Layout Ribbon

The Layout Ribbon can be used to create sophisticated views of a model alignment of elements and sections to create high-quality diagrams. Diagrams are one of the most powerful and compelling ways of visualizing information. The appearance of elements in diagrams can be completely changed by adding border, fill and text colors, creating meaning and appeal. Diagram Filters and Layout tools can be used to automatically change the appearance of diagrams, and Swimlanes and Roadmaps can be configured, adding rich presentations. A filter can be applied to obscure elements that don't meet a specific condition, and a range of helpers can assist with element alignment.

Panels

Panel	Description	See also
Diagram	The 'Diagram' Panel provides a collection of tools for managing the use of diagrams and for manipulating the appearance and presentation of elements in a diagram.	Using the Diagram Panel
Undo	The 'Undo' panel provides options to roll back - or undo - the changes in a diagram's appearance, or to re-establish undone changes.	Using the Undo Panel
Style	The 'Style' panel contains a range of tools for applying different styles to the elements in a diagram, to emphasize their importance or relevance in the context of the diagram. An element's fonts, fill, and borders can be colored and styled, and the settings can be individually copied to other elements or saved as a style that can be applied to other elements as a group.	Using the Style Panel
Alignment	The 'Alignment' panel provides a series of tools that can be used to refine the positions of the diagram's elements relative to each other. Groups of elements can be selected and their edges aligned or their centers aligned vertically or horizontally. An element's position in the visual stack can be altered by moving them forward or backwards, and you can display a convenient grid that can be configured so that elements and connectors 'snap' into position on the grid.	Using the Alignment Panel
Tools	The 'Tools' panel provides a series of facilities for aligning, viewing or filtering the elements in a diagram. These are powerful tools that assist in working with large or detailed diagrams. Diagram Filters can be used to obscure elements that aren't relevant in a certain context. The Pan and Zoom window helps you change a diagram's magnification, and to quickly traverse a large diagram. The Diagram Layout facility can automatically change and organize the layout of elements in a diagram.	Using the Tools Panel
Filter	The 'Filter' panel helps in emphasizing aspects of a diagram, filtering out elements so that only the relevant or important elements are clearly visible whilst the other elements are muted. The filtering can be based on a variety of element properties that can be set for exact matches, presence of text strings or ranges of dates. The tool is invaluable for quickly locating and visualizing particular elements in a diagram.	Using the Filter Panel
Helpers	The 'Helpers' panel contains a series of specialized tools for working with the elements in a diagram, to save time, preserve layouts and enhance visualization.	Using the Helpers Panel

Notes

You can also temporarily display an abbreviated toolbar of formatting options beside an element or connector. For:
     - Elements, select one or more elements on the diagram and click on the 'paintbrush' icon beside the element
        (and, for multiple selected elements, the icon)
     - Connectors, right-click on the connector; the toolbar appears above the context menu

To set the global appearance of all elements throughout a model, use the 'Preferences' dialog; select the 'Start > Workspace > Preferences' ribbon option, then select 'Standard Colors' and 'Diagram | Appearance' from the options tree
To override the global appearance and define a default appearance of a selected element (or several selected elements) on all diagrams on which it occurs, set the Default Appearance for that element; right-click on the element and choose the 'Appearance | Default Appearance' option

Learn more