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

Create Custom Colors

If the standard colors available through the color palettes do not meet your requirements, you can define up to 16 custom colors that you apply to individual elements and connectors through the diagram Format Toolbar, 'Connector Appearance' dialog and element 'Default Appearance' dialog.

By applying such custom colors within a template diagram, you can render all elements of the same type with the same custom color, for all users of the project.

If another user has a set of custom colors that you want to use, or a project manager has defined colors specifically for the project, they can export these colors to the project file and you can then import them directly as your custom color pallet. If you have your own colors in the pallet, they are overwritten by the imported set.

Access Tools | Options (Ctrl+F9) | Standard Colors: Define Colors

Define your custom colors

Step

Action

See also

1

On the 'Color' dialog, click on the Define Custom Colors » button.

The 'Color' dialog is extended to provide color selection fields on the right of the dialog.

2

Click on an empty block in the 'Custom colors' pallet (or, if you are replacing a color, click on that color block in the pallet) and on the:

  • 'Spectrum' panel, move the 'sampler' icon around the panel to change the color shown in the 'Color|Solid' box
  • 'Luminosity' bar, move the arrow on the right up and down to change the intensity of the color shown in the 'Color|Solid' box
  • 'Hue', 'Sat'(uration) and 'Lum'(inosity) (HSL) fields, and 'Red', 'Green' and 'Blue' (RGB) fields; type decimal values to either:
         -  make slight modifications to a color or
         -  exactly define a color for which you know the HSL and/or RGB values

As you define the color it changes in the 'Color|Solid' box.

3

When you have finished creating the color, click on the Add to Custom Colors button to add the color to the selected Custom colors block.

4

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for any other custom colors you want to define.

5

Click on the OK button to close the 'Color' dialog.

6

To make the custom colors available for your use, select the 'Show Project Custom Colors in Color Combo Boxes' checkbox.

The 16 squares dedicated to custom colors are displayed at the end of the color selection pallets on the diagram Format Toolbar, 'Connector Appearance' dialog and element 'Default Appearance' dialog.

Set an Element's Default Appearance Format Toolbar Connector Appearance Options

7

Click on the Close button to close the 'Options' dialog.

Notes

  • For changes to the custom colors to be reflected in the Format Toolbar pallets, you might need to close and re-open the model and reset the Toolbar ('Tools | Customize > Toolbars', select the 'Format Tool' checkbox and click on the Reset button)
  • If you want to export your colors to the project file to make them available for others to import, use the 'Project | Settings | Colors | Set Project Colors' menu option
  • If you want to import someone else's colors from the project file as your custom colors, use the 'Project | Settings | Colors | Get Project Colors' menu option

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