Adding Map Objects

This section provides an overview of toolbar buttons and discusses how to use icons in maps.

Use toolbar buttons to add icons and connecting lines to maps. Different toolbars (and, therefore, different map objects) are available for business processes and activities.

Business Process Toolbar

This toolbar provides the basic components of a business process, including activities and the lines that link them. This toolbar is visible only when a business process is the active window.

Field or Control

Definition

Link button

Click the Link button to connect related activities or steps. This button also appears in the Activity toolbar.

You must use the link tool to connect objects on the map; do not use arrows or other drawn shapes.

Business Process button

Click the Business Process button to add another business process.

Activity button

Click the Activity button to add an activity.

Decision button

Click the Decision button to add a decision point in a process. A Decision icon in a map is descriptive only; it has no workflow functionality. This button also appears in the Activity toolbar.

Activity Toolbar

This toolbar provides the basic components of an activity, including steps, workflow events, and workflow routings. This toolbar is visible only when the active window displays an activity.

Field or Control

Definition

Link button

Click the Link button to connect related activities or steps. This button also appears in the Business Process toolbar.

Step button

Click the Step button to add a page.

Event button

Click the Event button to add a business event.

Worklist button

Click the Worklist button to add a worklist.

Email button

Click the Email button to add email for workflow routing.

Batch button

Click the Batch button to create a descriptive icon for a background process.

Manual Process button

Click the Manual Process button to create a descriptive icon for a manual process.

Decision button

Click the Decision button to create a descriptive icon for a decision point in a process. This button also appears in the Business Process toolbar.

Local Transaction button

Click the Local Transaction button to create a descriptive icon representing a service operation definition for a transaction that occurs in one database.

Transaction Other DB button

Click the Transaction other DB (transaction other database) button to create a descriptive icon representing a service operation definition for a transaction that sends a message to another database in the same enterprise.

Remote Transaction button

Click the Remote Transaction button to create a descriptive icon representing a service operation definition for a transaction that sends a message to another database in another enterprise by crossing the firewall. Service operation definitions are used in PeopleSoft Integration Broker.

Modeling Toolbar

This toolbar provides additional buttons for creating icons to graphically enhance maps. Some of the icons are informational only; those that are functional have exact equivalents in either the Business Process or the Activity toolbar. This toolbar is visible when either a business process or an activity is the active window in the workspace.

Field or Control

Definition

Document button

Click the Document button to create a descriptive icon for a document. (Informational only.)

End Process button

Click the End Process button to create a descriptive icon for the end of process. (Informational only.)

Business Process button

Click the Business Process button to add an icon for a business process. This is the same function as the Business Process button on the Business Process toolbar. When you add this icon to a map, you are prompted to identify an existing business process that the icon represents. This functionality is available only when a business process is the active window in the workspace.

Activity button

Click the Activity button to add an icon for an activity. This is the same function as the Activity button in the Business Process toolbar. When you add this icon to a map, you are prompted to identify an existing activity that the icon represents. This functionality is available only when a business process is the active window in the workspace.

Event button

Click the Event button to add an icon for an event. This is the same function as the Event button in the Activity toolbar. This functionality is available only when an activity is the active window in the workspace.

Page button

Click the Page button to add an icon for a page. This is the same function as Step button in the Activity toolbar. This functionality is available only when an activity is the active window in the workspace.

Drawing Toolbar

This toolbar is visible when either a business process or an activity is the active window in the workspace.

Normally, you add an object to a map by clicking the object in the toolbar and clicking the location on the map. Some of the drawing tools, however, involve extra clicks on the map. For example, to draw a line, first click the Line button as you click any other button. To draw the line on the map, click once at the beginning of the line and again at the end of the line.

Field or Control

Definition

Line button

Click the Line button to draw a static line. Drag the cursor from one end of the line to the other. You can move the endpoints later.

Arrow Line button

Click the Arrow Line button to draw a line that terminates with an arrow.

Rectangle button

Click the Rectangle button to draw a rectangle. Drag the cursor from one corner of the rectangle to the opposite corner. You can move the corners later.

Polycurve button

Click the Polycurvebutton to draw a curve. Drag from anchor point to anchor point, and double-click at the end of the curve. You can move the anchor points later.

Ellipse button

Click the Ellipse button to draw an ellipse. Drag from one corner of the surrounding rectangle to the opposite corner. You can move the corners later.

Text button

Click the Text button to draw a static text field. Place text by clicking at the appropriate location. You can move or resize the text box later.

Image button

Click the Image button to add a bitmap. Place the bitmap by clicking at the appropriate location.

Toggle Grid button

Click the Toggle Grid button to display or hide an optional grid to help you place map objects.

Alignment Toolbar

This toolbar contains options for aligning objects on several different axes.

Field or Control

Definition

Align Top button

Click the Align Top button to arrange all selected objects so that they are aligned at the top of the base position object.

Align Middle button

Click the Align Middle button to arrange all selected objects so that they are aligned at the middle of the base position object.

Align Bottom button

Click the Align Bottom button to arrange all selected objects so that they are aligned at the bottom of the base position object.

Align Left button

Click the Align Left button to arrange all selected objects so that they are aligned at the left-hand side of the base position object.

Align Center button

Click the Align Center button to arrange all selected objects so that they are aligned at the center of the base position object.

Align Right button

Click the Align Right button to arrange all selected objects so that they are aligned at the right-hand side of the base position object.

Layering Toolbar

This toolbar contains options to move objects in front of or behind each other.

Field or Control

Definition

Front button

Click the Front button to move the selected object in front of any overlapping objects.

Back button

Click the Back button to move the selected object behind any overlapping objects.

Forward button

Click the Forward button to move the selected object in front of the overlapping objects that are immediately in front of it.

Backward button

Click the Backward button to move the selected object behind any overlapping objects that are immediately in front of it.

Events and Routings Icons

These icons are actual workflow objects, representing transactions that trigger workflow (events) and the medium through which the trigger sends work to the recipient (routings). You normally add these objects to activities after completing the basic maps.

Image: Events and routings icons

This example illustrates the events and routings icons.

Events and routings icons

To add an icon to a map:

  1. Click the toolbar button representing the icon that you want to add.

  2. Click the map where you want to place the icon.

    In most cases, the icon is added to the map when you click. If you are adding an icon for an activity, business process, or transaction, however, the Select Definition dialog box appears.

  3. In the Select Definition dialog box, select the specific activity, business process, or service operation definition that the icon represents.

  4. Click the Select button to finish placing the icon on the map.

To connect icons within a map:

  1. Click the Link button on the toolbar.

    You must use the link tool to connect icons; do not use arrows or other drawing objects.

  2. Click the icon where the link starts.

    The icon must be a linkable definition. As you pass the cursor over different parts of the map, its appearance changes to indicate whether you are over a linkable definition:

    • A plus sign indicates that you are not over a linkable definition.

    • A plus sign within a circle indicates that you are over a linkable definition.

  3. Click the icon where the link ends.

    This click completes the link, and an arrow from one object to the other appears. Even if you relocate objects on the map, the link stays connected to both objects.

    To cancel without completing the link, right-click.

  4. (Optional) Modify the shape of the link.

    To create angles at the same time that you create the link, make one or more intermediate clicks where you want the line to bend. You can add multiple angles. However, you must always end the line with a linkable definition.

    Change the angle by clicking the connector line, selecting the angle anchor, and moving it.

    To create an angle in an existing link, select the link, press and hold the Ctrl key, and click where you want to create an angle anchor. You can then move the anchor as described previously.

To add an image to a map:

  1. Click the Image button in the toolbar.

  2. Click on the map where you want to place the image.

  3. Right-click the bitmap and select Change Bitmap.

    The Select Image dialog box appears.

  4. Select the image file.

  5. Click OK.

    The selected image replaces the default bitmap.

Note: The Select Image dialog box lists all of the images that are stored in the PeopleSoft database. If the Show Only Workflow Images check box is selected, the list includes only images that have the Used in Workflow property set in the image definition properties. If the Show Only Workflow Images check box is cleared, the list includes all images that can be rendered in the Microsoft Windows environment. Because Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) files cannot be rendered in Windows, they do not appear.

Table of Default Workflow Images

To replace the PeopleSoft default images for new or existing maps, you can add new images to the Image Catalog using the same names, as shown in this table:

Type

Image Name

Toolbar Name

Activity

PT_WFD_ACTIVITY

PT_WFD_TBACTIVITY

Business Process

PT_WFD_BUSPROC

PT_WFD_TBBUSPROC

Step

PT_WFD_STEP

PT_WFD_TBSTEP

Batch

PT_WFD_BATCH

PT_WFD_TBBATCH

Manual Process

PT_WFD_MANUALPROC

PT_WFD_TBMANUALPROC

Transaction Same DB

PT_WFD_SAMEDB

PT_WFD_TBSAMEDB

Transaction Other DB

PT_WFD_OTHERDB

PT_WFD_TBOTHERDB

Transaction Outside Firewall

PT_WFD_OUTSIDEFW

PT_WFD_TBOUTSIDEFW

Event

PT_WFD_EVENT

PT_WFD_TBEVENT

Worklist

PT_WFD_WORKLIST

PT_WFD_TBWORKLIST

Email

PT_WFD_EMAIL

PT_WFD_TBEMAIL

Decision

PT_WFD_DECISION

PT_WFD_TBDECISION

Bitmap

PT_WFD_BITMAP

PT_WFD_TBBITMAP