Working in Diagram Editors

You can select elements in the diagram using the mouse and keyboard.

You can add existing elements using the Model Contents, Details, Bookmarks or Result Region tool windows. The element you want is selected and then dragged to the diagram using drag-and-drop.

There are many ways to create a new element: A unique name is created and selected for elements with names.

• Variation 1: Using Drag-and-Drop from the Gallery

  Drag a template from the Create Diagram Content gallery and drop it where you want it in the diagram.

  Note:

  You can customize create templates for elements in the configuration.

• Variation 2: Using the Carousel

  Select the source element in the diagram. Click on the icon of the link you want to make to the target element in the carousel and keep the mouse button pressed. Drag the rubber band where you want the new element to go and release the mouse button. Select the desired element from the drop-down list of permissible elements.

  The diagram element is inserted in the diagram and added to the model structure. The selected link is created between the source and target element.

• Variation 3: Creating in the Model Structure and Dragging to the Diagram

  Create an element in the model structure and drag it to the diagram as a new element.

• Variation 4: Using the Context Menu

  Select the New Element submenu or New Child in the context menu and the element you want there.

Select the element you want to remove from the diagram and select Design>Editing>Remove from Diagram (Del). This removes the element from the diagram but does not delete it from the model. The element still exists in the model structure or in other diagrams too.

Please note that subelements cannot be separately removed.

See Removing Elements from the Diagram

Select the element you want to permanently delete from the model and select Design>Editing>Delete from Model (Shift+Del).The Delete from Model dialog box appears and lists all the elements that are affected by the command. You can add elements to the Result Region without deleting them.If you confirm the element list with the Delete from Model button, all elements listed are permanently deleted from the model.

See Deleting Elements from the Model

The diagram can be as big as you want so you have the option of looking at a section of the diagram. Scroll bars do not exist.The Diagram Overview shows the respective diagram section that can be seen in the document window in a black box.You can move these black frames in the Diagram Overview using the mouse.

You can move the diagram in the diagram editor with the mouse. This allows you to control the section of diagram you can see.

See Moving Diagram Sections

Changing the size of a diagram also has an effect on the diagram section.

See Changing the Size of a Diagram (Zoom).

Select all elements which should be moved (see "Selecting Elements in the Diagram") and move the elements using one of the three options below.

• Move diagram section, node or edge end - with the mouse and left mouse button pressed

• Make room by making the container bigger or smaller - with the mouse and right mouse button pressed.

• Move selected diagram elements with the keyboard

You can change the size of many elements. If you select these elements, handles appear on the selection rectangle. You cannot change the size of elements which only show an icon, e.g. an event or a gateway in a BPMN diagram.

Click on a handle on the selection rectangle and move the handle to the desired position to change the size of the element.

See Changing the Size of Nodes in the Diagram

• Double-Click with Left Mouse Button
  The mouse pointer is hovering over one of the selection rectangle's handles. The element's size is optimized on this side, i.e. the element is made as small as possible on this side.
• Keyboard
  • Optimize Size (F8)
    Element size is optimized on all sides, i.e. the element is resized to be as small as possible without changing the size and position of the contents
  • Standard Layout (Ctrl+F8)
    Element has a standard layout. This is normally the shortest connection between the linked elements for connection frames; moveable text is arranged as standard.

You can automatically change a diagram's layout.

• Aligning Elements with Each Other
  Select the element which the other elements should be aligned with, press the [Ctrl] key and select the other elements.
  Select Design>Arrange>Align.
  The various types of alignment are offered here.

  Note:

  Only options which will not overlap elements are offered.

• Setting Elements to the Same Width/Height
  Select the element has the width/height to be used first, press the [Ctrl] key and select the other elements.
  Select Design>Arrange>Change Size.
  The various types of adaptation are offered here.

There are various ways to create the complete diagram or a section of the diagram as a graphic.

• Hardcopy
  Use the Start>Clipboard>Hardcopy menu item to write a graphic to the clipboard. The graphic can then be created in the following formats:

  • Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF)

  • Portable Network Graphics (PNG)

  • Multi (both formats in parallel)

  The desired graphics format is set in the Options dialog.

• File Export
  Use the Print View>Print>Export to file menu item to create a diagram's graphic in file form. The graphic can then be stored in the following formats:

  • Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF)

  • Portable Network Graphics (PNG)

  • Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)

  • Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)

• Printing
  Use the Print View>Print>Print menu item to directly print the diagram.

  Use Print View to set page breaks.

You can create a rectangle for graphical grouping using drag-and-drop.

The rectangle is purely a graphical element and is only used for the grouping. It can be found above the other elements and does not have the other owner properties typical to the elements in it.

You are best off using comments for making notes about elements.You can use drag-and-drop to drag the comment template from the gallery and drop it on the model element to be commented on in the diagram. The comment is placed in the diagram and linked with the element by a dashed line. You can enter the comment text directly.

See Commenting on Elements

You can store any number of descriptions for each model element, show them in the respective model element's specification preview.

Select the model element you want to describe.

Select Design>Model Elements>Specification Text. The model element's specification window opens. Enter the element description.

Use the description text to

• Create model references (using drag-and-drop)

• Insert hyperlinks to external targets

• Format text

Save the specification with Text>Editing>Save.

If the specification text is saved, the name of the text definition being edited is shown in black.

See Creating and Searching for Specification Texts

You can add annotations for all diagram elements. You do not need access or write rights to create annotations.Those editing the diagrams use annotations to communicate with each other.

Select the diagram elements you want to add an annotation to and select New Annotation in the context menu or drag the selected element into the open diagram area Annotations.

The annotation is created and can be seen along with information about which user wrote it and a timestamp. Click in the annotation and enter your text. The annotation is automatically saved.

See Creating Annotations for the Diagram

Configuration only allows a relationship in one direction; this means you can only create a relationship in this direction.

Existing relationships can be hidden in a diagram so that the diagram is easier to understand and not so busy.

Select a participating element and select Design>Show/Hide>Relationships; the diagram interface is shown grayed.

Visible relationships to the element are shown in black. Hidden relationships are shown in gray.

Click on a relationship shown in black to hide it; it is then shown in gray.

Click on a relationship shown in gray to show it; it is then shown in black.

See Showing and Hiding Relationships

The respective notation determines how relationships are displayed in a diagram. This also includes information about whether the edges are always shown as rectangular or whether they can be displayed as any number of polygonal lines.

You can see what type of edge is used from the mouse pointer when you hover over the edge.

Mouse Pointer	Representation
	The "move" pointer shows that you can define any number of edge points by clicking with the mouse and dragging an edge point to where you want.
	The "change vertical and horizontal size" pointer shows that it moves rectangular edges but cannot create any edge points.

If a relationship can be shown as any number of polygonal lines, then the following display options are available:

• Display with edge points that can be moved.

  You can place the mouse pointer over the edge; this edge is selected and you can click on it and drag an edge point anywhere you want in the diagram. You can create any number of edge points and design the polygonal lines as you wish. You can only remove the outmost edge point by dragging it to the linked element.

• Rectangular display (as with edges that can only be displayed a certain number of ways)

  To display as rectangular, press the [Ctrl]- or [Shift] keys and double-click on the edge.

• Straight display with no edge points

  Double-click on the edge to show it as a line.