☰
PGF/TikZ Manual

The TikZ and PGF Packages
Manual for version 3.1.10

Libraries

71 Shape Library

71.1 Overview

In addition to the standard shapes rectangle, circle and coordinate, there exist a number of additional shapes defined in different shape libraries. Most of these shapes have been contributed by Mark Wibrow. In the present section, these shapes are described. Note that the library shapes is provided for compatibility only. Please include sublibraries like shapes.geometric or shapes.misc directly.

The appearance of shapes is influenced by numerous parameters like minimum height or inner xsep. These general parameters are documented in Section 17.2.3

In all of the examples presented in this section, the following shape example style is used:


\tikzset{
shape example/.style= {color = black!30,
draw,
fill = yellow!30,
line width = .5cm,
inner xsep = 2.5cm,
inner ysep = 0.5cm}
}
71.2 Predefined Shapes

The three shapes rectangle, circle, and coordinate are always defined and no library needs to be loaded for them. While the coordinate shape defines only the center anchor, the other two shapes define a standard set of anchors.

  • Shape circle

    • This shape draws a tightly fitting circle around the text. The following figure shows the anchors this shape defines; the anchors 10 and 130 are example of border anchors.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=circle,shape example] {Circle\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {north west/above left, north/above, north east/above right,
    west/left, center/above, east/right,
    mid west/right, mid/above, mid east/left,
    base west/left, base/below, base east/right,
    south west/below left, south/below, south east/below right,
    text/left, 10/right, 130/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape rectangle

    • This shape, which is the standard, is a rectangle around the text. The inner and outer separations (see Section 17.2.3) influence the white space around the text. The following figure shows the anchors this shape defines; the anchors 10 and 130 are example of border anchors.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=rectangle,shape example] {Rectangle\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {north west/above left, north/above, north east/above right,
    west/left, center/above, east/right,
    mid west/right, mid/above, mid east/left,
    base west/left, base/below, base east/right,
    south west/below left, south/below, south east/below right,
    text/left, 10/right, 130/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}
71.3 Geometric Shapes

  • TikZ Library shapes.geometric

    • \usepgflibrary{shapes.geometric} % and plain and pure pgf
    \usepgflibrary[shapes.geometric] % Cont and pure pgf
    \usetikzlibrary{shapes.geometric} % and plain when using TikZ
    \usetikzlibrary[shapes.geometric] % Cont when using TikZ

    This library defines different shapes that correspond to basic geometric objects like ellipses or polygons.

  • Shape diamond

    • This shape is a diamond tightly fitting the text box. The ratio between width and height is 1 by default, but can be changed by setting the shape aspect ratio using the following pgf key (to use this key in TikZ simply remove the /pgf/ path).

    • /pgf/aspect=⟨value⟩ (no default, initially 1.0)

      • The aspect is a recommendation for the quotient of the width and the height of a shape. This key calls the macro \pgfsetshapeaspect.

    The following figure shows the anchors this shape defines; the anchors 10 and 130 are example of border anchors.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=diamond,shape example] {Diamond\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {north west/above left, north/above, north east/above right,
    west/left, center/above, east/right,
    mid/above,
    base/below,
    south west/below left, south/below, south east/below right,
    text/left, 10/right, 130/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape ellipse

    • This shape is an ellipse tightly fitting the text box, if no inner separation is given. The following figure shows the anchors this shape defines; the anchors 10 and 130 are example of border anchors.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=ellipse,shape example] {Ellipse\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {north west/above left, north/above, north east/above right,
    west/left, center/above, east/right,
    mid west/right, mid/above, mid east/left,
    base west/left, base/below, base east/right,
    south west/below left, south/below, south east/below right,
    text/left, 10/right, 130/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape semicircle

    • This shape is a semicircle, which tightly fits the node contents. This shape supports the rotation of the shape border, as described in Section 17.2.3. The anchors for the semicircle shape are shown below. Anchor 30 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=semicircle,shape border rotate=0,shape example, inner sep=1cm]
    {Semicircle\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {apex/above, arc start/below, arc end/below, chord center/below,
    center/above, base/below, mid/right, text/left,
    base west/below, base east/below, mid west/left, mid east/right,
    north/below, south/above, east/above, west/above,
    north west/above left, north east/above right,
    south west/below, south east/below, 30/right}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape regular polygon

    • This shape is a regular polygon, which, by default, is drawn so that a side (rather than a corner) is always at the bottom. This shape supports the rotation as described in Section 17.2.3, but the border of the polygon is always constructed using the incircle, whose radius is calculated to tightly fit the node contents (including any inner sep).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \foreach \a in {3,...,7}{
    \draw[red, dashed] (\a*2,0) circle(0.5cm);
    \node[regular polygon, regular polygon sides=\a, draw,
    inner sep=0.3535cm] at (\a*2,0) {};
    }
    \end{tikzpicture}

    If the node is enlarged to any specified minimum size, this is interpreted as the diameter of the circumcircle, that is, the circle that passes through all the corners of the polygon border.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \foreach \a in {3,...,7}{
    \draw[blue, dashed] (\a*2,0) circle(0.5cm);
    \node[regular polygon, regular polygon sides=\a, minimum size=1cm, draw] at (\a*2,0) {};
    }
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There is a pgf key to set the number of sides for the regular polygon. To use this key in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path.

    • /pgf/regular polygon sides=⟨integer⟩ (no default, initially 5)

    The anchors for a regular polygon shape are shown below. The anchor 75 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=regular polygon, shape example, inner sep=.5cm]
    {Regular Polygon\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {corner 1/above, corner 2/above, corner 3/left, corner 4/right, corner 5/above,
    side 1/above, side 2/left, side 3/below, side 4/right, side 5/above,
    center/above, text/left, mid/right, base/below, 75/above,
    west/above, east/above, north/below, south/above,
    north east/below, south east/above, north west/below, south west/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape star

    • This shape is a star, which by default (minus any transformations) is drawn with the first point pointing upwards. This shape supports the rotation as described in Section 17.2.3, but the border of the star is always constructed using the incircle.

    A star should be thought of as having a set of “inner points” and “outer points”. The inner points of the border are based on the radius of the circle which tightly fits the node contents, and the outer points are based on the circumcircle, the circle that passes through every outer point. Any specified minimum size, width or height, is interpreted as the diameter of the circumcircle.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw [help lines] (0,0) grid (2,2);
    \draw [blue, dashed] (1,1) circle(1cm);
    \draw [red, dashed] (1,1) circle(.5cm);
    \node [star, star point height=.5cm, minimum size=2cm, draw]
    at (1,1) {S};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The pgf keys to set the number of star points, and the height of the star points, are shown below. To use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path.

    • /pgf/star points=⟨integer⟩ (no default, initially 5)

      • Sets the number of points for the star.

    • /pgf/star point height=⟨distance⟩ (no default, initially .5cm)

      • Sets the height of the star points. This is the distance between the inner point and outer point radii. If the star is enlarged to some specified minimum size, the inner radius is increased to maintain the point height.

    • /pgf/star point ratio=⟨number⟩ (no default, initially 1.5)

      • Sets the ratio between the inner point and outer point radii. If the star is enlarged to some specified minimum size, the inner radius is increased to maintain the ratio.

    The inner and outer points form the principal anchors for the star, as shown below (anchor 75 is an example of a border anchor).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=star, star points=5, star point ratio=1.65, shape example, inner sep=1.5cm]
    {Star\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {inner point 1/above, inner point 2/above, inner point 3/below, inner point 4/right,
    inner point 5/above, outer point 1/above, outer point 2/above, outer point 3/left,
    outer point 4/right, outer point 5/above,
    center/above, text/left, mid/right, base/below, 75/above,
    west/above, east/above, north/below, south/above,
    north east/below, south east/above, north west/below, south west/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape kite

    • This shape is a kite, which supports the rotation of the shape border, as described in Section 17.2.3. There are pgf keys to specify the upper and lower vertex angles of the kite. To use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path.

    • /pgf/kite upper vertex angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 120)

      • Sets the upper internal angle of the kite.

    • /pgf/kite lower vertex angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 60)

      • Sets the lower internal angle of the kite.

    • /pgf/kite vertex angles=⟨angle specification⟩(no default)

      • This key sets the keys for both the upper and lower vertex angles (it stores no value itself). ⟨angle specification⟩ can be pair of angles in the form ⟨upper angle⟩ and ⟨lower angle⟩, or a single angle. In this latter case, both the upper and lower vertex angles will be the same.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[every node/.style={kite, draw}]
    \node[kite upper vertex angle=135, kite lower vertex angle=70] at (0,0) {A};
    \node[kite vertex angles=90 and 45] at (1,0) {B};
    \node[kite vertex angles=60] at (2,0) {C};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The anchors for the kite are shown below. Anchor 110 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=kite, shape example, inner sep=1.5cm]
    {Kite\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {upper vertex/above, left vertex/above, lower vertex/below,
    right vertex/above, upper left side/above, upper right side/above,
    lower left side/below, lower right side/below,
    center/above, text/left, mid/right, base/below,
    mid west/left, base west/below, mid east/right, base east/below,
    west/above, east/above, north/below, south/above,
    north west/left, north east/right,
    south west/above, south east/above, 110/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape dart

    • This shape is a dart (which can also be known as an arrowhead or concave kite). This shape supports the rotation of the shape border, as described in Section 17.2.3. The angle of the border rotation determines the direction in which the dart points (unless other transformations have been applied).

    There are pgf keys to set the angle for the ‘tip’ of the dart and the angle between the ‘tails’ of the dart. To use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[dart, draw, gray, shape border uses incircle, shape border rotate=45]
    (d) {dart};
    \draw [<->] (d.tip)++(202.5:.5cm) arc(202.5:247.5:.5cm);
    \node [left=.5cm] at (d.tip) {tip angle};
    \draw [<->] (d.tail center)++(157.5:.5cm) arc(157.5:292.5:.5cm);
    \node [right] at (d.tail center) {tail angle};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    • /pgf/dart tip angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 45)

      • Sets the angle at the tip of the dart.

    • /pgf/dart tail angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 135)

      • Sets the angle between the tails of the dart.

    The anchors for the dart shape are shown below (note that the shape is rotated 90 degrees anti-clockwise). Anchor 110 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=dart, shape border rotate=90, shape example, inner sep=1.25cm]
    {Dart\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {tip/above, tail center/below, right tail/below,
    left tail/below, right tail/below, left side/left, right side/right,
    center/above, text/left, mid/right, base/below,
    mid west/left, base west/below, mid east/right, base east/below,
    west/above, east/above, north/below, south/above,
    north west/left, north east/right, south west/above, south east/above,
    110/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape circular sector

    • This shape is a circular sector (which can also be known as a wedge). This shape supports the rotation of the shape border, as described in Section 17.2.3. The angle of the border rotation determines the direction in which the ‘apex’ of the sector points (unless other transformations have been applied).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[
    every node/.style={circular sector, shape border uses incircle, draw},
    ]
    \node at (0,0) {A};
    \node [shape border rotate=30] at (1.5,0) {A};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There is a pgf key to set the central angle of the sector, which is expected to be less than 180 degrees. To use this key in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path.

    • /pgf/circular sector angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 60)

      • Sets the central angle of the sector.

    The anchors for the circular sector shape are shown below. Anchor 30 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=circular sector, style=shape example, inner sep=1cm]
    {Circular Sector\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {sector center/above, arc start/below, arc end/below, arc center/below,
    center/above, base/below, mid/right, text/below,
    north/below, south/above, east/below, west/above,
    north west/above left, north east/above right,
    south west/below, south east/below, 30/right}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape cylinder

    • This shape is a 2-dimensional representation of a cylinder, which supports the rotation of the shape border as described in Section 17.2.3.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[cylinder, draw, shape aspect=.5] {ABC};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    Regardless the rotation of the shape border, the height is always the distance between the curved ends, and the width is always the distance between the straight sides.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[>=stealth]
    \node [cylinder, gray!50, rotate=30, draw,
    minimum height=2cm, minimum width=1cm] (c) {Cylinder};
    \draw[red, <->] (c.top) -- (c.bottom)
    node [at end, below, black] {height};
    \draw[red, <->] (c.north) -- (c.south)
    node [at start, above, black] {width};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    Enlarging the shape to some minimum height will stretch only the body of the cylinder. By contrast, enlarging the shape to some minimum width will stretch the curved ends.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[shape aspect=.5]
    \tikzset{every node/.style={cylinder, shape border rotate=90, draw}}
    \node [minimum height=1.5cm] {A};
    \node [minimum width=1.5cm] at (1.5,0) {B};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There are various keys to customize this shape (to use pgf keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path).

    • /pgf/cylinder uses custom fill=⟨boolean⟩ (default true)

      • This enables the use of a custom fill for the body and the end of the cylinder. The background path for the shape should not be filled (e.g., in TikZ, the fill option for the node must be implicitly or explicitly set to none). Internally, this key sets the -if \ifpgfcylinderusescustomfill appropriately.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[aspect=0.5]
    \node [cylinder, cylinder uses custom fill, cylinder end fill=red!50,
    cylinder body fill=red!25] {Cylinder};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    • /pgf/cylinder end fill=⟨color⟩ (no default, initially white)

      • Sets the color for the end of the cylinder.

    • /pgf/cylinder body fill=⟨color⟩ (no default, initially white)

      • Sets the color for the body of the cylinder.

    The anchors of this shape are shown below (anchor 160 is an example of a border anchor). Note that the cylinder shape does not distinguish between outer xsep and outer ysep. Only the larger of the two values is used for the shape. Note also the difference between the center and shape center anchors: center is the center of the cylinder body and also the center of rotation. The shape center is the center of the shape which includes the 2-dimensional representation of the cylinder top.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.geometric}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=cylinder, shape example, aspect=.5, inner xsep=3cm,
    inner ysep=1cm] {Cylinder\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {before top/above, top/above, after top/below,
    before bottom/below, bottom/above, after bottom/above,
    mid/right, mid west/right, mid east/left,
    base/below, base west/below, base east/below,
    center/above, text/above, shape center/right,
    west/right, east/left, north/above, south/below,
    north west/below, north east/above,
    south west/above, south east/below, 160/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}
71.4 Symbol Shapes

  • TikZ Library shapes.symbols

    • \usepgflibrary{shapes.symbols} % and plain and pure pgf
    \usepgflibrary[shapes.symbols] % Cont and pure pgf
    \usetikzlibrary{shapes.symbols} % and plain when using TikZ
    \usetikzlibrary[shapes.symbols] % Cont when using TikZ

    This library defines shapes that can be used for drawing symbols like a forbidden sign or a cloud.

  • Shape correct forbidden sign

    • This shape places the node inside a circle with a diagonal from the upper left to the lower right added. The circle is part of the background, the diagonal line part of the foreground path; thus, the diagonal line is on top of the text.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node [correct forbidden sign,line width=1ex,draw=red,fill=white] {Smoking};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The shape inherits all anchors from the circle shape.

  • Shape forbidden sign

    • This shape is like correct forbidden sign, only the line goes from the lower left to the upper right. The strange naming of these shapes is for historical reasons.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node [forbidden sign,line width=1ex,draw=red,fill=white] {Smoking};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The shape inherits all anchors from the circle shape.

  • Shape magnifying glass

    • This shape places the node inside a circle with a handle attached to the node. The angle of the handle and its length can be adjusted using two keys:

    • /pgf/magnifying glass handle angle fill=⟨degree⟩ (default -45)

      • The angle of the handle.

    • /pgf/magnifying glass handle angle aspect=⟨factor⟩ (default 1.5)

      • The length of the handle as a multiple of the circle radius.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node [magnifying glass,line width=1ex,draw] {huge};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The shape inherits all anchors from the circle shape.

  • Shape cloud

    • This shape is a cloud, drawn to tightly fit the node contents (strictly speaking, using an ellipse which tightly fits the node contents – including any inner sep).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[cloud, draw, fill=gray!20, aspect=2] {ABC};
    \node[cloud, draw, fill=gray!20] at (1.5,0) {D};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    A cloud should be thought of as having a number of “puffs”, which are the individual arcs drawn around the border. There are pgf keys to specify how the cloud is drawn (to use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path).

    • /pgf/cloud puffs=⟨integer⟩ (no default, initially 10)

      • Sets the number of puffs for the cloud.

    • /pgf/cloud puff arc=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 135)

      • Sets the length of the puff arc (in degrees). A shorter arc can produce better looking joins between puffs for larger line widths.

    Like the diamond shape, the cloud shape also uses the aspect key to determine the ratio of the width and the height of the cloud. However, there may be circumstances where it may be undesirable to continually specify the aspect for the cloud. Therefore, the following key is implemented:

    Any minimum size requirements are applied to the “circum-ellipse”, which is the ellipse which passes through all the midpoints of the puff arcs. These requirements are considered after any aspect specification is applied.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw [help lines] grid (3,2);
    \draw [blue, dashed] (1.5, 1) ellipse (1.5cm and 1cm);
    \node [cloud, cloud puffs=9, draw, minimum width=3cm, minimum height=2cm]
    at (1.5, 1) {};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The anchors for the cloud shape are shown below for a cloud with eleven puffs. Anchor 70 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=cloud, style=shape example, cloud puffs=11, aspect=1.5,
    cloud puff arc=120,inner ysep=1cm] {Cloud\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {puff 1/above, puff 2/above, puff 3/above, puff 4/below,
    puff 5/left, puff 6/below, puff 7/below, puff 8/right,
    puff 9/below, puff 10/above, puff 11/above, 70/right,
    center/above, base/below, mid/right, text/left,
    north/below, south/below, east/above, west/above,
    north west/left, north east/right,
    south west/below, south east/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape starburst

    • This shape is a randomly generated elliptical star, which supports the rotation of the shape border as described in Section 17.2.3.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[starburst, fill=yellow, draw=red, line width=2pt] {\bf BANG!};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    Like the star shape, the starburst should be thought of as having a set of inner points and outer points. The inner points lie on the ellipse which tightly fits the node contents (including any inner sep).

    Using a specified ‘starburst point height’ value, the outer points are generated randomly between this value and one quarter of this value. For a given starburst shape, the angle between each point is fixed, and is determined by the number of points specified for the starburst.

    It is important to note that, whilst the maximum possible point height is used to calculate minimum width or height requirements, the outer points are randomly generated, so there is (unfortunately) no guarantee that any such requirements will be fully met.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[help lines] grid(3,2);
    \node[starburst, draw, minimum width=3cm, minimum height=2cm]
    at (1.5, 1) {\bf BOOM!};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There are pgf keys to control the drawing of the starburst shape. To use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path.

    • /pgf/starburst points=⟨integer⟩ (no default, initially 17)

      • Sets the number of outer points for the starburst.

    • /pgf/starburst point height=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially .5cm)

      • Sets the maximum distance between the inner point radius and the outer point radius.

    • /pgf/random starburst=⟨integer⟩ (no default, initially 100)

      • Sets the seed for the random number generator for creating the starburst. The maximum value for ⟨integer⟩ is 16383. If ⟨integer⟩=0, the random number generator will not be used, and the maximum point height will be used for all outer points. If ⟨integer⟩ is omitted, a seed will be randomly chosen.

    The basic anchors for a nine point starburst shape are shown below. Anchor 80 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=starburst, starburst points=9, starburst point height=3.5cm,
    style=shape example,inner sep=1cm]
    {Starburst\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {outer point 1/above, outer point 2/above, outer point 3/right,
    outer point 4/above, outer point 5/below, outer point 6/above,
    outer point 7/left, outer point 8/above, outer point 9/above,
    inner point 1/below, inner point 2/above, inner point 3/left,
    inner point 4/above, inner point 5/above, inner point 6/above,
    inner point 7/below, inner point 8/above, inner point 9/below,
    center/above, text/left, mid/right, base/below, 80/above,
    north/below, south/below, east/left, west/right,
    north east/below, south west/below, south east/below, north west/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape signal

    • This shape is a “signal” or sign shape, that is, a rectangle, with optionally pointed sides. A signal can point “to” somewhere, with outward points in that direction. It can also be “from” somewhere, with inward points from that direction. The resulting points extend the node contents (which include the inner sep).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    [every node/.style={signal, draw, text=white, signal to=nowhere}]
    \node[fill=green!65!black, signal to=east] at (0,1) {To East};
    \node[fill=red!65!black, signal from=east] at (0,0) {From East};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There are pgf keys for drawing the signal shape (to use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path):

    • /pgf/signal pointer angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 90)

      • Sets the angle for the pointed sides of the shape. This angle is maintained when enforcing any minimum size requirements, so any adjustment to the width will affect the height, and vice versa.

    • /pgf/signal from=⟨direction⟩ and ⟨opposite direction⟩ (no default, initially nowhere)

      • Sets which sides take an inward pointer (i.e., that points towards the center of the shape). The possible values for ⟨direction⟩ and ⟨opposite direction⟩ are the compass point directions north, south, east and west (or above, below, right and left). An additional keyword nowhere can be used to reset the sides so they have no pointers. When used with signal from key, this only resets inward pointers; used with the signal to key, it only resets outward pointers.

    • /pgf/signal to=⟨direction⟩ and ⟨opposite direction⟩ (no default, initially east)

      • Sets which sides take an outward pointer (i.e., that points away from the shape).

    Note that pgf will ignore any instruction to use directions that are not opposites (so using the value east and north, will result in only north being assigned a pointer). This is also the case if non-opposite values are used in the signal to and signal from keys at the same time. So, for example, it is not possible for a signal to have an outward point to the left, and also have an inward point from below.

    The anchors for the signal shape are shown below. Anchor 70 is an example of a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=signal, signal from=west, shape example, inner sep=2cm]
    {Signal\vrule width1pt height2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {text/left, center/above, 70/above,
    base/below, base east/below, base west/below,
    mid/right, mid east/above left, mid west/above left,
    north/above, south/below,
    east/above, west/above,
    north west/above, north east/above,
    south west/below, south east/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape tape

    • This shape is a rectangle with optional, “bendy” top and bottom sides, which tightly fits the node contents (including the inner sep).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[tape, draw]{ABCD};
    \node[tape, draw, tape bend top=none] at (1.5, 0) {EFGH};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There are pgf keys to specify which sides bend and how high the bends are (to use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path):

    • /pgf/tape bend top=⟨bend style⟩ (no default, initially in and out)

      • Specifies how the top side bends. The ⟨bend style⟩ is either in and out, out and in or none (i.e., a straight line). The bending sides are drawn in a clockwise direction, and using the bend style in and out will mean the side will first bend inwards and then bend outwards. The opposite holds true for out and in.

      (-tikz- diagram)

      \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
      \begin{tikzpicture}[-stealth]
      \node[tape, draw, gray, minimum width=2cm](t){Tape};
      \draw [blue]([yshift=5pt] t.north west) -- ([yshift=5pt]t.north east)
      node[midway, above, black]{in and out};
      \draw [blue]([yshift=-5pt]t.south east) -- ([yshift=-5pt]t.south west)
      node[sloped, allow upside down, midway, above, black]{in and out};
      \end{tikzpicture}

      This might take a bit of getting used to, but just remember that when you want the bendy sides to be parallel, the sides take the same bend style. It is possible for the top and bottom sides to take opposite bend styles, but the author of this shape cannot think of a single use for such a combination.

      (-tikz- diagram)

      \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
      \begin{tikzpicture}[every node/.style={tape, draw}]
      \node [tape bend top=out and in, tape bend bottom=out and in] {Parallel};
      \node at (2,0) [tape bend bottom=out and in] {Why?};
      \end{tikzpicture}

    • /pgf/tape bend bottom=⟨bend style⟩ (no default, initially in and out)

      • Specifies how the bottom side bends.

    The anchors for the tape shape are shown below. Anchor 60 is an example of a border anchor. Note that border anchors will snap to the center of convex curves (i.e. when bending in).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.symbols}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=tape, tape bend height=1cm, shape example, inner xsep=3cm]
    {Tape\vrule width1pt height2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {text/left, center/above, 60/above,
    base/below, base east/below, base west/below,
    mid/right, mid east/left, mid west/right,
    north/above, south/below, east/above, west/above,
    north west/above, north east/above,
    south west/below, south east/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}
71.5 Arrow Shapes

  • TikZ Library shapes.arrows

    • \usepgflibrary{shapes.arrows} % and plain and pure pgf
    \usepgflibrary[shapes.arrows] % Cont and pure pgf
    \usetikzlibrary{shapes.arrows} % and plain when using TikZ
    \usetikzlibrary[shapes.arrows] % Cont when using TikZ

    This library defines arrow shapes. Note that an arrow shape is something quite different from a (normal) arrow tip: It is a shape that just “happens” to “look like” an arrow. In particular, you cannot use these shapes as arrow tips.

  • Shape double arrow

    • This shape is a double arrow, which tightly fits the node contents (including any inner sep), and supports the rotation of the shape border, as described in Section 17.2.3.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.arrows}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[every node/.style={double arrow, draw}]
    \node [double arrow, draw] {Left or Right};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The double arrow behaves exactly like the single arrow, so you need to remember that the width is always the distance between the back ends of the arrow heads, and the height is always the tip-to-tip distance.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.arrows}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[>=stealth,
    rotate border/.style={shape border uses incircle, shape border rotate=#1}]
    \node[rotate border=210, fill=gray!25, minimum height=3cm, double arrow,
    double arrow head extend=.5cm, double arrow head indent=.25cm] (arrow) {};
    \draw[red, <->] (arrow.before tip 1) -- (arrow.after tip 1)
    node [near start, right, black] {width};
    \draw[red, <->] (arrow.tip 1) -- (arrow.tip 2)
    node [near end, above left, black] {height};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The pgf keys that can be used to customize the double arrow behave similarly to the keys for the single arrow (to use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path).

    • /pgf/double arrow tip angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 90)

      • Sets the angle for the arrow tip. Enlarging the arrow to some minimum width may increase the height of the shape to maintain this angle.

    • /pgf/double arrow head extend=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially .5cm)

      • This sets the distance between the shaft of the arrow and the outer end of the arrow heads. This may change if the shape is enlarged to some minimum width.

    The anchors for this shape are shown below (anchor 20 is an example of a border anchor).

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.arrows}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=double arrow, double arrow head extend=1.5cm, shape example, inner xsep=2cm]
    {Double Arrow\vrule width1pt height2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {text/above, center/above, 20/above,
    mid west/above right, mid/above, mid east/above left,
    base west/below, base/below, base east/below,
    before head 1/above, before tip 1/above, tip 1/above, after tip 1/below, after head 1/below,
    before head 2/above, before tip 2/below, tip 2/above, after tip 2/above, after head 2/below,
    north/above, south/below, east/below, west/below,
    north west/below, north east/below, south west/above, south east/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape arrow box

    • This shape is a rectangle with optional arrows which extend from the four sides.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.arrows}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[arrow box, draw] {A};
    \node[arrow box, draw, arrow box arrows={north:.5cm, west:0.75cm}]
    at (2,0) {B};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    Any minimum size requirements are applied to the main rectangle only. This does not pose too many problems if you wish to accommodate the length of the arrows, as it is possible to specify the length of each arrow independently, from either the border of the rectangle (the default) or the center of the rectangle.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.arrows}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \tikzset{box/.style={arrow box, fill=#1}}
    \draw [help lines] grid(3,2);
    \node[box=blue!50, arrow box arrows={east:2cm}] at (1,1.5){One};
    \node[box=red!50, arrow box arrows={east:2cm from center}] at (1,0.5){Two};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There are various pgf keys for drawing this shape (to use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path).

    • /pgf/arrow box tip angle=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 90)

      • Sets the angle at the arrow tip for all four arrows.

    • /pgf/arrow box head extend=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially .125cm)

      • Sets the distance the arrow head extends away from the shaft of the arrow. This applies to all arrows.

    • /pgf/arrow box head indent=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially 0cm)

      • Moves the point where the arrow head joins the shaft of the arrow towards the arrow tip. This applies to all arrows.

    • /pgf/arrow box shaft width=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially .125cm)

      • Sets the width of the shaft of all arrows.

    • /pgf/arrow box north arrow=⟨distance⟩ (no default, initially .5cm)

      • Sets the distance the north arrow extends from the node. By default this is from the border of the shape, but by using the additional keyword from center, the distance will be measured from the center of the shape. If ⟨distance⟩ is 0pt or a negative distance, the arrow will not be drawn.

    • /pgf/arrow box south arrow=⟨distance⟩ (no default, initially .5cm)

      • Sets the distance the south arrow extends from the node.

    • /pgf/arrow box east arrow=⟨distance⟩ (no default, initially .5cm)

      • Sets the distance the east arrow extends from the node.

    • /pgf/arrow box west arrow=⟨distance⟩ (no default, initially .5cm)

      • Sets the distance the west arrow extends from the node.

    • /pgf/arrow box arrows={⟨list⟩}(no default)

      • Sets the distance that all arrows extend from the node. The specification in ⟨list⟩ consists of the four compass points north, south, east or west, separated by commas (so the list must be contained within braces). The distances can be specified after each side separated by a colon (e.g., north:1cm, or west:5cm from center). If an item specifies no distance, the most recently specified distance will be used (at the start of the list this is 0cm, so the first item in the list should specify a distance). Any sides not specified will not be drawn with an arrow.

    The anchors for this shape are shown below (unfortunately, due to its size, this example must be rotated). Anchor 75 is an example of a border anchor. If a side is drawn without an arrow, the anchors for that arrow should be considered unavailable. They are (unavoidably) defined, but default to the center of the appropriate side.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.arrows}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[shape=arrow box, shape example, inner xsep=1cm, inner ysep=1.5cm, arrow box shaft width=2cm,
    arrow box arrows={north:3.5cm from border, south, east:5cm from border, west},
    arrow box head extend=0.75cm, rotate=-90](s) {Arrow Box\vrule width1pt height2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {center/above, text/above, mid/right, base/below, 75/above,
    mid east/right, mid west/left, base east/right, base west/left,
    north/below, south/below, east/below, west/below,
    north east/above, south east/above, south west/below, north west/below,
    north arrow tip/above,south arrow tip/above, east arrow tip/above, west arrow tip/above,
    before north arrow/above, before north arrow head/below left, before north arrow tip/above left,
    after north arrow tip/above right, after north arrow head/below right, after north arrow/below,
    before south arrow/below, before south arrow head/above right, before south arrow tip/below right,
    after south arrow tip/below left, after south arrow head/above left, after south arrow/above,
    before east arrow/above, before east arrow head/above right, before east arrow tip/above,
    after east arrow tip/below, after east arrow head/below right, after east arrow/below,
    before west arrow/below, before west arrow head/below left, before west arrow tip/below,
    after west arrow tip/above, after west arrow head/above left, after west arrow/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement, rotate=-90] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}
71.6 Shapes with Multiple Text Parts

  • TikZ Library shapes.multipart

    • \usepgflibrary{shapes.multipart} % and plain and pure pgf
    \usepgflibrary[shapes.multipart] % Cont and pure pgf
    \usetikzlibrary{shapes.multipart} % and plain when using TikZ
    \usetikzlibrary[shapes.multipart] % Cont when using TikZ

    This library defines general-purpose shapes that are composed of multiple (text) parts.

  • Shape circle split

    • This shape is a multi-part shape consisting of a circle with a line in the middle. The upper part is the main part (the text part), the lower part is the lower part.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.multipart}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node [circle split,draw,double,fill=red!20]
    {
    $q_1$
    \nodepart{lower}
    $00$
    };
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The shape inherits all anchors from the circle shape and defines the lower anchor in addition. See also the following figure:

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.multipart}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=circle split,shape example] {text\nodepart{lower}lower};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {north west/above left, north/above, north east/above right,
    west/left, center/below, east/right,
    mid west/right, mid/above, mid east/left,
    base west/left, base/below, base east/right,
    south west/below left, south/below, south east/below right,
    text/left, lower/left, 130/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape ellipse split

    • This shape is a multi-part shape consisting of an ellipse with a line in the middle. The upper part is the main part (the text part), the lower part is the lower part. The anchors for this shape are shown below. Anchor 60 is a border anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.multipart}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=ellipse split,shape example] {text\nodepart{lower}lower};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {center/below, text/left, lower/left, 60/above right,
    mid/above, mid east/above, mid west/above,
    base/right, base east/left, base west/right,
    north/above, south/below, east/below, west/below,
    north east/above, south east/below, south west/below, north west/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape rectangle split

    • This shape is a rectangle which can be split either horizontally or vertically into several parts.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.multipart}
    \begin{tikzpicture}[my shape/.style={
    rectangle split, rectangle split parts=#1, draw, anchor=center}]
    \node [my shape=5] at (0,1)
    {a\nodepart{two}b\nodepart{three}c\nodepart{four}d\nodepart{five}e};
    \node [my shape=5, rectangle split horizontal] at (2,2)
    {1\nodepart{two}2\nodepart{three}3\nodepart{four}4\nodepart{five}5};
    \node [my shape=3] at (3,0.5)
    {A\nodepart{two}B\nodepart{three}C};
    \node [my shape=4, rectangle split horizontal] at (1.5,0.5)
    {1\nodepart{two}2\nodepart{three}3\nodepart{four}4};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The shape can be split into a maximum of twenty parts. However, to avoid allocating a lot of unnecessary boxes, pgf only allocates four boxes by default. To use the rectangle split shape with more than four boxes, the extra boxes must be allocated manually in advance (perhaps using \newbox or \let). The boxes take the form \pgfnodepart⟨number⟩box, where ⟨number⟩ is from the cardinal numbers one, two, three, … and so on. \pgfnodepartonebox is special in that it is synonymous with \pgfnodeparttextbox. For compatibility with earlier versions of this shape, the boxes \pgfnodeparttwobox, \pgfnodepartthreebox and \pgfnodepartfourbox, can be referred to using the ordinal numbers: \pgfnodepartsecondbox, \pgfnodepartthirdbox and \pgfnodepartfourthbox. In order to facilitate the allocation of these extra boxes, the following key is provided:

    • /pgf/rectangle split allocate boxes=⟨number⟩(no default)

      • This key checks if ⟨number⟩ boxes have been allocated, and if not, it allocates the required boxes using \newbox (some “magic” is performed to get around the fact that \newbox is declared \outer in plain ).

    When split vertically, the rectangle split will meet any minimum width requirements, but any minimum height will be ignored. Conversely when split horizontally, minimum height requirements will be met, but any minimum width will be ignored. In addition, inner sep is applied to every part that is used, so it cannot be specified independently for a particular part.

    There are several pgf keys to specify how the shape is drawn. To use these keys in TikZ, simply remove the /pgf/ path:

    • /pgf/rectangle split parts=⟨number⟩ (no default, initially 4)

      • Split the rectangle into ⟨number⟩ parts, which should be in the range 1 to 20. If more than four parts are needed, the boxes should be allocated in advance as described above.

      (-tikz- diagram)

      \usetikzlibrary {shapes.multipart}
      \begin{tikzpicture}[every text node part/.style={align=center}]
      \node[rectangle split, rectangle split parts=3, draw, text width=2.75cm]
      {Student
      \nodepart{two}
      age:int \\
      name:String
      \nodepart{three}
      getAge():int \\
      getName():String};
      \end{tikzpicture}

    • /pgf/rectangle split horizontal=⟨boolean⟩ (default true)

      • This key determines whether the rectangle is split horizontally or vertically

    • /pgf/rectangle split empty part width=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially 1ex)

      • Sets the default width for a node part box if it is empty and empty parts are not ignored.

    • /pgf/rectangle split empty part height=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially 1ex)

      • Sets the default height for a node part box if it is empty and empty parts are not ignored.

    • /pgf/rectangle split empty part depth=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially 0ex)

      • Sets the default depth for a node part box if it is empty and empty parts are not ignored.

    • /pgf/rectangle split draw splits=⟨boolean⟩ (default true)

      • Sets whether the line or lines between node parts will be drawn. Internally, this sets the -if \ifpgfrectanglesplitdrawsplits appropriately.

    • /pgf/rectangle split use custom fill=⟨boolean⟩ (default true)

      • This enables the use of a custom fill for each of the node parts (including the area covered by the inner sep). The background path for the shape should not be filled (e.g., in TikZ, the fill option for the node must be implicitly or explicitly set to none). Internally, this key sets the -if \ifpgfrectanglesplitusecustomfill appropriately.

    The anchors for the rectangle split shape split vertically into four, are shown below (anchor 70 is an example of a border angle). When a node part is missing, the anchors prefixed with the name of that node part should be considered unavailable. They are (unavoidably) defined, but default to other anchor positions.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.multipart}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=rectangle split, rectangle split parts=4, shape example,
    inner ysep=0.75cm]
    {\nodepart{text}text\nodepart{two}two
    \nodepart{three}three\nodepart{four}four};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {text/left, text east/above, text west/above,
    two/left, two east/above, two west/above,
    three/left, three east/below, three west/below,
    four/left, four east/below, four west/below,
    text split/left, text split east/above, text split west/above,
    two split/left, two split east/above, two split west/above,
    three split/left, three split east/below, three split west/below,
    north/above, south/below, east/below, west/below,
    north west/above, north east/above, south west/below, south east/below,
    center/above, 70/above, mid/above, base/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}
71.7 Callout Shapes

  • TikZ Library shapes.callouts

    • \usepgflibrary{shapes.callouts} % and plain and pure pgf
    \usepgflibrary[shapes.callouts] % Cont and pure pgf
    \usetikzlibrary{shapes.callouts} % and plain when using TikZ
    \usetikzlibrary[shapes.callouts] % Cont when using TikZ

    Producing basic callouts can be done quite easily in pgf and TikZ by creating a node and then subsequently drawing a path from the border of the node to the required point. This library provides more fancy, ‘balloon’-style callouts.

For the intended rendering of the following examples, please see the PDF version of the manual. (image)

Callouts consist of a main shape and a pointer (which is part of the shape) which points to something in (or outside) the picture. The position on the border of the main shape to which the pointer is connected is determined automatically. However, the pointer is ignored when calculating the minimum size of the shape, and also when positioning anchors.

(-tikz- diagram)

\usetikzlibrary {shapes.callouts}
\begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture]
\node[ellipse callout, draw] (hallo) {Hallo!};
\end{tikzpicture}

There are two kinds of pointer: the “relative” pointer and the “absolute” pointer. The relative pointer calculates the angle of a specified coordinate relative to the center of the main shape, locates the point on the border to which this angle corresponds, and then adds the coordinate to this point. This seemingly over-complex approach means than you do not have to guess the size of the main shape: the relative pointer will always be outside. The absolute pointer, on the other hand, is much simpler: it points to the specified coordinate absolutely (and can even point to named coordinates in different pictures).

(-tikz- diagram)

\usetikzlibrary {shapes.callouts}
\begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture, note/.style={rectangle callout, fill=#1}]
\draw [help lines] grid(3,2);
\node [note=red!50, callout relative pointer={(0,1)}] at (3,1) {Relative};
\node [note=blue!50, callout absolute pointer={(0,1)}] at (1,0) {Absolute};
\node [note=green!50, opacity=.5, overlay,
callout absolute pointer={(hallo.south)}] at (1,2) {Outside};
\end{tikzpicture}

The following keys are common to all callouts. Please remember that the callout relative pointer, and callout absolute pointer keys take a different format for their value depending on whether they are being used in pgf or TikZ.

  • /pgf/callout relative pointer=⟨coordinate⟩ (no default, initially \pgfpointpolar{315}{.5cm})

    • Sets the vector of the callout pointer ‘relative’ to the callout shape.

  • /pgf/callout absolute pointer=⟨coordinate⟩(no default)

    • Sets the vector of the callout pointer absolutely within the picture.

  • /tikz/callout relative pointer=⟨coordinate⟩ (no default, initially (315:.5cm))

    • The TikZ version of the callout relative pointer key. Here, ⟨coordinate⟩ can be specified using the TikZ format for coordinates.

  • /tikz/callout absolute pointer=⟨coordinate⟩(no default)

    • The TikZ version of the callout absolute pointer key. Here, ⟨coordinate⟩ can be specified using the TikZ format for coordinates.

It is also possible to shorten the pointer by some distance, using the following key:

  • Shape rectangle callout

    • This shape is a callout whose main shape is a rectangle, which tightly fits the node contents (including any inner sep). It supports the keys described above and also the following key:

    • /pgf/callout pointer width=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially .25cm)

      • Sets the width of the pointer at the border of the rectangle.

    The anchors for this shape are shown below (anchor 60 is an example of a border anchor). The pointer direction is ignored when placing anchors. Additionally, when using an absolute pointer, the pointer anchor should not to be used to used to position the shape as it is calculated whilst the shape is being drawn.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.callouts}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=rectangle callout, callout relative pointer={(1.25cm,-1cm)},
    callout pointer width=2cm, shape example, inner xsep=2cm, inner ysep=1cm]
    {Rectangle Callout\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {center/above, text/below, 60/above,
    mid/right, mid west/left, mid east/right,
    base/below, base west/below, base east/below,
    north/above, south/below, east/above, west/above,
    north west/above, north east/above,
    south west/below, south east/below,
    pointer/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape ellipse callout

    • This shape is a callout whose main shape is an ellipse, which tightly fits the node contents (including any inner sep). It uses the absolute callout pointer, relative callout pointer and callout pointer shorten keys, and also the following key:

    • /pgf/callout pointer arc=⟨angle⟩ (no default, initially 15)

      • Sets the width of the pointer at the border of the ellipse according to an arc of length ⟨angle⟩.

    The anchors for this shape are shown below (anchor 60 is an example of a border anchor). The pointer direction is ignored when placing anchors and the pointer anchor can only be used to position the shape when the relative anchor is specified.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.callouts}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=ellipse callout, callout relative pointer={(1.25cm,-1cm)},
    callout pointer width=2cm, shape example, inner xsep=1cm, inner ysep=.5cm]
    {Ellipse Callout\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {center/above, text/below, 60/above,
    mid/above, mid west/right, mid east/left,
    base/below, base west/below, base east/below,
    north/above, south/below, east/above, west/above,
    north west/above left, north east/above right,
    south west/below left, south east/below right,
    pointer/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape cloud callout

    • This shape is a callout whose main shape is a cloud which fits the node contents. The pointer is segmented, consisting of a series of shrinking ellipses. This callout requires the shapes.callouts library (for the cloud shape). If this library is not loaded an error will result.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.callouts}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[cloud callout, cloud puffs=15, aspect=2.5, cloud puff arc=120,
    shading=ball,text=white] {\bf Imagine...};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    The cloud callout supports the absolute callout pointer, relative callout pointer and callout pointer shorten keys, as described above. The main shape can be modified using the same keys as the cloud shape. The following keys are also supported:

    • /pgf/callout pointer start size=⟨value⟩ (no default, initially .2 of callout)

      • Sets the size of the first segment in the pointer (i.e., the segment nearest the main cloud shape). There are three possible forms for ⟨value⟩:

      • • A single dimension (e.g., 5pt), in which case the first ellipse will have equal diameters of 5pt.

      • • Two dimensions (e.g., 10pt and 2.5pt), which sets the \(x\) and \(y\) diameters of the first ellipse.

      • • A decimal fraction (e.g., .2 of callout), in which case the \(x\) and \(y\) diameters of the first ellipse will be set as fractions of the width and height of the main shape. The keyword of callout cannot be omitted.

    • /pgf/callout pointer end size=⟨value⟩ (no default, initially .1 of callout)

      • Sets the size of the last ellipse in the pointer.

    • /pgf/callout pointer segments=⟨number⟩ (no default, initially 2)

      • Sets the number of segments in the pointer. Note that pgf will happily overlap segments if too many are specified.

    The anchors for this shape are shown below (anchor 70 is an example of a border anchor). The pointer direction is ignored when placing anchors and the pointer anchor can only be used to position the shape when the relative anchor is specified. Note that the center of the last segment is drawn at the pointer anchor.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.callouts}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s, shape=cloud callout, style=shape example, cloud puffs=11, aspect=1.5,
    cloud puff arc=120,inner xsep=.5cm, callout pointer start size=.25 of callout,
    callout pointer end size=.15 of callout, callout relative pointer={(315:4cm)},
    callout pointer segments=2] {Cloud Callout\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {puff 1/above, puff 2/above, puff 3/above, puff 4/below,
    puff 5/left, puff 6/below, puff 7/below, puff 8/right,
    puff 9/below, puff 10/above, puff 11/above, 70/right,
    center/above, base/below, mid/right, text/left,
    north/below, south/below, east/above, west/above,
    north west/left, north east/right,
    south west/below, south east/below,pointer/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}
71.8 Miscellaneous Shapes

  • TikZ Library shapes.misc

    • \usepgflibrary{shapes.misc} % and plain and pure pgf
    \usepgflibrary[shapes.misc] % Cont and pure pgf
    \usetikzlibrary{shapes.misc} % and plain when using TikZ
    \usetikzlibrary[shapes.misc] % Cont when using TikZ

    This library defines general-purpose shapes that do not fit into the previous categories.

  • Shape cross out

    • This shape “crosses out” the node. Its foreground path are simply two diagonal lines between the corners of the node’s bounding box. Here is an example:

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.misc}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw [help lines] (0,0) grid (3,2);
    \node [cross out,draw=red] at (1.5,1) {cross out};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    A useful application is inside text as in the following example:

    Cross (-tikz- diagram) out!

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.misc}
    Cross \tikz[baseline] \node [cross out,draw,anchor=text] {me}; out!

    This shape inherits all anchors from the rectangle shape, see also the following figure:

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.misc}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=cross out,shape example] {cross out\vrule width 1pt height 2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {north west/above left, north/above, north east/above right,
    west/left, center/above, east/right,
    mid west/right, mid/above, mid east/left,
    base west/left, base/below, base east/right,
    south west/below left, south/below, south east/below right,
    text/left, 10/right, 130/above}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}

  • Shape strike out

    • This shape is identical to the cross out shape, only its foreground path consists of a single line from the lower left to the upper right.

    Strike (-tikz- diagram) out!

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.misc}
    Strike \tikz[baseline] \node [strike out,draw,anchor=text] {me}; out!

    See the cross out shape for the anchors.

  • Shape chamfered rectangle

    • This shape is a rectangle with optionally chamfered corners.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.misc}
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[chamfered rectangle, white, fill=red, double=red, draw, very thick]
    {\bf STOP!};
    \end{tikzpicture}

    There are pgf keys to specify how this shape is drawn (to use these keys in TikZ simply remove the /pgf/ path).

    • /pgf/chamfered rectangle ysep=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially .666ex)

      • Sets the distance that the chamfer extends vertically beyond the node contents. If ⟨length⟩ is large, such that the left and right chamfered edges would cross, then ⟨length⟩ is ignored and the chamfered edges are drawn so that they meet in the middle.

    • /pgf/chamfered rectangle sep=⟨length⟩ (no default, initially .666ex)

      • Sets both the xsep and ysep simultaneously.

    • /pgf/chamfered rectangle corners=⟨list⟩ (no default, initially chamfer all)

      • Specifies which corners are chamfered. The corners are identified by their “compass point” directions (i.e. north east, north west, south west, and south east), and must be separated by commas (so if there is more than one corner in the list, it must be surrounded by braces). Any corners not mentioned in ⟨list⟩ are automatically not chamfered. Two additional values chamfer all and chamfer none, are also permitted.

      (-tikz- diagram)

      \usetikzlibrary {shapes.misc}
      \begin{tikzpicture}
      \tikzset{every node/.style={chamfered rectangle, draw}}
      \node[chamfered rectangle corners=north west] {ghi};
      \node[chamfered rectangle corners={north east, south east}] at (1.5,0) {789};
      \end{tikzpicture}

    The anchors for this shape are shown below (anchor 60 is an example of a border angle.

    (-tikz- diagram)

    \usetikzlibrary {shapes.misc}
    \Huge
    \begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[name=s,shape=chamfered rectangle, chamfered rectangle sep=1cm,
    shape example, inner ysep=1cm, inner xsep=.75cm]
    {Chamfered Rectangle\vrule width1pt height2cm};
    \foreach \anchor/\placement in
    {text/right, center/above, 70/above,
    base/below, base east/left, base west/right,
    mid/right, mid east/above, mid west/above,
    north/above, south/below, east/above, west/above,
    before north east/above, north east/above, after north east/above,
    before north west/above, north west/above, after north west/above,
    before south west/below, south west/below, after south west/below,
    before south east/below, south east/below, after south east/below}
    \draw[shift=(s.\anchor)] plot[mark=x] coordinates{(0,0)}
    node[\placement] {\scriptsize\texttt{(s.\anchor)}};
    \end{tikzpicture}