Overlays

Overlays are packages that change your account’s metamodel. Applying an overlay produces an effective metamodel (the base schema plus the overlay) that drives the type and category pickers, the Metamodel diagram, and the schema connectors and workstreams generate against.

You will find Overlays under Model in the left sidebar, between Metamodel and Frameworks. Applying or removing an overlay is an account-admin action.

How Overlays Work

Overlays come in two kinds:

• Additive overlays extend the base metamodel with extra categories, types, or relationships, for example the vocabulary of a recognised modelling framework.
• Restrictive overlays narrow the metamodel to a curated subset, so teams only model with the elements your organisation has standardised on.

Only one overlay applies at a time. Applying a different overlay prompts you to confirm the switch; the new overlay replaces the current one. Removing the applied overlay returns the account to the base metamodel.

Applying an Overlay

1. Open Model → Overlays.
2. Browse the available overlay packages.
3. Click Apply on the overlay you want. If another overlay is already applied, confirm the switch.

The change takes effect immediately. The Metamodel page redraws to show the new effective metamodel, and the object pickers throughout the Repository update to match.

Related

• Metamodel: the base schema and how the effective metamodel is composed.
• Frameworks: compliance frameworks that audit conformance (distinct from overlays, which change the schema).