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

Diagram Gradients and Backgrounds

When reviewing the diagrams in your model, you have a range of options for managing the display and appearance of the diagrams and their contents. These options include setting the color and shading of the diagram and elements, and the style of the page border of the diagram. You can also, instead of using the color wash, select a tiled background image for the diagrams you display, from a set of system-supplied images or from images that you have created or downloaded to a local system folder yourself.

Access     Tools | Options (Ctrl+F9)  | Diagram | Gradients and Background

Set diagram backgrounds and shading

Field/Option/Button

Action

See also

Diagram Background

 

Tile

Either:

·Type in the file path for a .jpg, .bmp or .png graphics file to use as a background for all your diagrams, or
·Click on the Select Tile button to the right of the field and select a file (by default from the Enterprise Architect supplied tiles folder, but you can browse to any other file location for the required file)
 

The selected background is immediately applied to any diagrams you have open, and the field displays the location of the background graphic file, such as:

    C:\Program Files\Sparx Systems\EA\BackgroundTiles\Aqua_03.jpg

If you no longer want to apply a background tile to your diagrams, click on the Clear File button to clear the field.

 

 

Paper

Click on the drop-down arrow to change the background color of the diagrams you display.

This field is disabled if you have selected a background tile (above). The field is re-enabled when the file path is deleted from the Tile field.

 

 

Page Border Style

Click on the drop-down arrow and select the option for the type of page border you want to use when displaying diagrams on your monitor. You can choose from:

·Solid (the default) - pages are framed by a solid dark gray line on the screen
·Dash - pages are framed by a broken dark gray line
·Dash (with white line) - pages are framed by a broken dark gray line on a solid pale background
·Dot - pages are framed by a dotted dark grey line
·Dot (with white line) - pages are framed by a dotted dark gray line on a solid pale background line
·Chiselled - pages are framed by a thin black line bordered by a thicker dark gray line to the right or below
 

If you cannot see the page border on a diagram, right-click on the diagram and select the Properties option, then check that the Hide Page Border (All Diagrams) option or Hide Page Border (Current Diagram) options are not selected.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Configure Diagram Display

Show Gradient Fill for Paper Color

Select the checkbox to apply a color gradient to the background color of the diagrams you display. You set the background color itself in the Paper field (above).

Deselect the checkbox to apply the background color uniformly to the diagram background.

This checkbox is disabled if you have selected a background tile (above). The checkbox is re-enabled when the file path is deleted from the Tile field.

 

 

Element Fill

 

Gradient Fill Direction For an Element

Click on the drop-down arrow and select the direction of the color gradient applied to the element fill color.

Select <none> to apply the element fill color uniformly to the element, with no color gradient.

 

 

Gradient Style for Element

Click on the drop-down arrow and select the style to apply to the element fill color gradient. The options apply:

·On the left or upper edge of each element, a band of the gradient color that fades in the fill direction defined above, and that has an angled line or curve on the inner boundary
·On the right or lower side of each element, a band of the gradient color that fades at 90 degrees to the gradient direction defined above
 

Select <none> to have a single band of color fading across the element in the fill direction (above).

 

 

Fill

Click on the drop-down arrow and select the fill color of all elements (except Screen elements and Notes) on the diagrams you display.

You can also change the element fill color on the Standard Colors page, where you can define the fill color of Screen and Notes elements as well.

You can quickly make fill color changes using the Hue, Saturation and Luminosity fields, below, in combination. The Fill field reflects the color changes as you make them, but having a diagram open with large elements also shows the changes immediately and very clearly.

 

 

 

Standard Colors

Revert

Click on this button to reset the fill color to the previously saved color. If you have been testing new colors but have not closed and re-opened the Options dialog, you can return to the color you originally changed from.

 

 

Hue

Click on the slider icon and drag it along the line to set the basic primary color or combination of two primary colors. The numerical value of the color (the H value in the HSL code) displays in the field to the right of the slider.

 

 

Saturation

Click on the slider icon and drag it along the line to set the color saturation (the degree of grayness in the color). The numerical value of the saturation (the S value in the HSL code) displays in the field to the right of the slider.

 

 

Luminosity

Click on the slider icon and drag it along the line to set the color luminosity (the degree of light in the color, from none (black) to full (white). The numerical value of the luminosity (the L value in the HSL code) displays in the field to the right of the slider.

 

 

Gradient Options (ineffective if the Gradient Fill Direction For an Element field is set to <none>)

 

Tint Amount

Click on the slider icon and drag it along the line to set the degree of tint in the color gradient. Moving from the left end the slider sets completely black at the top of the gradient, through no tint to completely white at the top of the gradient.

The percentage tint displays in the field to the right of the slider, showing -50% for the left end of the slider, 0% (the default) in the center and 50% at the right end.

To reset the Tint Amount to the system default (which is a slight, dusky gradient), click on the Default button.

 

 

Fill Amount

Click on the slider icon and drag it along the line to set the degree of fill of the gradient. From the left end the slider sets, effectively, no gradient (0%) through to starting the gradient immediately at one edge of the element and building right across the element (100%).

The percentage gradient fill displays in the field to the right of the slider.

To reset the Fill Amount to the system default (80%), click on the Default button.

 

 

Close

Click on this button to save the changes you have made, and to close the Options dialog.

 

 

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