Creating Links Between Models

PowerDesigner provides many ways to link the objects of your models together.

You can create the following kinds of links between models:

• Generation links - are created during model or object generation. Each generated object is linked with its origin object.
  • Model Generation - generates one model from another and allows subsequent synchronization on demand (see Generating Models).
  • Object Generation - allows you to define the generation of objects from one model to another with subsequent synchronization on demand (see Generating Model Objects).
• Shortcuts - create a reference to an object in another model. You either create shortcuts explicitly in order to share or reuse an object in another model (see Creating Shortcuts) or implicitly when creating other kinds of links. To create any of the kinds of links in this list, the target model in which the referenced object resides must be open in your workspace:
  • RQM Traceability Links - link requirements with design objects that are intended to satisfy them (see Requirements Modeling > Requirements Views > Requirements (RQM) > Linking Requirements with Design Objects and External Files).
  • EAM Object Export/Import - link enterprise architecture objects with the design objects that will implement them (see Enterprise Architecture Modeling > Importing to and Generating and Exporting from an EAM > Exporting and Importing Objects to and from Other Models).
  • BPM Data Export/Import - link data objects in the BPM with objects in other models (see Business Process Modeling > Building BPMs > Business Process Diagrams > Data (BPM)).
  • DMM Inputs/Outputs - link data movement objects in the DMM with PDMs, BPMs, and XSMs (see Data Movement Modeling > Data Transformation and Control Flow Diagrams > Data Inputs (DMM)).
  • Extended Attributes and Collections - allow you to extend the PowerDesigner metamodel to define new kinds of links between objects (see Extending Objects).
  • Object Mappings - specify connections between certain predefined types of objects (see Object Mappings).
  • Related Diagrams - specify connections between objects and other diagrams in which they are not present (see Specifying Diagrams as Related Diagrams).
  • Traceability Links - specify connections between any objects without restrictions (see Creating Traceability Links).
• Object Replications - duplicate an object from one model to another and allow you to vary the properties you choose while keeping the rest synchronized with the original object (see Creating Replicas).