The process editor provides a centralized workspace for designing processes. It offers design tools that enhance element visualization, making it easier to identify and interact with process components.

Learn about the design tools and how to effectively use them on the process editor.

Elements

Each element on the editor provides you with an enhanced view with new dimensions, task-specific icons (Form, Approval, Bot, and API), hyperlinks to dependent files for easy access, and contextual zoom functionality to improve readability and interaction with nodes.

Displaying element node

Disconnected node

When you create a business process workflow, disconnected nodes refer to elements that are not connected or integrated into the workflow correctly. These nodes exist within the process workflow but are disconnected from the overall process flow, which means they cannot be executed or do not interact with other tasks in the workflow. For example, if you update an existing process, older nodes might become disconnected because they were not correctly re-linked to the new workflow. In case of changes, update the workflow diagram to ensure all steps are logically connected.

Displaying disconnected node

Handles

In a business process, handles connect nodes in a process flow. These handles, typically small circles positioned on a node's borders, are the primary means of establishing connections between nodes. In your process workflows, you can easily change the placement of arrows by dragging a connection line from one handle to another to create a connection between the nodes, thereby establishing the process flow. Depending on your workflow, handles can be placed in various positions (top, right, bottom, and left).

Connecting nodes using arrows

Node action menu

You can use the supported keyboard shortcut key to perform a required operation on the element. Click the three dots (Vertical ellipsis) and select an action such as Cut, Copy, Paste, or Delete. Additionally, you can perform bulk operations such as copy, paste, delete, and disable on multiple nodes, which helps you manage large processes more efficiently.

Displaying multi select operation and node actions

Visual grid

The dot grid background on the editor provides a visual guide to help developers align nodes when editing. This feature improves alignment and structure, making the overall process map more visually organized. Additionally, the floating edge connections allow flexible routing and clearer visualization between steps in complex diagrams, improving readability and organization without rigid constraints.

Displaying the background grid

Quick Add

Quick Add offers a contextual menu that provides suggested tasks relevant to your workflow. This allows you to easily insert a task in the appropriate place while creating your workflow. You can add tasks quickly without the need to drag them from the Task pane.
Note: If you attempt to add a node between a conditional task (If, Else If, or Else), you will receive an error. The editor will be highlighted with a red dotted arrow, clearly indicating that the node cannot be placed within the node.

Adding node using quick add

Mini map

While building larger and more complex process automations, a minimap can serve as a high-level representation (snapshot) of the entire process, allowing you to visualize the key steps and their relationships. It allows easy panning and zooming to different sections without losing orientation. It provides an overview of your current position within the overall process and helps you navigate large or complex processes more efficiently by displaying your current view area and relevant information in a condensed format.

Displaying minimap

Zoom operations

You can use Zoom operations to examine process flow at various levels, from macro to micro details.
  • Zooming In (Detailed View): When you create a business process workflow, you can use Zoom In to take a more detailed look at a specific part of a more extensive process. For example, You created an insurance quotation. You can use Zoom to break down this high-level process into sub-processes or specific tasks, such as entering customer data, retrieving estimated quote data, or sending quotations for review and approval. This helps you understand a particular part of a process more deeply.
  • Zooming Out (Higher-level View): Similarly, you can use Zoom Out to take a broader, less detailed view of the process. This provides a bird' s-eye view of the entire business workflow, helping you get a holistic view of how complex processes connect and interact.

Displaying zoom operations

Panning

You can enable Pan to navigate through different stages or steps of the workflow, zoom in and out of various elements, and view or interact with specific parts of the process you are working on without losing context. This functionality is useful when working with complex workflows involving multiple steps or subprocesses.

In essence, panning functionality in a business process workflow enhances the user experience by providing flexibility in how information is accessed and visualized, making it easier to manage and track complex processes.

Displaying pan

Fit view

You can use the fit view option to encompass the entire process workflow on the editor. The Fit view feature in a process automation workflow automatically adjusts the zoom level and position to display the entire workflow or process diagram within the visible workspace. This functionality ensures that all steps, connections, and data flows are visible, enabling easier navigation and a better understanding of complex processes without requiring manual adjustments.

Displaying fit view

Swimlanes

By grouping multiple nodes, expanding/collapsing these groups, and using swim lanes, you can create a clear and informative representation of your process flows. Swimlanes, whether arranged vertical or horizontal, divide the complete process flows into sections or lanes, each representing various entities or departments involved in the process. This visual representation is a powerful tool to manage and organize extensive, complex processes.

See Using swimlanes.

Breadcrumbs

Breadcrumbs in a process automation workflow display the hierarchical path or navigation trail of the current location within the workflow. It provide clear contextual navigation to improve usability and workflow management.

See Breadcrumbs in editors.