Creating Graphical Synonyms for Object Symbols

Graphical synonyms let you depict an object more than once within a diagram. This can improve readability by reducing the length or complexity of links when you have an object that is linked to many other objects. You create a graphical synonym by right-clicking a symbol and selecting Edit > Create Graphical Synonym. You can create as many graphical synonyms as you want within the same diagram, including graphical synonyms of graphical synonyms and of shortcuts. Each graphical synonym displays the name of the object followed by a colon and the number of the synonym.

Note: A graphical synonym is merely a second symbol representing an object within the same diagram. You can add the same object to other diagrams in the same package or model by dragging and dropping it to them to create an ordinary symbol. If the object must be referenced in another model (or in another package in the model), you need to create a shortcut (see Shortcuts and Replicas).

In the following example, Employee : 1 and Employee : 2 both represent the Employee table:

If you move an object for which you have created graphical synonyms from one package or model to another, shortcuts are created for the graphical synonyms in the original package.

Note: To find any graphical synonyms of a symbol, right-click the symbol, select Edit > Find Graphical Synonym, and then select a graphical synonym from the list. The graphical synonym is centered and selected in the diagram window.

You can create graphical synonyms for link objects but only if both they and the symbols at both their extremities (which will also be duplicated) support them. The following object symbols do not support graphical synonyms:

CDM - inheritances and inheritance links
OOM - swimlanes, synchronizations, decisions, transitions, instance links, messages, association class links, and interaction frames, fragments, and references
BPM - swimlanes, synchronizations, decisions, and flows
All - free symbol line

Note: Though you cannot visually distinguish a graphical synonym of a link from a normal link (unless you display the name attribute), when you select a link symbol, it is identified as a graphical synonym in its tooltip: