Working with the Explorer

In this tutorial, you’ll organize Farquind’s applications into a structured package hierarchy, add new elements directly from the Explorer, and use drag-and-drop to rearrange your model.

Prerequisites: You’ve completed Your First Diagram and have the Farquind Digital Systems project open.

What you’ll build: A structured package tree with Farquind’s core applications organized by domain, plus additional elements added without touching the Canvas.

1. Create Sub-Packages for Organization

Large models need structure. Let’s organize Farquind’s applications by domain.

1. Right-click on the M1 Farquind Applications package in the Explorer
2. Select New Package
3. Name it Customer Systems
4. Press Enter

Create two more packages the same way:

5. Manufacturing Systems
6. Corporate Systems

Your Explorer now shows three sub-packages under M1 Farquind Applications.

2. Move Elements Between Packages

The three elements you created in the previous tutorial are sitting directly in the root package. Let’s organize them.

1. In the Explorer, click on FQ Orders to select it
2. Drag it onto the Customer Systems package
3. Release — FQ Orders is now inside Customer Systems

Repeat for the other elements:

4. Drag FQ Owners into Customer Systems
5. Drag FQ Vessels into Manufacturing Systems

The Explorer tree now reflects the organizational structure. Your diagram still shows all three elements — moving an element in the Explorer changes where it lives in the model, not whether it appears on diagrams.

3. Add Elements from the Explorer

You don’t have to use the Canvas to create elements. You can add them directly in the Explorer.

1. Right-click on the Manufacturing Systems package
2. Select New Element
3. An element type picker appears — search for or select Application Component from the ArchiMate types
4. A new element is created and ready to rename
5. Type FQ Manufacturing and press Enter

Add a few more Farquind applications this way:

6. Right-click Corporate Systems > New Element > Application Component > name it FQ Finance
7. Right-click Corporate Systems > New Element > Application Component > name it FQ People
8. Right-click Corporate Systems > New Element > Application Component > name it FQ Insights

4. Add Elements from the Palette to the Explorer

There’s a third way to create elements — dragging from the Palette directly into the Explorer tree.

1. In the Palette, find Application Component
2. Drag it onto the Customer Systems package in the Explorer
3. Name it FQ Financing

This creates the element in the model without placing it on any diagram. It’s useful when you’re building out your model structure before deciding which diagrams to create.

5. Rename and Delete

To rename any item in the Explorer:

1. Select it
2. Press F2 (or right-click > Rename)
3. Type the new name and press Enter

To delete an element:

1. Select it
2. Press Delete (or right-click > Delete)
3. Confirm the deletion

Deleting an element from the Explorer removes it from the model entirely — including from any diagrams where it appears. The diagram will update to reflect the removal.

6. Review Your Model Structure

Your Explorer should now look something like this:

M1 Farquind Applications
├── Customer Systems
│   ├── FQ Orders
│   ├── FQ Owners
│   └── FQ Financing
├── Manufacturing Systems
│   ├── FQ Vessels
│   └── FQ Manufacturing
├── Corporate Systems
│   ├── FQ Finance
│   ├── FQ People
│   └── FQ Insights
└── Application Cooperation (diagram)

The model has structure, and the diagram still shows the three original elements with their relationships intact.

What You’ve Learned

• How to create sub-packages for organizing model elements
• How to drag elements between packages in the Explorer
• Three ways to create elements: from the Palette to the Canvas, from the context menu in the Explorer, and from the Palette to the Explorer
• How to rename with F2 and delete with Delete
• That moving elements in the Explorer doesn’t affect their appearance on diagrams

Next Steps

• Editing Diagrams — Master the Canvas: selection, multi-select, edge routing, nested elements, and keyboard navigation
• Properties & Property Values — Edit the typed properties defined by the metamodel on your elements