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Introduction
ParaMagic® plugin for MagicDraw makes SysML models come alive! By executing constraint relationships in SysML parametric diagrams, systems engineers can run simulations and trade studies for complex systems from concept through final test. Mathematica® and PlayerPro® (Wolfram Research), OpenModelica®, and MATLAB® Symbolic Math Toolbox™ (MathWorks) can be used as math solvers. Links between SysML and Excel® make it easy to import and export data, generate SysML instances, and create reports and generate graphs and charts. Existing models in tools like MATLAB®, Simulink®, and Mathematica® can be easily wrapped as SysML constraint blocks and incorporated in the simulation.
Engineers and analysts used to working on individual spreadsheets now have a collaborative tool to synchronize their efforts using the best model-based systems engineering practices. In both traditional and non-traditional domains of system engineering, users can explore system performance, verify requirements, estimate cost, allocate resources, and keep diverse models in sync. Developers leveraging MagicDraw's UPDM and business modeling capabilities can add parametric simulation using SysML sub-models for defense planning, business process analysis and computational finance.
NEW: Starting with ParaMagic® 18.0, users can get Wolfram Player Pro math solver bundled with ParaMagic® plugin at a very low incremental price. Alternatively, users who need the full power of Mathematica front end can get Mathematica bundled with ParaMagic® plugin at a discounted incremental price. Click the Features tab to learn more or contact your No Magic account executive for more details.
ParaMagic® is developed by and is a registered trademark of our partner InterCAX LLC.
Features
ParaMagic® 18.0 brings exciting and advanced new features for MagicDraw/SysML 17.0.5 and 18.0, as listed below.
1. Availability of ParaMagic® + Wolfram Player Pro bundle
With ParaMagic® 18.0, Wolfram Player Pro is available bundled with ParaMagic® at a very low incremental price for new and existing users. All of ParaMagic's advanced parametric solving capabilities are currently (and will be in future) available with Player Pro. The option to select Player Pro is now available in the ParaMagic Settings category under MagicDraw Environment Option (Options > Environment), as shown below. We highly recommend all our users who were not using Mathematica as their core solver with ParaMagic® to upgrade to ParaMagic® + PlayerPro bundle to explore the full power of ParaMagic®. Alternatively, they can also upgrade to ParaMagic® + Mathematica bundle (see below) to get the full power of Mathematica front end.
2. Availability of ParaMagic® + Mathematica bundle
While Player Pro serves as an advanced math solver for ParaMagic®, users may still need the full power of Mathematica front end, such as the ability to work with Mathematica notebooks, advanced user interface for authoring custom Mathematica functions and scripts, access to Mathematica library and documentation, and the ability to test and debug Mathematica functions before using them in SysML parametric models. Users can also purchase Mathematica bundled with ParaMagic® at a discounted incremental price.
3. ParaMagic® Silent - Invoke ParaMagic in silent mode from your own plugins and scripts
ParaMagic® 18.0 comes with the ParaMagic® Silent feature which provides two main capabilities for automation: (1) ParaMagic® Silent provides Java API methods to validate and solve parametric models, and update SysML instance models with results. Users who have installed the ParaMagic® plugin can now invoke these API methods from their own plugins and scripts; (2) ParaMagic® Silent also enables users to solve parametric models and update SysML instance models without launching the ParaMagic® browser interface.
4. Significant improvement in solving speed with PlayerPro and Mathematica
ParaMagic® 18.0 comes with a strong integration with Player Pro and Mathematica, communicating directly with the math kernel versus the file-based communication earlier. This offers significant improvements in solving speeds, especially for parametric trade studies executing 1000s of scenarios, and significant reduction in the communication overhead with Mathematica and PlayerPro solver engines.
5. Support for binding connectors between constraint parameters
ParaMagic® 18.0 now supports binding connectors between two constraint parameters, as shown below. This works for all types of constraint blocks, those with regular math equations as well as those wrapping externally defined MATLAB functions/scripts and Mathematica functions, as shown below.
6. Improved error handling and user messages when validating parametric models
ParaMagic® 18.0 comes with major improvements in handling errors and description of end user messages when validating parametric models.
7. Improved support for MATLAB connection and messages
ParaMagic® 18.0 also provides major improvements in error handling and end user messages for the MATLAB/Simulink connection (section 8.3).
8. Resolution of issues
In addition to the new and improved capabilities listed above, ParaMagic® 18.0 also resolves several issues, such as those related to: (1) reading/writing nested instance structure from/to Excel spreadsheets and (2) naming binding connectors and properties owned by blocks in read-only mode.
9. New ParaMagic® Icon
ParaMagic® has a new icon. The new icon will show up in the ParaMagic® toolbar, browser, settings, and dialogs.
ParaMagic® comes in two editions—ParaMagic® Lite and ParaMagic®. The table below compares the features of these editions. All features (both editions) are described in this Users Guide.
| # | Feature | ParaMagic Lite | ParaMagic |
| 1 | Execute parametric models with math functions | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Availability of Constraint Block Library with math functions | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Use Mathematica / PlayerPro / OpenModelica (free) / MATLAB Symbolic Math Toolbox as solvers | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Acausal solving – Swap inputs and outputs at runtime without modifying equations | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Complex Aggregates – Solve parametric models with equations that involve collections of parts | No | Yes |
| 6 | Recursion – Solve parametric models with equations that apply recursively through the model structure | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Redefinition – Solve parametric models where properties (value/part/reference/shared and constraint) are redefined | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Validation of math syntax before solving | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | ParaMagic® Silent – Java API methods to call ParaMagic® in silent mode from your plugins and scripts | No | Yes |
| 10 | Excel Connection – Read & write SysML instance values from/to Excel spreadsheets | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Excel Connection – Generate & update SysML instance model from Excel spreadsheets | No | Yes |
| 12 | Trade Studies – Execute parametric model to perform trade studies | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | MATLAB/Simulink Connection – Wrap MATLAB functions/scripts as constraint blocks and use in parametric models | No | Yes |
| 14 | Mathematica Connection - Wrap custom Mathematica functions as constraint blocks and use in parametric models | No | Yes |
Requirements
ParaMagic® 18.0 requires MagicDraw and SysML plugin 17.0.5 and higher (including 18.0). A core solver is required. Options are: PlayerPro (9.0), Mathematica (9.0), OpenModelica (1.9), or MATLAB Symbolic Math Toolbox (R2014a). Simulink® (R2014a) and MS Excel® (2010) are optional based on the usage of features above. ParaMagic® can work with other versions of math solvers and simulation tools listed above but it has been tested rigorously only with the versions noted above.
NEW: Starting with ParaMagic® 18.0, users can get Wolfram Player Pro math solver bundled with ParaMagic® plugin at a very low incremental price. Alternatively, users who need the full power of Mathematica front end can get Mathematica bundled with ParaMagic® plugin at a discounted incremental price. Click the Features tab to learn more or contact your No Magic account executive for more details.