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Before exporting a diagram, you should specify the Image Export options in the Project Options dialog. You can also make additional image export changes in the Environment Options dialog. These options are applicable to all operations dedicated to exporting or previewing diagrams, such as:

Specifying Project Options for diagram image export

Via the Image Export options in the Project Options dialog, you can specify the dimensions for the exported diagram, what should be done if these dimensions are exceeded, and the time it can take to build it (the latter applies only to tables and matrices). The changes you make in the Project Options dialog apply only to a specific project.


To specify project options for diagram image export

  • In the main menu, select Options > Project > under the General group, select Diagrams > modify the options in the Image Export group.


In the table below, you can see the descriptions of the diagram Image Export options and their default values.

Project OptionDefault ValueDescription
Time Limit to Build Diagram60

Specify the maximum time (in seconds) allotted for diagram building while exporting a diagram. If the time limit is exceeded, the diagram is not exported. Set to 0 to export diagram without the time limit.

The option applies to tables and matrices only.

Image Height Limit 10 000

Specify the maximum image height (in pixels) for diagram export. If the height limit is exceeded, the exported diagram is cropped, or the diagram is not exported at all, depending on the selected preference. Set to 0 to export the diagram without the image height limit.

Image Width Limit 10 000

Specify the maximum image width (in pixels) for diagram export. If the width limit is exceeded, the exported diagram is cropped, or the diagram is not exported at all, depending on the selected preference. Set to 0 to export diagram without the image width limit.

Export Preference When Limits Exceeded

Export Cropped Diagram

Specify the diagram export preference if the diagram image height and/or width limits are exceeded.

If the Export Preference When Limits Exceeded value is set to Export Cropped Diagram, the previewed or exported diagram is cropped based on the specified dimensions, displaying an incomplete view of the diagram that looks like the image below.

Diagram image export notifications and statistics

The following table displays the expected results of specific diagram image export options.

Export optionSuccessful exportDiagram does not comply with Image Export options or the export failed
Save as Image
  • All diagrams are saved as they are in the modeling tool.
  • The file location is opened.


Single diagram exportMultiple diagrams export
  • The diagram is saved as it is in the modeling tool.
  • The file location is opened.
  • A notification is displayed with the information about image export, e.g.:

    Click Details... to see Diagram Image Export Statistics.
MDZipX Export
  • All diagrams are exported as they are in the modeling tool.
  • The file location is opened.
  • A notification is displayed with the information about image export, e.g.:

    Click Details... to see Diagram Image Export Statistics.
MDZipX Publish
  • All diagrams are published as they are in the modeling tool.
  • A notification is displayed with the information about successful publishing, e.g.:
  • A notification is displayed with the information about image export, e.g.:

    Click Details... to see Diagram Image Export Statistics.

The Details... link in the notifications opens the Notification Window, which displays  Diagram Image Export Statistics with the following information:

  • Total: the number of exported diagrams.
  • Cropped: the number of diagrams exported with limited dimensions if the Export Preference When Limits Exceeded option is set to Export Cropped Diagram. 

  • Failed: the number of diagrams not exported due to the exceeded building time and/or dimension limits if the Export Preference When Limits Exceeded option is set to Do Not Export. It also displays the number of diagrams whose export failed.

    The Failed and Cropped indications are only displayed if there are any cropped or failed diagram images.

Specifying Environment Options for image export

You can also make additional image export changes in the modeling tool's environment, such as image resolution and compression quality. The modifications you make in the Environment Options dialog persist when the application is closed and re-opened and thus apply to all projects.


To specify environment options for image export

  • In the main menu, select Options > Environment > under the General group, select Image Export > modify the options in the Image Export group.


In the table below, you can see the descriptions of the environment Image Export options and their default values.

Environment OptionDefault ValueDescription
Save Diagram Background in ImagefalseSet to true to save the diagram together with its background as an image. Otherwise, the diagram background becomes white after saving the diagram as an image.
JPEG Compression Quality1.0Specify the quality for saving an image as a JPEG file. Set the value to 1.0 to define the highest quality.
Use SVG <text> Tag for Text OutputfalseSet to true to turn all text into SVG shapes during the image conversion.
Render SVG Icons as Raster Images in EMFfalseSet to true to render SVG icons as raster images in the EMF output. Otherwise, the SVG icons are rendered as vector graphics.
Image Resolution (DPI)72Specify the measure for spatial printing.
Exported Image Size [%]100Specify exported image scaling ratio in percent. If the set value is higher than 100, then the view is enlarged (zoomed in) before generating an image. Raster image will not lose its quality as additional pixels are introduced.
TIFF Color SpaceRGBSpecify the color format for the tagged image file format (TIFF).
TIFF CompressionLZWSpecify the type for compression of the tagged image file format (TIFF).