7.1 Applying Templates to Drawings

Applying a template to a drawing modifies the default, automatic drawing. If changes are made to the template, any drawings attached to the template are automatically updated with the changes.

When a drawing has a template applied to it, a icon displays under the lower right corner of the drawing. Hover the mouse over the template to view the name of the attached template.

IMPORTANT:A template applies to a drawing only for as long as you do not modify and save that drawing. If you make and save changes to a drawing after applying a template, the template is no longer applied to the drawing.

The following sections describe the various ways of applying templates to a drawing:

7.1.1 Applying a Template to Elements of a Class

To apply a template to elements of a specific class:

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Open the Layout view containing the custom drawing you wish to apply as a class template.

    • In the Explorer pane, click to expand Administration > Graphics > Templates and open the desired template’s Layout view.

  2. Right-click in the background of the Layout view and select Save as Custom. The Custom Save dialog box opens.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • If working from the layout view of an element with the same class as you wish to apply the template to, select the Save drawing as template for all elements of class: className radio button.

      The template is applied to any elements of the class and is saved as a template under Administration > Graphics > Templates > _class and named using the class name. Note that the template is not applied to the drawing you are saving from.

    • If working from the template directory or an element of a different class, select the Save drawing as template for specified classradio button then specify the class name.

      The template is applied to any elements of the selected class and is saved as a template under Administration > Graphics > Templates > _class and named using the class name. Note that the template is not applied to the drawing you are saving from.

      IMPORTANT:Saving a class template overwrites any existing template for that class.

  4. Click Save.

7.1.2 Applying a Template to an Element

To apply a template to a single element:

  1. Navigate to the desired element and open the element’s Layout view.

  2. On the console toolbar, change the Editing Channel to Element Drawing Template.

  3. Drag and drop a template from Administration > Graphics > Templates to the element’s Layout view background. The drawing is attached to the template.

  4. Change the Editing Channel to Drawing.

    Existing elements are drawn using the shapes, arrows, colors, and so on inherited by the selected template. A template icon displays under the lower right corner of the drawing.

    Future changes to the template are automatically inherited by the drawing.

7.1.3 Using a Template to Create a Custom Drawing

To apply a template as a custom drawing:

  1. Drag and drop a template from Administration > Graphics > Templates to the element’s Layout view background. A confirmation box opens.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Click Yes to update the drawing with template properties. A custom drawing saves for the element with properties of the template drawing.

      A custom drawing icon displays below the lower right corner of the drawing.

      The template is not dynamically linked to the element drawing and changes to the template do not affect the element’s custom drawing.

    • Click No to cancel.