How to add gradient to existing diagrams

A picture is worth a thousand words –

Visual is important when you communicate software design among various people. With Astah, you can make the visual easily.

We’ve received the following question from one customer:

“How can I set the color in diagrams? I know how to set it, but it looks different than other diagrams.
Now it is just “blue”, but I want it to fade from “light blue” to an “darker blue” within a class.”

Since version 7.0, the gradient setting is turned off by default in Astah because the simple flat design got popular and requested. So models you create in version 7.0 will have no gradient. “Other diagrams” he refers to must be created in version 6.9 or earlier.

So here’s how you add gradient to existing models. Go to [Tool] – [System Properties] – [Diagram Editor] and choose the gradation style you want. But make sure to check [Apply the project settings to the current project] box at the bottom.

Because each Astah file has its own visual setting itself, and it always applies no matter what version of Astah you are using or what the current [System Properties] setting is. Remember, to apply changes to existing models, you always have to check [Apply the project settings to the current project] button.

Also there are two ways to directly change the color setting that the file itself has.
Let’s say you have this diagram you want to add gradient to.

From the Structure tree
From the Property View

From the Structure tree

1. Right click on a root package in the Structure Tree and select [Set Property (Project)]

2. A [Project Property Setting] dialog opens, choose a gradation type from the drop-down list of “Gradation style (Model elements)” and then click [Apply] – [OK]

From the Property View

1. Select a root package in the Structure Tree and go to the property view (bottom pane), select [Project Setting] tab and then click [Set]

2. A [Project Property Setting] dialog appears. Choose the gradation type from the drop-down list of “Gradation style (Model elements)” and then click [Apply] – [OK]

The gradation will be applied on the diagram as below.