Object symbols

Object symbols are graphical representations of object types. Object symbols are displayed in models and lists. Read more about object symbols?

If you have the ARIS Enterprise Admin license privilege and the Configuration administrator function privilege, you can rename default, customized, and derived object symbols or delete symbols of these types that you no longer want to use. If you have special modeling requirements that are not covered by the provided ARIS Method items, create your own object symbols by deriving them from existing object symbols. In derived symbols, you can replace the default symbols of ARIS Method with your own user-defined symbols. You can design user-defined symbols in AMF format using ARIS Symbol Editor.

Use ARIS Symbol Editor to create user-defined symbols. To open ARIS Symbol Editor, start ARIS Architect and click ARIS > Symbol Editor Symbol Editor (for details, refer to the ARIS Symbol Editor online help).

To manage object symbols, click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Configuration Configuration > Conventions > Object symbols.

You can modify items indicated in the Type column as:

  • Unchanged original (Default)

  • Modified item that was based on an original (Derived)

  • Item that was changed by an authorized user (Customized)

  • Item that was added to the default ARIS Method (User-defined).

  • You cannot modify items of the Default (not configurable) type.

To continue using user-defined or customized method items from previous ARIS versions, you must import the previous filters that contain all user-defined and customized items. These items are created and thus become visible only due to the filter import. You must restore the databases of previous versions on your current tenant after the filter import.

On the Object symbols page, you can find all symbol types that are included in the ARIS Method of this tenant. Use the Filter filter to find the type you want to continue with.

You can do the following:

Derive object symbol

Object symbols are graphical representations of object types. Object symbols are displayed in models and lists. You can replace the default symbols with your own user-defined symbols. To design user-defined symbols in AMF format, use ARIS Symbol Editor. If you want to use self-designed symbol graphics in AMF format, you must first derive a related object symbol. You cannot change symbol graphics in default object symbols.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Selected items Select the name of the object symbol from which you want to derive your new object symbol. User-defined symbols inherit the method settings of the original symbols, that is, they are automatically available in all models in which the original symbols are allowed. For this reason, make sure that you use the most suitable object symbol as the basis of your derived object symbol. The connections are also inherited from the original symbol.

    Use the Filter filter to find the most suitable object symbol. If the Object type column contains multiple entries with the same name, also use the Type number and the API name/GUID columns to find the specific object.

  3. Click Derive symbol Derive symbol.

    All attributes are displayed in the language with which you logged in.

  4. Select all configuration languages that you use on this tenant.

    Use configuration languages to specify the names and descriptions of all items that are managed in the Configuration section for this tenant, such as method items, filters, templates, font formats, content type sets, and evaluation scripts.

    The Configuration administrators create the set of configuration languages that are available on a tenant.

  5. Enter the attribute values, such as Name and Description. You cannot edit certain attributes that are set by the system, such as Original name, API name, or GUID.

    Warning

    You must enter all values in each language. If you do not enter the name and description in a language, users who log in with this language will not be able to find this filter because (Untitled) is displayed as the filter name.

  6. Change the used symbol graphic.

    1. Click Symbol and click Browse.

    2. Select the AMF graphic file and click Open.

    3. Click Apply. The selected symbol is displayed in the Symbol column.

  7. Change the set of model types to make the derived symbol available in additional models.

    1. Click Used in model types to select the model types in which you want to provide the object symbol. The Show only types assigned view displays all locked model types. Locked items # Locked items are mandatory items. That means that you cannot remove or modify them.

    2. Select the Show all view.

    3. To assign the required models,Selected items enable the controls in the Assigned column.

      Use the Filter filter to quickly find model types or sort the columns. If you are looking for model types you configured, filter the list using the User-defined keyword. If you click a header, the column entries are sorted.

    4. Click Assign # s_icon_conn_assign.png Assign. In the Show only types assigned view, all selected models are listed and shown as Assigned items assigned.

    5. Check the assignment. Click Remove assignment # s_icon_conn_remove_assignment.png Remove to delete selected attributes from the model type.

    6. If the assignment is OK, click Apply.

  8. Click Apply.

  9. Add your derived object symbol to the method filter that users will use for login. Derived object symbols inherit the method settings of the original symbols, that is, they are automatically available in all models in which the original symbols are allowed. The connections are also inherited from the original symbol.

Your derived object symbol is available for all users of this tenant who logged in with a method filter that contains your new object symbol.

Use other symbol for object type

If you want to change the object symbol that is used to place objects in models, proceed as follows. You can change only derived object symbols.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Click the name of the derived object symbol that you want to change. Use the Filter filter to find the object type. If the Object type column contains multiple entries with the same name, also use the Type number and the API name/GUID columns to find the specific object.

  3. Click Symbol and click Browse.

  4. Select the AMF graphic file and click Open.

  5. Click Apply. The selected symbol is displayed in the Symbol column.

The selected object symbol displays objects of the selected type.

Use object symbols in other models

If you want to make object symbols available in other models, proceed as follows.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

    If the Object type column contains multiple entries with the same name, also use the Type number and the API name/GUID columns to find the specific object.

  2. Click Used in model types to select the model types in which you want to provide the object symbol. The Show only types assigned view displays all locked model types. Locked items # Locked items are mandatory items. That means that you cannot remove or modify them.

  3. Select the Show all view.

  4. To assign the required models,Selected items enable the controls in the Assigned column.

    Use the Filter filter to quickly find model types or sort the columns. If you are looking for model types you configured, filter the list using the User-defined keyword. If you click a header, the column entries are sorted.

  5. Click Assign # s_icon_conn_assign.png Assign. In the Show only types assigned view, all selected models are listed and shown as Assigned items assigned.

  6. Check the assignment. Click Remove assignment # s_icon_conn_remove_assignment.png Remove to delete selected attributes from the model type.

  7. If the assignment is OK, click Apply.

The selected object symbol is available in models of the selected types.

Change Structural setting for object symbol

You can decide whether an object symbol in a model represents a basic object or a satellite. Basic objects are mandatory model objects transporting information that is distinctive for the model. Basic objects build the typical structure of a model. Satellites contain additional information.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Click the entry that you want to change. You cannot modify entries of the Default (not configurable) type. Use the Filter filter to find a list entry.

  3. Click Used in model types.

  4. Selected items Select an editable symbol and click Configure More.

  5. Click Enable 'Structural' or Disable 'Structural', as required.

  6. Click Apply.

The setting is changed.

Change Default setting for object symbol

A default symbol is an object symbol that is automatically used when users insert an object in a model.

A default symbol is the object symbol that is used to represent the object if users insert an object of this type into a model. You specify default symbols for object types and model types.

Object types

If you assign a single object symbol to an object type, you do not need to define a default symbol. You must specify a default symbol for each object type that can have multiple occurrences in a model, that is, the object can be displayed using multiple object symbols. In this case, the default symbol is displayed automatically when users place the object in a model. Users can add any other object symbols for modeling that are available for this object.

If the object definition has no information about the default symbol, the default symbol specified for the model type is used to create occurrence copies in a model.

Model types

If no default symbol is specified at an object type, the model generation function and the function for creating an occurrence copy use the default symbol specified for the model type.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Click the entry that you want to change. You cannot modify entries of the Default (not configurable) type. Use the Filter filter to find a list entry.

  3. Click Used in model types.

  4. Selected items Select an editable symbol and click Configure More.

  5. Click Enable 'Default' or Disable 'Default', as required.

  6. Click Apply.

The setting is changed.

Rename object symbol

You can either change the name of an object symbol in the current language or you can change the names and descriptions in multiple languages.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Selected items Select the name that you want to change. You cannot modify entries of the Default (not configurable) type.

  3. Click Rename Rename to change the name in the current language. To change the name and description in multiple languages, click Edit Edit, select the languages, and overwrite the current name or description in each language as required.

The names and descriptions are changed. For default ARIS Method items, the original names always remain so that you can easily reset your modifications to the default state.

Reset object symbol name

You can reset the name of default, user-defined, and customized object symbols in the current language.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Selected items Select the name that you want to reset.

  3. Click Rename Rename. The current name is displayed.

  4. Click Reset. The original name is used in the current language.

  5. Click Save.

The name is changed in the current language.

Reset object symbol

You can replace one or several of the customized object symbols on this tenant with original object symbols from the standard ARIS Method.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Enter Customized as a keyword and Filter filter the list to find all customized types that you can reset.

  3. Selected items Select the items that you want to reset to the default state.

  4. Click Reset items Reset.

    Warning

    All selected customized method items are deleted and replaced by default ARIS Method items. Make sure that you exported method filters containing customized method items before you proceed. Then you can restore customized method items by importing the filters again.

  5. Click Reset to confirm the action.

All selected items are reset to the default state.

Delete object symbol

If you no longer want to use a derived object symbol, you can delete it from the ARIS Method of a tenant. To prevent users from using an object symbol, you must remove it from the available method filters. In this case, you do not have to delete the object symbol from your extended ARIS Method of the tenant.

  1. Click Application launcher Application launcher > Administration Administration > Conventions > Object symbols.

  2. Selected items Select the derived object symbols that you want to delete.

  3. Click Delete Delete.

  4. To confirm the action, click Delete.

The selected object symbols are deleted from ARIS Method of this tenant.