The current 10.2 release of ArcGIS Diagrammer does not work with ArcGIS Desktop 10.3 and will be the final Diagrammer release according to the link here.
ArcGIS Diagrmmer functionality is needed for ArcGIS Desktop 10.3.
I think that tthor's comments hit the nail on the head - the tools are quite different (though all very useful in their own regards). from the data modeling community (PODS, DOT, APDM, etc), the CASE tools are very important and many of us are looking for a similar tool that can be used to design and document data models (particular strengths in using xml for generating new schemas w/ different projections and the use of inheritance & abstract classes).
i think a merger of the CASE xml format with the ESRI 'export to xml' designs would probably offer the most benefit long term.
I think what's really needed is a UML Profile of the Geodatabase. Then we can use a robust and inexpensive tool like Enterprise Architect for round-trip design and communication of VLGDBs--Very Large Geodatabases. I've added an idea asking for a UML Profile of the Geodatabase here:
I would like to see a UML Profile of the Geodatabase, since Diagrammer (while quite nice) is an unsupported Esri research project. And GDB XRay has you use Excel for round-trip geodatabase design? There must be a better way.
With a UML Profile of the Geodatabase, one could use a tool like Enterprise Architect to build, document, and trace back items to requirements and use cases. Would be quite helpful in building Very Large Geodatabases and be able to communicate those designs to non-GIS folks within the Enterprise:
Considering the XML Schema of the Geodatabase, so far as I know, can exhaustively represent everything in a Geodatabase; and since the importing and exporting of XML Workspace Documents already exists in ArcCatalog, it seems possible in principle to generate a UML Profile and leave it to others (like Sparx Systems) to develop design tools. Diagrammer and GDB Xray are nice gestures, but don't offer a complete and holistic geodatabase design solution for modern enterprise systems.
I echo the thoughts presented by 'dananrg' below (or above). ESRI has a plethora of scripts and utilities written by there own internal staff and users for the management of SDE and the Geodatabase particularly for SDE and Schema management. These thoughts have been posted to the Geodatabase BLOG as well. The XML schema for the geodatabase exists which is good (except large!). But it does exhaustively itemize the structure of a geodatabase and since it is XML can be extended. So - tools to analyze the XML as a representation of the schema and then allow it to be 'applied' back against the schema would be helpful. I've posted a request for a schema differences tool - this is done for replica's right now. Same thing applies for here. There are other tools (Like Sparx Enterprise Architect) that could be used to handle the diagramming side of things but the management and assessment of the schema added by EsRi would be powerful.
I fully agree with tthor's comments: "I'm not completely on board with merging all of these into one extension...GDBT is for managing an existing geodatabase and has nothing to do with schema design; it should be a separate extension...All of these tools are extremely useful and should be enhanced, extended and incorporated into the base product at 10.x. (But as three extensions, not one.)" I would highlight "incorporated into the base product"; the term extension usually means "additional payment" which should not be at all the case in here.
I'm helping organize a Special Interest Group at the 2011 Int'l UC to facilitate discussion about GDB modeling:
Description from UC agenda: http://events.esri.com/uc/2011/infoWeb/OnlineAgenda/?fa=ofg_details_form&ScheduleID=2755 “This Special Interest Group will discuss available and forthcoming GDB design tools, patterns, and emerging issues. The group will provide participants with an opportunity to communicate their database design and modeling requirements to Esri staff who will be present.”
“This Special Interest Group will discuss available and forthcoming GDB design tools, patterns, and emerging issues. The group will provide participants with an opportunity to communicate their database design and modeling requirements to Esri staff who will be present.”
