resources on the Capella website. It is pleasing to see that the project is being driven forward very professionally and has been designed for serious productive use (and for teaching, of course). Have fun modeling!

Photo by Mitya Ivanov on Unsplash