Each new item, created either by the user or programmatically, is initialized with some kind of default property values.

If you create items by using the new operator and adding them the diagram's Nodes or Links collection, you can initialize the items by passing a Diagram reference to the respective constructor, or by passing another item to the copy constructor. In the former case, item properties are initialized from the default-property values defined in Diagram. In the latter case, properties are copied from the prototype item.

When users draw new items, the items are initialized from the Diagram properties, but you can change the default values by handling the InitializeNode and InitializeLink events.

Items created via the diagram's Factory object are always initialized from the default-property values defined in Diagram.

Below are listed item properties and the corresponding constants or Diagram properties through which they are initialized:

DiagramItem Property	Initialized With
Brush	ShapeBrush TableBrush LinkBrush
Font	Font
Locked	false
Pen	ShapePen TablePen LinkPen
Selected	SelectAfterCreate
Tag	null
ToolTip	(empty string)
Visible	true

ShapeNode Property	Initialized With
CustomDraw	ShapeCustomDraw
EnabledHandles	AdjustmentHandles.All
Expandable	NodesExpandable
HandlesStyle	ShapeHandlesStyle
Image	null
ImageAlign	ImageAlign.Fit
Text	ShapeText
TextColor	TextColor
TextFormat	TextFormat
Transparent	false

ContainerNode Property	Initialized With
AutoShrink	false
Caption	ContainerCaption
CaptionBrush	Black
CaptionFormat	TextFormat
CaptionHeight	ContainerCaptionHeight
Foldable	ContainersFoldable
Folded	false
HighlightPen	ContainerHighlightPen
Margin	ContainerMargin
MinimumSize	ContainerMinimumSize

TableNode Property	Initialized With
Caption	TableCaption
CaptionColor	Color.FromArgb(0, 0, 0)
CaptionFormat	Centered horizontal and vertical alignment
CellCustomDraw	CellCustomDraw
CellFrameStyle	CellFrameStyle
ColumnWidth	TableColumnWidth
CustomDraw	TableCustomDraw
HandlesStyle	TableHandlesStyle
Image	null
ImageAlign	ImageAlign.Fit
ConnectionStyle	TableConnectionStyle
RowHeight	TableRowHeight
Scrollable	TablesScrollable
Shape	TableShape
TextColor	TextColor

DiagramLink Property	Initialized With
BaseShape	LinkBaseShape
BaseShapeSize	LinkBaseShapeSize
HeadShape	LinkHeadShape
HeadShapeSize	LinkHeadShapeSize
AutoRoute	RouteLinks
CascadeOrientation	LinkCascadeOrientation
CustomDraw	LinkCustomDraw
Dynamic	DynamicLinks
HeadPen	LinkPen
IntermediateShape	LinkIntermediateShape
IntermediateShapeSize	LinkIntermediateShapeSize
RetainForm	LinksRetainForm
SegmentCount	LinkSegments
Shape	LinkShape
Text	LinkText
TextColor	TextColor
TextStyle	LinkTextStyle