You will need to initialize the palette's Model with the node data with which you wish to populate the palette. For example, for the (simple) palette: <go:Palette x:Name="myPalette" NodeTemplate="..." /> you would need to perform something like the following at initialization: myPalette.Model.NodesSource = new String[] { "Alpha", "Beta", "Gamma" }; You also need to set AllowDrop="True" on the Diagram(s) into which users may drop the items from the palette.

It is commonplace to have a different and probably simpler node DataTemplate for Palettes than for the destination Diagrams.

By default a palette uses a Northwoods.GoXam.Layout.GridLayout as its Layout. That GridLayout defaults to sorting all of the nodes by the Part.Text (attached) property. It also re-layouts automatically whenever the viewport size changes, because the size of the DiagramPanel changes or because the scale changes.

The default style for a palette also makes it IsReadOnly, and sets AllowDragOut to be true, to permit drag-and-drop operations to start from this palette and to end on other diagrams.

System.Object
   System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherObject
      System.Windows.DependencyObject
         System.Windows.Media.Visual
            System.Windows.UIElement
               System.Windows.FrameworkElement
                  System.Windows.Controls.Control
                     Northwoods.GoXam.Diagram
                        Northwoods.GoXam.Palette

Reference

Palette Members
Northwoods.GoXam Namespace