Questions about features

Question

Hello, yEd seems like an interesting tool for me. I am learning BPMN for my new job so I am kinda new into this stuff. I am looking for BPMN tool which will have functions described below.
So I have some questions which I want to ask about features:

1. Can i export my diagrams to any vector graphic format? like .svg? And then Can I work with this format and edit it in program?
2. Are there layers which I can switch on/off? LIke in any graphic program. If there are layers Can I connect object between layers?
3. Is there any possibility to connect my active object with pool/lanes etc?
4. Any compability with Office? I dont mean any synchronization but moving my diagram to Word(graphic format etc.)
5. Can i verify my process if it comes to BPMN 2.0? I mean process validation, if everything on the diagram is correctly done in BPMN notation.
6. Can I desribe somehow any of my diagram elements with extra text or metadata?
7. Is there any option to automaticly generate documentation of the model which will describe my diagram step by step?
8. Can I generate BPEL code basing on my diagram/process? Compatibility with BPMN 2.0.
9. Can I generate work instruction basing on my diagram/process?
10. Is there option to automaticly numerate steps of my process/diagram?

I have problem with understanding licence. I know that I can't use it for commercial purposes but I am currently working at city hall/municipal council which is government thing.

Answer 1

yEd is a general-purpose diagram editor for network-like diagrams (so-called graphs). While it offers visualizations for BPMN diagrams and thus offers the possibility for creating BPMN diagrams, it does not provide any BPMN-specific features beyond visualization. More specifically:

1. Yes, yEd does offer export to SVG. It is possible to edit yEd-generated SVG documents in other SVG editor applications such as Inkscape. It is not possible to edit SVG documents in yEd, though.
2. No, yEd does not offer layers link in a bitmap image editor application.
3. A BPMN pool is represented as a special kind of "node" in yEd. All types of nodes maybe connected to any other type of node in yEd. (So, yes, a pool node may be connected to any other node.) A lane in a BPMN pool, however, is not represented by a node. Thus it is not possible to connect a lane to a node.
4. Aside from SVG export, yEd also offers export to various bitmap image formats like JPG and PNG. If a diagram is exported to one of these formats, the resulting image may be imported into Word.
5. No, yEd does not offer any validation.
6. Yes, yEd offers the concept of "custom properties" (see chapter Properties of Graph Elements in the yEd Manual for further information) which may be used for storing meta information.
7. No, yEd does not offer a way to generate documentation.
8. While yEd does not offer a way to generate code, you can do any post-processing on yEd-generated GraphML files you like (GraphML is an XML format).
9. Same as 8. above.
10. Well, yEd can automatically assign a numeric text label to newly generated nodes, but this feature is poorly suited to numerate steps in a BPMN diagram in a sensible way.

Actually, you may use yEd for commercial purposes (please see Can I use yEd for free? Even for commercial purpose? for further information). You may not use yEd in an automated process, though (this includes automated software installation).