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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-24T11:26:28+00:00

I know it may seems silly, however in order to make my model more

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I know it may seems silly, however in order to make my model more coherent, I want to divide my diagram into 3 partitions which two of them are horizontal, and one of them is vertical and all of them with different background color! something like :

-------------------
   part1 | paart2  |
-------------------|
      part3        |
-------------------

I couldn’t find any shape. and swimlanes are either vertical or horizontal.
o”m using Sparx Enterprise Architect 7.5
Any idea?
Thanks in advance

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    I’m on 9.0, so YMMV.

    Swimlanes don’t allow setting a background colour, and they are as you say either horizontal or vertical.

    Matrix (not sure if this exists in 7.5) allows setting a background colour, but requires a strict matrix layout (only entire rows/columns can be enabled/disabled) – so no to the 2 columns in the first row and only one in the second. Swimlanes and matrix cannot be combined. You can define both for a diagram, but only one can be active at a time.

    Ordinary Boundaries can give you the layout you’re after, but they don’t allow setting a background colour.

    But if it’s really important, here’s a hacky way to get it done: use images.

    First, create simple images (in Paint or whatever), which just have the background colour you want. They don’t have to be a specific size; EA can stretch images.

    Then, in the diagram, create an Image (right next to Boundary in the Common toolbox). This brings up first the Boundary creation dialog (because an Image is really just a filled Boundary), then the Image selection dialog. Click the Add New… button to import your image. Repeat for each partition.

    Please note that EA stores images in the project (database), and converts them to bitmaps. You can use the same image in many locations in your model, but obviously this means that if you make changes to the image in one place it affects all uses.

    Also note that when you start dropping model elements onto your partitions, you may need to play with the Z order to see them. In addition, it may not look perfect because of the 3D/hover effect EA employs, which adds a bit of the diagram background colour around the edges of an element.

    But since the Images are in fact Boundaries, any elements you’ve dropped onto them stay inside the Image when you move it so in diagramming terms it does work.

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