SmartDraw UML Center

System
Draw your system's boundries using a rectangle that contains use cases. Place actors outside the system's boundries.

Use Case
Draw use cases using ovals. Label with ovals with verbs that represent the system's functions.

Actors
Actors are the users of a system. When one system is the actor of another system, label the actor system with the actor stereotype.

Relationships
Illustrate relationships between an actor and a use case with a simple line. For relationships among use cases, use arrows labeled either "uses" or "extends." A "uses" relationship indicates that one use case is needed by another in order to perform a task. An "extends" relationship indicates alternative options under a certain use case.
Learn how to draw relationships.

Class roles
Class roles describe the way an object will behave in context. Use the UML object symbol to illustrate class roles, but don't list object attributes.
Learn how to edit text on a symbol.

Activation
Activation boxes represent the time an object needs to complete a task.

Messages
Messages are arrows that represent communication between objects. Use half-arrowed lines to represent asynchronous messages. Asynchronous messages are sent from an object that will not wait for a response from the receiver before continuing its tasks.
Learn how to draw messages.


Various message types for Sequence and Collaboration diagrams

Lifelines
Lifelines are vertical dashed lines that indicate the object's presence over time.
Learn how to attach activation boxes to lifelines.

Destroying Objects
Objects can be terminated early using an arrow labeled "< < destroy > >" that points to an X.

Loops
A repetition or loop within a sequence diagram is depicted as a rectangle. Place the condition for exiting the loop at the bottom left corner in square brackets [ ].
Learn how to arrange objects on a page.