Chapter 1 Introduction
DocumentIt User Guide 1-4 ni.com
Automatic Document Generation Process
As an integral part of MATRIXx Rapid Prototyping concept, DocumentIt
lets you generate design documentation from a SystemBuild block diagram
model quickly, automatically, and without programming skills.
DocumentIt details the software design in a uniform standardized
documentation format and fully supports the SystemBuild hierarchical
approach to system design.
Because DocumentIt uses templates to format documents and select
specific contents, you can configure DocumentIt to suit your particular
documentation needs. The templates can be readily modified to conform to
any documentation standard. For example, DocumentIt can be used to
generate the following:
• Detailed description of the design in ASCII format
• Most industry-standard formats
• Tables containing SuperBlock and Block inputs and outputs, State
Transition Diagrams, and Global data
• Documents formatted for FrameMaker (including DOD-STD-2167A)
and Microsoft Word (or any application that reads RTF)
A typical sequence for using DocumentIt is as follows. This sequence
corresponds to the sequence of steps shown in Figure1-2:
1. Build and Document the Model.
Develop the continuous-time plant model and corresponding
discrete-time controller SuperBlocks using SystemBuild block
diagrams. The SystemBuild model is built up from a large palette of
blocks which combine to describe the way the m odel works and how
it should be controlled. DocumentIt automatically extracts information
from the Inputs, Outputs, Document, and C omment fields for
SuperBlocks and primitive blocks.