#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
using ll = long long;
using P = pair<int,int>;
template <class T> struct simple_queue {
    std::vector<T> payload;
    int pos = 0;
    void reserve(int n) { payload.reserve(n); }
    int size() const { return int(payload.size()) - pos; }
    bool empty() const { return pos == int(payload.size()); }
    void push(const T& t) { payload.push_back(t); }
    T& front() { return payload[pos]; }
    void clear() {
        payload.clear();
        pos = 0;
    }
    void pop() { pos++; }
};
template <class Cap> struct mf_graph {
  public:
    mf_graph() : _n(0) {}
    mf_graph(int n) : _n(n), g(n) {}

    int add_edge(int from, int to, Cap cap) {
        assert(0 <= from && from < _n);
        assert(0 <= to && to < _n);
        assert(0 <= cap);
        int m = int(pos.size());
        pos.push_back({from, int(g[from].size())});
        int from_id = int(g[from].size());
        int to_id = int(g[to].size());
        if (from == to) to_id++;
        g[from].push_back(_edge{to, to_id, cap});
        g[to].push_back(_edge{from, from_id, 0});
        return m;
    }

    struct edge {
        int from, to;
        Cap cap, flow;
    };

    edge get_edge(int i) {
        int m = int(pos.size());
        assert(0 <= i && i < m);
        auto _e = g[pos[i].first][pos[i].second];
        auto _re = g[_e.to][_e.rev];
        return edge{pos[i].first, _e.to, _e.cap + _re.cap, _re.cap};
    }
    vector<edge> edges() {
        int m = int(pos.size());
        vector<edge> result;
        for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) {
            result.push_back(get_edge(i));
        }
        return result;
    }
    void change_edge(int i, Cap new_cap, Cap new_flow) {
        int m = int(pos.size());
        assert(0 <= i && i < m);
        assert(0 <= new_flow && new_flow <= new_cap);
        auto& _e = g[pos[i].first][pos[i].second];
        auto& _re = g[_e.to][_e.rev];
        _e.cap = new_cap - new_flow;
        _re.cap = new_flow;
    }

    Cap flow(int s, int t) {
        return flow(s, t, numeric_limits<Cap>::max());
    }
    Cap flow(int s, int t, Cap flow_limit) {
        assert(0 <= s && s < _n);
        assert(0 <= t && t < _n);
        assert(s != t);

        vector<int> level(_n), iter(_n);
        simple_queue<int> que;

        auto bfs = [&]() {
            fill(level.begin(), level.end(), -1);
            level[s] = 0;
            que.clear();
            que.push(s);
            while (!que.empty()) {
                int v = que.front();
                que.pop();
                for (auto e : g[v]) {
                    if (e.cap == 0 || level[e.to] >= 0) continue;
                    level[e.to] = level[v] + 1;
                    if (e.to == t) return;
                    que.push(e.to);
                }
            }
        };
        auto dfs = [&](auto self, int v, Cap up) {
            if (v == s) return up;
            Cap res = 0;
            int level_v = level[v];
            for (int& i = iter[v]; i < int(g[v].size()); i++) {
                _edge& e = g[v][i];
                if (level_v <= level[e.to] || g[e.to][e.rev].cap == 0) continue;
                Cap d =
                    self(self, e.to, min(up - res, g[e.to][e.rev].cap));
                if (d <= 0) continue;
                g[v][i].cap += d;
                g[e.to][e.rev].cap -= d;
                res += d;
                if (res == up) break;
            }
            return res;
        };

        Cap flow = 0;
        while (flow < flow_limit) {
            bfs();
            if (level[t] == -1) break;
            fill(iter.begin(), iter.end(), 0);
            while (flow < flow_limit) {
                Cap f = dfs(dfs, t, flow_limit - flow);
                if (!f) break;
                flow += f;
            }
        }
        return flow;
    }

    vector<bool> min_cut(int s) {
        vector<bool> visited(_n);
        simple_queue<int> que;
        que.push(s);
        while (!que.empty()) {
            int p = que.front();
            que.pop();
            visited[p] = true;
            for (auto e : g[p]) {
                if (e.cap && !visited[e.to]) {
                    visited[e.to] = true;
                    que.push(e.to);
                }
            }
        }
        return visited;
    }

  private:
    int _n;
    struct _edge {
        int to, rev;
        Cap cap;
    };
    vector<pair<int, int>> pos;
    vector<vector<_edge>> g;
};
int main(){
    int n, m;
    cin >> n >> m;

    vector<string> grid(n);
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        cin >> grid[i];
    }

    /**
     * generate (s -> even grid -> odd grid -> t) graph
     * grid(i, j) correspond to vertex (i * m + j)
     **/
    mf_graph<int> g(n * m + 2);
    int s = n * m, t = n * m + 1;

    // s -> even / odd -> t
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        for (int j = 0; j < m; j++) {
            if (grid[i][j] == '#') continue;
            int v = i * m + j;
            if ((i + j) % 2 == 0) {
                g.add_edge(s, v, 1);
            } else {
                g.add_edge(v, t, 1);
            }
        }
    }

    // even -> odd
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        for (int j = 0; j < m; j++) {
            if ((i + j) % 2 || grid[i][j] == '#') continue;
            int v0 = i * m + j;
            if (i && grid[i - 1][j] == '.') {
                int v1 = (i - 1) * m + j;
                g.add_edge(v0, v1, 1);
            }
            if (j && grid[i][j - 1] == '.') {
                int v1 = i * m + (j - 1);
                g.add_edge(v0, v1, 1);
            }
            if (i + 1 < n && grid[i + 1][j] == '.') {
                int v1 = (i + 1) * m + j;
                g.add_edge(v0, v1, 1);
            }
            if (j + 1 < m && grid[i][j + 1] == '.') {
                int v1 = i * m + (j + 1);
                g.add_edge(v0, v1, 1);
            }
        }
    }

    cout << g.flow(s, t) << endl;

    auto edges = g.edges();
    for (auto e : edges) {
        if (e.from == s || e.to == t || e.flow == 0) continue;
        int i0 = e.from / m, j0 = e.from % m;
        int i1 = e.to / m, j1 = e.to % m;

        if (i0 == i1 + 1) {
            grid[i1][j1] = 'v';
            grid[i0][j0] = '^';
        } else if (j0 == j1 + 1) {
            grid[i1][j1] = '>'; grid[i0][j0] = '<';
        } else if (i0 == i1 - 1) {
            grid[i0][j0] = 'v';
            grid[i1][j1] = '^';
        } else {
            grid[i0][j0] = '>'; grid[i1][j1] = '<';
        }
    }

    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        cout << grid[i] << endl;
    }

  return 0;
}



Measured memory_bytes: 5672