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

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Diagram Theme Options

It is possible to apply a theme to all diagrams in the project that you display on your workstation; that is, how the diagrams and their contents appear when you display them in the Diagram View. By applying a theme you can change the color, font, gradient, line thickness and background image (tile). Each design helps bring your diagrams to life with brighter colors, better contrast and stylish new designs. As you select a theme, the appearance settings are immediately applied to any diagram that you have open. Enterprise Architect includes a number of basic built-in themes, which are useful to a wide range of users and are good examples of how a theme can enhance the diagrams that you have open.

You can also create your own themes, capturing the set of colors, text font, line thickness and/or gradient properties that you have currently defined in the 'Preferences' dialog, on the:

  • 'Gradients and Background' page
  • 'Standard Colors' page
  • 'Appearance' page, and
  • 'Links' page

You select or deselect a checkbox for each set of properties you want to include or exclude, from the 'Preferences' dialog pages.

Access

On the 'Preferences' dialog, select the 'Diagram > Themes' page.

Ribbon

Start > Desktop > Preferences > Preferences > Diagram > Themes

Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl+F9

Configure themes for diagrams and elements

Option

Action

See also

Name

Click on the drop-down arrow and select the theme you want to either:

  • Apply as the default appearance of your diagrams
  • Edit (user-defined theme)
  • Use as the base for a new user-defined theme, or
  • Delete (user-defined theme)

Font

Select the checkbox to include the 'User Font Face' and 'Font Size' settings from the 'Appearance' page of the 'Preferences' dialog (click on the 'Configure Default Element Fonts' button on the 'Appearance' page to set these fields).

Deselect the checkbox to retain the previous font applied to the diagram.

 Diagram Appearance Options

Color

Select the checkbox to include the element, connector and diagram colors defined on the 'Gradients and Background' page and the 'Standard Colors' page.

Deselect the checkbox to retain the previous set of colors applied to the diagram.

 Diagram Gradients and Backgrounds Standard Colors

Line Thickness

Select the checkbox to include the 'Default Element Border Width' from the 'Appearance' page, and the 'Pen Width' (for connector line thickness) from the 'Link' page of the 'Preferences' dialog.

Deselect the checkbox to retain the previous set of line widths applied to the diagram.

 Diagram Appearance Options Connector Display Options

Gradient

Select the checkbox to apply the setting of the 'Show Gradient Fill for Paper Color' checkbox (which applies a color gradient to the background color of the diagrams you display) and the 'Gradient Fill Direction for an Element' field on the 'Gradients and Background' page of the 'Preferences' dialog.

Deselect the checkbox to retain the previous color gradient settings applied to the diagram.

 Diagram Gradients and Backgrounds

Background Image

Select the checkbox to incorporate the currently-set diagram background image in the theme.

 Diagram Gradients and Backgrounds

Element Shadows

Select the checkbox to incorporate the currently-set element shadow setting (on or off) and color in the theme.

 Diagram Appearance Options Standard Colors

Save

Click on this button to either:

  • Create a new user-defined theme, or
  • Save changes to an existing theme

The 'Diagram Theme' dialog displays for the theme name. Either:

  • Type in a name for the theme and click on the OK button to create the new theme, or
  • Simply click on the OK button and then click on the Yes button to save the updates to the theme under the same theme name

Delete

(Only available if a user-defined theme is selected.)

Click on this button to delete the selected theme.

A prompt displays for you to confirm the deletion. Click on the Yes button to delete the theme, or on the No button to cancel the deletion.

Optional Drawing Modes

Select one or both of the 'Hand Drawn' and 'Whiteboard' checkboxes if you want to apply the corresponding mode to all diagrams that you open in the model.

 Configure Diagram Display

Close

Click on this button to close the 'Preferences' dialog.

If you have edited an existing theme, this applies all changes to the theme to the diagrams you have open.

Notes

  • You cannot edit or delete a built-in theme; you can use a built-in theme as the base for a user-defined theme
  • A theme draws its properties from other pages of the 'Preferences' dialog, therefore if you select the 'Gradient' checkbox the theme will apply the status of the 'Show Gradient Fill for Paper Color' checkbox on the 'Gradients and Background' page, when that status might be disabled because you have applied a background tile image
  • You can apply a different theme to an individual diagram, on the 'Theme' tab of the diagram 'Properties' dialog

Learn more

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