Currently we allow users to create only one kind of gateway, event and task via context pad and palette. It is a use case for some users to directly create a specific element though, especially in the execution context.
Examples
As a user I’d like to create a Service Task directly instead of replacing it from a blank task.
As a user I’d like to quickly create a Parallel Gateway.
Solution Approaches
A Immediate Replace Menu after element creation. See demo; GitHub issue. B Long mouse click on palette allows specific elements to be created. See demo; GitHub issue. C Keep stuff as it is. See demo.
Poll
A Immediate Replace Menu after element creation.
B Use press on (long mouse click) on palette to open details menu.
In addition, it would also be really cool to have context-aware keyboard shortcuts (like pressing m to open up the morph palette). Example: press mu to morph a selected task to a user task and press ms for a service task.
Although A seems to be the best way to address the issue, all those solutions have obvious downsides.
Just a note though, long press is something to be kept to / for the mobile / touch world and are on a laptop / desktop PC far from being intuitive.
As usual: IMVHO.
Is making this configurable an option? I can imagine cases for both solutions.
Regarding current implementation of option A: When entering an activity label and then selecting a morphing option, the text is discarded. The other way round, when selecting a morphing option first, the text area is deselected. If both editing options are shown at once, they should both be usable in parallel.
My suggestion would be to make it easy to configure additional elements for the palette. We have added service task and human task as additional elements there for example.