Several options are available in the ACTNET statement to enhance the appearance of the network diagram in graphics mode. These are described in the section Graphics Options. The format control options BOXWIDTH=, BOXHT=, XBETWEEN=, and YBETWEEN= are also valid in this mode and can be used to control the width and height of each node and the distance between the nodes. These parameters are specified in terms of number of character cell positions. The number of positions available on one page depends on the graphics device that is used; thus, if a plotter is used with large paper, more of the network will be drawn on a single page. Further, you can control the number of character cell positions on a page by changing the values of the global graphics options (HPOS= and VPOS=). Note that the NETDRAW procedure is not supported with the ActiveX or Java series of devices on the GOPTIONS statement.

You can also control the number of nodes on a given page by specifying the NXNODES= and NYNODES= options. The HPAGES= and VPAGES= options control the number of pages in the horizontal and vertical directions. Thus, you have a wide degree of control over the amount of information displayed on each page of the network diagram.

Another option that is available in graphics mode to control the appearance of your network diagrams is the specification of a PATTERN variable in the ACTNET statement. If the variable is named _PATTERN, you do not need to use the PATTERN= option; the procedure looks for such a variable by default. You can use this variable to specify the PATTERN definition that is to be used for filling each node of the network. Note that if the value of the _PATTERN variable is j for a particular node, PROC NETDRAW uses the specifications in the jth generated PATTERN definition, not the specifications in the PATTERNj statement.

The patterns that can be used with PROC NETDRAW are any of the patterns that can be used for drawing bars (not ones that are used for drawing maps). However, for the text to be visible, you may want to restrict the patterns used to be empty and change only the color of the pattern. You can also use solid fills with a light color and specify the COUTLINE= and CCRITOUT= options to mark noncritical and critical nodes with different colors for the outline.

See SAS/GRAPH Software: Reference for details about creating, canceling, reviewing, and altering PATTERN definitions. For a brief description of the PATTERN statement and for a list of available patterns, see Chapter 6, The GANTT Procedure.

If a PATTERN variable is not specified, the procedure uses the values of the E_FINISH and L_FINISH variables (if these variables exist in the Network data set) to determine if activities in the project are normal, critical, or supercritical. The procedure then uses the first generated PATTERN definition to fill the nodes corresponding to noncritical activities, the second generated PATTERN definition for nodes corresponding to critical activities, and the third generated PATTERN definition for nodes corresponding to supercritical activities.

For zoned network diagrams, if there is no PATTERN variable, the ZONEPAT option enables you to color the nodes based on the values of the ZONE= variable.