How to configure notation
Notation defines how an element type appears on diagrams and in the Explorer. Configure it on the M2 type, in the Appearance section of the Properties panel.
Set basic notation
Section titled “Set basic notation”- Select the M2 element type in the Explorer
- In the Properties panel, open the Appearance section
- Configure:
| Field | Options |
|---|---|
| Shape | Rectangle, Rounded, Pill, Chamfered, Chevron, Ellipse, Diamond |
| Body | Name, Notes, or Image (what the node shows inside) |
| Label Placement | Inside (name in the node) or Outside (icon in the node, name below it) |
| Icon Placement | The corner for the type icon: Top right, Top left, Bottom left, Bottom right |
| Fill | Solid, or None for an outline-only node |
| Border Style | Solid, Dashed, Dotted, None |
| Text H-Align / Text V-Align | Where the name sits in the node |
| Default Width / Default Height | Size in pixels when a node is first placed (e.g. 180 × 82) |
| Default Border Width | Default (2px), 1px, 2px, 3px or 4px |
| Drop shadow | A soft shadow under the node (a light halo in dark mode) |
| Show icon | Show the type icon in the node |
| Folded corner | A dog-eared corner, like a note |
| Icon (SVG) | SVG markup (paste from Lucide or other sources) |
The Stereotype label is under Advanced, further down the Properties panel.
Each section of the panel stays open or closed as you left it when you select another type, so you can set up several types in a row without reopening Appearance each time.
Set colours
Section titled “Set colours”Below the checkboxes is the Colours group. Every colour has a Light and a Dark value, one for each diagram theme:
| Row | Colours | Auto means |
|---|---|---|
| Fill | The node’s background | The theme’s node background |
| Border | The node’s outline | Charcoal in light mode, off-white in dark |
| Text | The name, stereotype, compartments, icon, and an outside label | Black or white, whichever reads best on the fill |
| Fold | The folded corner (shown only when Folded corner is ticked) | A shade of the fill |
Each row has a Light swatch and a Dark swatch with = (linked) or ≠ (unlinked) between them. See How to set light and dark colours for a metamodel type for the details, and How colours work in light and dark mode for the model behind them.
The Preview under the colours draws a sample node. Switch it between ☀ Light and ☾ Dark to check both themes without changing the app theme.
Configure compartments
Section titled “Configure compartments”Compartments are sections within the diagram node. Turn them on under Compartments in the Appearance section:
- Name band — the name as a title band at the top
- Property values — shows M1 property values inside the node
- Attached file — shows the element’s attachment (for types that allow attachments)
Types with subordinate element types (e.g. Attributes on an entity) also get one band per subordinate type. Each band has a label and can be shown or hidden.
Configure auto-size
Section titled “Configure auto-size”When a subordinate type’s band is shown, tick Auto-adjust node height under it to make the node grow or shrink to fit its content. This is especially useful for entity-style nodes with variable numbers of attributes.
Relationship notation
Section titled “Relationship notation”For relationship types, the Appearance section has:
| Field | Options |
|---|---|
| Source Marker / Target Marker | None, Arrow (open), Triangle, Diamond, Circle, Bar — Triangle, Diamond and Circle can be Filled or Hollow |
| Line Pattern | Solid, Dashed, Dotted |
| Line Width | The default line width in pixels |
| Line colour | Light and Dark values; Auto is charcoal in light mode, off-white in dark |
| Label colour | Light and Dark values for the name, role names and multiplicities; Auto uses the theme’s label colours |
| Show role names on edges | Display role name labels |
| Show multiplicities on edges | Display source/target multiplicity labels |
Filled markers are drawn in the line colour, so there is no separate marker colour. The Preview draws a sample edge with its markers and a label, in either theme.
The direction labels — Source → Target (e.g. “serves”) and Target → Source (e.g. “is served by”) — are further down the Properties panel.
- Leave Line and Border on Auto unless the colour carries meaning. Auto adapts to both themes.
- Use the This metamodel swatches in the colour picker to keep related types on exactly the same colour.
- Check both themes in the preview. A ⚠ appears next to a colour that is hard to read in either theme.
- Keep icons at a 24×24 viewBox for consistency with built-in metamodels
- Test notation by creating M1 instances and viewing them on a diagram — adjust sizes and compartments as needed