Align and Distribute Process Model Elements, Connectors, and/or PM Blocks

Align and distribute multiple Process model objects and/or PM Blocks to beautify your design and improve legibility.

Overview

Process model objects are collectively BPMN elements and connectors.

Align and/or distribute multiple Process model objects and/or PM Blocks placed in your Process model, collective referred to as Process model objects, for greater legibility.

The following restrictions apply to aligning or distributing Process model items:

• Two (2) or more items must be selected to align those items.

• Three (3) or more items must be selected to distribute those items.

• Boundary-type elements associated with any selected item are not affected: they remain with their respective item.

• Sequence Flow elements and Message Flow elements adjust their placement and contours automatically to maintain connections between their respective items.

• Association elements cannot be aligned or redistributed. Association elements adjust automatically between their Text Annotation elements and the element/connector they reference when their Text Annotation elements' placement change.

• Lane elements cannot be aligned nor redistributed from their default positions.

• If a Pool element is among the selections, items in that Pool element cannot be redistributed. However, the Pool element(s) can be redistributed.

Icons to align and distribute multiple selected Process model objects display above the selected items when the Align button is selected.

Alignment and distribute icons display above the selected items

Align Process Model Objects and/or PM Blocks

Your user account or group membership must have the following permissions to align items in the Process model unless your user account has the Make this user a Super Admin setting selected:

• Processes: Edit Processes

• Processes: View Processes

See the Process permissions or ask your Administrator for assistance.

Follow these steps to align Process model objects and/or PM Blocks:

1. Select at least two (2) Process model objects and/or PM Blocks to align. Note that Lane elements cannot be aligned from their default alignments in their Pool element.

2. Click the Align button.
3. Select from the following alignment options:

   • Align left: Click the Align Left icon to left-align the selected items based on the left-most object selected.
   • Center horizontally: Click the Center Horizontally icon to horizontally center the selected items.
   • Align right: Click the Align Right icon to right-align the selected items based on the right-most object selected.
   • Align bottom: Click the Align Bottom icon to bottom-align the selected items based on the bottom-most object selected.
   • Center vertically: Click the Center Vertically icon to vertically center the selected items.
   • Align top: Click the Align Top iconto top-align the selected items based on the top-most object selected.
4. Optionally, distribute the selected Process model objects and/or PM Blocks. Note that at least three (3) items must be selected to distribute them.

Distribute Process Model Objects and/or PM Blocks

Your user account or group membership must have the following permissions to distribute items in the Process model unless your user account has the Make this user a Super Admin setting selected:

• Processes: Edit Processes

• Processes: View Processes

See the Process permissions or ask your Administrator for assistance.

Follow these steps to distribute Process model objects and/or PM Blocks:

1. Select at least three (3) Process model objects and/or PM Blocks to distribute. Note that Lane elements cannot be distributed from their default positions in their Pool element.

2. Select from the following alignment options:

   • Distribute horizontally: Click the Distribute Horizontally icon to horizontally distribute the selected items based on the left-most and right-most selected objects. If a Pool element is among the selections, the item(s) in that Pool element are not affected, but instead affect the Pool element.
   • Distribute vertically: Click the Distribute Vertically icon to vertically distribute the selected items based on the top-most and bottom-most selected objects. If a Pool element is among the selections, the item(s) in that Pool element are not affected, but instead affect the Pool element.
3. Optionally, align the selected Process model objects and/or PM Blocks.

Related Topics

pageWhat is Process Modeling?pageProcess Modeling Element DescriptionspageProcess Modeling Best PracticespageModel Your Process Using BPMN 2.0 ElementspageAdd Connectors to Your Process ModelpageAdd a PM Block to Your Process ModelpagePin an Element or ConnectorpageShow Configuration Settings for an Element, Connector, or PM BlockpageCustomize the Appearance of an Element, Connector, or PM BlockpageCopy Elements, Connectors, and/or PM Blocks into the ClipboardpageClone Elements, Connectors, and/or PM Blocks Without the ClipboardpageSelect Multiple Process Model Elements, Connectors, and/or PM BlockspageDelete Elements, Connectors and/or PM BlockspageUndo and Redo Changes in Your Process ModelpageNavigate Around Your Process ModelpageDiscard Changes to Your Process ModelpageClose Process Modeler with Your Saved ChangespagePublish Your Process ModelpageValidate Your Process is BPMN 2.0 CompliantpageOptimize Your Process