Skip to main content

Domain Mapping

How to map and create relations between contexts

Theis Wagner avatar
Written by Theis Wagner
Updated over 2 years ago

This article will guide you through domain mapping and is divided into three sections:

  1. Example of domain mapping

  2. Creating domain mappings

  3. Definition of relations

Domain mapping makes it possible to map relations between system structures/ contexts in a project. With this tool, you can map and link systems together between different contexts, thereby keeping track of any design changes made in a context, and tracking the consequences and the impact it has.

1. Example of domain mapping

Below you can see an example of a mapping between contexts. In this example you see that =BAB1 (Battery system) in the functional systems breakdown is realized by -TFB1 (Battery system) in the product system breakdown.

Here we have mapped between two different aspect-oriented contexts. The function of the battery system is realized by this exact battery in our product structure. You can see the same link with the "Connection system" that is mapped/linked with the "Wires system".

2. Creating domain mappings

To use domain mapping you need to head into a context. Once inside:

  1. Locate the navigation header at the top of the screen

  2. Click on the small arrow

  3. Tick off the contexts you want to work on

Create a mapping

  1. Find the systems that have a relation

  2. Hover over the system and locate the small circle

  3. Drag the relation to the receiving system

  4. In the right-hand sidebar locate the drop-down box

  5. Select the correct relation

In the GIF above you can see that we give an example of =CCA1 (Battery system) which is realized by -CC1 (Battery module). We can extend the relations mapping by adding the location of the -CC1 (Battery module) as shown below.

All of this follows RDS principles and in this given example the domain relation RDS TAG looks like this:

=C1=GA1=CCA1|realized by|-U1-CC1|located in|++DAC1

Through domain mapping, we can identify functions in our functional context (=) which is realized by products in our product context (-), which then is located in the location context (+).

3. Definition of relations

The relations between two contexts differ in terms of the aspects chosen. So there are different kinds of relations e.g. from a functional (=) context to a product (-) context, product context to a location (+) context, etc. Below you can see the list of relations.

Class

Class name

Class name direction

Examples

A

Functional allocation

Functional to product

AA

Realization relation

Realized by

Complete functional allocation

AB

Redundant realization relation

Redundantly realized by

Complete functional allocation (Redundant)

AC

Partial realization relation

Partial realized by

Partial functional allocation

AD

Redundant partial realization

Redundantly partially realized by

Partial functional allocation (Redundant)

B

Spatial allocation

Location to object

BA

Location relation

Hosts

Is host of

BB

Adjacent location relation

Is adjacent to

Is next to

BC

Target location relation

Is target location of

Is destination of

BD

Constituting space relation

Space constituted by

Space constituted by walls

C

Type relation

Object to type

CB

Option relation

Has option

Can be type is allowed

CE

Type relation

Is type

Selected type

We have more relations available if you delve into user-defined (#), object-to-process, type-to-type, process-to-process, and space-to-space relations. Contact us for more information.

Did this answer your question?