Here is a video showing the current development status. For that I used the Levenshtein algorithm partly inspired by the approach proposed on this article [1].

This is a normal GMF generated GEF editor with Square, Triangle and Connection tools.
I’d added another tool called Sketch on the palette, so at this point I’m able to feedback to the user the sketch being performed, and detect what is meant by comparing the sketch with a using the Levenshtein algorithm for string distance. I’m also working on a Multi-agent approach for both recognition and learning of sketches.

Omnimodeling for GMF (in progress…) from Ugo Sangiorgi on Vimeo.

So in a rough way, GMF provides the ability for a user to create/edit/view a XML model containing Squares and Triangles (in this case) but in a graphic way. What OmniModeling tries to accomplish is to add another layer on top of this funcionality and let the user draw the model freely, by hand.

The next step is not only to recognize the shape, but grasp the size of the element being added (by comparing distance between corners maybe) and set it automatically.

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What if I give to GEF editors the ability to recognize sketches, using the Levenshtein algorithm, which is easy to implement and its also fast?

Instead of clicking on the palette, the user just select the Free Drawing Tool and sketch freely on the editor. A given layer could recognize the points and add the relative element to the diagram.
Also, if the recognizer didnt get the sketch upfront, there could be a mechanism that let the user tell the program what he/she meant with that sketch, lets say a popup menu that let the user choose what element is meant by the sketch.

This could be a nice feature to have on GMF. You model your domain, works the Graphical model, the Tooling model, and there could be also a Sketch model for you to create, binding gestures to elements.

I’m starting a prototype. I tought it might be called OmniModeling. The modeller of everything