Basic Custom Node Styles

Create custom node visualizations by extending NodeStyleBase and implementing SVG rendering with typed visual caching.

Before Creating

Always query the yFiles MCP for current API:

yfiles:yfiles_get_symbol_details(name="NodeStyleBase")
yfiles:yfiles_get_symbol_details(name="TaggedSvgVisual")
yfiles:yfiles_list_members(name="NodeStyleBase")
yfiles:yfiles_search_documentation(query="custom node style")

Quick Start (Minimal)

The simplest possible style — no caching, no updateVisual. Suitable for prototyping but not recommended for larger graphs.

import { NodeStyleBase, SvgVisual, type IRenderContext, type INode } from '@yfiles/yfiles'

export class CustomNodeStyle extends NodeStyleBase {
  protected createVisual(context: IRenderContext, node: INode): SvgVisual {
    const rect = document.createElementNS('http://www.w3.org/2000/svg', 'rect')
    const { x, y, width, height } = node.layout
    rect.setAttribute('x', String(x))
    rect.setAttribute('y', String(y))
    rect.setAttribute('width', String(width))
    rect.setAttribute('height', String(height))
    rect.setAttribute('fill', '#0b7189')
    return new SvgVisual(rect)
  }
}

Recommended Pattern (Typed Cache + updateVisual)

For production implementations, declare a Cache type and a named visual type using TaggedSvgVisual, then pass it as the type argument to NodeStyleBase. This enables typed access to visual.tag in updateVisual and avoids recreating DOM elements on every render frame.

import {
  NodeStyleBase,
  SvgVisual,
  TaggedSvgVisual,
  type IRenderContext,
  type INode
} from '@yfiles/yfiles'

// 1. Declare the cache shape
type Cache = { width: number; height: number }

// 2. Declare the visual type — ties the SVG element type to the cache type
type CustomNodeStyleVisual = TaggedSvgVisual<SVGPathElement, Cache>

// 3. Pass the visual type as the type argument to NodeStyleBase
export class CustomNodeStyle extends NodeStyleBase<CustomNodeStyleVisual> {
  protected createVisual(
    context: IRenderContext,
    node: INode
  ): CustomNodeStyleVisual {
    const { x, y, width, height } = node.layout
    const pathElement = document.createElementNS(
      'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg',
      'path'
    )
    // Render at (0,0) and position via transform — required for efficient updates
    pathElement.setAttribute('d', createPathData(0, 0, width, height))
    SvgVisual.setTranslate(pathElement, x, y)
    pathElement.setAttribute('fill', '#0b7189')
    pathElement.setAttribute('stroke', '#042d37')
    // SvgVisual.from() creates a TaggedSvgVisual with the cache stored in .tag
    return SvgVisual.from(pathElement, { width, height })
  }

  protected updateVisual(
    context: IRenderContext,
    oldVisual: CustomNodeStyleVisual,
    node: INode
  ): CustomNodeStyleVisual {
    const { x, y, width, height } = node.layout
    const pathElement = oldVisual.svgElement
    const cache = oldVisual.tag  // fully typed as Cache

    // Only rebuild the path when size actually changed
    if (width !== cache.width || height !== cache.height) {
      pathElement.setAttribute('d', createPathData(0, 0, width, height))
      oldVisual.tag = { width, height }
    }

    // Always update position via transform
    SvgVisual.setTranslate(pathElement, x, y)
    return oldVisual
  }
}

Core Concepts

• createVisual(): Creates the SVG visual (required)
• updateVisual(): Reuses the existing DOM element, updating only what changed (highly recommended for larger graphs)
• TaggedSvgVisual<TElement, TCache>: Typed wrapper that ties an SVG element type to a cache type via .tag
• SvgVisual.from(element, cache): Convenience factory that creates a TaggedSvgVisual in one call
• Render at origin + translate: Render the shape at (0,0) and use SvgVisual.setTranslate() for position — only the transform needs updating when a node moves

Implementation Steps

1. Declare a Cache type with the values needed to detect changes in updateVisual
2. Declare a CustomNodeStyleVisual = TaggedSvgVisual<TElement, Cache> type alias
3. Extend NodeStyleBase<CustomNodeStyleVisual>
4. In createVisual(): render at (0,0), set translate, return SvgVisual.from(element, cache)
5. In updateVisual(): read oldVisual.tag (typed), update only changed attributes, always update translate

Related Skills

To extend this foundation:

• /yfiles-nodestyle-configure — Make styles configurable and data-driven
• /yfiles-nodestyle-interaction — Add hit testing and edge cropping
• /yfiles-nodestyle-advanced — Viewport culling and group nodes

Additional Resources

• references/examples.md — Complete examples: rectangle, custom path, group container, framework integration
• references/reference.md — NodeStyleBase/SvgVisual API, SVG patterns, performance tips, common pitfalls