Studio free: hints and tips

To make sure that the new features and shortcuts don’t slip under your radar, we’ve created a list to help you find your way around studio free faster.

Automatically connecting process elements

If you create an element using the process element context menu, it will automatically be connected to the previous element with a sequence flow. To do this:

1. Add a new element to the diagram
2. Select it to open its context menu
3. Create another element using the context menu as shown below

Using this method will help you speed up the process of building diagrams in the process designer.

Copying and pasting portions of the diagram

Since BPMN diagrams can take up a large portion of the working area in the process designer, and include similar elements and structures, repeatedly placing the same elements or groups of elements can slow down the process of creating a diagram. In the process designer, you can select multiple elements with the lasso tool, and use keyboard shortcuts to copy them either to a new spot on the same process diagram or to a different process altogether.

To do this:

1. Open a process and click  to select the lasso tool (or simply drag while holding down the Shift key)
2. Select the necessary process elements and press Ctrl + C, place your cursor in the location where you wish to paste the elements (i.e., a new process diagram) and press Ctrl + V

You can use this method to copy and paste all process elements into a new process:

1. Select all process elements (e.g., by pressing Ctrl + A)
2. Press Ctrl + C to copy them
3. Open a blank process diagram or create a new process
4. Press Ctrl + V to past all elements to the diagram

Copying a process using the import/export tool

To copy a process in its entirety, use the import/export tool. To do this:

1. Click  next to the process you wish to copy
2. Select “Export to *.bpmn”
3. Create a new process in the process library
4. Click  next to the new process and select “Import from *.bpmn”

As a result, the process will be copied with all the documentation and comments.

Working on multiple processes using tabs

Every time you open a process, it will displayed in a separate tab in the process designer, enabling you to toggle between multiple processes and work on them simultaneously.

Adding boundary events

You can add boundary events to your activities by dragging an intermediate/boundary event element from the element toolbar onto the activities border. To select the type of the boundary event, click  in its context menu.