Overview of using alternative item icons and symbols through iconic stereotypes
An iconic Stereotype is a Stereotype that can apply an alternative icon to use in the Modeler panes and Property Pages, an alternative image to use for diagram symbols, and an image to appear on diagram symbols as an icon.
Using a Stereotype to change an item's icon and a symbol's image is useful when the Stereotype is being used to create a subtype. In addition, using a Stereotype to change a symbol's image is useful should you want to use an image on different diagrams for different items.
A Stereotype's Property Pages has a Style tab that allows you to specify the Stereotype's style properties. Through the style properties, you can specify an alternative icon and image.
To set up a Stereotype's style properties, on the Style tab of a Stereotype's Property Pages, you click the Edit button, and then from the Style Modification dialog you select the required icon and image.
When you set up an image for an iconic Stereotype, you create style properties for that Stereotype. If you delete the style properties through the Delete button on the Style tab of a Stereotype's Property Pages:
• Any symbols that use the Stereotype to define their presentation will revert to the item's style settings if defined, else the default colors for the item type.
• Any items that use the Stereotype to define their icon will revert to the default icon, unless another applied Stereotype defines an icon.
In addition to using iconic Stereotypes, you can use an alternative icon or symbol through a symbol or its item:
• Through an Item - You can specify an alternative icon and that icon will always be used. You can specify an alternative image and by default that image will be used whenever the item is added to a diagram. For more information, see
Overview of customizing symbols.
Use this method when you want an item to use the same alternative symbol on all diagrams. If you are going to use a Stereotype to make the item a subtype, it is easier to change the icon and image through the Stereotype.
• Through a Symbol - You can specify an alternative image for a diagram symbol.
Use this method when you want to use the alternative symbol only on a particular diagram. For more information, see
Overview of customizing symbols.
Alternative Icons
When you select an icon to use, you must select a Windows icon (ico extension). The icon file requires a small and large version of the icon.
After selecting an icon for a Stereotype, you can apply the Stereotype to an item. The icon you selected is typically used for the item's icon in the panes, Links Editor and Property Pages.
• If an alternative icon has been specified for an item through the Style tab on the item's Property Pages, that icon is always used.
• If no alternative icon is specified for an item and an applied Stereotype has an alternative Stereotype specified, the Stereotype's alternative icon is used for the item. If many Stereotypes are applied to an item, Modeler uses the icon from the first Stereotype that defines an alternative icon. You can order the Stereotypes on the Items tab of an item's Property Pages.
• Selecting the 'Apply to All Objects of Associated Model Item Types' check box for a Stereotype does not apply the Stereotype's style properties to any items.
Alternative Symbols
When you select an image to use, you must select a Windows metafile (WMF or EMF extension).
We recommend that you select WMF files that use only vector graphics. If you paste a raster graphic to another application as a WMF file, the image may be missing. Note that there is not a problem when pasting a raster graphic to another application as an EMF file, which is now typically the default in Microsoft applications.
There are two options you can apply to the image:
• Name Only - displays only the name of the item, not additional information you may see on a symbol, such as a Class' Attributes and Operations.
• Aspect Ratio - maintains the aspect ratio of an image when displayed on a diagram.
After applying an iconic Stereotype to a symbol or its underlying item, you can apply the iconic Stereotype's image to the symbol through its View Options: on the symbol's View Options dialog, click the Style tab, click the Stereotype option, and then from the list select the required iconic Stereotype.
Through a Stereotype, you can set up an item so that the Stereotype's alternative symbol is used whenever that item is added to the diagram. To do this you select the Apply to New Symbols check box on the Directly-Stereotyped Options tab of the Stereotype's Property Pages.
You cannot use alternative symbols on Concurrency Diagrams and System Architecture Diagrams.
Image on Symbols
When you select an image to use, you must select a Windows metafile (WMF or EMF extension).
We recommend that you select WMF files that use only vector graphics. If you paste a raster graphic to another application as a WMF file, the image may be missing. Note that there is not a problem when pasting a raster graphic to another application as an EMF file, which is now typically the default in Microsoft applications.
After applying an iconic Stereotype to a symbol or its underlying item, you can apply the iconic Stereotype's image to the symbol as an icon through its View Options: on the symbol's View Options dialog, click the Stereotypes tab, and then select the Show Iconic check box.
• To show a Stereotype's image as an iconic image on a diagram, you must set up the Stereotype as a Shown Stereotype for the diagram: right-click the diagram background, click View Options, click the Shown Stereotypes tab, click the Link button, and then select the Stereotype.
• When you select the Show Iconic check box, alternative symbol images applied to the symbol through Stereotypes are ignored.
Link button, and then select the Stereotype.