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Ask HN: Any process modelling tools using the HTML5 canvas?

2 points by heymishy ↗ HN
Im looking at a side-project playing around with html5 canvas and modelling processes or architectures?

If theres nothing out there there seems to gap in the market between tools like enterprise architect (repository-based models which are very standards based (UML, BPMN etc) and inflexible and basic process drawing libraries like mxGraph .

I see an opportunity here that sits between the little-to-no documentation except user stories and code movement and the horribly inflexible and maintainable 'enterprise' models out there - but happy to hear dissenting opinions on why thats a terrible idea!

6 comments

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larkery
One of my colleagues is working on this:

https://github.com/cse-bristol/process-model

It's not canvas, but it is a process modelling tool.

heymishy
interesting project - thanks for pointing it out. I havent much experience with Node but ill have a oplay around with it tonight.

Those ideas are definitely part of what I want to incorporate into 'something' and build on it.

Would be interested in hearing what his use case is for building this, if you can?

larkery
I don't know what a use case is, but the purpose of the device is to help people use process modelling in the service of creating a strategy around complicated things, in particular urban energy planning.

You should be able to run it without node, but node is used for wrangling javascript dependencies (building it, effectively).

heymishy
use case = purpose in this sense, so that answers the question., thanks!

ill have a look into it and see the techniques hes using here but it seems like a similair (although applied) problem domain to what im looking at.

Im looking at explaining / communicating complex problems, particularly developing software in enterprises with an already complex and not-well-understood environment.

tobinharris
You might get value from http://yuml.me, which is an online UML diagramming tool.
heymishy
interesting - thanks for that. looks like your the author? Any reason why you went for notation-based rather than a drawing cavnas?

I'm thinking of putting together something very flexible and user friendly which can certainly do UML but not strict and the focus would be free notation with best practice to guide.