#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#include <atcoder/all>
using namespace std;
using namespace atcoder;

#define int long long
#define rep(i, n) for (int i = 0; i < (int) (n); i++)
#define reps(i, n) for (int i = 1; i <= (int) (n); i++)
#define all(x) (x).begin(), (x).end()
#define uniq(x) (x).erase(unique(all(x)), (x).end())
#define bit(n) (1LL << (n))
#define dump(x) cerr << #x " = " << (x) << endl
using vint = vector<int>;
using vvint = vector<vint>;
using pint = pair<int, int>;
using vpint = vector<pint>;
template<typename T> using priority_queue_rev = priority_queue<T, vector<T>, greater<T>>;
constexpr double PI = 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028;
constexpr int DY[9] = {0, 1, 0, -1, 1, 1, -1, -1, 0};
constexpr int DX[9] = {1, 0, -1, 0, 1, -1, -1, 1, 0};
int sign(int x) { return (x > 0) - (x < 0); }
int gcd(int a, int b) {
    while (b) { swap(a %= b, b); }
    return a;
}
int lcm(int a, int b) { return a / gcd(a, b) * b; }
int cdiv(int a, int b) { return (a - 1 + b) / b; }
template<typename T> void fin(T mes) {
    cout << mes << endl;
    exit(0);
}
template<typename T, typename U> bool chmax(T &a, const U &b) {
    if (a < b) {
        a = b;
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}
template<typename T, typename U> bool chmin(T &a, const U &b) {
    if (b < a) {
        a = b;
        return true;
    }
    return false;
}
template<typename T, typename U> ostream &operator<<(ostream &os, const pair<T, U> &rhs) {
    os << "(" << rhs.first << ", " << rhs.second << ")";
    return os;
}
template<typename T> ostream &operator<<(ostream &os, const vector<T> &rhs) {
    os << "{";
    for (auto itr = rhs.begin(); itr != rhs.end(); itr++) {
        os << *itr << (next(itr) != rhs.end() ? ", " : "");
    }
    os << "}";
    return os;
}
template<typename T> ostream &operator<<(ostream &os, const deque<T> &rhs) {
    os << "{";
    for (auto itr = rhs.begin(); itr != rhs.end(); itr++) {
        os << *itr << (next(itr) != rhs.end() ? ", " : "");
    }
    os << "}";
    return os;
}
template<typename T> ostream &operator<<(ostream &os, const set<T> &rhs) {
    os << "{";
    for (auto itr = rhs.begin(); itr != rhs.end(); itr++) {
        os << *itr << (next(itr) != rhs.end() ? ", " : "");
    }
    os << "}";
    return os;
}
template<typename T, typename U> ostream &operator<<(ostream &os, const map<T, U> &rhs) {
    os << "{";
    for (auto itr = rhs.begin(); itr != rhs.end(); itr++) {
        os << *itr << (next(itr) != rhs.end() ? ", " : "");
    }
    os << "}";
    return os;
}
struct setup {
    static constexpr int PREC = 20;
    setup() {
        cout << fixed << setprecision(PREC);
        cerr << fixed << setprecision(PREC);
    };
} setup;

signed main() {
    int N, M;
    cin >> N >> M;
    vector<string> s(N);
    rep(i, N) { cin >> s[i]; }
    mf_graph<int> graph(N * M + 2);
    rep(i, N) {
        rep(j, M) {
            if ((i + j) & 1) {
                graph.add_edge(N * M, i * M + j, 1);
                if (s[i][j] == '#') { continue; }
                rep(k, 4) {
                    int ny = i + DY[k], nx = j + DX[k];
                    if (ny < 0 || nx < 0 || ny >= N || nx >= M) { continue; }
                    if (s[ny][nx] == '#') { continue; }
                    graph.add_edge(i * M + j, ny * M + nx, 1);
                }
            } else { graph.add_edge(i * M + j, N * M + 1, 1); }
        }
    }
    cout << graph.flow(N * M, N * M + 1) << endl;
    for (auto e:graph.edges()) {
        if (e.from == N * M || e.to == N * M + 1 || e.flow == 0) { continue; }
        int y0 = e.from / M, x0 = e.from % M;
        int y1 = e.to / M, x1 = e.to % M;
        if (y0 > y1) { swap(y0, y1); }
        if (x0 > x1) { swap(x0, x1); }
        if (y0 == y1) { s[y0][x0] = '>', s[y1][x1] = '<'; }
        else { s[y0][x0] = 'v', s[y1][x1] = '^'; }
    }
    rep(i, N) { cout << s[i] << endl; }
}

Measured memory_bytes: 6256