Creating a diagram

As a Designer, you can use the integrated Modeler to design process diagrams.

As a Designer, you can use the integrated Modeler to design process diagrams.

Prerequisites

You are a BPM Manager or Designer.

You have named and described a process draft.

Context

With the Modeler, you can create processes easily and use all basic BPMN elements while doing so.

The integrated Modeler supports the capture of workflows. Starting from a process goal, the necessary process steps are captured as tasks. A task represents a single, self-contained activity that is not broken down any further. A task can be typed according to how it is carried out.

The process steps are connected in the correct order by flows. Alternative workflows that take different conditions into account are branched by gateways and, where applicable, merged again.

Data objects, which temporarily store process-specific data within the process, and data stores, which store data both across processes and beyond the end of the process, allow all process-relevant information to be assigned.

The process diagram you have created can be saved as a process draft and submitted to the Process Space as a process version (revision). It can also be saved as a graphic so that you can insert it into other documents.

Restriction: You can also export the process diagram as a BPMN file for a modeling tool in order to use that tool’s integration options for modeled data and software systems. However, process diagrams imported via a BPMN file can no longer be edited in the Modeler.

The Modeler offers the following working areas.

Top toolbar

The toolbar offers functions for the draft as a whole. When you position the mouse pointer over an icon, the function is displayed.

• New draft
• Open draft
• Save draft, Save draft as
• Delete draft
• Import BPMN file as draft
• Export diagram
• Undo
• Redo
• Translate into other languages
• Print draft
• Change participants

Prerequisite for participants: Participants can only be added once the process draft has been saved. Participants can only be added if they have permission to model. Only one participant at a time can work on a draft. Two or more participants cannot work on a draft simultaneously.

Left toolbar

The toolbar offers functions for creating draft elements, some of which are also offered in the context menu of the draft elements. When you click an icon, a corresponding element is created and follows the mouse pointer so that you can position it.

Zoom icons

You can change the display size incrementally within a certain range or fit the diagram size to the window.

Properties

The Properties area on the right can be expanded and collapsed.

On the Title and description tab, you can enter a Name and Description for the process or for a selected element.

On the Fill color and text/border color tab, you can define the appearance of the elements if the Color option is activated on the Modeler settings tab under Manage Process Space. The changes you make are then available to all modelers as the default.

On the Global and local properties tab, you can define properties of the process elements. For tasks, the global property Execution time is managed.

Context menu for elements in the modeling area

The context menu for an element appears when you click the element. It offers, for example, the elements that can be connected to the selected element. In addition, the element type can be defined.

Keyboard shortcuts

Process elements can be copied from one draft to another draft. Select the process elements you want to copy. Copy them to your clipboard using the key combination [Ctrl] + [C] (Apple: [CTRL] + [C]). You can paste the copied process elements from your clipboard into another draft — for example one you have opened in a second browser window — using the key combination [Ctrl] + [V] (Apple: [CTRL] + [V]).

BPMN.IO info icon

At the bottom right there is an icon that opens an info box with a link to bpmn.io. The website provides information about the technical background of the Modeler.

Your process draft only becomes visible to others once you add it to the Process Space as a process version (revision). You can therefore design it as you like first and save it as a “private” draft.

How to proceed

1. Under Drafts, click Create new draft.

   The entry form for the process draft appears.

2. In the entry form for the process draft, click Open Modeler.

   The integrated Modeler appears.

3. To add an element, click a diagram node and use the context menu, or click an icon in the left toolbar and drag it to a free position.

   The element is created with a connection when added from the context menu, and without one when added from the toolbar.

4. To create a connection between two elements, click the element and then the connection icon in the context menu and drag the connection to the element you want to connect to, or click the connection icon in the left toolbar and then click the elements you want to connect one after the other.

   The connection between the elements is created.

5. To name an element, enter its name in the Name input field in the expandable Properties area on the right.

   The name appears in the diagram.

6. To describe an element, enter its description in the Description input field.

7. To type an element, click Change type in the context menu and select the type of the element.

8. To save the diagram, click Save draft in the top toolbar.

   The draft is saved under the name you entered. It appears on the Drafts page.

9. To save the diagram as a graphic or BPMN file, click the file type you want in the Export diagram submenu in the top toolbar.

   The draft is saved in the default download directory.

10. To add the diagram to the Process Space, click Submit at the top.

    The Submit as process revision dialog appears.

    The draft is added to the Process Space under the name you entered.