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New Symbol Features v16.0Locate this document in the navigation structure

PowerDesigner v16.0 includes new features for symbols available for all models.

Enhanced Symbol Editing

You can now edit most object properties directly from diagram symbols. You can also add, edit, and delete sub-objects, and drag and drop sub-objects from one symbol to another.


Symbol - Edit SubProperty
Documented in:
  • Core Features Guide > Modeling with PowerDesigner > Diagrams, Matrices, and Symbols > Symbols
Horizontal and Vertical Symbol Layouts

New options provide greater flexibility for organizing properties on symbols, allowing multiple properties on a line and columns of properties.


Display Preferences - Horizontal Layout
Documented in:
  • Core Features Guide > Modeling with PowerDesigner > Diagrams, Matrices, and Symbols > Display Preferences
Attribute Value Icons

You can now create sets of icons to represent extended attribute values on diagram symbols. In the following example, each entity symbol displays an icon at its top-right corner to indicate progress:


Attribute Value Icons - Diagram
Documented in:
  • Customizing and Extending PowerDesigner > Extension Files> Extended Attributes (Profile) > Specifying Icons for Attribute Values
Automatic Link Routing and Link Bridges

Most diagrams now support a new algorithm for automatically optimizing link paths and routing them around object symbols. When link paths must cross, a bridge or "line hop" is added to clarify the flows.


Link Bridges
Note These display preferences are enabled by default for new models, but need to be set manually for models created in previous versions of PowerDesigner.
Documented in:
  • Core Features Guide > Modeling with PowerDesigner > Diagrams, Matrices, and Symbols > Symbols