Visualizing Connections Between Diagrams

The whiteboard diagram visualizes model-to-model links between different diagrams; it is also possible to update contents from these diagrams in the whiteboard diagram. You can show or hide existing relationships between elements in different diagrams and add new relationships.

Prerequisites

Elements which should be related to each other in the whiteboard diagram need to be in various diagrams in the whiteboard diagram.

Context

The whiteboard diagram (also known as the overview diagram) contains other diagrams. It enables various diagrams related to each other to be visualized and the relationships between elements of different diagrams to be shown and modeled.

It is not possible to continue to model individual diagrams in the whiteboard diagram. However, any changes made in the diagram itself are also immediately shown in the whiteboard diagram. Elements of a diagram can also be selected in the whiteboard diagram, e.g. to modify their properties.

Dependency relationships between elements in different diagrams can be modeled using the whiteboard diagram. These are the following relationships as default:

Dependency («depend»)
Use («use»)
Satisfy relationship («satisfy»)
Abstraction («abstract»)

Relationships which have already been modeled can also be shown. Other than those already mentioned, these are:

Use as business object (for item-aware element)
Assignment of a resource (to a lane or an activity)
Assignment of a partner entity (to a participant)
Assignment of a partner role (to a participant)

How to proceed

Select Start>New>New Diagram>Whiteboard Diagram to create a whiteboard diagram.
Drag an existing diagram from the Model Contents or another tool window and drop it in the whiteboard diagram.

The diagram is shown within the whiteboard diagram. A grid is not shown within the inserted diagram; this shows that the diagram is an element of the whiteboard diagram.
To show relationships which have already been modeled, select Design>Display>Relationships (Ctrl+Shift+R) and then select the relationships to be shown.
Use the carousel to create relationships between elements of different diagrams in the whiteboard diagram.