Process Model Object

Overview

This topic discusses the basic features and functionality of process models and the process modeler.

images:process-model-annotated.png

  1. Menu Bar: The menu bar has a multitude of features that are helpful when working with process models. See the Menu Bar Options for a full list of features.
  2. Process Model Toolbar: The toolbar has a collection of functions that will help you easily create and manage your processes when working on the canvas. See the Toolbar Options section for a full list of features.
  3. Smart Service Search Bar: This search bar allows you to quickly search for any smart services.
  4. Node and Smart Service Palette: The palette lists out all nodes and smart services. They are grouped by five categories - Standard Nodes, Appian Smart Services, Integration Services, Deprecated Services, and Robotic Process Automation.
  5. Process Model Canvas: The canvas is where you can drag nodes and start connecting your activities.
  6. Font Palette: The font palette allows you to style and format your annotation text and node labels.
  7. Process Model Role View: You can select the Process Analyst View or the Process Designer View in a Process Model. The Process Analyst View allows you to draft high-level diagrams, while the Process Designer View allows you to configure advanced options and publish process models.
  8. Recommended Smart Service Palette: This section provides you with AI-based recommendations for the next smart service to add to the canvas.
  9. Recommended Smart Service Popup: Right-click on a flow to bring up a popup with smart service AI-based recommendations to add into the flow and a searchbar that allows you to quickly search for any smart services.

Creating a Process Model

Basic users must be a member of the Process Model Creators group in order to create new process models.

  1. From the application view, click the New menu button and select Process Model.
  2. Fill out the required fields and select Create
    • The process model will be created, published, and opened in the Process Modeler. The modeler will open in a pop-up window with two options to choose from.

Process Analyst View

The Process Analyst view provides flowchart tools with standard activities, events, and gateways – as well as the set of Appian Smart Services. Each of these process nodes has limited configuration options, allowing an analyst to describe the overall process without configuring data, users, and other node properties such as a task form.

To create a process model that your application can actually use after designing a flowchart in this view, you must switch to the Process Designer view.

Process Designer View

This view allows you to perform all of the modeling and documentation activities of the Analyst View, plus you can double-click each activity, gateway, or event and incorporate your business rules, variables, and forms.

File Menu

Option Description
New Process Model Opens a new process model in a separate tab in the process modeler. New process models created in the process modeler are not automatically added to an application.
Open… You can open other process models from other folders in the Open dialog.
Close Closes the process model you are currently viewing.
Close All Closes all process models open in the process modeler.
Save Saves all changes to the process model, but does not publish it as a new version. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+S (or Command+S on Mac).
Save As… Saves the process model as a new file. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+Shift+S (or Command+Shift+S on Mac).
Save & Publish Saves all changes to the process model and publishes it as a new version. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+Alt+S (or Command+Option+S on Mac).
Versions Opens a dialog with a list of all versions of the process model. See the Versions section for more information.
Security Opens a dialog that allows you to manage process model security by groups.
Start Process for Debugging Runs an instance of your process model. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+D (or Command+D on Mac).
Print Preview Provides a preview of the process model. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+P (or Command+P on Mac).
Print Prints the process model diagram.
Import Allows you to import files into the process model. Appian strongly recommends importing all process models as patches to your application instead of using the Import option. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+I (or Command+I on Mac).
Properties Opens a dialog that provides all options for process model properties. See this section for more information.
Exit Closes the process modeler.

Edit Menu

Option Description
Undo Reverts the most recent change. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on Mac).
Redo Reapplies the most recently undone change. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z (or Command+Y or Command+Shift+Z on Mac).
Cut Cuts the selected node on the canvas. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+X (or Command+X on Mac).
Copy Copies the selected node to your clipboard. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+C (or Command+C on Mac).
Paste Pastes the copied node to the canvas. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+V (or Command+V on Mac).
Select All Selects all nodes on the canvas. To access this option, you can also press Ctrl+A (or Command+A on Mac).
Delete Deletes selected node.

View Menu

Option Description
Zoom In Increase the magnification of the current view. The available increased magnification settings are between 50% and 200%, with 25% increments.
Zoom Out Decrease the magnification of the current view. The available decreased magnification settings are between 175% and 25%.
BPMN View Display flow objects according to the BPMN specifications for process models and primitives.
Enhanced View Display flow objects with markers on activity boundaries that indicate assignment. Individual user assignments display the user's profile photo, when available.
Hide/Show Grid Display or remove gridlines from the Process Modeler Canvas background.
Turn Snap On/Off The snap feature adjusts the position of your flow objects so that an incoming flow connector follows the nearest horizontal guide. Select the Turn Snap Off option to position flow objects with greater precision.
Hide/Show Messages The messages pane displays validation warnings and errors when you click the Validate button, when saving a process model, or when saving and publishing a process model. Click an error message to display the Properties dialog box of the flow object where the error is found. This pane is shown by default in the Process Designer view, and hidden by default in the Process Analyst, Edit Process, and Monitor Process views.
Show/Hide Node Metrics This option overlays task completion metrics for assigned tasks in the process, or for all processes started from the process model. The Process Optimization Metrics and Process Model Optimization Metrics reports are used to generate this data. If you modify these reports, 20 columns of data are the maximum that can be configured to display.

Tools Menu

Option Description
Show/Hide Font Palette Shows or hides the font palette on the canvas. The font palette can be used to style annotation text. Styles cannot be applied by highlighting sections of text within an annotation. They can only be applied to all of the text within an annotation.
Validate Validates all nodes in your process.
Generate Documentation Generates a summary of the process model with information about the properties, diagram, content and nodes.

Lanes Menu

Option Description
Add Horizontal Lane Add a horizontal swimlane to the canvas.
Add Vertical Lane Add a vertical swimlane to the canvas.
Remove Lane Remove the selected swimlane to the canvas. Nodes in the swimlane will not get deleted.
Remove All Lanes Remove all swimlanes on the canvas.
Lane Properties Displays the lane properties.

Process Model Properties

Process Model properties can be viewed and edited by selecting File > Properties in the Process Modeler. Alternately, it can be accessed by clicking the Properties button in the Process Modeler toolbar.

The sections below detail the properties you can modify on each tab of the Process Model Properties dialog box. The tabs you see depend on the view you are in for the process model (Process Designer, Process Analyst, Edit Mode, Monitor Process).

When multiple languages are enabled in the application, subtabs representing each enabled languages will appear.

General Tab

The general tab of process model properties contains the following properties:

Field Description
Process Model ID (Read Only) The local ID of the process model is displayed on this tab. The ID number is assigned when the process model is first saved. If the process model is imported and exported, this ID number is reassigned by the system. Can be called as pm!id in process model expressions.
Process Model UUID (Read Only) The universally unique ID of the process model, which is assigned when the process model is first saved. If the process model is imported and exported, the UUID property remains unchanged.
Process Model Name The name of the process model as it appears in Appian Designer and various process model pickers. Can be called as pm!name in process model expressions.
Description Documents what the process does. Can be called as pm!description in process model expressions.
Process Display Name The name of the process as it appears to users after a process has been started. To make process display names uniques, use a logical expression. Can be called as pp!name in process model expressions.
Process Priority The priority of the process model. When selected, the checkbox associated with process priority allows this value to be changed after the process has started. Can be called as pp!priority in process model expressions.
Email Attachments Folder When starting a process via an e-mail email attachments will be placed in the defined folder.
Public Events Lets Anonymous Users to start processes. Must be enabled to allow emails to start processes.
Time Zone Specify the time zone context that is used for each process instance and indicated by the pp!timezone process property. By selecting the Override with Initiator's Time Zone checkbox, the default process time zone will run the process using the time zone preference of the user who launches the process model.

Variables Tab

The variables tab lists the current process variables that have been defined for this process model. Process variables allow you to transfer data between nodes in a process model. Variables that are required at the start of the process are called process parameters.

From the variables tab, clicking on the Add Variable button will open a New Process Variable dialog. The process variable dialog will have the following parameters:

Field Description
Name The name of the process variable. Only letters, numbers, and underscored are accepted.
Type The data type of the process variable.
Value The default value of a process variable when starting a process. If the default value of a variable is used as a Parameter and is defined using an expression, that expression is automatically used as the default value for any associated fields in a process start form. The reverse instance is also true. Expressions used as default values on start forms are used to calculate the parameter's value.
Parameter Allows process variables to pass a value when starting a process. Use when another object or service is starting the process and needs to pass in data. For example, start forms, related actions, subprocesses, and receive message events can contain data, and should be associated with the parameters in the process model it's calling.

Creating a parameter process variable with a primitive system data type automatically adds a field to the process start form, which is automatically mapped to the process variable. This does not occur when a process variable is created with a complex or custom data type. The Process Start Form cannot be used to populate process variables with a complex or custom data type.
Required Checks if a process variable has a value prior to starting a process. You can specify a default value if the user input should be optional.
Multiple Lets the process variable accepts an array of values.
Hidden Prevents this variable value's from being used in process reports and hides it from process history. This is useful when optimizing for memory efficiency. Parameters cannot be hidden. The value of this variable can still be seen when monitoring the process instance.

Process Start Form Tab

If you have data that must be provided to start a process, you can use a process start form to gather this data. The data collected by a start form must be saved into a process parameter.

Clicking on the Create Interface button, will create an interface from existing process parameters. Alternatively, existing interfaces can be imported by searching within the Type interface name here or browse… search box.

Configuring a process start form is identical to configuring the Forms tab of an attended node or smart service except for having to define your process variables as parameters.

images:Process_Start_Form_Tab.png

To make an action available to users when they are offline, refer to Configuring a Form for Offline Use.

Deadlines Tab

Process deadlines specify the target date and time for completion of the process.

To enable process deadlines, select the Enable deadlines checkbox. Once enabled, one of two options will be evaluated:

Options Description
Interval-based The first option accepts numeric interval entered either in the field, or through an expression. The interval periodicity is set from the dropdown. Designers can select either: minutes, hours, days, weeks, or months.
Date-based The second option lets designers enter a datetime value in the field or through an expression.

Alerts Tab

The alerts tab specifies the recipients of an alert if there is an error in the process. Alerts can be left to a default setting or any combination of four custom alert settings:

Options Who will receive alerts
Default Alerts are sent to process administrators, process model administrators, and system administrators when an error has been encountered
Custom Alert Setting #1 Alerts will be sent to the process initiator.
Custom Alert Setting #2 Alerts will be sent to the process model owner.
Custom Alert Setting #3 Alerts will be sent to the a user, group, or combination of the two as defined by an expression.
Custom Alert Setting #4 Alerts will be sent to the a user, group, or combination of the two through a user & group picker.

All process errors can also be viewed from the Monitoring view in Appian Designer.

Data Management Tab

All Appian processes, including completed and canceled processes, are retained in memory until archived or deleted. The settings on the data management tab allow designers to specify a policy for archiving or deleting completed and canceled processes.

DataManagement_Tab_2014.jpg

By default, the process is automatically archived after 7 days. Setting one of these configurations to 0 as an interval will immediately archive or delete the instance after completion. Any changes made on this form are applied to all instances of the process model, including ones already completed. Subprocesses do not inherit this setting.

There is a tradeoff to consider when forming your data-retention policies. Archiving a process frees system memory, but impacts your reports. The data in archived processes are no longer available for reporting purposes. For guidance on data management strategy, see: Considerations for Archiving Processes.

Toolbar Options

Action Icon Description
Create a new process model New Process If you have a process model that is already open, the new process model opens in a new tab.
Open a process model Open Process Select a process model to open. Multiple process models appear on additional tabs.
Save a process model Save Process In the Process Designer view, the Save button creates an updated draft of the process model, but does not publish the new version. You must click Save and Publish to ensure your new process model launches when a new process is started. To save the process model without compromising the current process model, click File > Save New Version.
Print a process or process model Print The Print dialog box appears, which allows you to configure your print settings. You must enable the printing of background images in your browser to show gridlines on your printed output.
Reload the process Reload Allows you to reload the process data displayed. All process activities and flows are updated with the most recent activity.
Remove a node within a process model and copy it to the clipboard Reload Select an event, gateway, or activity. Click cut. The selection is removed from the canvas along with any connectors and copied to the clipboard.
Copy an item Copy Select a process node. Click the Copy button. The process node and its configuration are copied to the clipboard, including process variable mappings.
Paste a process node Paste Add a process node to a process model or a process from the clipboard. You can paste a node onto the same process model, or onto a different process model that is open in another tab of the Process Modeler. Configuration settings are copied as well, including process variable mappings. Process variables are not copied across process models. You must reconfigure process variable mappings for the copied process node if a process variable does not exist in the destination process model.
Delete an activity in a process model Paste To delete a node in a process model, select a node and then click on the icon. The node and connectors associated with the node are deleted.
Position flow objects on the designer canvas Select Select a process flow object and drag it to the desired location. Once placed, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard to adjust the placement. Click View > Turn Snap Off to enable smaller adjustments in positioning. With snap off, hold the Ctrl key when pressing an arrow key to make very small adjustments.
Connect process flow objects Connect Click the arrow to the right of the button. Select a straight connector or an angled connector. Click the edge of a process node and hold the left mouse button. Move your pointer to the subsequent process node to make the flow connection.
Add a note to a process or process model Annotation Select the Text Tool from the toolbar, click on the designer canvas, and drag to set the initial size of the text area.
Add a vertical or horizontal lane to the process model Add Horizontal Lane Add Vertical Lane To add a vertical or horizontal lane to a process model, click the arrow to the right of the button. Select a vertical or a horizontal lane. Click this toolbar button to add a lane to the designer canvas.
View process model properties Properties Press this button to display the Process Model Properties dialog box or to display the process properties dialog box – depending on the mode you are using.
Zoom in/out of the process designer canvas Zoom To expand or restrict your view of the designer canvas, click this button and specify the magnitude of the zoom. 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 125%, 150%, 200%, and Fit to Screen are the available zoom options.
Validate your process model Validate To validate your process model, click on the icon. Appian validates your process model. Any errors are displayed on the message pane in the Process Modeler interface. Click an error message to view the properties of the process node that triggered the validation error.
Remove/restore the message pane from the process modeler interface Toggle Message Window To remove the message pane from the process modeler interface, click on the icon. The message pane is used to show all validation errors that are thrown during process validation.
Remove/restore background gridlines Toggle Gridlines This button hides/displays gridlines on the background on the designer canvas.
Activity Exceptions Activity Exceptions Icon The Activity Exceptions dialog lists all activities in active processes spawned from the current process model that have been canceled by exception.
Process Instances Process Instances Icon The Process Instances dialog shows a report of all process instances for the currently open model. By default, the list is filtered to only processes that have not yet been canceled or completed. Clicking on an instance from this report will open the instance in a new tab in the Process Modeler. You can edit this report just like any other process report, which is especially useful for troubleshooting problems.

Canvas Annotations

The annotate tool allows you to add text descriptions to your process models.

To add an annotation to the process model, complete the following:

  1. In the Process Modeler, click the Annotate button on the toolbar.
  2. When the pointer becomes a plus symbol +, click the Process Modeler canvas and drag the pointer to expand the text field.
  3. Click inside the field you created.
  4. Enter the text of your note.
    • If you enter more text than can be displayed in the window, scroll bars appear on the annotation. These can be removed by resizing the text window.

Process models do not inherit security from their parent folders. Process model security must be set on each process model individually.

A user must have at least Initiator permissions to start a process model.

The security role map of a process model controls which users can see or modify it and its properties. By default, designers are assigned Administrator permissions to the process model they create. The last user who saved/published the process model is always the designer of the process model. See Editing Object Security to modify a process model's security. You can also access and edit process model security through the Process Modeler by clicking File > Security.

The following table outlines the actions that can be completed for each permission level in a process model's security role map:

Actions Administrator Editor Manager Viewer Initiator
Start the process model* Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
View the process model Yes Yes Yes Yes No
View process model reports Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Override task assignment (whether or not reassignment is allowed) Yes Yes Yes No No
Update the process model Yes Yes No No No
Save the process model Yes Yes No No No
View the process model documentation Yes Yes No No No
View the security Yes No No No No
Update the security Yes No No No No
Delete the process model Yes No No No No
Override another user editing the process model Yes No No No No
Publish the process model Yes No No No No

*Users must have at least Initiator permissions to the process model in order to execute the Start Process smart service successfully.

Note: If a user or group is assigned the Deny role, they cannot perform any action associated with the process model. The Deny role does not prevent users from viewing tasks assigned to them.

For more information on securing process instances, see Configuring Process Security.

Actor Properties

The following process and task properties are calculated functions that return the appropriate user or group in whatever context the function is called.

For example, in an attended task, at design-time you can use the pp!initiator property to automatically assign the task to the user that launched the process that triggered the task activity.

Function Name Description Syntax
Process Designer Returns the user that designed the process (the user who published the latest version of the process model). pp!designer
Process Initiator Returns the user who started the process. pp!initiator
Task Owner Returns the single user who has accepted the task. For tasks that are assigned to a single user, the user automatically accepts the task when it is first viewed. tp!owner
Task Owner's Supervisor Returns the user who is the supervisor of the task owner. supervisor(tp!owner)
Task Assignees The users who have been assigned the task. tp!assignees

Versions

Major Versions

Each time you publish a process model, a new major version is created. All versions of a process model, regardless of their status, are available for viewing and editing (depending on your security settings). All new processes start from the latest major process model version.

Below are some points to keep in mind when importing process models to your applications:

  • Importing an application package (successfully).
    • Any process models it contains are published immediately with a higher major version number.
  • Importing process models (for the first time) that are linked recursively using a Subprocess flow activity.
    • The process models are published twice – resulting in two new versions.
    • Subsequent imports to update the model publish the recursively linked process models one time per import, creating a new version each time.

In order to view changes between the latest published version and any previous published version of your process model, you can launch a detailed comparison by performing the following actions:

  • File > Versions and click Compare With Latest
    • Note: Comparisons do not include changes made to smart service plug-in configurations.

    images:Process_Model_Versions_Dialog

For more information about managing process model versions, see Managing Object Versions.

Minor Versions

As of 20.3, minor versions in process models are deprecated. Minor versions in process models will be removed in a future release of Appian. Save process models using major versions instead.

There are specific actions that create only a new minor version (e.g., 3.0 creates 3.1). Minor versions (regardless of the major version number associated with it) act as a test process model when a process runs on it. Saving a process model as a new minor version allows you make changes to the main process model without affecting the new processes that will still start from the model.

The following actions create a new minor process model version:

  • Modifying a published process model, and saving the changes.
    • File > Save
    • File > Versions > Save New
      • This option also allows you to list a comment. Any comments that you add overwrite the Description listed in the process model's properties.
    • Save Process (Toolbar icon)
  • Modifying the model of a specific process and saving the changes as a new version.
    • File > Save New Version

Process Model Validation

Process Model Validation is an essential part of creating and modifying your process models. It can help prevent issues from occurring during run-time and confirm the model satisfies all the functional requirements set by the software and the user.

If a process model does not pass validation, you can save it, but you can not publish it. The validation runs automatically when you save your process model. Process models need to pass validation and be published before users can execute them in an application.

This does not, however, prohibit process model designers from running a process for testing purposes, which can be done in debug mode any time you save it.

During validation, if the process model produces an error, it displays in a list at the bottom of the Process Modeler. Click the error message to display the dialog box detailing where the configuration issue occurred.

images:Validation_Errors.png

Types of Validation

The Process Modeler validates input at all technological levels: User Interface, Middle-Tier, and Back-End. Within these three levels, the following types of validation may occur: UI Validation, Activity Class Validation, and Structural Validation.

UI Validation

UI validation occurs when the user submits information or when the user attempts to take an action that goes against a process model setup. For example, one validation rule states that a process model must contain an End_Event. If your process model does not contain an end event, it will not pass validation.

Activity Class Validation

Activity Class Designers may specify additional validation rules on the UI or the data layer. These should be defined in terms of a framework provided by Appian Process Engine.

Structural Validation

Structural Validation refers to the validation of required data elements in Process Models, as well as how nodes connect to each other. Possible structural validation errors include the following:

  • Duplicate PVs names, regardless of letter casing, existing in the model. If so, the model fails validation until you delete the duplicate(s) so only one PV's with unique names exist.

  • Undefined variables in expressions and rules referenced by the process model. If so, the model fails validation with a validation error until you update the expression or rule that references the incorrect variable.

    • For example, the validation message "Variable not found: ri!myVar" indicates that an expression in the process model references the variable ri!myVar either directly or indirectly via a rule.

Generating Process Model Documentation

The Process Model Documentation view displays a report of your process model design and the objects it contains. The documentation view can be displayed from Appian Designer or the Process Modeler. Links displayed on the report display the details for the selected object. The report provides the following details:

  • Process model properties
  • Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) view of the process model
  • Properties for each activity, event, and gateway
  • Swimlane properties
  • Annotations
  • Process flow connection properties

Viewing Process Model Documentation

To view documentation from Appian Designer:

  1. Locate and select a process model.
  2. Click on the More menu.
  3. Select View Documentation.
    • You must have Administrator or Editor rights to the model.
  4. The latest published process model is rendered as documentation in a separate window.

To view documentation from the Process Modeler:

  1. Open a process model.
  2. Select Tools > Generate Documentation from the toolbar.
  3. The current process model (saved or unsaved, published or unpublished) is rendered as documentation in a separate window.

Process Model Properties

The following process model properties are listed.

  • Process Display Name:The process display name can be either a typed string of text or an expression.
  • Model Id : This report item lists an ID number used internally to reference the process model.
  • UUID : This report item lists a unique string of 32 hexadecimal digits assigned to the process model once you save it.
  • Last Updated: This report item lists the user name of the user who last saved the process model.

Process Model Diagram

The report displays a BPMN view of the process model.

  • Click each activity to view its details.
  • Clicking a Subprocess activity displays the Subprocess diagram.

Process Model Contents

The Process Model Contents section of the report lists the objects that appear on the Process Modeler canvas.

Process Start Form Type

If there is a process start form, it is listed as an interface.

Process Variables

This section of the report lists each of the process variables configured for the process model, and the number of process variables in the process model. The following columns are displayed:

  • Type: The type column lists the process variable's data type.
  • Value: The value column lists any configured default value.
  • Parameter: This column lists whether the process variable is required at the start of the process, as with a process start form.
  • Required: This column lists whether a value must be stored for the process variable.
  • Multiple: This column lists whether the process variable holds more than one value.
  • Hidden: This column lists whether the process variable is hidden from reports.

Lanes

This section lists the swimlanes configured for process activities in the process model. The following columns are displayed:

  • ID : A number used internally to reference the swimlane.
  • Label: This report item lists the name of the swimlane as it appears on the process model.
  • Height: This report item lists the height setting for the swimlane.
  • Attended: An attended lane overrides individual assignment settings for attended activities in the lane, and sets assignment to this designated user or group.
  • Assignees/Run As: When a swimlane is assigned, this column lists the user or group that the activities in the lane are assigned to. When activities are unassigned, this column lists the user account that is used to resolve security requirements.

Node List

This section of the report lists all nodes that appear in the process model. The following columns are displayed:

  • ID: A number used internally to reference the node at runtime.
  • GUI ID: A number used internally to reference the node at design time.
  • Name: The name displayed on the Process Modeler canvas.
  • Task Display Name: The name displayed on any tasks assigned by the activity.
  • Lane: The name of the swimlane that contains the node, if any.
  • Attended: This column lists whether the node is assigned to a user or group as a task.
  • Assignees/Run As: When an activity is assigned, this column lists the user or group that the activity is assigned to. When the activity is unassigned, this column lists the user account that is used for security permissions.

Annotations

This section of the report lists any notes that appear in the process model. The following columns are displayed:

  • GUI ID: A number used internally to reference the note.
  • Text: The content of the note.

Connections

This section of the report lists the flow connectors that appear in the process model. The following columns are displayed:

  • Start Node: The process node where the flow connector originates.
  • End Node: The process node where the flow connector terminates.
  • Activity-Chained: This column lists flows that are configured to automatically display the next assigned task.

Process Model Node Details

Each node that appears in the process model is listed in greater detail in this section. The following information appears for each node below its name and icon:

  • Node Type: This line item lists the name of the type of node used as it appears on the Process Modeler palette. It also lists the internal object name in parentheses.
  • Form Type: Smart service activities display the type of form configured (dynamic or JSP). A dynamic form uses the process modeler. JSP forms list the path to the JSP.
  • UUID: This line item lists a unique string of 32 hexadecimal digits assigned to the associated node once you save the process model.
  • Description: This line lists any descriptive text entered for the activity on the general tab of the node properties dialog box.
  • Task Display Name: The name displayed on any tasks assigned by the activity. A rule or expression may be used to resolve the display name at runtime.
  • Lane: The name of the swimlane that contains the node, if any.
  • Attended: This item lists whether the node is assigned to a user or group as a task.
  • Assignees: When an activity is assigned, this item lists the user or group that the activity is assigned to. When the activity is unassigned, this item states that the node is run as either the process initiator or the process designer.
  • Exception Flow Triggers: Smart services list any rules configured to trigger an exception flow.

Event Nodes

Process events are listed according by name and process modeler icon. The following details are listed for each process event:

  • Event Type: This line lists the type of event node, or the type of event configured for a node such as send message, or receive message.
  • Conditions to activate event node: Each logic test that must be satisfied before the event is triggered is listed.

Send Message Events

  • Message Type: This line lists the type of message being sent such as email or process.
  • Message Body: This line lists the body text of the message that is sent.

Mappings

The event mappings are listed in a table that displays the following columns.

  • Name: The name of each property.
  • Value: The data listed for each property configured for the event mapping.

Receive Message Event

  • Listen for messages of type: Typically, this property lists either email or process-to-process messages.
  • Once activated, listen for messages for the life of the process: True/False. This property lists whether the an event is activated once, or whether it can be activated multiple times.

Gateways

Each gateway node is listed with its standard node properties. Each gateway also lists the conditions that route process flow to different nodes in a table. This table displays the following columns.

  • Condition: The logical test that must be true to activate an outgoing flow.
  • Result: The outgoing flow to activate, listed according to its destination node.
  • Path Label: The label that appears on the outgoing flow (if any).

Node Inputs Table

When a node has configured data inputs, this table lists the data collected. This normally only occurs in assigned nodes (we don't recommend configuring node inputs for unassigned activities. Use outputs instead.) The following columns are displayed.

  • Name: The name assigned to the node input variable.
  • Type: The type column lists the process variable's data type.
  • Value: The value column lists any configured default value. When the default value of a custom Complex Data Type (CDT) is set within the parent element, the Value column displays the expression or literal value specified. When the default value is defined within a subelement of a CDT, the Value column appears blank.
  • Parameter: This column lists whether the process variable is required at the start of the process, as with a process start form.
  • Required: This column lists whether a value must be stored for the process variable.
  • Multiple: This column lists whether the process variable holds more than one value.
  • Hidden: This column lists whether the process variable is hidden from reports.

When a complete CDT hierarchy, or when the parent element of a CDT is saved into a process variable, it is listed as a node input. When a subelement of a CDT is saved into a process variable or subelement of a CDT, it is displayed as a node output.

Node Outputs Table

When a node has configured outputs, this table lists the output data. The following columns are displayed.

  • Expression: The name of the output is taken from the expression used to formulate the output data.
  • Operation: Different operations can be performed on output data, such as appending the values to an array. This column lists the operation performed when storing the data.
  • Variable: This column lists the process variable storing the output data.

Subprocess Activities

Click the name of the subprocess to display process model documentation for the configured subprocess. Subprocesses display the following additional report items:

  • Is Asynchronous: True/False. Synchronous subprocess activities must end before the process flow continues. Asynchronous subprocess activities launch the child process and continue the flow.
  • Data from subprocess can be included…: True/False. Process reports can aggregate data from multiple process models when this is true. Process variables should have different names in each process model referenced by the report.
  • Subprocess inherits security from parent process: True/False. Should a user not have the right to view a subprocess, the parent process may pause due to a security exception. Inheriting security from the parent allows users to launch the subprocess model if they have the right to launch the parent process.
  • Subprocess Model: This line lists the name of the subprocess model. The process model ID or UUID are listed in parentheses (PmId, PmUUId).

Subprocess Data Mapping

Subprocesses pass variable data from parent to child. Synchronous subprocesses can also pass data from the child to the parent process. The report lists any such variables.

For Input Variables, the following columns are displayed.

  • Subprocess Variable: The name of the parameter in the child process model that receives data from the parent process.
  • Set From: The name of the parent process variable.

For Output Variables, the following columns are displayed.

  • Subprocess Variable: The name of the process variable in the child process model that returns data back to the parent process.
  • Save Into: The name of the parent process variable that receives data from the child process.

Best Practices

We recommend maintaining detailed process model documentation to allow other process developers easily read and maintain your process models.

  • Update the process model properties and activities with clear descriptions.
  • Annotations the process model to call out sections that need additional explanation.
  • Use descriptive names for your process variables.

Configuring Printing Options

To ensure the process entire process model diagram prints, use the Landscape page setting. Based on your web browser, configure the printing option below to ensure the process model diagram prints with the grid background. If you do not want to see grid lines, ignore the browser step that sets background graphics.

Chrome

  1. From the process modeler menu, click File > Print.
  2. Unselect the Background graphics (Options) checkbox.
  3. Click OK.

Internet Explorer 11

  1. Access the Page Setup dialog. Depending on your version of Internet Explorer, you may find this dialog via the File menu, the Print button on the toolbar, or the Tools gear icon.
  2. Locate the Paper Options group and select the Print background colors and images checkbox.
  3. Click OK.

Firefox

  1. From the toolbar, click File > Print.
  2. Select the Print Background Colors and Print Background Images checkboxes.
  3. Click OK.

The browser may not render the process model JavaScript in the same manner when printing the documentation as opposed to viewing the documentation. The Firefox plugin ScreenGrab may be useful in configuring the desired results.

Safari

  1. From the toolbar, click File > Print.
  2. Select the Background graphics (Options) checkbox.
  3. Select the Print Backgrounds checkbox.
  4. Click Print when ready to print.

Microsoft Edge does not support backgrounds. See Microsoft's site for additional details.

Known Issues in the Modeler

  • In Microsoft Edge, navigating using the up and down arrows in a text area is partially broken. See Microsoft developer site for additional details.
  • In Microsoft Edge, closing process modeler is not working after print is canceled. See Microsoft developer site for additional details.
  • In Microsoft Edge, copying and pasting text in the rich text editor causes some lines to lose its styling. See Microsoft developer site for additional details.
  • In Chrome, the context menu doesn't open when certain extensions override the behavior of the mouse's right-click button. For example: Linkclump
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