Holarch

Getting Around Holarch

Diagram Editor Basics

Every diagram type uses the same editor: a toolbar row, a palette on the left, the canvas, and the inspector on the right.

Where to find it

  • Open a diagram from Diagrams at the bottom of the rail, from a group's overview page, from an entity's Open ▾, or from its editor tab.
  • Top bar: the root entity's name, the diagram type selector (the same root in another type) and ▲ Parent (the same type for the parent, when it has one).

Main actions

  • Toolbar, one row in a fixed order: Mode (Pan, Box select) · Insert (the type's + buttons) · Edit (Undo, Redo, Delete, format tools) · View (zoom −, %, +, ⤢ Fit; Levels, layout and view toggles; Search diagram) · the type's own actions · Output (Export ▾) · More (⚙ and ⋯).
  • When the window is narrow, items move into ⋯ under their group headings; ⚙ and Export ▾ always stay visible. ⋯ also holds Open Entity View, All Diagrams, Help for this type and Delete Diagram….
  • ⚙: Layout Diagram, Reset Diagram, the type's options, Auto Number…, Check Diagram… (orphans and cycles), and Show/Hide Sidebar.
  • Export ▾: Opaque Image (PNG), Transparent Image (PNG), Vector Graphic (SVG), Web Page (HTML), Microsoft Word (DOCX), the type's extra outputs, and Print….
  • The type's AI tools are in the top bar's ✦ AI ▾, not in the toolbar.
  • Palette (left): the root card (✎ edits its number, name and description), then the tabs New (constructs and classes), Existing (search entities to add) and Layout. Drag an item onto the canvas, or focus it and press Enter to insert it at the center of the view.
  • Inspector: select a shape for its name, number, description, Open Entity View, Open ▾, attributes, relationships, metadata and comments. Select a line for its relationship: line type (Straight, Orthogonal, Curved), label, relationship attributes and Remove Relationship.

Canvas

  • Scroll or drag the background to pan; ⌘+wheel or the zoom field zooms (type a value from 10 to 400 and press Enter). Zoom and position are kept per diagram.
  • Click to select; ⇧/⌘-click to add; ⇧-drag or Box select for a marquee. Delete removes, Esc deselects.
  • Connect: point at a shape and drag its green handle to another shape; valid targets highlight, and when several relations apply you choose one.
  • Resize from the corner handles (⇧ keeps proportions). Format tools set bold, italic, colors and line; Align and Clone Dimensions use the first selected shape as the anchor.
  • A diagram opens fitted to the window but at no less than 70%, so its text stays readable; ⤢ fits all of it.

Annotations

Notes, text, shapes, pictures, legends and title blocks that are saved with the diagram, not as entities, so they never change the model. Exports, reports and thumbnails include them.

  • Use Annotations at the bottom of the left sidebar: click a tool to add it in the middle of the view, or drag it to a spot.
  • Note (drag its green dot to an element to anchor it; Unanchor removes the line), Text, Rectangle, Rounded, Ellipse, Line, Arrow, Image… (PNG, JPG or SVG; scripts and external links are removed from SVG), Legend (classes on the diagram, or your own entries) and Title Block (title, number, revision, date, author, marking; Pin ▾ chooses the corner).
  • The floating bar: Edit, Fill, Line color, Text color, size, Dashed, front/back, Pin ▾, Unanchor and Delete. Double-click to edit text (⌘Enter saves). Arrow keys nudge; ⌘C / ⌘X / ⌘V copy, cut and paste, also into another diagram.

Tips

  • Every change is one undo step.
  • Export and image colors always use the light theme.

Related

Diagrams · Installed Pages and Diagram Types