Online Help Process Modeler
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Model a process

Model a process

Modeling a process with Process Modeler is easy. Just get some simple tips to model good looking diagrams in a quick and professional way.

Stencil and sheet

The Process Modeler stencil always appears on the right side of the Visio window. There you find all BPMN elements in their basic specification (without types and markers).

Once you draw an element shape onto the sheet you are able to specify things like Task, Event or Gateway types. You are even able to convert elements (e.g. Task into Sub-Process).

Connectors (Sequence Flows, Message Flows, Associations)

Connectors can be drawn in a quite different ways:

Drop a connector from the stencil

  1. Grab a connector in stencil and place it between the elements you want to connect.
  2. Adjust the connecting points with the  by marking the connector and then drag the end to an adequat connection point of the 2-d element.

Draw a connector using the connector tool

  1. Mark the connector tool
  2. Mark the connector in the BPMN stencil (e.g. Sequence Flow) and draw the connector from the starting element to its follower.

Automatically connect your elements

A. Connect by dropping shapes

  1. Activate the connector tool (Ctrl + 3)
  2. Drop a BPMN shape and mark it (or even label it)
  3. Draw the next BPMN shape, a Sequence Flow is automatically drawn

B. Use the Auto Connect tool of MS Visio 2010+

  1. Move your mouse over a shape Visio displays four small triangles around the shape.
  2. Move to such a triangle and you will be displayed a choice of four elements (reorganize them by moving the elements your stencil).
  3. Click on one of those elements and Visio will draw it with a connection to your formerly marked shape.

Layout Improver

On your way to a complete process diagram you will usually need to replace some elements in order to optimize the look of your diagram. Process Modeler provides a series of functionalities to make your diagram look good:

  • Align elements
  • Unify distances
  • Straighten message flows
  • Adjust sequence flows

Read more about these possibilities. Further you find more positioning functions in the Visio Start ribbon.