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

Diagram Options

In order to maintain consistency in the format, layout and visibility of objects in your diagrams, you can define a number of default settings to apply to all diagrams that you display, whether you are creating them or reviewing them. You can change or reverse many of these default settings for your view of individual diagrams (whether you created them or another user created them), on the diagram 'Properties' dialog.

Access Tools | Options (Ctrl+F9) | Diagram

Control diagram set up

Field/Button

Action

See also

Default Page Size

Show (underneath the field name) the default page size for diagrams.

You set the default page size using the Page Setup button.

Page Setup

Click on this button to define the page dimensions for diagrams that you create.

The 'Page Setup' dialog displays, on which you set the page size, orientation, printer paper tray, and page margins.

Set Up Diagram Page

Print with Border

Select the checkbox to set the default to printing a border on all diagrams you have created.

Landscape

This checkbox is controlled from the 'Page Setup' dialog. When selected, any diagrams that you create default to being printed in landscape orientation.

Show Public Features
Show Protected Features
Show Private Features

Select any or all of the checkboxes to automatically show Class features with the scope of public, protected and/or private on the diagrams you create.

Show Diagram Notes

Select the checkbox to display, by default, the diagram details (name, parent Package, version and author) in the top left corner of any new diagram that you create.

Selecting this checkbox sets the 'Show Diagram Details' checkbox to selected on the 'Diagram Properties' dialog for the new diagram.

Configure Diagram Display

Use Opaque Diagram Labels

Select any or all of the checkboxes to specify which renditions of your diagrams should have opaque diagram labels; 'Screen' and 'Printing' are most often applicable.

An opaque label is a connector or element label that, when the label overlaps the connector line or border, hides the line rather than allowing it to show through the label text.

Disable fully scoped object names

Select this checkbox to disable the use of fully scoped object names for  elements in all diagrams; deselect the checkbox when the elements are within their parent Package.

A scoped object name has the format MyClasses::foo, where the :: character indicates that the Class is within another namespace.

Allow change of Created Date

Select this checkbox to allow you to change the diagram creation date on any diagram, through the 'Diagram Properties' dialog.

Zoom to best scale

Select this checkbox to resize all diagrams that you open to neatly fit the monitor screen.

Auto-pan with middle mouse button

Select this checkbox to turn on auto-panning using the middle mouse button. In  this case, when you hold down the middle mouse button a black compass icon displays, and as you move the cursor away from this icon the diagram scrolls in that direction.

If you deselect the checkbox, when you hold down the middle mouse button a white compass icon displays, and as you move this icon the whole diagram moves with it across or up and down the screen.

Enable Connector line jumps

Defaults to selected, so that solid-line connectors show 'hoop' icons or 'jumps' when they cross, on all diagrams that you open.

Deselect to disable line jumps so that connectors simply cross with no 'hoop' icon at the intersection.

Connector Styles

Scale Saved Bitmaps to

When you save a diagram as a bitmap, you can leave it scaled to 100% or click  on the drop-down arrow and select to save the bitmap at a higher resolution of 200% or 400%, suitable for using in published works.

Image Memory Limit

When you generate images for document or web reports or save images to file, the memory limit for storing this image defaults to 48 MB. If the image is beyond this limit, the system starts to scale down the image.

You can click on the drop-down arrow and select a lower or higher memory limit for the image files of your diagrams. A low memory setting means the system scales the image sooner.

Diagram Frames

Click on any or all of the checkboxes to specify which saved images of your diagrams will automatically include a diagram frame around them - those saved to disk, those printed out, and/or those saved to the default system clipboard.

A diagram frame is a labeled outline around the diagram image, providing both a border and a reference. A SysML Internal Block element can have its own diagram frame; if that frame is selected to be shown, these Diagram Frames options are ignored for the diagram.

These diagram frames are not the same as the Diagram Frame element in which you can enclose a diagram image or reference when you drag the diagram from the Project Browser onto another diagram.

SysML Internal Block Toolbox Diagram Frame

Show Tooltips

Select the checkbox to display a tooltip when the cursor is 'rolled over' an element on a diagram you have opened.

If you have selected the 'Show Tooltips' checkbox, select the checkbox against each item of information to be displayed as part of a tooltip.

If you select the 'Notes' checkbox, consider whether the 'Max Characters' value is appropriate to represent the text of your element 'Notes' fields. This field defines the maximum number of characters of notes text included in the tooltip; if you want to show less text or more, reset the character limit accordingly.

Close

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

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