Creating and Working With Data Models
Go Up to Using ER/Studio Data Architect
Using the data modeling features of ER/Studio Data Architect you can create automatic and customized data model diagrams. ER/Studio Data Architect provides functionality such as automatic layouts, custom colors and fonts for your objects, and relationship line control.
ER/Studio Data Architect offers five preset auto layouts: circular, hierarchical, orthogonal, symmetric, and tree. You can use a preset layout to automatically generate your data model into a specific diagram type. These automatic layouts dictate how ER/Studio Data Architect displays relationships and objects. Although these layouts create a specific diagram with specific rules that control relationships and object placement, you can still change certain aspects of the display, overriding the automatic layout.
You can set color and font settings for almost any object in your diagram. You can create changes that affect all objects in your diagram. If you make a change in color or font to the entire diagram, you can then select individual objects to customize differently.
ER/Studio Data Architect gives you control over relationship lines. You can control the color, bending, straightening, verb phrases, and docking points of relationship lines.
If you are working with large data models, ER/Studio Data Architect offers features that help you zoom and navigate your models easily. The Overview Window and Zoom Window display thumbnail views of your entire data model. Utilities accessible from the Diagram toolbar, let you zoom, navigate relationships, and fit your entire data model into the Data Model Window.
There a several ways to create a data model. This section describes these methods. Subsequent discussions describe how you can customize your data model.
- Creating a New, Blank Data Model
- Reverse Engineering an Existing Database
- Importing a Model
- Generating a Physical Data Model
- Using the Compare and Merge Utility
- Changing the Database Platform of a Model