Arktik User Manual

Browser-based ArchiMate® 3.x modelling tool — Version 0.1

1. Overview

Arktik is a free browser-based ArchiMate® 3.x modelling tool — and it will stay free. No registration required. It runs entirely in your browser with no server or backend required. No data is saved to the server; all your models are stored locally in your browser. You can create, edit, and visualise enterprise architecture models using the full ArchiMate notation.

Key features

• Completely free — no per-seat licensing, no trial, no paywall
• No registration or sign-up required
• Private by design — no data leaves your browser
• Full ArchiMate 3.x element and relationship palette
• Multiple diagram views with tabs
• Open and save ArchiMate Open Exchange Format XML files
• Undo/redo with 50+ step history
• Export diagrams to SVG and PNG
• Drag-and-drop element placement
• Find and replace across the model

2. Getting Started

When you open Arktik, you see the welcome screen with options to create a new model or open an existing file.

Create a new model

1. Click New Model or press Ctrl+N.
2. An empty model with a Default View opens.
3. Start adding elements from the Palette panel.

Open an existing model

1. Click Open File… or press Ctrl+O.
2. Select an ArchiMate Open Exchange Format XML file from your computer.
3. The model loads and the Navigator tree populates with all elements, relationships, and views.

3. The Interface

After opening a model, the interface shows four main areas:

• Menu Bar (top) — File, Edit, View, and Help menus
• Navigator (left) — Tree view of your model's elements, relationships, and views
• Canvas (centre) — Diagram area where you view and edit ArchiMate views
• Properties Panel (right) — Edit attributes, appearance, and documentation for selected elements
• Palette (left, next to Navigator) — Element types you can drag onto the canvas

You can show or hide each panel from the View menu:

4. Working with Models

Saving your work

1. Press Ctrl+S or go to File → Save.
2. On first save, you'll be prompted to choose a file location.
3. Subsequent saves update the same file in place.
4. Use File → Save As… (Ctrl+Shift+S) to save a copy with a different name.

Exporting diagrams

1. Open the view you want to export.
2. Go to File → Export as SVG… or Export as PNG…
3. The file downloads with the view's name.

Undo and redo

• Ctrl+Z — Undo the last action
• Ctrl+Y — Redo
• Also available from Edit → Undo / Redo

5. The Canvas

The canvas is where you view and edit diagrams. Each open view appears as a tab at the top of the canvas area.

Navigation

• Zoom in/out — Ctrl+= / Ctrl+-, or scroll wheel with Ctrl held
• Pan — Hold middle mouse button and drag, or scroll wheel
• Fit to window — Ctrl+Shift+F
• Reset zoom — Ctrl+0

Adding elements

1. Select an element type from the Palette.
2. Click on the canvas to place it, or drag from the Palette directly onto the canvas.
3. The element appears and you can immediately type its name.

Connecting elements

1. Select the Magic Connector tool from the Palette, or hover over a source element to reveal its connection handle.
2. Drag from the source to the target element.
3. Choose the relationship type from the popup menu.

Editing element labels

• Double-click an element on the canvas to edit its name.
• Press Enter or click away to confirm.
• Press Escape to cancel.

Context menu

Right-click on the canvas or an element to access contextual actions such as:

• Delete element
• Rename
• Select connected elements
• Align and distribute
• Change appearance

6. The Palette

The Palette panel lists all ArchiMate element types organised by layer (Strategy, Business, Application, Technology, etc.) and all relationship types.

Using the Palette

• Drag and drop — Drag any element type from the Palette onto the canvas to create an instance.
• Click to activate — Click an element type to activate the placement tool, then click on the canvas to place it.
• Sticky mode — Double-click a palette item to place multiple elements of the same type. Press Escape to deactivate.
• Search — Type in the search box at the top to filter element types.

7. The Navigator

The Navigator shows the model's complete structure as a tree.

Navigating the model

• Expand/collapse — Click the arrow next to a folder to expand or collapse it.
• Open a view — Double-click a view to open it on the canvas.
• Select an element — Click an element to select it and show its properties.
• Drag to canvas — Drag an element from the Navigator onto the canvas to add it to the current view.

Organising elements

• Drag elements between folders to reorganise your model.
• Right-click a folder to create new sub-folders or elements.
• Press F2 to rename the selected item.

Search

Use Ctrl+F to open Find & Replace, which searches across all element and view names in the model.

8. The Properties Panel

When you select an element, relationship, or view, the Properties panel shows its editable attributes.

Available tabs

• Attributes — Name, type, and custom properties
• Appearance — Fill colour, border, font, size
• Documentation — Free-text documentation field
• User Properties — Custom key-value properties
• Analysis — Shows relationships and connections for the selected element

9. Keyboard Shortcuts

10. Tips & Troubleshooting

Tips

• Hold Ctrl or Alt while dropping an element from the Navigator to suppress automatic connection creation.
• Use the Outline minimap (View → Outline) to navigate large diagrams quickly.
• Enable Snap to Grid or Snap to Guides from the View menu for precise element placement.
• The dark/light theme can be toggled from the View menu.

Troubleshooting

Arktik User Manual — Version 0.1 — Generated June 2026
ArchiMate® is a registered trademark of The Open Group.
© 2026 Knaap. All rights reserved.