Changing the Appearance of BPMN 2.0 Elements
Sparx Systems Enterprise Architect provides a very rich modelling toolset for Business Process Model and Notation2.0 (BPMN 2.0), which is increasing in popularity particularly amongst Business Analysts.
The BPMN 2.0 notation uses a common set of symbols, which have an icon to show their meaning, for example, the type of event that triggers the start of a business process.
Each BPMN 2.0 element has a set of tagged values identified by the label BPMN 2.0 in the properties dialog. The value in these tagged values affects the appearance of the associated element.
Enterprise Architect can generate Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) directly from BPMN 2.0 models. This code generation uses tagged values also identified by the label BPMN 2.0.
This use of tagged values results in a large number of them to choose from and for modellers beginning with Enterprise Architect, this prospect can be rather daunting. Sparx Systems have tried to resolve this problem by grouping the tagged values into sections, but it can be challenging to know which tagged values to use.
Business Analysts will not be using the BPEL tagged values and this article presents a tabular summary of just the tagged values, which affect the appearance of BPMN 2.0 elements.
This information is in the on-line help and user guide, it is presented here for convenience.
The Activity element used on Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.
Tagged Value Group |
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
Activity |
activityType |
Task Sub-Process |
Task – displays no “plus-in-box” icon Sub-Process – displays “plus-in-box” icon |
isACalledActivity |
false true |
false – displays normal Activity border true - displays bold thick border |
|
isATransaction |
false true |
false – displays normal Activity border true - displays double border |
|
isForCompensation |
false true |
false – displays no “rewind” icon true - displays “rewind” icon |
|
Task |
taskType |
BusinessRule Manual Receive Service Send Script User Abstract |
Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Task icon
BusinessRule is equivalent to BPMN 2.0 Conditional |
AdHoc |
adHoc |
false true |
false –displays no “tilde” icon true - displays “tilde” icon |
Loop |
isSequential |
false true |
Only takes effect if loopCharacteristics is set to MultiInstance
false – displays “three vertical lines” icon true - displays “three horizontal lines” icon |
loopCharacteristics |
None Standard MultiInstance |
None – displays no loop icon Standard – displays “counter-clockwise arrow” icon MultInstance – depends upon isSequential |
|
Sub-Process |
triggeredByEvent |
false true |
false – displays normal Activity border true - displays dashed border |
The Gateway element used on Choreography, Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.
Tagged Value Group |
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
Gateway |
gatewayType |
Exclusive Complex Inclusive Parallel Event |
Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Gateway icon
Exclusive will display icon only if markerVisible is set to true When Event is used eventGatewayType must be set to Exclusive |
Event Gateway |
eventGatewayType |
Exclusive Parallel |
Used with instantiate to indicate type of event, displays the BPMN 2.0 event-based (instantiate) gateway icon |
Instantiate |
false true |
false – “normal” gateway true – event-based (instantiate) gateway |
|
Exclusive Gateway |
markerVisible |
false true |
false – gatewayType set to Exclusive does not display icon true – gatewayType set to Exclusive displays icon (recommended best practice) |
The Start Event element used on Choreography, Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.
Tagged Value Group |
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
Start Event |
eventDefintion |
None Compensation Conditional Error Escalation Message Multiple Timer Signal ParallelMultiple |
Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Start Event icon
NOTE Some of these values only make sense when the Start Event is used within an Event Sub-process |
isInterrupting |
false true |
Only used when the Start Event is used within an Event Sub-process
false – displays solid border true – displays dashed border |
The End Event element used on Choreography, Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.
Tagged Value Group |
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
End Event |
eventDefintion |
None Cancel Compensation Error Escalation Message Multiple Terminate Signal |
Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 End Event icon
|
The Intermediate Event element used on Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.
Tagged Value Group |
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
Intermediate Event |
cancelActivity |
true false |
Must only be used for Boundary Intermediate Events
true – displays solid double border false – displays dashed double border |
catchOrThrow |
Catch Throw |
Displays white icon Displays black icon (only for non-boundary intermediate events) |
|
eventDefintion |
None Cancel Compensation Conditional Escalation Error Link Message Multiple Timer Signal ParallelMultiple |
Displays the corresponding BPMN 2.0 Intermediate Event icon
NOTE
These settings depend upon the value of cancelActivity and if the event is a boundary intermediate event or a non-boundary intermediate event |
The Pool element used on Collaboration diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
blackBoxPool |
false true |
false – displays Pool as a “white box” ready to contain Activities and other process flow elements true – displays as a “black box” resembling a UML Class element |
participantMultiplicity |
false true |
false – no icon displayed true – displays “three vertical bars” icon |
The Data Object element used on Collaboration and Business Process diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.
Tagged Value Group |
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
DataObject |
dataInOut |
None Input Output |
None – displays no icon Input – displays a hollow arrow icon Output displays a black arrow icon |
isCollection |
false true |
false – displays no icon true – displays “three vertical bars” icon to show data object represents a collection |
The Sequence Flow connector drawn within Pools and Lanes on a Collaboration diagram uses the following tagged value to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
conditionExpression |
|
Text entered here will display if the conditionType is set to Expression |
conditionType |
None Expression Default |
None – usual form of Sequence Flow connector Expression – adds a “hollow diamond” icon on the non-arrow end of the Sequence Flow connector Default – adds a “slash” icon on the non-arrow end of the Sequence Flow connector |
The Message Flow connector drawn between Pools or elements in different Pools to model B2B communication on Collaboration diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
messageVisible |
None Initiating Non-Initiating |
None – usual form of Message Flow Initiating – adds a “hollow envelope” icon on the Message Flow connector Non-Initiating – adds a “grey envelope” icon on the Message Flow connector |
The Participant element drawn on Conversation diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
participantMultiplicity |
false true |
false – displays no icon true – displays “three vertical bars” icon |
The Conversation element drawn on Conversation diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance, for which there are no groups.
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
isACallConversation |
false true |
false – displays standard Conversation element border true – displays thick bold Conversation element border |
isComposite |
false true |
false – displays no “plus-in-box” icon true – displays “plus-in-box” icon |
The Choreography element drawn on Choreography diagrams uses the following tagged values to change its appearance.
Tagged Value Group |
Tagged Value Name |
Values |
Effect |
Choreography |
choreographyType |
Task Sub-Process |
Task – No “plus-in-box” icon Sub-Process – “plus-in-box” icon |
isACalledChoreography |
false true |
false – displays standard Choreography element border true – displays thick bold Choreography border |
|
loopType |
None Standard MultiInstanceParallel MultiInstanceSequential |
None – displays no icon Standard – displays “counter-clockwise arrow” icon MultiInstanceParallel – displays “three vertical bars” icon MultiInstanceSequential – displays “three horizontal bars” icon |
|
Participants |
initiatingParticipant |
participantA participantB participantC participantD |
Clears the grey background colour from the corresponding participant section in the Choreography element |
numberOfParticipants |
2, 3 or 4 |
Creates the corresponding number of participant sections in the Choreography element |
|
Participant A |
participantA |
Text |
The name of the first participant |
participantAMultiplicity |
false true |
false – displays no icon true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantA section of the Choreography element |
|
participantARef |
Selected Pool element |
Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantA section of the Choreography element |
|
Participant B |
participantB |
Text |
The name of the second participant |
participantBMultiplicity |
false true |
false – displays no icon true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantB section of the Choreography element |
|
participantBRef |
Selected Pool element |
Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantB section of the Choreography element |
|
Participant C |
participantC |
Text |
The name of the third participant |
participantCMultiplicity |
false true |
false – displays no icon true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantC section of the Choreography element |
|
participantCRef |
Selected Pool element |
Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantC section of the Choreography element |
|
Participant D |
participantD |
Text |
The name of the fourth participant |
participantDMultiplicity |
false true |
false – displays no icon true – displays “three vertical bars” icon in the participantD section of the Choreography element |
|
participantDRef |
Selected Pool element |
Navigate to a Pool within the Project Browser and the name of the Pool (prefixed by <<Pool>>) is displayed in the participantD section of the Choreography element |
This document aims to highlight those BPMN 2.0 Tagged Values used to change the appearance of BPMN 2.0 elements. It presents them grouped into tables according to BPMN 2.0 element type.
I hope you find this to be a useful and valuable resource when using Enterprise Architect for modelling business processes in BPMN2.0