Creating Your First Model

Creating Your First Model

Step 1: Create a New Model

1. Open Metapad — you'll see the Welcome Page
2. Click Create New Model
3. Enter a name for your model (e.g., "IT Landscape")
4. Click Create
5. You're now in the Workspace with an empty model

Step 2: Define Your Metamodel (Types)

Before adding data, define what kinds of elements your model will contain:

1. In the Tree View (left panel), find Node Types
2. Click + to add your first Node Type (e.g., "Application")
3. Add another Node Type (e.g., "Server")
4. Now add a Relationship Type: find Relationship Types in the Tree View and click + (e.g., "runs_on")
5. Set up an Allowed Connection on the relationship type: Application → runs_on → Server

Step 3: Create a Diagram

1. In the Tree View, find Diagrams and click +
2. Name it (e.g., "Overview")
3. The canvas is now ready

Step 4: Add Elements

1. Look at the Toolbox (left) — your Node Types appear there
2. Drag "Application" onto the canvas → a new Application node is created
3. Give it a label (e.g., "Payment Service")
4. Drag "Server" onto the canvas → create "Web Server 01"
5. Draw a relationship: hover over the Application, click a connection handle, drag to the Server
6. The "runs_on" relationship is created!

Step 5: Explore

• Click elements to see their properties in the right panel
• Add more nodes and relationships
• Try the AI Assistant to generate model elements from natural language

Congratulations — you've created your first Metapad model!