Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

Shape Attributes

When you define a shape using a Shape Script, you define the properties of that shape using attributes. Properties include:

·The position of the shape relative to the diagram and to other elements
·The positions of components of the shape relative to the shape borders
·Whether the shape has user-editable regions
·Whether the shape can be resized, scaled, rotated or docked

Attribute Syntax

attribute "=" value ";"

Example

shape main

{

 //Initialisation attributes - must be before drawing commands

 noshadow = "true";

 h_align = "center";

 

 //drawing commands

 rectangle(0,0,100,100);

 println("foo bar");

}

 

Attributes

Attribute Name

Type

Description

See also

bottomAnchorOffset

(int,int)

When creating a Shape Script for an embedded element (such as a Port), use this attribute to offset the shape from the bottom edge of its parent.

For example:

bottomAnchorOffset=(0,-10); move embedded element up 10 pixels from the bottom edge.

 

 

dockable

string

Makes the shape default to dockable, so that it can be aligned with and joined to other elements (both other Shape Scripts and standard elements) on a diagram. You cannot reverse the dockable status with the Appearance menu option; to change the status, you must edit the Shape Script.

Valid values: standard or off

 

Element Context Menu Operations

editableField

string

Defines a shape as an editable region of the element.

This field impacts element shapes only, line glyphs are not supported.

Valid Values: alias, name, note, stereotype

 

 

endPointY, endPointX

integer

Only used for the reserved target and source shapes for connectors; this point determines where the main connector line connects to the end shapes.

Default: 0 and 0

 

 

fixedAspectRatio

string

Set to true to fix the aspect ratio. Do not use this if you do not want to fix the aspect ratio.

 

 

h_Align

string

Affects horizontal placement of printed text and sub-shapes depending on the layoutType attribute.

Valid values: left, center, or right

 

 

layoutType

string

Determines how sub-shapes are sized and positioned.

Valid values: leftright, topdown, border

 

Sub-Shapes

leftAnchorOffset

(int,int)

When creating a Shape Script for an embedded element (such as a Port), use this attribute to offset the shape from the left edge of its parent.

For example:

leftAnchorOffset=(10,0); move embedded element right 10 pixels from the left edge

 

 

noShadow

string

Set to true to suppress the shapes shadow from being rendered.

Valid values: true or false (default= false)

 

 

orientation

string

Applies to decoration shapes only, to determine where the decoration is positioned within the containing element glyph.

Valid values: NW, N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W

 

 

preferredHeight

 

Used by the border layoutType - north and south.

Used in drawing the source and target shapes for connectors to determine how wide the line is.

 

 

preferredWidth

 

Used by the border layoutType - east and west.

Used by leftright layoutType shapes where scalable is false to determine how much space they occupy for layout purposes.

 

 

rightAnchorOffset

(int,int)

When creating a Shape Script for an embedded element (such as a Port), use this attribute to offset the shape from the right edge of its parent.

For example:

rightAnchorOffset=(-10,0); move embedded element left 10 pixels from the right edge.

 

 

rotatable

string

Set to false to prevent rotation of the shape. This attribute is only applicable to the source and target shapes for line glyphs.

Valid values: true or false (default = true)

 

 

scalable

string

Set to false to stop the shape from being relatively sized to the associated diagram glyph.

Valid values: true or false (default= true)

 

 

topAnchorOffset

(int,int)

When creating a Shape Script for an embedded element (such as a Port), use this attribute to offset the shape from the top edge of its parent.

For example:

topAnchorOffset=(0,10); move embedded element down 10 pixels from the top edge.

 

 

v_Align

string

Affects vertical placement of printed text and sub-shapes depending on the layoutType attribute.

Valid values: top, center, or bottom