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The activity diagram shows show how the child process elements of an activity, capability pattern, delivery process, phase, or iteration work together.   You will want to create an activity diagram for each level in your process:  the top level, as well as each child level that contains activities.  This diagram can also be used to show the flow of tasks for an activity that consists of a set of tasks, if that is desired.  When you specify that an activity precedes another in your diagram, the diagram editor also sets the precedence for these activities in your work breakdown structure.

• To create an Activity diagram:
  
1. Open the Activity Diagram Editor.
   
1. To access the Activity Diagram editor, select the Work Breakdown Structure tab in the process editor.
   Open the context menu for the element (activity) you want to diagram.  This element can be the capability pattern or delivery process itself, a phase, an iteration, or an activity. 
   Choose Diagrams > Open Activity Diagram.
2. The first time you open the activity diagram, the activity diagram editor populates the drawing space with each child process element.  Once you have saved a diagram, the activity diagram editor will re-display that diagram for you to edit.
   
2. Use the editor's tools to create your diagram.
   
1. Palette:  The palette contains several tools to help you create your diagram.
1. Link:  Choose the link tool to draw directional arrows from one node on your diagram to another.  This tool is "sticky", so that once selected you can continue to draw links until you de-select the tool by pressing the Esc key or choosing another tool from the palette.
2. Free Text:  Choose this tool to add your own text to the diagram.  Once you add the text to the diagram, you can open the context menu for the text to set the properties of the font used.
3. Start Node, End Node, Synchronization Bar, Decision Node:  Choose these tools to add special nodes to your diagram.
4. Select and Marquee:  These tools help you select portions of your diagram for manipulation using the drawing aids.
5. You can also add new process elements to your diagram using:  Activity, Iteration, Phase, and Task Descriptor
2. Drawing Aids:  The activity diagram editor provides several aids to help you manipulate and pretty up your diagram.
1. To move a selected node in one direction, pixel-by-pixel:  Select the node, hold down the control key and press the cursor keys in the direction you want to move the selected node. 
2. To move a selected node or nodes in a vertical or horizontal plane, using the mouse:  Select the node or nodes to move, hold down the shift key and hold down the primary mouse button on the selected node.  Drag with the mouse in the direction you want to move. 
3. To align nodes with one another:  Select the nodes of interest, open the context menu and choose Align > <your choice of alignment>
4. To bend a link line:  Select the link. Grab the center dot and drag it with the mouse to the desired point.
5. To straighten right-angle links:  Select the link. Open the context menu and choose Align Link.
6. To straighten link lines, especially to or from a synchronization bar:  A few techniques can be used.
1. You can drag the end of the link to drop it to a new connection point
2. You can select the node at one end of the arrow and use the Ctrl + cursor keys to move the node by pixels until the link line is straight
3. You can select the nodes on both ends of the link line, open the context menu and choose Align > <your choice of alignment> 
   
      
• Activity diagrams in an Extended Capability Pattern

When you extend a capability pattern, the diagrams from the base pattern are not included unless you do the following:

1. Open the Activity Diagram for the extended capability pattern
2. Open the context menu and choose Refresh from Base
3. Close and save the diagram
Note:  If the base diagram changes, you need to manually refresh the diagram for any extensions of the base diagram in this same manner.

The activity detail diagram shows the tasks within an activity, arranged by the responsible role performing them. It also shows the mandatory input and output work products for each task. This diagram is only suitable for activities that consist of child tasks.  You cannot create a meaningful activity detail diagram for an activity that consists of child activities.  Use the Activity Diagram for these cases. You create these diagrams from the Work Breakdown Structure tab by opening the context menu for the activity and choosing
Diagrams > Open Activity Detail Diagram.  However, these diagrams can also be generated for you automatically by IBM Rational Method Composer. 
Activity Detail Diagrams show for each role, the tasks to be performed for the activity, as well as the mandatory input and output work products for each task.  These diagrams are only suitable for activities that consist of only child tasks. 

• To create an Activity Detail diagram:
  

A. You can let the IBM Rational Method Composer create the diagram for you.  To do so, turn on the option in Window > Preferences... RMC/Diagram, and check Publish or browse activity detail diagrams that have not been created in process editor.   When you publish your configuration, choose the option to Publish activity detail diagrams that have not been created in process editor.
Note:  This works best if there is no activity detail diagram that has already been saved for this activity. Whenever you open an activity detail diagram, if one does not already exist for the activity, one will be created for you and saved.  It is best not to save this diagram.  To remove it, open the context menu on the activity detail diagram editor and choose Delete Diagram.

B. You can also draw your own diagram.  If you want to add your own text to the generated diagram, you will need to do this.  However, once you generate the diagram, you will need to remember to refresh it if any changes are made to the tasks, work products, or roles involved in the diagram.

The work product dependency diagram can be used to show pictorially which work products are dependent upon other work products for a particular activity in your process. You create these diagrams from the Work Product Usage tab by opening the context menu for the activity and choosing
Diagrams > Open Work Product Dependency Diagram.

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You can control which diagrams are published in these ways:

• By default, every diagram that you create is published.
  You can choose not to publish a particular diagram by opening the context menu for the element that has a diagram you wish not to publish and choosing Diagrams > Publishing Options...   
  A dialog will open listing each diagram that you have created for this element. Uncheck those that you do not want to be published.
• You can choose to have IBM Rational Method Composer automatically generate activity detail diagrams for you. 
  To do so, turn on the option in Window > Preferences... RMC/Diagram, and check Publish or browse activity detail diagrams that have not been created in process editor. 
  When you publish your configuration, choose the option to Publish activity detail diagrams that have not been created in process editor.