EIM announces ModelMagic!

Download our trial version now!  (Click here for details.)  Or click here to buy a registered copy.

What's the problem?

Without a doubt, Computer Associates ERwin is the best data modeling tool around.  We've been recommending it to our customers since it was introduced.  But despite ERwin's ability to create a great data model, ERwin's automatic diagram layout function leaves something to be desired.  We've watched data modelers spend hour after hour even day after day laying out their data models.  And, unless you are a glutton for punishment, you can't enjoy the time you spend manually laying out your models.  That's why we created ModelMagic. 

What will ModelMagic do to help?

ModelMagic will take any (that's ANY) data model and place the entities so that you will spend a fraction of the time you spent before laying out your models.  In many cases you won't have to do anything at all.  Try doing that with ERwin's layout function.  ModelMagic automatically calculates the coordinates and places data model objects saving you hours of tedious hand editing.   ModelMagic will efficiently handle models containing 4 or 400 objects.  EIM has spent years building and placing data models.  ModelMagic incorporates this experience within the algorithm used to place the model objects.  ModelMagic uses this algorithm to place your entities so that models read from top to bottom and the lines can be easily routed to avoid crossing entities.  This makes your models easier to read, easier to understand and easier to present.  

Let's look at an example...

Here's a data model diagram before being placed by ERwin's automatic layout function.

Here's the same data model diagram after being placed by ERwin's automatic layout function.

And here is the same data model diagram after being placed by ModelMagic!
(with some manual placement of the relationships)

Does this look too good to be true?  If you think so, try it for yourself.  Click here to download this data model in ERwin ER1 format.  Open it in ERwin and use ERwin's automatic diagram layout function to place the model.  If you do try it let us know what you think.   Please email us at ModelMagic@EIMInc.net.

Would you like to see some more examples?

Here are two more examples before and after placement using ModelMagic.   Just click on the thumbnail images to see the larger versions.

Example 1
          Before ModelMagic
          After ModelMagic

Example 2
          Before ModelMagic
          After ModelMagic

Here's an example showing how ModelMagic will optionally sort your data model attributes.

Before ModelMagic                             After ModelMagic

Plus our new version of ModelMagic has two new utilities; Copy Layout and Expand Layout!

You’ve spent hours or even days laying out a view and finally its finished. Then your boss says this 'Looks great! Make the other views look just like this.' And it’s back to square one. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just copy the way you placed the good view into other views that share many of the same entities? Now you can! Copy Layout lets you select the view you want the layout copied from and specify the view you want the layout copied to. It’s just that easy. A few clicks of the mouse and your views are identical! We’ve used the Copy Layout function at our latest client sites to avoid dozens of hours laying out views. It works great!

Expand Layout is just as great! Your boss just asked you to add 'just a few more entities' to the view you spent so long getting just right. It would be easy to do if only you could have just a little more room to play with. But unfortunately there is no easy way to do it in Erwin other than picking each entity and dragging it out. With Expand Layout it’s easy! Just enter the amount you want to expand the view by; 25%, 50%, 100%, 200%... a mouse click and it’s done! And although its name is Expand Layout, it’s just as easy to shrink your view. Just enter the amount you want to shrink the view by; -25%, -50%, -100%, -200%... and just as easily it’s done! We have one data modeler who just loves this utility. She likes to expand her views to make them easier to work with and when she is happy with her work she shrinks the view to make it fit in the minimum space. We think you’ll love it just as much!

Would you like to put us to the test?

We're so certain that ModelMagic will place your model that we challenge you to put us to the test.  Send us a view from your data model (in ERwin er1 format, no more than 50 entities) and we will place it for you with ModelMagic (only one view per domain name please).  We're sure that you will be amazed with the result.  Send your questions, your models or to reserve your copy of ModelMagic to ModelMagic@EIMInc.net.  

Download a trial version of ModelMagic!

A trial version of ModelMagic is now available.  This trial version is limited to five days or ten uses.  The trial version operates on models having 50 entities or less and will not sort the attributes.  A fully registered version is required to obtain this functionality.  The trial version requires ERwin 3.5.2 and MS Access 2000 with Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 or Windows NT.  Click here to fill out our ModelMagic trial version request form.  Once the form is completed you may download the trial version.

Buy a full-function registered version of ModelMagic!

ModelMagic requires ERwin 3.5.2 and MS Access 2000 with Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 or Windows NT.  Click here to purchase a registered copy of ModelMagic.

You don't have ERwin 3.5.2, MS Access 2000, or Windows and want to hear more?

Click here to fill out our ModelMagic contact request form.

1 ERwin is a registered trademark of Computer Associates International, Inc.