UML Modeling Techniques > Object interaction modeling > Object Animator > Introduction > Animating sequence diagrams (Object Animator)
Animating sequence diagrams (Object Animator)
You can manually step through a Sequence Diagram, or you can let Object Animator step through for you.
Stepping Through a Sequence Diagram
Through the Step command on the Run menu, you can step through a Sequence Diagram one statement at a time.
If you step to a Selection, Parallel or Iteration statement, Object Animator opens a window that allows you to choose the path you require.
If the Animate into Child Diagrams check box selected on the Options dialog and you step to an Event, Operation or Use Case that owns multiple Sequence Diagrams, you are prompted to select which child Sequence Diagram to animate.
If the Animate into Child Diagrams check box selected on the Options dialog and you step to a Statement that owns an Interaction Frame that references a Sequence Diagram, the referenced Sequence Diagram is processed.
Running a Sequence Diagram
Through the Go command on the Run menu, you can let Object Animator step through a Sequence Diagram for you. You can stop the animation at any time through the Break command on the Run menu.
If Object Animator steps to a Selection, Parallel or Iteration statement, the Stop at Selection/Parallel check box on the options dialog box determines how Object Animator behaves:
If you select the Stop at Selection/Parallel check box, Object Animator opens a window for you to choose the required path.
If you clear the Stop at Selection/Parallel check box, Object Animator steps through all parallel threads in order, steps through the first path in each Selection block, and steps through an Iteration block only once before continuing.
If Object Animator steps to an Event, Operation or Use Case that owns multiple Sequence Diagrams, the 'Animate into Child Diagrams' check box on the Options dialog determines how Object Animator behaves:
If you select the Animate into Child Diagrams check box, Object Animator animates each child Sequence Diagram in turn. The child diagrams are animated in alphabetical order.
If you clear the Animate into Child Diagrams check box, Object Animator does not animate child Sequence Diagrams.
If Object Animator steps to a Statement that owns an Interaction Frame that references a Sequence Diagram, the 'Animate into Child Diagrams' check box on the Options dialog determines how Object Animator behaves:
If you select the Animate into Child Diagrams check box, Object Animator animates the referenced Sequence Diagram.
If you clear the Animate into Child Diagrams check box, Object Animator does not animate the referenced Sequence Diagrams.