An object state is the basic organizing structure of the object state transition description. An object state in the IDEF3 process method is any physical or conceptual thing that is recognized and referred to by participants in the domain as a part of their description of what happens in their domain. Identifying, characterizing, and naming object states is a necessary step in the creation of Op State Transition descriptions. Object states appear as labeled circles.
The following properties apply when defining an Object State Symbol:
Glossary: A textual description, or glossary, associated with the Object Schematic. Any descriptive information that does not logically fit into the other fields in the document can be placed here.
Object Name: The name of the Object.
Object State Set: The set of object states that make up the state transition represented by the diagram.
Entry Condition Sets
Entry From State: States that the object is in before it enters the current state.
Entry From Facts that are true when the object enters the current state.
Entry From Constraints on the object entering the current state.
State Description Conditions
Facts: Noteworthy, nonconstraining facts involving the objects that participate in the relationship represented by the dashed link.
Constraints: Noteworthy constraints that hold between the source and destination elements or between some of their constituent objects.
Exit Condition Sets
Exit To State: States that the object will be in after it leaves the current state.
Exit To Facts: Facts that are true when the object leaves the current state.
Exit To Constraints: Constraints on the object leaving the current state.
Creating OV-6c operational event-trace diagrams
Operational event-trace (OV-6c) products consist of an event-trace diagram and an accompanying description that defines the particular scenario or situation. You model operational event-trace diagrams with IDEF3 diagrams to show interactions in terms of messages, or information transfers, between operational nodes arranged in time sequence.
The operational event-trace description can be used by itself or in conjunction with an operational state transition description to describe dynamic behavior of processes.
The event-trace diagram shows operational nodes involved in the scenario by vertical dashed lines, called operational node timelines. Horizontal line symbols between the operational node timelines represent the messages or Operational Events passed between the operational nodes. The operational events are drawn chronologically from the top of the diagram to the bottom; the horizontal placing or spacing of objects is arbitrary.
When operational event symbols are added to a sequence diagram they must be attached to the vertical dotted line representing an operational node. They will be placed horizontally as simple messages.