You can add a note (a Sticky Note, an Annotation, or a Group notation) to any element in a process template diagram. Sticky Notes and Annotations generally have the same functions, and they only differ in visual representation. You can use a Sticky Note or Annotation to indicate specific features or conditions, or as prompts or reminders for other users (for example, "Must be reviewed by all managers"). Use the Group notation to select and insert a caption that describe a group of worksteps that share a similar task (for example, all activities performed by the HR Department in Hiring) or that require the same performer (for example, highlighting all worksteps "Performed by Managers Group in HR Department").
To insert a note into a process:
1. Click the Create Annotations link in the Tasks Pane and drag the Sticky Note (, Annotation () or Group notation () shape into the Content pane. You can also drag any of these notes onto a workstep or other shape, which creates a connection between it and the note.
2. Click the note to view its properties in the Properties view.
a. In the General tab, you can change the appearance of the note (example, Sticky Note to Group). Use the Type drop-down list to specify the new type for the existing note.
b. Click View/Edit link to open the View/Edit dialog box, where you can enter the note’s message or the grouping’s caption in the text area provided. For a Group notation, enter a caption for the group association (for example, Review all grouped worksteps). Use the toolbar icons to format the text as required.
c. You can also insert a hyperlink by right-clicking the text area and selecting the appropriate option. To add a hyperlink to a note, select Insert > Link opening the Link Properties dialog box. Here, specify the text to be used as the hyperlink and the URL.
d. Click OK to apply the changes to the selected note and return to the Properties view.
e. From the Background section, you can select a background color for Sticky Notes. You cannot change colors for Annotation and Group notations. You can also click More to display more color options.
You can also change the background color of one or more Sticky Notes by selecting the note elements in your Content pane and then clicking the Color (
) icon from the palette, to open the color palette. Select one of the listed colors, or click More to open the Color Chooser dialog box to define your custom color.
f. From the Associate With: drop-down list, you can associate the Sticky Note or Annotation with a specific workstep by selecting from the worksteps listed. To disassociate a note from a workstep, select (none) from the drop-down list.
Once you define the properties of the notes, the notes appear in the process template diagram, as shown for a Sticky Note in the following figure.
3. Use your cursor to move or resize the Sticky Note, Annotation, or Group notation as required.
, Annotation (
) or Group notation (
) shape into the Content pane. You can also drag any of these notes onto a workstep or other shape, which creates a connection between it and the note.
) icon from the palette, to open the color palette. Select one of the listed colors, or click More to open the Color Chooser dialog box to define your custom color.