Fill styles control the interior appearance of shapes. Diagrammix3 offers solid colors, linear gradients, radial gradients, and pattern fills to create visually rich diagrams.

Fill Types

Solid Fill

The simplest fill type uses a single color to fill the entire shape.

To apply a solid fill:

  1. Select a shape
  2. Open the Inspector panel
  3. Find the Fill section
  4. Click the color well
  5. Choose a color from the picker
  6. The shape fills with the selected color

Solid Fill

Linear Gradient

Linear gradients transition smoothly between two or more colors along a straight line.

Available directions:

  • Horizontal (left to right)
  • Vertical (top to bottom)
  • Diagonal (top-left to bottom-right)
  • Reverse diagonal (top-right to bottom-left)

To apply a linear gradient:

  1. Select a shape
  2. In the Inspector's Fill section
  3. Click the Gradient button
  4. Choose Linear Gradient
  5. Select the direction (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal)
  6. Set the start color (top or left color stop)
  7. Set the end color (bottom or right color stop)

Linear Gradients

Radial Gradient

Radial gradients radiate outward from a center point, creating a circular color transition.

Characteristics:

  • Center color (inner)
  • Edge color (outer)
  • Circular or elliptical spread
  • Creates depth and highlight effects

To apply a radial gradient:

  1. Select a shape
  2. In the Inspector's Fill section
  3. Click the Gradient button
  4. Choose Radial Gradient
  5. Set the center color
  6. Set the edge color

Radial gradients automatically adapt to the shape's proportions.

Radial Gradient

Pattern Fill

Pattern fills repeat a texture or design across the shape interior.

Note: Pattern fills may be limited in the current version. Check the Inspector for available patterns.

No Fill (Transparent)

Remove the fill entirely to create outline-only shapes.

To remove fill:

  1. Select a shape
  2. In the Inspector's Fill section
  3. Click No Fill or set opacity to 0%
  4. Only the stroke remains visible

This is useful for:

  • Overlaying shapes without obscuring background content
  • Creating wireframe diagrams
  • Highlighting with outline only

Gradient Color Stops

Advanced gradient control uses color stops to define multiple colors in a gradient:

  1. Select a shape with a gradient fill
  2. In the Inspector, find the Gradient editor
  3. Click on the gradient bar to add a color stop
  4. Drag stops to adjust their position
  5. Click a stop to change its color
  6. Drag a stop off the bar to remove it

Support varies: Check if multi-stop gradients are available in your version.

Fill Opacity

Control the transparency of fills independently from the shape:

  1. Select a shape
  2. In the Fill section of the Inspector
  3. Adjust the Opacity slider (0-100%)
  4. 0% = completely transparent
  5. 100% = completely opaque

Fill opacity affects only the interior, not the stroke or text.

Color Schemes and Fills

Fills can be linked to color schemes:

  • Choose a color from the color scheme palette
  • The fill updates automatically if you change the color scheme
  • Maintains visual consistency across your diagram

To apply a scheme color:

  1. In the Fill section
  2. Click the Scheme dropdown
  3. Choose a color role (Primary, Accent, Background, etc.)
  4. The fill adopts that scheme color

Gradient Tips

Creating Depth

Use gradients to add dimension:

  • Lighter top → darker bottom suggests overhead lighting
  • Darker top → lighter bottom suggests ground reflection
  • Radial gradients create sphere or button effects

Subtle vs. Bold

  • Subtle gradients: Use colors close in value (e.g., light blue → medium blue)
  • Bold gradients: Use contrasting colors (e.g., yellow → purple)
  • Subtle gradients work better for professional diagrams
  • Bold gradients grab attention for emphasis

Performance

  • Gradients render slower than solid fills on very complex diagrams
  • Use solid fills for diagrams with 100+ shapes
  • Reserve gradients for key elements that need visual emphasis

Combining Fills with Strokes

Effective shapes often combine fill and stroke:

  • Dark fill + light stroke - Creates glow effect
  • Light fill + dark stroke - Classic clear definition
  • Gradient fill + matching stroke - Cohesive appearance
  • No fill + stroke only - Wireframe style

Fill and Stroke Combinations

Use Cases

Business Diagrams

  • Solid fills in brand colors
  • Subtle gradients for modern look
  • No fill for minimalist style

Technical Diagrams

  • Solid fills for clarity
  • Color-coded fills for categories
  • Transparent fills for layer overlays

Presentations

  • Bold gradients for impact
  • Radial gradients for highlights
  • Pattern fills for texture

Flowcharts

  • Light fills with dark strokes for readability
  • Different fill colors for different element types
  • Gradient fills for starting/ending elements

Accessibility Considerations

When choosing fills:

  1. Ensure contrast - Text must be readable against the fill color
  2. Don't rely on color alone - Use text labels, not just fill color to convey meaning
  3. Test in grayscale - Ensure your diagram works without color
  4. Avoid low-contrast gradients - Make sure gradient extremes have sufficient contrast

Quick Fill Shortcuts

While there's no direct keyboard shortcut for fills, you can:

  1. Use Copy & Apply Styles to transfer fills between shapes
  2. Save fills as part of Shape Styles for quick reuse
  3. Use color scheme assignments for theme-wide fill changes