Element Appearance

Getting to know Element Appearance

Aspect	Description
Introducing Element Appearance	All elements in the repository have a global default appearance which is defined in the Options Window. Individual elements can set a global appearance which overrides the default setting for all elements and applies to the specified element where ever it appears in diagrams. An element's appearance can also be changed at the level of an individual diagram by using the color and font pickers. Images and other shapes can also be applied to make the element more appealing.
Where to find Element Appearance	Default for all Elements Ribbon: Start > Workspace > Preferences > Preferences > Standard Colors, Appearance Global for an Element Context Menu: Appearance \| Default Appearance Local for a Diagram Object Ribbon: Layout > Style > Set Font, Text Color, Fill Color, Line Color, Line Width Diagram Toolbar: Set Font, Text Color, Fill Color, Line Color, Line Width Element Icons: Set Font, Text Color, Fill Color, Line Color, Line Width (top right corner of diagram object)
Usage of Element Appearance	The Element Appearance is useful to convey different meaning to a number of audiences and stakeholders. The global element settings ensure the entire repository is by default consistent and these can be changed to suite an organization. The default element appearance settings ensure that an element is consistently represented whenever it is used on diagrams. The local appearance settings allow an element to appear differently on a specific diagram. Some stakeholders will also prefer to see an element represented as an image or by a different shape.
Options for Element Appearance	Apart from the setting of Font Style, Text Color, Element Fill and Border Color and Line thickness. elements can be assigned an alternate image or a completely different geometry using the shape script facility and applied to a stereotype. The images can be assigned from the
Learn more about the TOOL	Element Appearance