SysML, UAF, UML, and UPDM Profiles > SysML profile > Constraint blocks > Overview of working with constraint blocks (SysML) > Overview of working with constraint blocks (SysML)
  
Overview of working with constraint blocks (SysML)
After adding the SysML Profile to a model, you can create Constraint Blocks and the SysML items and diagrams that support them.
The SysML Profile creates the Constraint Blocks pane, so that you can easily work with the SysML items and diagrams you create, and explore their relationships with other items in the model.
The SysML Profile allows you to model relationships between Constraint Blocks through Block Definition Diagrams, model the internal structure of Constraint Blocks through Constraint Block owned Parametric Diagrams, and apply the constraints of a Constraint Block to Block Properties of type Value through Block owned Parametric Diagrams. The SysML Profile allows you to create SysML item types to support the definition and application of Constraint Blocks, such as Constraint Properties, Constraint Parameters and Binding Connectors.
The SysML Profile creates context menu commands for creating and working with the SysML items - these commands appear on the context menu of the Model, Packages and many of the SysML item types.
To use the SysML Profile, you require a good working knowledge of SysML.
SysML panes
The SysML Profile creates the Constraints Block pane, which is useful when working with Constraint Blocks and their associated items and diagrams.
Note that you can show or hide the full names of items shown in profile panes through the Show Full Names in Profile Browsers command on the View menu.
The Constraint Blocks pane includes the following folders:
ConstraintBlock - lists Constraint Blocks.
ConstraintParameter - lists Constraint Parameters.
ConstraintProperty - lists Constraint Properties.
ParametricDiagram - lists Parametric Diagrams.
Defining relationships between constraint blocks
Through a Block Definition Diagram, you can create Constraint Blocks and then define the relationships between those Constraint Blocks through Aggregation, Composition, Dependency and Generalization links.
You can create Constraint Parameters for Constraint Blocks and Constraint Properties to apply those Constraint Parameters to Block Properties of type Value.
For more information about working with Constraint Blocks, Constraint Parameters and Constraint Properties, see the following topics:
Constraint block (SysML item)
Overview of working with constraint blocks (SysML)
Constraint Property
Creating a constraint block
Creating a constraint parameter
Creating a constraint property
Creating and applying a constraint to a constraint block
Defining the internal structure of a constraint block
Constraint Blocks can use other Constraint Blocks in their definition - this is useful when defining complex Constraint Blocks and allows you to reuse Constraint Blocks.
To define the internal structure of a Constraint Block, create a Parametric Diagram for the Constraint Block: right-click the Constraint Block, point to New, point to SysML, and then click Parametric Diagram.
You can populate the Parametric Diagram with the owning Constraint Block's Constraint Parameters, create Block Properties and populate their Constraint Parameters, and connect Constraint Parameters using Binding Connectors.
For more information about working with Constraint Block owned Parametric Diagrams, click here
Connecting constraint parameters on a parametric diagram
Creating a constraint parameter on a parametric diagram
Creating a constraint property on a parametric diagram
Creating a parametric diagram for a constraint block
Parametric diagram
Populating constraint parameters on a parametric diagram
Populating constraint properties on a parametric diagram
Applying constraints to a block's properties
To apply Constraint Parameters to Block Properties of type Value, create a Parametric Diagram for the Block that owns the Block Properties: right-click the Block, point to New, point to SysML, and then click Parametric Diagram.
You can add Block Properties and Constraint Properties to the Parametric Diagram, and then connect the Constraint Parameters of the Constraint Properties to the Block Properties on the Parametric Diagram.
For more information about working with Block owned Parametric Diagrams, see the following topics:
Adding block properties to a parametric diagram
Connecting a block property to a construction diagram
Creating a constraint parameter on a parametric diagram
Creating a constraint property on a parametric diagram
Creating a parametric diagram for a block
Populating constraint parameters on a parametric diagram
Populating constraint properties on a parametric diagram