Shape Relationships
This task requires the Shape Editor (
x_inpi_yd.shape_editor) or YouDesign Admin (x_inpi_yd.admin) role.
Shape Relationships let an administrator define conditional styling for relationships so specific links on the canvas stand out — a different color for a Depends on between a Business Application and its Database, for example. It's how you encode organizational conventions into the look of a diagram.
This page covers how the styling resolves, how to configure it, and how it fits with user-set styles.
How Relationship Styling Resolves
YouDesign Models evaluates three sources of style when rendering a relationship, in order. Each subsequent source overrides the previous one where defined.
1. Global Relationship Style
The baseline style for all new visual relationships.
Defined in
sys_properties table
Setting
x_inpi_yd.user.default_relationship_format
Scope
Default for all users when no other style applies
Affects
Visual relationships only
Modify this in Global Settings.
2. User Preference Relationship Style
A user-specific override applied once the user has picked a style themselves.
Defined in
sys_user_preference table
Setting
x_inpi_yd.user.last_relationship_format
Scope
Individual user's preference
Affects
Visual relationships only
This is set automatically when a user changes the style of a visual relationship in the editor. It affects subsequent new relationships the same user creates.
3. Shape Relationship (CI Relationship Style)
Conditional style for CI relationships between specific shape pairs. This is the admin-configured layer — where you bake rules like "relationships between Business Capability and Business Application use a green dashed line."
Defined in
x_inpi_yd_shape_relationship table
Scope
By shape pair + relationship type
Affects
CI relationships only (not visual-only relationships)
Because it's keyed by Shape (not just the underlying table), you can apply different styles for the same relationship type when the endpoints are different shapes — even if the shapes bind to the same table.
Example:
Business Application (Shape A) → Updates → Information Object (Shape B) ⇒ Style Z
Business Application (Shape C) → Updates → Information Object (Shape B) ⇒ Style X
Configuring a Shape Relationship
Open the Shape Relationships list (
x_inpi_yd_shape_relationship) from the YouDesign Models application menu.Click New.
Shape
The from (source) shape of the relationship
Target Shape
The to (target) shape of the relationship
Suggested Relationship
The suggested relationship (from cmdb_rel_type_suggest) between the underlying tables of the two shapes
Relationship
Auto-populated from the selected Suggested Relationship
Style
JSON style object (see below)
Both shapes must share the same underlying Data Hub table binding for the suggested relationship to resolve correctly. If you can't find the Suggested Relationship you expect, check your metamodel first.
🖼 Screenshot needed: [Shape Relationship form with Shape, Target Shape, Suggested Relationship, Relationship, and Style fields populated] Show: a Shape Relationship record showing From shape, To shape, a suggested relationship like "has target", and a JSON Style field with syntax-highlighted content.
Style JSON Reference
The Style field holds a JSON object describing the link's visual properties:
fromArrow
Arrow head at the source end (see Relationships for available values)
toArrow
Arrow head at the target end
linkRoute
Routing style: "Normal", "AvoidsNodes", "Orthogonal"
linkStroke
Stroke style: "line", "dashed", "dotted"
linkWidth
Line thickness (1–10)
linkColor
Line color — CSS name, hex, or RGB
horizontalTextAlignment
"0" (left), "0.5" (center), "1" (right) along the link
verticalTextAlignment
Text offset relative to the line (-15 = top, 0 = middle, +15 = bottom)
fontColor
Text color
font
CSS font shorthand (e.g. "normal 12px Arial")
textOrientation
"OnTheLine" (horizontal) or "FollowsTheLine" (rotates with link angle)
corner
Corner radius for orthogonal/avoids-nodes routes
For the full set of arrow values and link behavior, see the end-user Relationships documentation.
Limits & Gotchas
Only CI relationships are styled by Shape Relationships. Visual-only relationships (not backed by CMDB data) are controlled by the Global and User Preference styles.
Shape Relationships don't retroactively restyle existing links. They apply as each link is rendered, so changes take effect on refresh.
Per-user overrides take priority over Global — if a user has ever changed a relationship style in the editor, their User Preference will override the Global default for every new visual relationship they create.
Style precedence is not configurable. The three-tier order (Global → User Preference → Shape Relationship) is fixed.
Migrate shape relationships via XML, not Update Sets. See Migrating Configuration.
Related
Relationships (end-user) — the end-user view of styling
Shape Administration — configuring the shapes themselves
Global Settings — where the global relationship format lives
Metamodel Prerequisites — suggested relationships must exist first
Migrating Configuration — moving styles between instances
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