Free shape: line drawing
Answered
I'd like to have the option to draw my own lines that are not an existing relationship between two objects.
Sometimes I want to connect two objects that cannot be related due to Archimate constraints (and rightfully so), but I still want to make a connection between the objects visible. The same goes for connecting two objects, where at least one is not an object from the repository (i.e. free shape or text block). Right now I use the 'Minus' free shape, but this cannot be bent and aesthetically it doesn't look very nice.
Solution: ability to draw lines just like in MS Word but with the added ability to bend them to a certain degree just like relation lines.
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Hi Mike,
Definitely seems useful to me, but i'd like to better understand the use cases around this functionality. Do you have an example of a scenario in which you'd like to use this?0 -
Scenario A) I have added 'objects' (free shapes and text blocks) to my view that I do not want to add to the central objects repository (yet), but I still like to draw a line between it and another object on my view (whether it is in the repository or not). A straight line (association) would suffice in this case, I wouldn't call for all the dotted lines with arrows here, that'd only make it more complex.
Scenario B) I'd like to connect a Representation to a Project, but this is not allowed in Archimate. I do not want to create a formal relation even if we're to make it possible (in the Admin module of BD). This holds for all objects that I do not want to create a relationship between in the central repository. Sometimes you just want the relation to exist on your view but nowhere else.
Scenario C) In BPMN one should be able to add connect a Task to a Text Block when the Task has a Loop in it, so to set the condition until which the Activity has to be looped (i.e. Try five times). See BPMN literature on Looping Activities on how this should be done. This is always represented as a dotted line to a text block in brackets. (Maybe this is a separate wish...)
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Hello MG || Gemeente Tilburg
For Scenario A and B we have a workaround. You can create a relationship between two free shapes, the relationship will look like an association relation. If you have done this you can place the free shapes behind the object where you want to show the relationship.
So if you want to apply the workaround for Scenario A, you have to create one ArchiMate object and two free shapes(one square free shape and one text block or free shape). If you have created the objects you have to create a relation between the free shapes and place one free shape behind the ArchiMate object.
If you want to apply the workaround for Scenario B, you have to create two ArchiMate objects (representation and project) and two square free shapes. Again you have to create a relation between the square free shapes and this time you place both free shapes behind the ArchiMate Objects.
If the free shapes stay on top of the ArchiMate Objects, you can adjust the layering. You have to click on the free shapes with your right mouse. A dropdown will appear in which you can select “Layer” and then “send to back”. Now the free shapes will be behind the ArchiMate Objects.
If you have done all this it will look like there is an association relation between the objects. This relation is only visible and is not saved or added to the repository.
Scenario C is in my opinion a different topic or wish indeed. But I always place a textblock with “try five times” under the task where I use a looping instead of the dotted line.
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Thanks for the workarounds Martijn, that works just fine, never thought of bending my views like that. Might be I have to withdraw my wish. :)
As for C) I will think about adding it as a wish, as the text block underneath a looping activity is what I use now, but sometimes it isn't as clear as it should be. This holds especially when the Task block is very broad or there are many text blocks in the BPMN view.
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I'ld like a line as a freeshape, period.
I'ld like to draw rain or prison-bars or sheetmusic.
I'ld like to draw as a communication-artist, not as an architect.
I'ld like to draw swimlanes in an Architecture workset.
Why only 2d-objects?
Now I use a rectangle with no heigth, but these are difficult to 'grab' when a bit zoomed-out.1 -
Ray Stapel In the future, it will be possible to upload your own free shape! I cannot give a timeline for this release, but it is something we are working on!
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The B/C suggested workaround by Martijn is workable. Yet, it would be nicer to have at least some association relationship between objects and free shapes.
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