Visual modeling is the graphic representation of objects and systems of interest using graphical language

Graphical language

Graphical language may refer to:* Visual language, a system of communication using visual elements.* Visual programming language, a computer programming language that lets create programs by manipulating program elements graphically....

s. Visual modeling languages may be General-Purpose Modeling

General-purpose modeling

General-purpose modeling is the systematic use of a general-purpose modeling language to represent the various facets of an object or a system...

 (GPM) languages (e.g., UML

Unified Modeling Language

Unified Modeling Language is a standardized general-purpose modeling language in the field of object-oriented software engineering. The standard is managed, and was created, by the Object Management Group...

, Southbeach Notation, IDEF

IDEF

IDEF, an abbreviation of Integration Definition, refers to a family of modeling languages in the field of systems and software engineering. They cover a wide range of uses, from functional modeling to data, simulation, object-oriented analysis/design and knowledge acquisition. These "definition...

) or Domain-Specific Modeling

Domain-Specific Modeling

Domain-specific modeling is a software engineering methodology for designing and developing systems, such as computer software. It involves systematic use of a domain-specific language to represent the various facets of a system...

 (DSM) languages (e.g., SysML). They include industry open standards (e.g., UML, SysML), as well as proprietary standards, such as the visual languages associated with VisSim

VisSim

VisSim is a visual block diagram language for simulation of dynamical systems and model based design of embedded systems. It is developed by Visual Solutions of Westford, Massachusetts....

, MATLAB

MATLAB

MATLAB is a numerical computing environment and fourth-generation programming language. Developed by MathWorks, MATLAB allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages,...

 and Simulink

Simulink

Simulink, developed by MathWorks, is a commercial tool for modeling, simulating and analyzing multidomain dynamic systems. Its primary interface is a graphical block diagramming tool and a customizable set of block libraries. It offers tight integration with the rest of the MATLAB environment and...

, OPNET

OPNET

OPNET Technologies, Inc. is a software business that provides performance analysis for computer networks and applications.The company was founded in 1986 and went public in 2000. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland and has offices in Cary, North Carolina; Nashua, New Hampshire; Dallas,...

, and NI Multisim. VisSim is unique in that it provides a royalty-free, downloadable Viewer that lets anyone open and interactively simulate VisSim models. Visual modeling languages are an area of active research that continues to evolve, as evidenced by increasing interest in DSM languages, visual requirements, and visual OWL (Web Ontology Language

Web Ontology Language

The Web Ontology Language is a family of knowledge representation languages for authoring ontologies.The languages are characterised by formal semantics and RDF/XML-based serializations for the Semantic Web...

).

See also

• Discipline-Specific Modeling
• Domain-Specific Modeling
  Domain-Specific Modeling
  Domain-specific modeling is a software engineering methodology for designing and developing systems, such as computer software. It involves systematic use of a domain-specific language to represent the various facets of a system...
  
  
• Model Driven Engineering
• Modeling language
  Modeling language
  A modeling language is any artificial language that can be used to express information or knowledge or systems in a structure that is defined by a consistent set of rules...
  
  

External links

• Visual Modeling Forum A web community dedicated to visual modeling languages and tools.