Model Item Link Block
The Model Item Link block lets you reference another item in the architecture model directly from within a narrative. Rather than writing “see the Payment Service application”, you can embed a live link or a full preview of that item inline.
This keeps narratives connected to the model itself — if an item’s name or status changes, the reference in the narrative reflects that automatically.
Inserting a Model Item Link Block
- In the narrative editor, click where you want the reference to appear.
- Type
/to open the slash command menu. - Type
modelitem(orlink,model) and select Model Item Link from the list. - An empty Model Item Link block is inserted at that position.
Selecting an Item
When the narrative is in edit mode, click Select Item inside the block to open the item picker. Search for the item by name or reference, select it, and confirm.
You can link to any model item in the same project, regardless of its type.
Display Types
Once an item is selected, you can choose how it is displayed. The display type can be changed at any time using the controls in edit mode.
| Display Type | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Simple | An inline hyperlink showing the item’s name. Minimal and unobtrusive. |
| Detailed | A one-line summary with the item’s icon, reference code, name, and current status badge. |
| Card | A bordered card showing the item’s name, reference, description, and a button to view the full item. |
| Properties | A card listing all of the item’s metamodel properties as a structured data list. |
| Narrative | An embedded read-only view of the item’s own narrative, rendered inline. |
Choose the display type that best suits the context. For a passing mention, Simple keeps the page clean. For a key dependency that readers need to understand in detail, Card or Properties gives them the full picture without navigating away.
The Narrative display type embeds another item’s narrative inside the current one. Use this sparingly — deeply nested narratives can be difficult to read and may impact page load time.
Tips
- Use Simple for inline references in prose — e.g. “the data flows through the [Payment Gateway API]”.
- Use Card to call out key dependencies at the end of a narrative section.
- Use Properties when you need the reader to see the full metadata of a referenced item without navigating to it.
- Model Item Links are live references. If the referenced item is renamed or its status changes, the link reflects those changes automatically.