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I’m exploring ways to utilize Lucid's rule-based conditional formatting to perform quality checks on BPMN diagrams. My goal is to ensure diagrams follow best practices listed below.

Best Practices list:

  1. Avoid using filler words like "and," "the," or "an" in task names. Task names should be concise, e.g., "Send file" instead of "Send the file."
    *My current approach:
 I’ve created a conditional formatting rule - If the shape type is "activity" and the text contains "the," then apply a custom style to highlight the task.

I’m looking for a similar or better approaches for the below checks as well:

  1. Ensure pools and swimlanes are appropriately named. They should not be empty or have default names like "Pool" or "Lane."
  2. Activity Type Assignment:
 Verify that all activities have an associated activity type (e.g., Manual, Service, User, etc.).
  3. If a task is automated (i.e., task type is "Service"), there should be a data store tagged to the task.
  4. Each task should have only one incoming and one outgoing arrow. If multiple incoming arrows are needed, a merging gateway should be used.

I’m curious to know if anyone in the community has experience setting up similar rules in Lucid. Any suggestions or insights on how to improve my approach would be greatly appreciated!


Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi ​@rraghuvamsi,

Thank you for contacting Lucid Support! 

It’s great to see you leveraging Lucid’s rule-based conditional formatting for BPMN quality checks!

Below are some suggestions for setting up rules to address the best practices you’ve listed:

Ensure pools and swimlanes are appropriately named

Create a rule to flag pools or lanes with default or empty names:

  • Condition: Shape type is "Pool" OR "Lane" AND text is empty OR text contains "Pool" OR "Lane".
  • Action: Apply a warning style (e.g., orange border or icon).

Activity Type Assignment

To ensure all activities have an assigned type:

  • Condition: Shape type is "Activity" AND activity type is empty.
  • Action: Highlight the shape (e.g., dashed outline or yellow fill).

Automated tasks with a data store

For tasks of type "Service," you can create a rule to check for associated data stores:

  • Condition: Shape type is "Task" AND activity type is "Service" AND no linked data store.
  • Action: Apply a custom style to flag non-compliance.

Single incoming and outgoing arrows for tasks

To ensure tasks have proper flow:

  • Condition: Shape type is "Task" AND (count of incoming arrows > 1 OR count of outgoing arrows > 1).
  • Action: Highlight tasks with incorrect flow (e.g., red border).

Implementation Tips:

  • Combine rules for efficiency: Simplify rules for efficiency by combining them where possible.
  • Test step by step: Start with a smaller set of rules and refine them as you test on existing BPMN diagrams.

Could you clarify if you're currently encountering any specific issues, or if you're simply looking for tips to improve your Lucidchart experience?

Please feel free to let me know if you need any further assistance!


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