Some UML Modeling Tools (as of April 2008)

Different UML tools have different features to meet different needs of students and professionals, informal modelers and hard-core modelers.  All of the following UML tools have benefits and costs (difficulty of learning and use, unreliability, etc. -- not necessarily monetary costs).  These are not endorsements.  Talk to colleagues about their experiences with the tools, evaluate the tools before committing too much to them, and manage your risks.

• Often, the most effective UML modeling tool is the simplest: pencil and paper or a marker and whiteboard.  A camera phone is good for "digitizing" paper and whiteboard for electcronic sharing.
• Wikipedia has a more comprehensive list of UML tools
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UML_tools
• Microsoft Visio
  • Visio is available to SE students under the Microsoft Academic Alliance
    • Go to the SE Department web site (http://www.se.rit.edu) and navigate to Facilities > Software Vendor Alliances
  • The built-in Microsoft UML stencil is problematic.  It is trying to build an underlying model and metamodel that integrates with Visual Studio, but it forces you into incorrect or inconvenient model notations.
  • Instead, download Pavel Hruby's UML 2.x Stencil and Template for Visio from http://www.phruby.com/stencildownload.html
    • It provides an effective diagramming stencil without trying to build an underlying model
• Omondo UML is an Eclipse Plug-in
  • Go to http://www.omondo.com/
  • A free edition is available
• ArgoUML is an open-source UML modeling tool
  • Go to http://argouml.tigris.org/
  • The Java Web Start version does not require that you install ArgoUML on your machine (convenient to use in the SE labs)
  • It currently (2008-04-03) supports UML 1.4, not 2.x
• Poseiden for UML is a commercial product based on the ArgoUML base
  • http://gentleware.com/index.php?id=products
  • The Community Edition is free
  • Runs on a Java run-time, so runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, etc.
  • Apollo is a version that runs on Eclipse.  It is not free.
• Visual Paradigm for UML
• http://www.visual-paradigm.com/product/vpuml/
• The Community Edition is free for non-commercial use
• Java-based, so runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.
• Integrates with IDEs such as Eclipse, JBuilder, NetBeans, etc.
• BOUML
  • http://bouml.free.fr/
• StarUML
  • http://staruml.sourceforge.net/en/
• There are numerous professional-quality tools with somewhat high learning curves, but powerful features
• IBM Rational Software Developer Platform family of products
• Consider Rational Software Architect (including Modeler, Rapid Application Developer, etc.)
• It is available for your use in the curriculum under the Academic Initiative
• We also have training materials (courseware)
• Contact Scott Hawker
• Borland Together (http://www.borland.com/us/products/together/)
• Runs in Eclipse
• Telelogic Tau (http://www.telelogic.com/products/tau/index.cfm)
• Telelogic Modeler is a free version
• Telelogic is now part of IBM Rational. The Telelogic tools focus on embedded systems.
• For Mac OS X, 
• Consider OmniGraffle   http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/OmniGraffle/
• Consider Poseidon for UML  http://gentleware.com/index.php?id=products
• Consider Visual Paradigm for UML  http://www.visual-paradigm.com/product/vpuml/
• There are numerous other tools
  • Let Scott Hawker know of your experiences with them and we can update this page
• https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Dia
• LucidChart

• http://www.umlet.com/

• http://violet.sourceforge.net