Hi all,
I am currently evaluating ERM and I would like some pointers on the best way to implement the following problem. I have a number of components represented by shapes that are connected through lines. I also have special components (let's call them parasites) that can "glue" themselves anywhere on the main tree. This includes gluing both to the components and the connections. The main tree's layout is force directed. I want to attach the parasites in such a way that it remains readable.
As far as I can tell, there is no way to connect a line to another line in ERM. I thought about introducing invisible stub shapes that would be placed in between components that the parasites can attach to, but this wouldn't have the desired result because applying the layout would result in crooked lines between the components while I want them to be straight.
Another solution I thought about was introducing a layer and positioning the stub shapes above the component / connection manually, but this seems rather cumbersome, and I don't think I'll be able to take advantage of the force directed layout for the parasites. This is not a real requirement but it would be nice / easy to have.
I hope I made myself clear enough. If anyone could point me in the right direction I'd be most grateful and ERM would most likely become our preferred library.
thanks,
Mathy