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

Create Custom Diagram Background

Enterprise Architect diagrams have a single-color 'wash' background that you can set to a solid color or a fade gradient down the screen.

You set the color on the Standard Colors page of the Options dialog, and whether to have a fade gradient on the Diagram Appearance page. Alternatively, using the Image Manager dialog, you can create a non-tiled background for diagrams.

To set a background using the Image Manager, follow the steps below:

  1. Create a Boundary object from the Use Case Elements page of the Toolbox. Do not use the Boundary element from any other section of the Toolbox.
  2. Stretch the Boundary to a size that can contain all of the elements you intend to place on the diagram, and drag it to the edges of the diagram workspace.
  3. Right-click on the Boundary element. The context menu displays.
  4. Select the Z-Order | Send to Bottom menu option. This ensures that the Boundary is not displayed in front of any other element in the diagram.
  5. Either:
  • Press [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[W], or
  • Right-click on the Boundary to display the context menu, and select the Appearance | Alternate Image menu option.
  1. On the Image Manager dialog, select an appropriate image as the diagram background and ensure that the image size is large enough to span the required size of the diagram background.
  2. When you have selected the required image, click on the OK button.

Alternatively, you can copy an image from another source onto the Windows clipboard, right-click on the Boundary element in the Enterprise Architect diagram, and select the Appearance | Apply Image From Clipboard context menu option.