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Elements

In the BPMN 2.0 Designer, open the element palette using the Elements button in the toolbar. Select a BPMN 2.0 element and drag it into the canvas by drag and drop.

The palette only shows the elements that are enabled in the business unit. The available elements are configured in the business unit settings. You can filter the elements in the palette using the search field.

The elements are divided into the following groups:

Events​

  • Start Event (): marks the point at which a process instance starts.
  • End Event (): marks the completion of the process instance.
  • Message Start Event (): starts the process by receiving a message.
  • Timer Start Event (): starts the process at a defined time or after a time interval.
  • Conditional Start Event (): starts the process when a defined condition is met.
  • Signal Start Event (): starts the process by a signal from another process.
  • Message End Event (): ends the process and sends a completion message.
  • Escalation End Event (): ends the process through an escalation.
  • Error End Event (): ends the process due to an error.
  • Cancel End Event (): ends the process through a cancellation.
  • Compensation End Event (): ends the process and triggers a compensation.
  • Signal End Event (): ends the process and sends a signal.
  • Cancel End Event (): immediately terminates the entire process instance, including running branches.
  • Sending Intermediate Event (): emits an event during the process and continues the flow.
  • Message Intermediate Catch Event (): waits for an incoming message before the process continues.
  • Message Intermediate Throw Event (): sends a message to a recipient during the process.
  • Timer Intermediate Catch Event (): waits for a timer event before the process continues.
  • Escalation Intermediate Throw Event (): signals an escalation during the process.
  • Escalation Intermediate Catch Event (): waits until a defined condition is met.
  • Link Intermediate Catch Event (): re-enters a flow point that was left earlier.
  • Link Intermediate Throw Event (): leaves the current flow and jumps to another flow point.
  • Compensation Intermediate Throw Event (): triggers the reversal of a previously executed step.
  • Signal Intermediate Catch Event (): waits for a signal from another process.
  • Signal Intermediate Throw Event (): sends a signal to another process.
  • Boundary Event (): attaches to a task and handles an external event by interrupting or processing the flow.
  • Message Boundary Event (): interrupts the task when a message arrives.
  • Timer Boundary Event (): interrupts the task after a time limit expires.
  • Escalation Boundary Event (): interrupts the task on an escalation.
  • Conditional Boundary Event (): interrupts the task when a condition is met.
  • Error Boundary Event (): interrupts the task when an error occurs.
  • Canel Boundary event (): interrupts the task on a cancellation.
  • Signal Boundary Event (): interrupts the task by a signal.
  • Compensation Boundary Event (): triggers the compensation of the task on a cancellation.
  • Message Boundary Event (non-interrupting) (): processes an incoming message without interrupting the task.
  • Timer Boundary Event (non-interrupting) (): triggers parallel processing after a time interval without interrupting the task.
  • Escalation Boundary Event (non-interrupting) (): processes an escalation without interrupting the task.
  • Condition Boundary Event (non-interrupting) (): processes a met condition without interrupting the task.
  • Signal Boundary Event (non-interrupting) (): processes an incoming signal without interrupting the task.

Gateways​

  • Gateway (): directs the flow along exactly one of the outgoing paths based on a condition.
  • Parallel gateway (): splits the flow into parallel paths or joins them again.
  • Event-driven gateway (): selects the outgoing path based on the first event that occurs.

Tasks​

  • Task (): represents a single work step in the process.
  • User Task (): represents a work step performed by a person.
  • Service Task (): represents a work step executed automatically by a system.
  • Send Task (): sends a message to a recipient during execution.
  • Receive Task (): waits for an incoming message.
  • Manual Task (): represents a work step performed manually outside the system.
  • Business Rule task (): evaluates a business rule to continue the process.
  • Script Task (): executes a script for process processing.

Subprocess​

  • Subprocess (Collapsed) (): groups several work steps in a collapsed process section.
  • Subprocess (expanded) (): shows the individual work steps of a process section.
  • Subprocess (event) (): groups work steps that react to events.
  • Transaction (): ensures that all steps of the section succeed together or are rolled back together.

Data​

  • Data storage (): represents a storage source for process data outside the process.
  • Data object (): represents a data object within the process.

Participants​

  • Pool (): represents a process participant (e.g. organization or system) with its lanes.
  • Empty pool (): creates a participant without predefined lanes.

Element context menu​

Select an element in the canvas by click to see further actions in the context menu:

  • Task: Inserts a child task.
  • Gateway: Inserts a child gateway.
  • End Event: Inserts an end event.
  • Insert task between nodes: Inserts a task between two connected nodes.
  • Insert gateway between nodes: Inserts a gateway between two connected nodes.
  • Annotation: Adds an annotation to the element.
  • Delete: Deletes the selected element.

To add a sequence flow, drag from the connection point of one element with the mouse pressed onto the next element.

info

A boundary event must always be placed on a task. If it is dropped elsewhere, the message "A boundary event must be placed on a task." is displayed.