Author Topic: defining element colors with templates  (Read 3787 times)

Robert Parker

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defining element colors with templates
« on: September 25, 2013, 06:10:22 pm »
I am having difficultly using a Project Template Package to define the default colors of elements. I am trying so alter the default colors of elements from the Archimate2 toolset in EA10. Does the method described in http://www.sparxsystems.com/enterprise_architect_user_guide/9.0/modeling_basics/using_element_templates.html work for non-UML stereotypes?

I create a template package and then a diagram containing my element types and the colors I want to them to appear, then select the package using "Settings|Project Template Package...".

I close then re-open EA10, create a new diagram of the same type as the diagram in the template package, add a new element of the same type as the element in the template diagram but the color of the new element is the usual EA color rather than the color I set in the template.

Can the EA Template method be used for non-UML element colors? (the linked page above just seems to talk about UML elements). What am I missing?  

thanks
Robert

RoyC

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Re: defining element colors with templates
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2013, 09:05:17 am »
I think the problem is that the Archimate elements are UML elements that have been extended by stereotypes and, as it says in the Help topic you refer to:

'You can modify the appearance of elements (and connectors) of a specific type using stereotypes, which take precedence over templates'.

If there is a stereotype in the element, EA does not apply the template element definition.
Best Regards, Roy

KP

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Re: defining element colors with templates
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2013, 11:06:59 am »
Roy, I think that sentence in the help refers to the fact that you can hard-code the colours of an element using a stereotype shape script, and that will take precedence over the default colours. Archimate elements don't have their colours hard-coded though, so the template package should work correctly with Archimate elements. I have tested with build 1009 and it works.
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RoyC

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Re: defining element colors with templates
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2013, 11:50:30 am »
I defer to KP on this. We did have an 'impact hierarchy' of what settings override or are over-ridden by others, but I can't find it at the moment.
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Robert Parker

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Re: defining element colors with templates
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2013, 04:34:25 am »
Quote
...
What am I missing?

To answer my own question; you need to add elements using the Toolbox not the Project Browser (with thanks to Simon at sparx support).

Hope this helps someone.