ERM 3.5 .NET Edition diagramming component

"The best visual component in it's class!"

INTRODUCTION
ERM.NET Edition is one of many great ways to create visually appealing, fully interactive graphical applications. You will find ERM very helpful when displaying and editing flowcharts, as well as organizing them to networks diagrams into your window application, resulting in web publication.

INSTALLATION
Installation is short and painless. Once you have signed in and downloaded the ERM zip file from the Crainiate web site all that’s left to do is unzip the file and put it into the folder you wish to install it to.
Fig 1.0

CONFIGURATION
Once the file is installed, select the Browse button and locate the ERM3 installation directory Ex: (C:\Program Files\Crainiate\ERM3.5) and select the ERM3.DLL file. Now you can begin implementing the component into your new application.

A couple of examples and features have been added to this version that any user will find extremely helpful, as well as time-saving. Listed below are are some of the other supportive features.

Custom Shapes and Graphics
Anti-aliasing, partial opacity, and vector capability are a few of the many complex graphical features that ERM 3.5 sustains. ERM 3.5 allows the user to generate original shapes by taking advantage of the GDI + classes that have been built into the .NET framework.

Fig 1.1

Flowchart
Now there is an incredibly easy way to create visually appealing flowcharts that will save you time and energy. FlowChart increases functionality to the Model control and swiftly creates interactive flowcharts. By using FlowShape and FlowLine classes, you’re FlowChart class is able to link to over 30 predefined shapes.

Fig 1.2

Layouts
ERM is the only component that standardizes and provides advanced mathematics to allow the user to arrange various figures, otherwise known as nodes, to a model. By using flow or tree hierarchies the layout class allows the user to place shapes a network. Grid and linear arrangements can also be used in this process. The Layout class is extremely customizable and expandable.

Fig 1.3

Palette
The Palette class is fully automatic allowing users to place any shapes into a model by presenting a user friendly and well designed interface. It sizes, annotates, and fully arranges your added shapes and is easily saved by using XML.

Fig 1.4

ERM 3.5 has the ability to sustain highly developed draw processes including transparency, rotation, and is capable of producing a large assortment of image formats. The user has options ranging from custom brushes and pens as well as being able to dominate the render engine to adjust rendering behavior or add your own custom rendering for specialized applications. The option will also be available to create your own graphical entity classes by using the sophisticated influence of the .NET runtime to inherit from the foundation shape and line classes.

Fig 1.5

ERM also comes with step by step help files and Programming guide to help you along the way.

The following is a list of features that we retrieved from the Craniate web site. These features are available in version 3.5 of the component.

Choose from predefined shapes or create your own vector based shapes with full support for moving, scaling and rotation
Advanced graphical features such as opacity, color gradients and anti-aliasing
Real-time or wire frame rendering
Display on any device or on the web using SVG 1.1
Infinitely large models with unlimited model shapes, lines, annotations and images
Save and retrieve models to disk or database with full support for XML
Includes an Overview and a drag-and-drop Palette control .
Built in support for printing and zooming
Interactive docking, addition and deletion of models
Automatic or custom layout of models (hierarchical, force directed,linear) and line routing
Owner draw, customer rendering and support for custom pens and brushes
Unlimited undo and redo functionality
For developers, ERM3 provides the following
100% managed code.
Inheritable. Most classes in ERM3 are written specifically to be subclassed (inherited)
Integrated help file. Stand alone help file or integrated in Visual Studio.NET
Programmer's guide. From getting started to advanced topics.
The additional benefits of the ERM 3.5 .NET edition component include
Free unlimited support. As with all our components, support via email is free.
Runtime royalty free
Small redistributable file size (less than 500kb)
Free upgrades to minor releases. Free upgrade to any release within 90 days of purchase
The ERM 3.5 is 100% managed code and is runtime royalty free.

PROS:
a. Feature Rich
b. Easy to Setup

CONS:
None Found

Reviewed By:
Allison Ross