Model diagram appearance

You can change how your model diagram looks by moving elements or using Auto Layout, setting zoom levels, formatting labels and text, and reshaping connector lines or changing connector line routing properties. Changing your model diagram's appearance can make your model easier to read and understand.

Layout

• The elements in a model can be arranged manually by moving the elements to another location. When you save the model, the location of elements is saved.
• To apply an automatic layout to your model, click the ModelBuilder tab, in the View group, click Auto Layout . Alternatively, you can right-click anywhere in the model and click Auto Layout Diagram.
• To automatically arrange only the elements inside a model group, right-click the group and click Auto Layout Group. Elements outside the group will not be affected.
• Right-clicking and clicking Collapse All and Expand All will cause Auto Layout to compensate for the expanded and collapsed size of the groups.
• Manually expanding and collapsing a model by clicking the group expander control will not run Auto Layout. The size changes for an expanded or collapsed group will need manual management.
• The Enforce Link Flow property on the Diagram tab significantly affects the layout of a model. Check or uncheck this property to find a suitable layout.
• You can lock elements on your model diagram so they are not affected by Auto Layout by using the following steps:
  1. Select one or more elements or labels in the model diagram.
  2. On the ModelBuilder tab, in the View group, click Lock Element .
  3. To unlock the selected elements, click the Unlock Element button .

Zoom level

• There are three methods you can use to zoom in your model diagram:
  1. Scroll the mouse wheel to zoom in to or out from the cursor position.
  2. Adjust the zoom slider control at the bottom of the model view.
  3. On the ModelBuilder tab, in the View group, click the Zoom in or Zoom out buttons.
• You can move between previous and next zoom levels and model diagram extents using the Previous Extent button and Next Extent button on the ModelBuilder tab in the View group.
• To change the zoom level of your model so that all model elements are visible within the current extent of the view, click the Fit To Window button at the bottom of the model view or on the ModelBuilder tab in the View group.

Format text and labels

• By default, all elements in the model have the same font type, size, and color: Arial size 12, black.
• To change the font of selected elements in your model, follow these steps:
  1. Select one or more elements or labels in the model diagram.
  2. Use the Text controls that are under ModelBuilder on the Diagram tab, in the Text group, to select a font, size, color, bold, underline, italic, and text justification to apply to the text for the selected elements.
• To change the font of all text in your model and set the font for all elements added to the model in the future, follow these steps:
  1. Ensure no model elements are selected.
  2. Use the Text controls that are under ModelBuilder on the Diagram tab, in the Text group, to select a font, size, color, bold, underline, italic, and text justification.

Connector lines and routing

• The connector line color can be changed using controls that are under ModelBuilder on the Diagram tab. These link colors are preserved with the model.
• The connector lines between elements can be manually reshaped by clicking the connector line and dragging it to another place. This creates a vertex on the line that can be moved so the connector line follows a custom path. The custom path for a model is preserved with the model.

  

  Reshaping a connector line by adding a vertex and moving it

• You can reset all links in the model using the specified link routing method by right-clicking anywhere in the model and clicking Route All Links.
• To reset only the links inside a model group, right-click the group and click Route Group Links. Links between elements outside the group will not be affected.

Diagram properties

Model diagram layout and routing properties can be changed using settings on the Diagram tab. These properties are automatically applied to the diagram as you change them. The following table describes the diagram properties:

Property	Description
Spacing > Element	The distance between tools, variables, connectors, and groups. For elements in a group, this property can be applied by right-clicking the group and clicking Auto Layout.
Spacing > Level	The distance between stacked tools, variables, and groups in the same graph. For elements in a group, this property can be applied by right-clicking the group and clicking Auto Layout.
Spacing > Sub-Graph	The distance between unconnected graphs. For elements in a group, this property can be applied by right-clicking the group and clicking Auto Layout.
Links > Link Shape	The shape of the connector used while drawing or after using the Auto Layout command. Bezier—The connector segments will be Bézier curves. Cascading—The connector segments will be horizontal and vertical lines, each one orthogonal to its adjacent segments. Polyline—The connector segments will be straight lines. Spline—The connector segments will be curves forming an interpolating spline that passes through all control points.
Links > Enforce Link Flow	When checked, the layout attempts to force all links to point the same direction. If the arranged graph contains cycles, some of the links will continue to point the other direction. This property is checked on by default.
Links > Straighten Long Links	When checked, the layout attempts to straighten links that cross more than one layer of the graph. Because of the additional horizontal alignment constraints, the arranged graph usually occupies a larger area than when this property is unchecked. This property is checked on by default.
Links > Orthogonal Links	The connectors will follow orthogonal routes. This property is checked off by default.
Orientation > Flip Orientation	Determines whether the model orientation should be changed from horizontal (unchecked) to vertical (checked). Use this property with Reverse Direction to obtain a model with the direction and orientation described as follows: Left to Right (default)—Flip Orientation unchecked and Reverse Direction unchecked Top to Bottom—Flip Orientation checked and Reverse Direction unchecked Right to Left—Flip Orientation unchecked and Reverse Direction checked Bottom to Top—Flip Orientation checked and Reverse Direction checked For elements in a group, this property can be applied by right-clicking the group and clicking Auto Layout.
Orientation > Reverse Direction	Determines if the model direction should be reversed. Use this property with Flip Orientation to obtain a model with the direction and orientation described as follows: Left to Right (default)—Flip Orientation unchecked and Reverse Direction unchecked Top to Bottom—Flip Orientation checked and Reverse Direction unchecked Right to Left—Flip Orientation unchecked and Reverse Direction checked Bottom to Top—Flip Orientation checked and Reverse Direction checked For elements in a group, this property can be applied by right-clicking the group and clicking Auto Layout.
Orientation > Flip Flow Direction	Determines the reading pattern of the model. Use this property if you want your model to be specific to left-to-right or right-to-left languages. Unchecked—The model's flow and text direction will be set to a left-to-right reading pattern. This is the default. Checked—The model's flow and text direction will be set to a right-to-left reading pattern.
Layout > Sub-Graph	The layout of independent graphs in a model. This does not affect the elements inside a group.
Layout > Group-Graph	The layout of independent graphs in a group in a model. For elements in a group, this property can be applied by right-clicking the group and selecting Auto Layout.
Routing > Use Grid Router	Determines whether the model will use a grid router to arrange model elements. Model drawing and interaction performance may be impacted depending on the number of elements in the model. Unchecked—Use a quick router instead of the grid router. This is the default. Checked—Use the grid router.
Routing > Show Grid	Determines whether the model will display a reference grid of points.
Routing > Grid Settings > Grid Size	The size of the routing grid. A smaller grid size will generate better results but may slow layout performance depending on the number of elements in the model.
Routing > Grid Settings > Length Cost	The additional cost to add to long connectors. Routing aims to find paths that have a minimal cost, so assigning a larger value results in the model using shorter paths.
Routing > Grid Settings > Turn Cost	The additional cost to add to turns along connectors. Routing aims to find paths that have a minimal cost, so assigning a larger value results in the model using connectors with fewer turns.
Routing > Grid Settings > Crossing Cost	The additional cost to add when connectors cross each other. Routing aims to find paths that have a minimal cost, so assigning a larger value results in the model using connectors that cross less frequently.
Routing > Grid Settings > Node Vicinity Cost	The additional cost to add when connectors pass very near other elements. Routing aims to find paths that have a minimal cost, so assigning a larger value results in the model using connectors that do not pass near other elements. The size of the area around other elements in which passing connectors incur an additional cost is set using the Node Vicinity Size.
Routing > Grid Settings > Node Vicinity Size	The size of the area around other elements in which passing connectors incur an additional cost.