The System Editor allows Acme systems to be edited. Components, connectors, ports and roles can be selected, resized, and moved in the usual way. The system editor contains a Palette, on one side of the diagram, which displays a set of architectural types that can be instantiated in the diagram. The types are organized into generic element types, and groups containing element types that come from the Acme families that the system instantiates. Each of these can be dragged onto the diagram to construct a system.
The depiction used for each element is found in the visual style defined for that element type. The visual style is defined in the family editor, and may be changed or defined. This is described in more detail in the Family Editor section.
Allowable operations on elements that are currently selected can be seen by opening the Design menu, or by right-clicking over the selection. This menu allows operations to be undone, sub elements to be created, types to be assigned, etc.
The Properties View displays more detailed information about the currently selected object, and can be used to define properties, rules, sub-structure, etc.