Using the Graphics Framework directly

Provides pointers to using the lower-level API of JViews Framework in JViews Diagrammer.

Provides an overview of the lower level features that you can access through the API of JViews Framework.

Provides information on the basic graphic objects provided in the JViews Framework, and how to access and customize them.

Instead of, or as well as, using the high-level JViews Diagrammer API, you can make use of the lower-level API of JViews Framework.

A lower-level approach is appropriate only if you need to access low-level features directly or to create objects as subclasses of existing ones. In general, you should not need to use lower-level JavaBeans™ for GUI components or interactors; instead you are recommended to use the supplied JViews Diagrammer JavaBeans, see JViews Diagrammer classes available as beans in Using the Designer.

This section points you to the documentation available on each of the following lower-level features:

Managers and their layers, for storing graphic objects and determining the display priority (which objects appear in front of others)

Composite graphics, for building more complex graphical representations than those available with basic graphic objects

If you would like to read an introduction to JViews Framework in general or make use of a tutorial, see Introducing Rogue Wave JViews Framework in The Essential JViews Framework and Getting started with JViews Framework in The Essential JViews Framework respectively.

More advanced lower-level features, such as nested managers and graphers, and link shapes and crossings, are described in Advanced features of JViews Framework.

The classes that represent basic graphic objects are listed in Graphic objects in The Essential JViews Framework, which also gives information on how to use the supplied objects.

You can customize the supplied graphic objects in terms of colors, dimensions, and other properties. If you need to assemble an object constructed from several basic objects, consider using composite graphics instead, see Composite graphics in Java code.

You can also use compiled symbols generated by the Symbol Compiler from the palette symbols designed with the Symbol Editor. For details, see Using compiled symbols at the Graphic Framework level.

If you require a new graphic object that can be implemented by specializing a supplied graphic object, or a completely new graphic object, you can create the required object by subclassing. For an example, see Creating a new graphic object class in The Essential JViews Framework.

The class that stores graphic objects in layers is IlvManager. It is compliant with the JavaBeans™ standard.

For information about the use of this class and related classes and interfaces, see Managers in The Essential JViews Framework.

The class that organizes nodes and links into graphs is IlvGrapher. It is compliant with the JavaBeans™ standard.

For information about the use of this class and the classes and interfaces related to nodes and links, see Graphers in The Essential JViews Framework.

The base class for composite graphics is IlvCompositeGraphic.

The composite graphics facility allows you to combine basic graphic objects or existing composite graphics as elements of a composite graphic. At a higher level, you can do this in CSS, as described in Using composite graphics; at a lower level, you can do the same in Java™ code, see Composite Graphics in The Essential JViews Framework.