Text Annotation and Association Elements
Add, delete, and configure Text Annotation and Association elements in your Process model.
Don't Know What a Text Annotation Element Is?
See Process Modeling Element Descriptions for a description of the Text Annotation element.
Permissions Required
Your user account or group membership must have the following permissions to configure a Text Annotation or Association element 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.
Add a Text Annotation Element to the Process Model
Add a Text Annotation element from one of the following locations in Process Modeler:
Explorer panel: The Explorer panel is to the left of the Process Modeler canvas. The Explorer panel contains Process model objects and PM Blocks which may be added to the Process model.
Objects bar: The Objects bar is at the bottom of the Process Modeler canvas. This bar contains pinned Process model objects which are easily accessible to add to the Process model.
Follow these steps to add a Text Annotation element from the Explorer panel to the Process model:
Locate the Text Annotation object category from one of the following locations in the Explorer panel:
Pinned Objects: The Text Annotation object category displays from the Pinned Objects section when it is pinned. This element type is not pinned by default.
Object Category: The Text Annotation object category displays from the Object Category section when it is not pinned.
Its icon displays adjacent to the mouse icon to indicate this element type may be placed into the Process model.
After the element is placed into the Process model, you may adjust its location in the following ways:
Move the element by dragging it to a new location.
Select the element with other elements and/or connectors, and then move them collectively by dragging them to new locations in relation to one another.
Align and/or distribute the element in relation to other selected elements and/or connectors.
Moving a Text Annotation element has the following limitations in regards to the following Process model elements:
Pool element: If the Text Annotation element is inside of a Pool element, it cannot be moved outside of the Pool element. If you attempt to do so, Process Modeler places the Text Annotation element inside the Pool element closest to where you attempt to move it.
Lane element: If the Text Annotation element is inside of a Lane element, it can be moved to another Lane element in the same Pool element. However, the Text Annotation element cannot be moved outside of the Pool element.
Change a Text Annotation Element's Appearance
See Customize the Appearance of a Process Model Object.
Copy a Text Annotation Element
See Copy Process Model Objects into the Clipboard.
Clone a Text Annotation Element
See Clone Process Model Objects Without the Clipboard.
Delete a Text Annotation Element
See Delete Process Model Objects.
Text Annotation Element Settings
The Text Annotation element has the following panels that contain settings:
Configuration panel
Documentation panel (available when the Documentation package is installed)
Advanced panel
Configuration Panel Settings
Edit the Annotation Description
Process Modeler automatically assigns a default value to a new Text Annotation element. However, change the annotation description to provide context to your Process model.
Follow these steps to edit the annotation description for a Text Annotation element:
Select the Text Annotation element from the Process model in which to edit its name.
In the Text to Show setting, edit the selected Text Annotation element's text to display in the Process model and then press Enter.
Documentation Panel Settings
Edit the Element's Description Displayed in Process Documentation
If the Documentation package is installed, describe the element's purpose and how it functions in the Process. This description does not affect Requests for the Process, but may be useful for Process model maintenance such as how the element is configured. Edit information by using the What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get (WYSIWYG) rich text editor.
A Process's entered documentation displays by selecting the View Documentation icon for that Process.
Package Required
The Documentation package must be installed to view or edit the documentation for a Process element. Use the Documentation package to view documentation for Processes that includes an image of the Process map and entered description of its elements and connectors.
Follow these steps to edit the description for an element:
Select the element from the Process model in which to edit its description.
Panels to configure this elemeEnsure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it.
Follow these guidelines to use the WYSIWYG rich text editor to stylize your text:
Select the required text from the Rich Text control.
In the URL setting, enter the destination URL.
In the Text to display setting, edit or enter the text displayed in the Rich Text control.
In the Title setting, enter the text to display when a user hovers over the displayed text.
From Open link in… drop-down menu, select one of these options:
New window: Select this option to open the destination page in a new browser window.
Current window: Select this option to open the destination page in the current browser window.
In the Source setting, enter a URL for the image.
In the Alternative Description setting, enter the text to display if the source URL of the image is not accessible.
In the Width setting, enter the maximum width for the image.
In the Height setting, enter the maximum height for the image.
Click Save.
Format text: Follow these guidelines to format text:
Headings: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Headings and then select a heading size.
Bold: Do one of the following:
From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Bold.
Italics: Do one of the following:
From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Italic.
Underline: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Underline.
Strikethrough: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Strikethrough.
Superscript: From the Paragraph/ Formats menu, select Inline and then Superscript.
Subscript: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Subscript.
Code: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Inline and then Code.
Paragraph: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Paragraph.
Blockquote: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Blockquote.
Division: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Div.
Preformatted: From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Blocks and then Pre.
Select one of the color swatches from the color palette. The selected text changes to that color.
Align text: Follow these guidelines to align text:
Left align: Do one of the following:
From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Left.
Center align: Do one of the following:
From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Center.
Right align: Do one of the following:
From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Right.
Justify: Do one of the following:
From the Paragraph/Formats menu, select Align and then Justify.
Advanced Panel Settings
Edit the Node's Identifier Value
Process Modeler automatically assigns a unique value to each Process node added to a Process model. However, a node's identifier value can be changed if it is unique to all other nodes in the Process model, including the Process model's identifier value.
All identifier values for all nodes in the Process model must be unique.
Follow these steps to edit the identifier value for a Text Annotation element:
Select the Text Annotation element from the Process model in which to edit its identifier value.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
In the Node Identifier setting, edit the Text Annotation element's identifier to a unique value from all nodes in the Process model and then press Enter.
Add an Association Element
Don't Know What an Association Element Is?
See Process Modeling Element Descriptions for a description of the Association element.
Follow these steps to add an Association element to the Process model:
Select the Text Annotation element from which you want to add an Association element. Available options display to the right of the selected element.
Click the Process model element to which the Text Annotation element describes. The Annotation element is placed.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 to reference another Process model element that the Text Annotation element describes as necessary.
Change an Association Element's Appearance
See Customize the Appearance of a Process Model Object.
Copy an Association Element
See Copy Process Model Objects into the Clipboard.
Clone an Association Element
See Clone Process Model Objects Without the Clipboard.
Delete an Association Element
See Delete Process Model Objects.
Association Element Settings
The Association element has the following panels that contain settings:
Configuration Panel Settings
Edit the Element's Identifier Value
Process Modeler automatically assigns a unique value to each Process element added to a Process model. However, an element's identifier value can be changed if it is unique to all other elements in the Process model, including the Process model's identifier value.
All identifier values for all elements in the Process model must be unique.
Follow these steps to edit the identifier value for an Association element:
Select the Association element from the Text Annotation element in which to edit its identifier value.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. The Node Identifier setting displays. This is a required setting.
In the Node Identifier setting, edit the Text Annotation element's identifier to a unique value from all elements in the Process model and then press Enter.
Edit the Direction of the Text Annotation Element's Reference
Use the Annotation element to place a directional arrow that points between the Text Annotation element and the element it describes.
Follow these steps to edit the directional arrow that points between the Text Annotation element and the element it describes:
Select the Association element from the Text Annotation element in which to edit its annotation description.
Ensure that the Configuration panel displays. If not, show it. Panels to configure this element display.
Expand the Configuration panel if it is not presently expanded, and then locate the Direction setting.
From the Direction drop-down menu, select the direction in which the arrow points between the Text Annotation element and the element it describes. Select one of the following options:
None: Select the None option to not display an arrow that indicates the reference between the Text Annotation element and the element it describes.
One: Select the One option to display an arrow that points from the Text Annotation element to the element it describes. This is the default option.
Both: Select the Both option to display arrows to and from the Text Annotation element's referencing element.
Related Topics
Process Modeling Element DescriptionsView Active and Inactive ProcessesCreate a New ProcessLast updated