Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.
Set an Element's Default Appearance
All elements that you use have global default appearance settings for:
| · | The fill, border and font colors |
| · | Font styles, including font face and size |
| · | The border thickness |
You define these settings on the Options dialog. However, you can change the default appearance for a specific element on all diagrams on which it is found, using the Default Appearance dialog.
Access Click on the element | Element | Appearance | Default Appearance (Ctrl+Shift+E) or
Right-click on element | Appearance | Default Appearance (F4)
Options
Field/Option/Button |
Action |
See also |
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Background Color |
Click on the drop-down arrow and select the fill - or background - color of the element. This setting overrides all other fill color definitions in the model, except for:
If you want to use a color that is not available, click on the Other button and define the required color.
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Border Color |
Click on the drop-down arrow and select the border color for the element. If you want to use a color that is not available, click on the Other button and define the required color.
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Border Width |
Type in the width of the border surrounding the element, or use the increment/decrement arrows to the right of the field. The minimum width setting is 1, the maximum is 5.
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Font Style |
Displays the current font typeface for the element text. To change this, click on the (...) button. The Font dialog displays, on which you can select a different typeface, style (such as bold/italic) and font size. You can also select from a limited number of font colors and effects on this dialog.
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Font Color |
Click on the drop-down arrow and select the font color to apply to the text of the element. If you want to use a color that is not available, click on the Other button and define the required color.
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Notes, below |
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Reset to defaults |
(Optional) Click on this button to reset all appearance settings to the system default values.
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Preview |
Displays a representation of the colors, border width and font styles, which updates as you choose the new settings.
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OK |
Click on this button to close the dialog and apply the appearance settings you have defined.
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Cancel |
Click on this button to close the dialog and abort all the changes you have made within the dialog.
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Notes
| · | You can adjust several elements at the same time; select all of the required elements, right-click on one of them and select the Appearance | Default Appearance context menu option, or use the Format toolbar |
| · | If the Show Project Custom Colors in Color Combo Boxes checkbox is selected on the Options dialog, Standard Colors page, the last 16 color squares in the color selection palettes contain the project colors set on that dialog |
| · | The Font Color field affects only the element name text; it does not override the feature text colors as defined on the Options dialog, Standard Colors page |
| · | When it has been called directly on one or more selected elements (Appearance | Set Font), the Font dialog overrides the Default Appearance dialog |
| · | When called from the Default Appearance dialog, the Color field on the Font dialog is overridden by the Font Color field on the Default Appearance dialog |
| · | The Font and Font Style fields on the Font dialog affect all text except for the Note compartment text |
| · | The Size field on the Font dialog affects all text |
| · | An alternative option for changing an element's appearance is to define a stereotype that has different fill, border and font settings, or either a Shape Script or an image file associated with it; you can then assign the stereotype to the element to change the element's appearance to that defined by the stereotype |
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