at least when i last had to use them, none of the free uml tools were much good, but enterprise architect is not very expensive (at least in some editions) and

at least when i last had to use them, none of the free uml tools were much good, but enterprise architect is not very expensive (at least in some editions) and surprisingly good. it would probably have been able to auto-create your uml for you from your code base, for example. and it's much more than a diagram editor - it's a tool to help you construct a "database" (in some abstract sense) of your design, which can then be rendered in various ways (as diagrams or code). http://www.sparxsystems.com/products/ea/ http://www.sparxsystems.com/products/ea/ (i've never used uml "from end to end" - in terms from the article i mainly communicate with shareholders. i'm also unrelated to EA - just have happy (well...) memories of it. in fact, apart from intellij idea, it's the only software i've ever paid for, i think).