There are two ways to create new templates:
Create a new template and build the drawing from scratch.
The disadvantage to working directly from the
directory is that there will only be one node available to work with.Save an existing custom drawing as a template.
This method is best if you are working with containers. It is also easiest to visualize as you can work with in an environment where there are element children.
The following sections describe how to create templates:
While it is easy to create new templates working with the
node, the disadvantage is that there is only one node visible while creating the drawing.For more information about creating templates working with containers or child elements present, see Section 7.3.2, Creating a Template from a Custom Drawing.
To create a new template:
In the
pane, click to expand > > .Right-click
, then select . The dialog box opens.Specify a template name.
Click
.The new template displays in the
pane and Layout view updates to display the drawing for the new template.Verify the
is set to .Use the
view drawing tools to define a drawing that will become a new template.You can also drag and drop clip art, node styles, and other templates to define the new template.
For information about editing the drawing and creating custom drawings, see Section 2.3, Creating a Custom Drawing and Section 2.4, Modifying a Drawing.
For information on using the drawing tools, see Section 3.0, Using Basic Drawing Tools and Concepts.
For information on creating custom node styles and adding graphics, see Section 6.0, Working with Node Styles and Custom Graphics.
For information on testing the template by setting a preview element, see Section 6.4.2, Testing the Node Style Using Preview Elements.
Save the drawing for the new template by pressing
+ .The advantage of creating a template from a custom drawing is that you can more easily work with containers and see how the template would be applied on a larger scale, where a hierarchy exists under an element.
While working with a custom drawing, you can also make it a template to apply to other elements or a class of elements.
To create a template from a custom drawing:
Open the
view containing the custom drawing you wish to save as a template.If you do not already have the custom drawing created, click
and create a custom drawing that you wish to use as a template from any element.For information about editing the drawing and creating custom drawings, see Section 2.3, Creating a Custom Drawing and Section 2.4, Modifying a Drawing.
For information on using the drawing tools, see Section 3.0, Using Basic Drawing Tools and Concepts.
For information on creating custom node styles and adding graphics, see Section 6.0, Working with Node Styles and Custom Graphics.
Right-click in the background of the
view and select . A dialog box opens.Do one of the following:
If you’ve just made changes to the current drawing and wish to save them for that element, select the
radio button.IMPORTANT:Selecting this option cancels the link between the element and a template if one was previously applied.
To save the drawing as a template for elements of the same class, select the className radio button.
The template is applied to any elements of the class and is saved as a template under
> > > and named using the class name. Note that the template is not applied to the drawing you are saving from.IMPORTANT:Saving a template for a class overwrites any existing template for that class.
To save the drawing as a template for another class of elements, select the
radio button then specify the class name.The template is applied to any elements of the selected class and is saved as a template under
> > > and named using the class name. Note that the template is not applied to the drawing you are saving from.IMPORTANT:Saving a template for a class overwrites any existing template for that class.
To save the drawing as a template, select the
radio button.Specify a new template name in the field or browse to select an existing template to overwrite.
The drawing is saved as a template under
> > .To test the new template, locate the new template under
> > and set a preview element.For instructions, see Section 6.4.2, Testing the Node Style Using Preview Elements.
Click
.Templates can be edited and saved from
> > or from the view of an element where the template is actively applied.To edit a template:
Do one of the following:
Open the
view of an element where the template is applied.To verify the template applied, hover the mouse over the icon displayed under the lower right corner of the element’s
view drawing. The tool tip displays the name of the linked template.In the
pane, click to expand > > and open the desired template’s view.Click
and update the drawing as desired.For information about editing the drawing and creating custom drawings, see Section 2.3, Creating a Custom Drawing and Section 2.4, Modifying a Drawing.
For information on using the drawing tools, see Section 3.0, Using Basic Drawing Tools and Concepts.
For information on creating custom node styles and adding graphics, see Section 6.0, Working with Node Styles and Custom Graphics.
For information on testing the template by setting a preview element, see Section 6.4.2, Testing the Node Style Using Preview Elements.
Save the changes by pressing by pressing
+ .If editing from an element’s drawing, a confirmation box opens. Click
to save the changes to the template.Or, click Section 7.3.2, Creating a Template from a Custom Drawing
to view other options. For more information about these options, seeChanges are saved to the template and the drawings for all linked elements update.