A chart design is a collection of color and style definitions, and the value of the hscale, numbering, compress, vspacing, text, background and comment attributes. For numbering you can turn it on or off and specify the format of the top level number - but you cannot specify multiple levels.

There are full designs and partial designs. A full design contains a value for all the chart options, default colors and styles. A partial design contails values only for some of these. E.g., the thick_lines design is a partial one - it merely makes all lines of width 2 in all the default styles, but leaves color, line type, fill or any other attribute or chart option unchanged.

To apply a full style, use the msc = <style_name> chart option. To apply a partial style use the msc += <style_name> chart option.

Currently the following partial designs ship with Msc-generator: hcn, thick_lines, all_blue, feng_shui_notes. The first one simply sets hscale to auto and turns on compression and numbering. The second one makes lines of all default styles of width 2. The third makes the color of lines in all default styles blue. The last makes notes rounded and red on yellow background. Try them.

You can define or re-define chart designs by using the syntax below.

defdesign designname {
   [ msc=parent design ]
   [ msc+=partial design ]
   options, ...
   color definitions, ...
   style definitions, ...
}

First you can name an existing full design to inherit from using the ‘msc=’ option. If specified the design will become a full design, too. Thus in each such design definition the styles mentioned in Default Styles are always present and fully specified. If omitted, the style will become a partial style. Then you can specify optional multiple ‘msc+=’ options to bring in partial designs. Finally, you can define colors, styles in any order and/or set one or more of the attributes mentioned above.

It is possible to add your design definitions to a file having the .signalling extension and making them available in all charts for use. See Design Library.