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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 'Preferences' 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
Context Menu |
Right-click on element | Appearance | Default Appearance |
Keyboard Shortcuts |
or
|
Options
Option |
Action |
See also |
---|---|---|
Background Color |
Click on the drop-down arrow and select the fill - or background - color of the element. If you want to use a color that is not available, click on the and define the required color. |
Create Custom Colors |
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 and define the required color. |
Create Custom Colors |
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. If you set this value to the current model default value, any updates to the default value are immediately applied to this local 'Border Width' field, until you specifically reset the local field to a non-default value. (The current model default border width is set in the 'Default Element Border Width' field; select the 'Start> Appearance > Preferences > Preferences' ribbon option and the 'Diagram > Appearance' page.) |
|
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 to use or cancel underlines, and (if necessary) select a different script classification. |
Set Element Font |
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 and define the required color. |
Create Custom Colors |
Reset to defaults |
(Optional) Click on this button to reset all appearance settings to the system default values. |
|
Preview |
Displays a representation of the colors, border width and font styles, which updates as you choose the new settings. |
|
OK |
Click on this button to close the dialog and apply the appearance settings you have defined. |
|
Cancel |
Click on this button to close the dialog and abort all the changes you have made within the dialog. |
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' option
- You can also define for the element a default image that displays for all instances of the element in diagrams across the model
- If the 'Show Project Custom Colors in Color Combo Boxes' checkbox is selected on the 'Standard Colors' page of the 'Preferences' dialog, the last 16 color squares in the color selection palettes contain the project colors set on that page
- The 'Font Color' field affects only the element name text; it does not override the feature text colors as defined on the 'Standard Colors' page of the 'Preferences' dialog
- When called from the 'Default Appearance' dialog, the 'Color' field on the 'Font' dialog is not available; font color is set in 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 that has 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
- The 'Default Appearance' options override all other styles except those set via a Shape Script (such as fill color and line width) or those applied locally on a diagram (using options in the Layout | Style panel of the ribbon, for example)