ArchiMate Import Tool Window

Purpose

The ArchiMate Import tool window can be used for viewing and editing model-wide and user-specific application configurations when importing ArchiMate files.

Call

Open the ArchiMate Import tool window with  Import/Export>Import>ArchiMate>Configure.

Structure

The content for the configuration selected in the ribbon in the Configuration group is shown in the tool window.

The ArchiMate Import tool window consists of the following sections:

• Determine storage location in the model

  You can define whether the ArchiMate model elements are placed in the currently-selected or in a certain structure element of the model.

• Validation

  The optional validation finds any errors in the files to be imported before import is carried out.

  If errors occur, then you can decide whether you wish to carry on importing the file, whether you do not wish to import the file containing the error or if you wish to abort the entire import.

• Create Stereotype Properties

  • Create Missing Properties Automatically

    Missing properties can be automatically created as stereotype properties. One of your roles must have access rights to the "Enterprise Architecture Modeling Customization" profile or you must have model administrator rights.

    Attention

    You cannot undo the import if you create missing properties as stereotype properties.

    If you want to automatically create missing properties, then these are created as stereotype properties in the customization profile. If not, then missing properties are listed in the log.

  • Create Strings as Lists

    If string type properties in the file originated from drop-down lists in the source code, then you can create these as value lists. The values are then available for selection at the element.

• Diagram Nodes

  Node Display

  The Like configured, As node and As icon options can be selected.

  The Like configured option should be selected when importing from Innovator models if you wish to retain the layout.

  Labels are either in the node or outside of it next to the icon if one of the last two options is selected.

• Mapping of "Container"

  Import of the "Container" xsi:Type can occur as Frame (default) or Grouping. It is a lot of effort to make changes at a later stage.

  Display should not be modified when importing from Innovator models if you wish to retain the layout.

  Frames visually group diagram elements, but have no semantic meaning. It is possible to place frame labels in different positions.

  ArchiMate® states that the Grouping element type aggregates or composes concepts which belong together based on a common characteristic.

• Scaling (from 100% to 300%)

  If the nodes in the file are smaller than the diagram permits, this option allows a better layout for relationships and containers.
  

• Minimum Size For Container Presentation

  Depending on the settings, non-nested nodes are created as normal nodes with a centered label within the node or as icons with a label next to the node.

  Empty nodes which are particularly large may be displayed as containers. If this is the case, then the label is in the node's header.

  This enables optimum layout lots of large boxes next to each other.

  The values correspond to the "w" and "h" attributes in the file.

• Supplement Relations

  The missing relationship will be created to or from the container for pure graphically nested nodes.

• Stereotype Selection

  The setting "Standard" is recommended for imports of files that were exported from Innovator. Specializations will then be found via the property "ID-Stereotype". For imports from other tools, the required stereotypes for the mapping of the ArchiMate types must be assigned, if the mapping in the model should take place on stereotypes whose names do not correspond to the ArchiMate names.

  If you select Custom Mapping, then you can select one stereotype that has a create template for all elements, merge nodes and relationships. Selection is necessary if there are no such stereotypes with matching names. This is why the drop-down lists are limited to the element type only.

• After Import

  To open the imported diagrams in the model editor afterwards, activate the Open diagrams after import check box.

How to proceed

Set the options you want to reuse for ArchiMate import in the ArchiMate Import tool window.

Save the configuration in the ArchiMate>Import>Configuration ribbon group as a user-defined configuration and add a suitable name in the dialog with  Save.

Check the successful import using the stored options.

• If your import configuration requires it, then select the storage location in the model.

• Select Import/Export>Import>ArchiMate><User-Defined Configuration>. The standard dialog for selecting one or more import files appears.

• Select the import files and click on Open.

• Check the import result.

Open the Saved Configurations dialog with  Manage; you can provide the import configuration as a model-wide configuration for other users upon successful check.

Your user-defined and all model-wide configurations can be accessed in all models under Import/Export>Import>ArchiMate.

Further Information

https://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/archimate3-doc