Diagram Templates

Help|Tutorials|Diagramming| 9 October 2024 | Dusan Rodina - softwareideas.net
Diagram templates provide a pre-defined diagram layout, allowing you to quickly start a new diagram with an existing structure. All you need to do is modify names, add or remove elements, and customize details. This tutorial will walk you through creating custom diagram templates and how to easily use them to generate new diagrams.

Create New Diagram Template

Creating a new diagram template is straightforward. Simply draw your diagram and use the Create Diagram Template action. Follow these paths:

  • Ribbon → Process (tab) → Diagramming (group) → Create Diagram Template
  • Menu → Tools → Diagram Templates → Create Diagram Template
Create diagram template
Create diagram template

This action opens the Save Dialog, where you can name your new template. The template will be saved either to your user profile (locally) or, if you're using Software Ideas Server, to the central server repository.

Enter diagram template name
Enter diagram template name

Managing Diagram Templates

The Diagram Template Management tool allows you to browse all the templates stored in your user profile. Each template is represented by a thumbnail preview for easy identification.

You can access Diagram Template Management from::

  • Ribbon → Insert (tab) → Diagram Templates (gallery) → Details (button with a diagonal arrow in a frame, placed in the right bottom corner of the ribbon group)
  • Menu → Tools → Diagram Templates → Diagram Template Manager

Once in the Diagram Template Management tool, you have several options:

  • Edit: Opens the selected template in the diagram editor for adjustments.
  • Delete: Removes the selected template after confirming the action, as it cannot be undone.
  • Export Diagram Template: Saves the selected template to a file on your local drive.
  • Import Diagram Template: Adds a diagram template from an external file to your user profile.

Templates are organized by diagram type, making it easier to find the right one for your needs.

Diagram template management
Diagram template management

Editing a Diagram Template

To edit an existing template, select it from the Diagram Template Management window and click the Edit button. The template will open in the diagram editor, allowing you to modify its elements.

When editing a template, a Template context tab will appear in the ribbon, offering the following actions:

  • Save Diagram Template: Save any changes after editing.
  • Add Active Field: Designate a field or element as the next active field in the template.
  • Clear Active Fields: Remove all active fields from the template.

Active fields help users navigate through the diagram step-by-step, making it easier to input and confirm values.

Inserting a New Diagram from a Template

You can quickly insert a new diagram from a template in several ways:

  • Ribbon: Insert (tab) → Diagram Templates (gallery)
    • The gallery will display all templates, with those matching the active diagram type appearing first.
  • Menu: Project → Add Diagram by Template
    • This submenu lists all available diagram templates. Selecting one adds a new diagram to the current project using the chosen template.
  • New Diagram Dialog: Project → Add New Diagram → Templates
    • In the standard New Diagram dialog, you can choose a template from the Template category to create a new diagram.

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