Process Flow Document does not flow.

J IJzermans 1 · Messages: 24 Offline

Is there anyway i can make the process flow document flow? It arranges the items now, i think, in the sequence they where created on and groups them over the diagrams.
But since my process model changed allot over time the sequence it was created in doesn?t represent the sequence the process flows.
There is no numbering inside the saved xml files, where does the sequence number come from? Is it in the filenames themselves? Please help me to find a way to create a descent process flow document. I filled in all the fields I needed in every element(entity) and got, a total of over 530 elements in 17 diagrams that are useless now because they get mixed up in the document.
I tried changing the process flow document but it is not an option since it is HTML based. This make it hard to change the sequence (flow) since all the links need changing. Even saving it to MS word doesn?t help since it doesn?t use chapter numbering but the html reverence linking.
Please, please help me to change the flow(entity numbering). It took me more then 6 months to create this extremely large diagram so it`s process flow document could be used for ISO 9001:2000 process documentation. But this is of no use now.

(Suggestion for future versions: if there where only a field ?sequence number? on the element properties form that we could fill in, and change when needed. Doing all lower element numbers +1 when an element was slid in, in the middle. And -1 when one was removed.)

J IJzermans 1 · Messages: 24 Offline

Please Advise

E Keyes · Messages: 18 Offline

I would suggest using folders in the navigation tree. The Diagrams section just alphabetizes them all, so unless your starting process begins with A, it will be lower down and not the starting process. Just create subfolders to organize the diagrams and elements as needed. The folders use the same sorting method, but since people won't be seeing the subfolders (just the document generated) you can name your folders so they will flow with the order (starting with A or numbers). Let me know if this helped at all.
~Elizabeth

J IJzermans 1 · Messages: 24 Offline

Thank you for your reply but it only partly works.
It does alphabetize the diagrams in folders. Thats good to know i can now get the chapters in the right order. The problem lays in the actions. The elements (activity, decision etc) inside the diagrams are put in the order they where created. I tried creating folders for the elements too but it won?t alphabetize.
I attached 2 images to clarify what I did: navigator view and the index of the process flow document.
What i did:
I created the following, in the following order:
Diagram a
Activity aa, ab, ac,
Diagram b
Activity ba, bb, bc
Diagram c
Activity cc, cb, ca
And back in diagram b
Activity be, bd

In the diagram they are connected in the order: ba-bb-bc-c-bd-be
When you look at the index image you notice it puts be before bd.

The same with ca-cb-cc on the diagram, created in the order cc-cb-ca and also coming up in that order in the flow document.

So it must be placing them in the order they where created.

Hope you can help me there is months of work in my diagrams.
Regards,

E Keyes · Messages: 18 Offline

After looking at your sample project and pictures, I think I might have found a solution for you. I found that when you deleted the bd and be from the diagram
(highlighting them in the diagram and hitting delete), and dragged them in order again from the navigation tree (meaning, you put bd down and linked it up to c, then put be down and linked it to bd) it reordered the index. The same went for all of diagram c's activities. I guess it puts it in order of when they were added to the diagram, not created.
I don't know how much this will take you to fix (it will depend on the size, and how out of order they are right now). Hopefully it won't be too bad; just a matter of deleting some elements and linking them up again.
Let me know if that helps at all. Make sure if you do this that you don't delete the element from the navigation tree, just the diagram or your information will be lost.
Best wishes,
~Elizabeth

J IJzermans · Messages: 8 Offline

Thank you for looking into this!
It works and i`m currently redoing all my diagrams.
Thanks!

Hope you find a way to automate this in your next version, though i don`t have a clue how you could.
Regards,

Jochem

J IJzermans · Messages: 8 Offline

While redoing my diagram i noticed that reused entities don?t end up in the process flow document the second time you use them.

For instance:
Action: save information.

1 instance but used in multiple diagrams, only ends up in the process flow document the first time you note it. This way I can?t use the flow document as procedure list since it is missing important steps.

Work around is to duplicate the step for every instance but this causes a huge amount of overhead.
Hope you find a fix for it.

Regards,

Jochem

Mary Ann Smith · Messages: 33 Offline

All,

Sorry for not posting sooner. There is a very easy way to modify / control the sequence in which the Process Flow Document prints the elements.

PRINT SEQUENCING TAB:

When viewing/editing the Element Properties for a Diagram, you will see a bunch of tabs (Element Overview, Element Details, Performed By, etc.).

The right-most tab is labeled "Print Sequencing". All of the elements are loaded into this list in the order in which they were added to the diagram (as was correctly described in a couple of earlier posts). However, you can change the order by simply clicking on an element in the list and then using the "Move Up" / "Move Down" buttons to change it's position in the list.

ELEMENT PROPERTIES FOR A DIAGRAM ELEMENT:

The easiest way to view the element properties for a diagram is to double-click on the appropriate diagram icon in the Diagrams folder of the Project Navigator tree. This should open the diagram in the main window and it's properties editor in the window below.

If this doesn't work for some reason, you can right-click on the diagram icon (in the Diagrams folder of the Project Navigator), then select the "Open With ... -> Peoperties Editor" option from the right click menu.

Hope this helps!

-Andy

J IJzermans · Messages: 8 Offline

Good to hear there is an option to change this.
I already found it strange that this feature wasn?t implemented.
I thank Liz again for finding a way to bypass this when I needed it most.
And it?s good to know were the button is now?

Regards,

Jochem

J IJzermans · Messages: 8 Offline

Is there also a way to set the sequence of diagrams, besides putting them in sub folders?

Like the print sequence tab for the elements within a diagram but then for the diagrams.

Thanks

Mary Ann Smith · Messages: 33 Offline

Unfortunately, not in the current version.

Amir Rosenblatt · Messages: 4 Offline

I don;t appear to have Print Sequencing tabs on any of my elements. I'm using version 3.6.7 right now. I need to reorder a fairly complex diagram and would rather not have to reassemble it piece by piece. Any help would be appreciated.

Mary Ann Smith · Messages: 33 Offline

Right-click on the diagram element in the "Diagrams" folder of the Project Navigator and select the "Open With -> Properties Editor" option. This will open the Element propertied for the diagram that you have created (versus opening the element properties for each individual process step). The right-most tab on the Diagram's "element properties" is the Print Sequencing tab.

FYI - If you want to control the sequence in which the diagrams are listed in the Process Flow Document and Process Flow Summary (vs just controlling the seqnece of the individual process steps), we do have a custom plugin that I can send you via email. You can request it by sending an email to info@synthis.com.

Regards,

-Andy Ibbotson
Synthis Corporation