Transitrix Tooling & Integration

Version: 1.0.1 Date: 2026-07-06 Status: Active

Overview

The Transitrix methodology is supported by specialised tools for various aspects of architectural modelling. This document describes the available tools and their integration.

Validation tools — ownership matrix

Transitrix separates validation into two canonical axes (file scope and repo scope), each with a designated tool. A third tool covers the knowledge store. A fourth tool is deprecated. The table names each, its scope, what it checks, and its lifecycle status.

Tool	Scope	What it checks	When to run	Status
`npx @transitrix/cli validate <file>`	File — one `*.transitrix.yaml` at a time	Schema, required fields, notation-specific rules for all 15 canonical extensions (no `--ext` flag needed for canonical notations)	On every save; pre-commit hook; CI per-file job	Active — canonical
`python3 .validators/lint.py`	Repo — whole `canon/` tree at once	Atomicity (no relations inside element files), referential integrity, ArchiMate semantics, policy (Active status requires an owner)	Before every PR; CI repo-integrity job	Active — canonical. Fetched from `tools/lint.py` at scaffold time; lives at `.validators/lint.py` in the adopter repo
`python3 tools/knowledge_store_lint.py <root>`	Knowledge store — `_intake/processed/` + `_intake/drafts/` + `knowledge/`	Quality Gates 1–6: quarantine, canonical-definition, blast-radius tiering, provenance/confidence, scoped consistency, assisted ingest — per `patterns/knowledge-store.md`	When proposing or promoting knowledge objects; when reviewing the store for drift	Methodology-internal reference implementation. Adopters may copy and adapt it; the methodology owns the rules, not this script. Documented in `patterns/knowledge-store.md`
`python3 tools/check_views_compliance.py`	Methodology-repo only	Notation-specific rules on the methodology's own example files	Not for adopters	Deprecated — superseded by `@transitrix/cli`. Kept for migration reference only

What to run when

Situation	Run
Editing or reviewing a single view notation file (`*.transitrix.yaml`)	`npx @transitrix/cli validate <file>` (or `npx.cmd` on Windows — see §"Windows PowerShell" below)
Before opening a PR (any `canon/` change)	`python3 .validators/lint.py`
Scaffold + batch changes	Both: CLI per file, then `lint.py` for the whole repo
Promoting knowledge objects or auditing the knowledge store	`python3 tools/knowledge_store_lint.py <knowledge-store-root>` (only if your repo has a knowledge store)

Planned evolution: when @transitrix/cli gains --scope=repo, the repo-integrity job in integration/ci-example.yaml will move fully onto the CLI runtime and lint.py will be retired, collapsing the two-tool model to one. That step is tracked in the CLI roadmap; adopter pipelines following ci-example.yaml will need no changes until then.

Transitrix BPMN Authoring Tool (Transitrix Studio)

Purpose: Text-based (YAML) editing, visualisation, and management of business processes in BPMN 2.0 notation with automatic layout calculation.

Location: See Transitrix Studio repository

Version: 0.3.7 (as of 2026-05-03)

License: MIT

Key Features

Text-first BPMN: YAML DSL (*.bpmn.transitrix.yaml) as source of truth, stored in Git alongside architecture elements
Three delivery channels:
- CLI: transitrix-studio compile <src> <dst> for local compilation
- Web UI: transitrix-studio serve — local web interface with YAML editor and BPMN preview side by side
- VS Code Extension: built-in editor with live preview and auto-save
Advanced layout algorithm: 4-phase process with ELK (Eclipse Layout Kernel)
- Global ELK phase for column (X) consistency across lanes
- Parallel per-lane ELK passes for Y coordinates
- Assembly with additional lane-axis alignment
- Geometric flow routing with priority rules (R1–R6, L1)
Export: BPMN 2.0 XML, SVG (full diagram support)
Integration: Full support for ArchiMate element references (ROLE-XXX-001, APP-XXX-001, PROC-XXX-001)
Validation: AJV schema validation, cross-lane routing checks, structural BPMN 2.0 compliance

Usage with Transitrix

File Structure

organizations/[org]/
├── .templates/
│   └── bpmn/
│       ├── process_template.bpmn.transitrix.yaml           (basic process)
│       └── advanced-process-with-lanes.bpmn.transitrix.yaml (complex process)
└── elements/
    └── 02_business/
        └── [PROCESS_NAME]_process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml     (ready processes)

Workflow

Create a process:

cd organizations/[your_org]
cp .templates/bpmn/advanced-process-with-lanes.bpmn.transitrix.yaml \
   elements/02_business/ORDER_FULFILLMENT_process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml

Edit:
- Open the file in VS Code with the Transitrix Studio extension installed
- Use the graphical editor for process modelling
- Edit YAML directly for element properties

Validate:

python3 .validators/lint.py elements/02_business/ORDER_FULFILLMENT_process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml

Visualise:
- Preview in VS Code (built-in viewer)
- Export to SVG via Transitrix Studio
- Include in project documentation

Commit to Git:

git add elements/02_business/ORDER_FULFILLMENT_process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml
git commit -m "Add ORDER_FULFILLMENT process with lanes and stages"

Key BPMN Element Properties

When editing a process in Transitrix Studio, make sure to specify:

For lanes:

id — unique identifier (lane_sales, lane_warehouse)
name — descriptive name (Sales Team, Warehouse)
actor_role — reference to BusinessRole (ROLE-SALES-001)
responsible_system — reference to ApplicationComponent (APP-CRM-001)

For tasks:

id — unique within the process context (S1_receive, S2_pack)
type — element type (task, userTask, serviceTask, exclusiveGateway)
label — user-facing description (Receive Order)
lane — which lane the task is on
supporting_system — system executing the task
required_data — input data
output_data — output data

For gateways:

decision_logic — decision-making logic
true_path / false_path — routing directions
checks — validation conditions

For KPIs:

name — metric name
target — target value
calculated_from — elements used for calculation

Transitrix Studio Architecture

Components:

Component	Description	Technology
Parser (`src/parser.ts`)	YAML DSL → internal representation (ProcessIr)	AJV schema validation
Layout Engine (`src/layout.ts`)	4-phase algorithm: ELK + geometric routing	ELK.js (Eclipse Layout Kernel)
Emitter (`src/emitter.ts`)	ProcessIr + LayoutIr → BPMN 2.0 XML	xmlbuilder2
CLI (`src/cli.ts`)	File compilation from the command line	Node.js
Web Server (`src/serve-ui.ts`)	HTTP API and local web interface	Express-like Node.js server
VS Code Extension (`extension/src/`)	Built-in editor and preview	VS Code webview API
Web UI (`ui/src/`)	YAML editor + BPMN preview	Vite, React/Preact, bpmn-js viewer

Source (GitHub):

transitrix-studio/
├── src/                # TypeScript source code
│   ├── ir.ts          # Type definitions (ProcessIr, LayoutIr)
│   ├── parser.ts      # YAML → ProcessIr
│   ├── layout.ts      # Layout algorithm (4-phase ELK)
│   ├── emitter.ts     # ProcessIr → BPMN 2.0 XML
│   ├── cli.ts         # CLI entry point
│   └── serve-ui.ts    # Web server & API
├── extension/         # VS Code extension
├── ui/               # Web UI (Vite SPA)
├── examples/         # Sample BPMN processes
├── tests/            # Vitest suite (38 tests)
├── CLAUDE.md         # AI agent context & layout algorithm docs
├── diagram-rules.md  # Routing rules (R1–R6, L1)
├── roadmap.md        # Project status (RD-001 to RD-078+)
└── transitrix-studio-project-description-v0.3.md  # Detailed description

Process Examples

Basic process: organizations/acme_corp/.templates/bpmn/process_template.bpmn.transitrix.yaml

Usage:

Single role / actor
Simple linear flow
No complex branching
Fast prototyping

Complex process: organizations/acme_corp/.templates/bpmn/advanced-process-with-lanes.bpmn.transitrix.yaml

Usage:

Multiple actors with swimlanes
Explicit stages (S1, S2, S3) with phase grouping
Quality checkpoints with explicit checks
Rework loops and branching (gateways)
Explicit data flow between steps
KPIs and performance metrics

Ready-made examples:

organizations/acme_corp/.templates/EXAMPLES.md — E-commerce Order Fulfillment
transitrix-studio/examples/ — additional BPMN process examples

Integration with Architecture

Each BPMN process element can reference architectural elements:

- id: "S1_receive"
  type: "task"
  supporting_system: "APP-CRM-001"  # Reference to ApplicationComponent
  lane: "lane_sales"                # Reference to BusinessRole via lane

# The validator will check:
# ✓ APP-CRM-001 exists in elements/03_application/
# ✓ lane_sales.actor_role matches an existing BusinessRole

This ensures complete traceability from process to applications and roles.

Transitrix Studio Installation and Configuration

Requirements

Node.js 14+ (v16+ recommended)
npm 6+
VS Code 1.60+ (for the extension)
Python 3.8+ (for Transitrix process validation)

Quick Start

cd /path/to/transitrix-studio

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Full build (TypeScript → JavaScript)
npm run build

# Start local web interface (editor + preview)
npm run build && npm run ui:build
node dist/cli.js serve
# Or: npx transitrix-studio serve (if installed globally)

The web interface will open at http://127.0.0.1:3000 (or the specified port).

Installing the VS Code Extension

cd /path/to/transitrix-studio

# Prepare the extension
npm run extension:prep

# Via VS Code: press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host
# Or manually: npm run package-extension to create a VSIX file

Process Validation

# Compile a single file
node dist/cli.js compile \
  /path/to/process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml \
  /tmp/output.bpmn

# With error checking
npm test

Examples for testing:

# Built-in Order Fulfillment example
node dist/cli.js compile \
  examples/order-fulfillment.bpmn.transitrix.yaml \
  /tmp/order-fulfillment.bpmn

# Preview in browser
npm run serve

Integration with Transitrix Organizations

Place processes in the standard location:

organizations/[org]/elements/02_business/[PROCESS_NAME]_process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml

Use Transitrix Studio to edit:
- Open the organizations/[org] folder in VS Code
- With the Transitrix Studio extension installed, you will see a preview when opening .bpmn.transitrix.yaml files
- Edit YAML directly in the editor

Validate after changes:

cd organizations/[org]
python3 .validators/lint.py
node /path/to/transitrix-studio/dist/cli.js compile \
  elements/02_business/[PROCESS_NAME]_process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml \
  /tmp/preview.bpmn

Verifying Installation and Functionality

cd /path/to/transitrix-studio

# Full test suite (38 tests)
npm test

# Clean build
npm run build

# TypeScript type check
npm run type-check

# Code lint
npm run lint

Successful verification: all commands complete without errors; npm test shows "38 tests passed".

Current State of Transitrix Studio (v0.3.7)

Completed development phases (per roadmap.md):

✅ Phase 1–7 — All critical fixes, optimisations, code quality, tests (38 tests), and documentation ✅ Phase 6 — Integration with AI Agent Rules (project rules, naming, English language) ✅ Phase 7 — Advanced layout algorithm with routing rules (R1–R6, L1)

Status: Production-ready

Project documentation:

CLAUDE.md — AI agent context and layout algorithm details
diagram-rules.md — Routing rules and BPMN 2.0 validation
roadmap.md — 78+ completed tasks with stable IDs (RD-XXX)

Extensions and Integrations

Planned Transitrix-level Tools

Capability Maturity Visualizer (RD-201+) — Graphical representation of capability maturity levels
Architecture Dashboard (RD-202+) — Interactive portal for browsing the full architecture with element browser
CI/CD Integration (RD-103-104) — Automatic diagram generation on Git commits
API Gateway (RD-206) — Programmatic access to architectural elements and processes
Collaboration Tools (RD-209) — Architecture review, in-context diagram comments

Potential Transitrix Studio Extensions

BPMN Simulation — Process execution with execution path tracking
Performance Analysis — Execution time analysis and bottleneck detection
Process Mining — Integration with real execution logs
Multi-pool Support — Support for multiple pools in a single diagram
Export Enhancements — PNG, PDF, SVG with metadata for documentation

Troubleshooting

Compilation fails: "Cannot find module"

Problem:

Error: Cannot find module './dist/compiler.js'

Solution:

Ensure the build is complete: npm run build
Check that the dist/ folder contains compiled files
Try a clean rebuild:
```
rm -rf dist/
npm run build
```

VS Code extension does not show preview

Problem: "Preview not loading" or the extension does not activate

Solution:

Ensure npm run extension:prep has been run
Reload the VS Code Extension Development Host (F5)
Confirm the file has the .bpmn.transitrix.yaml extension
Check the VS Code Output panel → "Transitrix Studio" channel for errors

Validation errors on compilation

Problem: "Schema validation failed" or "Invalid element structure"

Solution:

Check YAML syntax (use a YAML linter in VS Code)
Ensure the structure matches the template (process_template.bpmn.transitrix.yaml)
Verify all required fields: id, lanes, stages, steps
For ArchiMate references, use exact IDs (ROLE-XXX-001, APP-XXX-001)

Web service won't start: Port already in use

Problem:

Error: listen EADDRINUSE :::3000

Solution:

# Use a different port
npm run serve -- --port 3001

# Or find and kill the process on port 3000
lsof -i :3000
kill -9 <PID>

Layout looks incorrect

Problem: "Elements overlap", "Flows cross incorrectly", "Lane axis not aligned"

Solution:

These issues typically occur with very large element ranges or special configurations

Try adjusting layout parameters via .layout-options:

layoutOptions:
  elkNodeSpacing: 60       # increase spacing between elements
  laneVerticalGap: 50      # increase gap between lanes
  elkDiagramPadding: 60    # increase padding

If the problem persists, check diagram-rules.md and CLAUDE.md in the Transitrix Studio repo for routing rules

SVG export works but the diagram is incomplete

Problem: "SVG contains only part of the diagram"

Solution:

Verify the process has at least one flow (startEvent → step → endEvent)
Ensure all elements have unique IDs within the process

Try exporting to BPMN XML instead of SVG for debugging:

node dist/cli.js compile process.bpmn.transitrix.yaml output.bpmn
# Then open in a BPMN model editor such as bpmn-js

Documentation and Resources

Key Transitrix Studio Documents

File	Purpose
`README.md`	Project overview and quick start
`CLAUDE.md`	AI agent context, layout algorithm details
`diagram-rules.md`	Routing rules (R1–R6, L1) and BPMN 2.0 validation
`transitrix-studio-project-description-v0.3.md`	Detailed description of version 0.3
`roadmap.md`	Project status (RD-001 to RD-078+)
`method/00-glossary.md`	Glossary of terms (BPMN, DSL, layout, etc.)
`LICENSE`	MIT licence
`CONTRIBUTING.md`	Contributor guide

Transitrix Core Methodology

Methodology: method/01-methodology.md
Section 4: Business process modelling layer (description of Transitrix Studio)
integration/tooling.md: This file (tools and integrations)

Usage Examples

Transitrix Examples: organizations/acme_corp/.templates/EXAMPLES.md
Transitrix Studio Examples: transitrix-studio/examples/
- order-fulfillment.bpmn.transitrix.yaml — full E-commerce process
- and other process examples

Questions and Issues

When using Transitrix Studio: see the Troubleshooting section above
Layout algorithm design: see CLAUDE.md and diagram-rules.md in the Transitrix Studio repository
Integration with Transitrix: see the Usage with Transitrix section above and methodology sections 4 and 9

License and Authorship

Transitrix Studio: MIT License Transitrix: MIT License

Both projects are published as open source and may be used for educational and commercial purposes under the MIT terms.

CLI validation — Windows and extension set

Windows PowerShell — use `npx.cmd`

On Windows with a restricted PowerShell execution policy (the default on many corporate workstations), the unsuffixed npx command resolves to a .ps1 wrapper that the policy refuses to execute:

npx @transitrix/cli validate my.goals.transitrix.yaml
# Error: File C:\...\npx.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system.

Fix: invoke npx.cmd instead of npx. The .cmd wrapper is not subject to the script-execution policy:

npx.cmd @transitrix/cli validate my.goals.transitrix.yaml

This applies everywhere npx @transitrix/cli appears — per-file validation, compile, and any other subcommand.

Canonical notation extensions — built-in registry

The @transitrix/cli validate command ships with a built-in registry of every canonical Transitrix notation extension. No --ext flag is needed for canonical notations. The built-in registry matches the notation catalogue in notations/README.md:

File extension	Notation
`*.bpmn.transitrix.yaml`	`bpmn`
`*.dgca.transitrix.yaml`	`dgca`
`*.goals.transitrix.yaml`	`goals`
`*.capability-map.transitrix.yaml`	`capability-map`
`*.process-map.transitrix.yaml`	`process-map`
`*.action.transitrix.yaml`	`action`
`*.blocks.transitrix.yaml`	`blocks`
`*.products.transitrix.yaml`	`products`
`*.applications.transitrix.yaml`	`applications`
`*.scenarios.transitrix.yaml`	`scenarios`
`*.process-blueprint.transitrix.yaml`	`process-blueprint`
`*.action-card.transitrix.yaml`	`action-card`
`*.compliance-impact.transitrix.yaml`	`compliance-impact`
`*.coverage-metric.transitrix.yaml`	`coverage-metric`
`*.actions-tree.transitrix.yaml`	`actions-tree`

Every one of these validates and compiles without additional flags. The --ext <notation-name> flag exists only for non-canonical extensions — custom notations an adopter has defined outside the built-in registry. Canonical BPMN validation is unchanged; the table above does not relax BPMN rules.

Pre-commit validation on Windows

To gate every commit on notation validity before it reaches CI, add a .git/hooks/pre-commit file in your adopter repository. On Windows, use a .cmd file so the hook does not require PowerShell execution-policy changes:

.git/hooks/pre-commit (shell — works on Linux/macOS/Git Bash on Windows):

#!/usr/bin/env sh
# Transitrix notation pre-commit validation
set -e
status=0
found=0
for f in $(git diff --cached --name-only --diff-filter=ACM | grep '\.transitrix\.yaml$'); do
  found=1
  echo "Validating $f ..."
  npx.cmd @transitrix/cli validate "$f" || status=1
done
if [ "$found" -eq 0 ]; then
  echo "No .transitrix.yaml files staged — nothing to validate."
fi
exit $status

Make it executable (chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-commit on Unix; Git Bash on Windows respects this). The hook validates only staged *.transitrix.yaml files, so it runs quickly on typical commits. It uses npx.cmd so it works under a restricted PowerShell execution policy without any policy change.

Document version: 1.0.3 Updated: 2026-07-06 Next update: When new tools are added

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Transitrix Tooling & Integration

Overview

Validation tools — ownership matrix

What to run when

Transitrix BPMN Authoring Tool (Transitrix Studio)

Key Features

Usage with Transitrix

File Structure

Workflow

Key BPMN Element Properties

Transitrix Studio Architecture

Process Examples

Integration with Architecture

Transitrix Studio Installation and Configuration

Requirements

Quick Start

Installing the VS Code Extension

Process Validation

Integration with Transitrix Organizations

Verifying Installation and Functionality

Current State of Transitrix Studio (v0.3.7)

Extensions and Integrations

Planned Transitrix-level Tools

Potential Transitrix Studio Extensions

Troubleshooting

Compilation fails: "Cannot find module"

VS Code extension does not show preview

Validation errors on compilation

Web service won't start: Port already in use

Layout looks incorrect

SVG export works but the diagram is incomplete

Documentation and Resources

Key Transitrix Studio Documents

Transitrix Core Methodology

Usage Examples

Questions and Issues

License and Authorship

CLI validation — Windows and extension set

Windows PowerShell — use npx.cmd

Canonical notation extensions — built-in registry

Pre-commit validation on Windows

Windows PowerShell — use `npx.cmd`