Create references between components without leaving your view. Right-click a component, select Create reference, and the Create references panel opens on the left. Your visualization stays visible while you work.
The flow is guard-railed. You're only offered reference types and targets your metamodel allows, components that are already connected are marked, and reference types you can't create are greyed out or hidden.
When to use this: In-view reference creation is the quickest way to model relationships while you explore data in a view. To create many references across many components at once, use the Inventory or an import.
Before you begin
You're working in a view in Viewpoint mode. The option isn't available in fullscreen.
You have edit rights on the workspace that holds the component you're connecting from.
In-view reference creation is turned on for your organization. If you don't see Create reference in the context menu, ask your admin (see For admins below).
Open the panel
In the view, right-click a component.
Select Create reference.
The Create references panel opens on the left, headed by the component you're connecting from.
Several components: select them first by holding command (Mac) or control (windows) and clicking. The panel creates references for all of them. They must all be of the same type.
Changing selection: if you select a different component in the view while the panel is open, the panel switches to it.
Closing: use the Close button in the header. Anything you've ticked but not created is discarded.
Choose how to connect
There are two ways to start:
You know the reference type. Pick it from the list, then pick targets.
You know the component. Type its name into Search components to connect… and click it under the reference type you want.
Create references by reference type
Find the reference type you want in the list. Each row shows the direction, the reference type, and the type of the component at the other end (for example, Is Realized By → Application). Both outgoing and incoming types are listed.
Click the row. The target list opens, grouped by workspace.
Tick one or more components. Use the search box to narrow a long list.
Click Create N references. N is the number of selected components multiplied by the targets you ticked.
The reference is created and shows in the view straight away. If a target wasn't on screen, the view expands to include it. The panel stays on the same target list, your ticks are cleared, and the components you just connected appear greyed out with a ticked checkbox.
If creation fails, the panel shows References couldn't be created. Try again. Your selection is kept so you can retry.
Click Back (the arrow in the header) to return to the list of reference types, or Cancel to leave the picker.
Create a reference to a new component
If the component you need doesn't exist yet, create it from the panel.
Open the target list for a reference type.
Type the name of the new component into the search box.
Click Create "name" in the list.
In Create new component and reference, check the Component name (pre-filled with what you typed) and choose a workspace under Select workspace. The dropdown shows each workspace's name and folder path. Only workspaces you can edit that hold the right component type are offered.
Check the summary of what will be created: the component you started from, the reference type and its direction, and the new component.
Click Create reference and component.
You return to the target list with your search text kept. The new component appears greyed out and ticked, and the view shows it connected.
The new component is created at the top level of the workspace you chose. It isn't added as a child of another component.
Create references by searching for a component
Type at least three characters of a component name into Search components to connect…. Search matches component names only.
Results are grouped under the reference types that can connect your component to them. A component can appear under more than one reference type.
Click the component under the reference type you want.
The reference is created straight away. There's no Create button and no confirmation. The result then shows Connected, and the view updates.
If you selected several components and only some are already connected, the result shows a warning: Some components are already connected — only the remaining ones will be linked.
Understand the panel
What you see | What it means |
A list of reference types | Reference types your metamodel allows for the selected component, with an arrow showing the direction and the type of the component at the other end. |
A number on the right of a row | How many references of that type the component already has. |
{N} in view, {M} more hidden | How many reference types your current view already shows, and how many it doesn't. This counts reference types, not references. |
Show N more reference types outside the current View | Reveals the types the view doesn't show yet. You can still create references of these types. |
The chevron on a row (Show existing references) | Lists the references of that type the component already has. No connections yet means there are none. |
A greyed-out component, or Connected | A reference to this component already exists, so you can't create it again. |
A greyed-out reference type | You can't create this type here. Hover to see why. |
Filter the list
Click the filter icon to narrow the reference types by Component types or Reference types. A row stays if it matches either list. Click Clear filters to reset.
In the target list, the filter button opens Add filters to, where you build all or any rules with a Type, Operator and Value. Applying filters clears your current ticks.
Greyed-out reference types
A reference type is unavailable when:
Your metamodel constraints don't allow it. The tooltip reads: This reference type isn't allowed by the metamodel constraints.
You can't edit the workspace. The tooltip reads: This reference type isn't available for the selected components.
Unavailable types are hidden unless the component already has references of that type.
If your constraints are set to warn only, you can still create the reference. A warning notes that it isn't approved in your metamodel constraints, so it may not appear in some views and reports.
If the component's type has no reference types at all, the panel shows No reference types available. Admins also see an Add reference types button.
Edit or delete a reference
Right-click the reference line between two components.
Choose Edit reference, View history, or Delete reference.
If you choose Delete reference, a confirmation names the exact reference, for example Network Firewall → Is Realized By → Amplitude.
Deleting a reference removes only the reference. The components stay in your organization's data, though they may disappear from your current view if the reference was the only reason they were shown.
You can also manage references from the References tab of the Component Overview Page. See Get Started With the New Component Overview Page.
Good to know
Metamodel compliance. You can only create reference types, and connect component types, that your metamodel permits.
Duplicate prevention. Components that are already connected can't be connected with the same reference type again.
Permission-aware. Reference types you can't create aren't offered.
Targets don't need to be on screen. You can connect to components that aren't in your view.
No reference fields at creation. References are created without a name, description or field values. Add these afterwards.