// warm heart, wagging tail,and a smile just for you!
//                                                                     ███████████
//                                                                   ███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███
//                                                                ███╬╬╬╬╬████╬╬╬╬╬╬███
//                                            ███████████       ██╬╬╬╬╬████╬╬████╬╬╬╬╬██
//                                      █████████╬╬╬╬╬████████████╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬███╬╬╬╬╬██
//                               ████████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█████████╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██
//                             ████╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█████████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██
//                           ███╬╬╬█╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█████
//                         ███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬████████╬╬╬╬╬██
//                       ███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███
//                     ███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██
//                 ████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬████╬╬╬╬╬████
//     █████████████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███╬╬╬╬██████
//   ████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬██████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███████████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬██╬╬╬██
// ███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██
// ██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬▓▓▓▓▓▓╬╬╬████╬╬████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███
// ██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██████▓▓▓▓▓▓▓╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬▓▓▓▓▓▓▓██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬█████
// ███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬████████
//   ███╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬█████╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬███╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬██
//       ██████████████  ████╬╬╬╬╬╬███████████████████████████╬╬╬╬╬██╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬╬████
//                         ███████                           █████  ███████████████████  
//
#include "bits/stdc++.h"
using namespace std;
#define INF (1<<30)
#define LINF (1LL<<60)
#define fs first
#define sc second
#define int long long
#define FOR(i,a,b) for(int i=(a);i<(b);++i)
#define FOR2(i,a,b) for(int i=(a);i<=(b);++i)
#define RFOR(i,a,b) for(int i = (b-1);i>=(a);--i)
#define RFOR2(i,a,b) for(int i = (b);i>=(a);--i)
#define REP(i,n)  FOR(i,0,(n))
#define REP2(i,n)  FOR2(i,0,(n))
#define RREP(i,n) RFOR(i,0,(n))
#define RREP2(i,n) RFOR2(i,0,(n))
#define ITR(itr,mp) for(auto itr = (mp).begin(); itr != (mp).end(); ++itr)
#define RITR(itr,mp) for(auto itr = (mp).rbegin(); itr != (mp).rend(); ++itr)
#define range(i,a,b) ((a)<=(i) && (i)<(b))
#define range2(i,a,b) ((a)<=(i) && (i)<=(b))
#define debug(x)  cout << #x << " = " << (x) << endl
#define SP << " " << 
template<typename T1,typename T2> inline bool chmin(T1 &a,T2 b){if(a>b) {a=b; return true;} else return false;}
template<typename T1,typename T2> inline bool chmax(T1 &a,T2 b){if(a<b) {a=b; return true;} else return false;}
#define MSB(x) (63-__builtin_clzll(x))
#define pcnt(x) (__builtin_popcountll(x))
#define parity(i,j) (i&(1LL<<j))
typedef pair<int,int> P;
typedef tuple<int,int,int> T;
typedef vector<int> vec;
typedef vector<vector<int>> mat;

template <class Cap> struct max_flow {
  public:
    max_flow() : _n(0) {}
    max_flow(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 = pos.size();
        pos.push_back({from, g[from].size()});
        g[from].push_back(_edge{to, g[to].size(), cap});
        g[to].push_back(_edge{from, g[from].size() - 1, 0});
        return m;
    }

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

    edge get_edge(int i) {
        int m = 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};
    }
    std::vector<edge> edges() {
        int m = pos.size();
        std::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 = 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, std::numeric_limits<Cap>::max());
    }
    Cap flow(int s, int t, Cap flow_limit) {
        assert(0 <= s && s < _n);
        assert(0 <= t && t < _n);

        std::vector<int> level(_n), iter(_n);
        queue<int> que;

        auto bfs = [&]() {
            std::fill(level.begin(), level.end(), -1);
            level[s] = 0;
            queue<int>().swap(que);
            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 < 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, std::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;
            std::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;
    }

    std::vector<bool> min_cut(int s) {
        std::vector<bool> visited(_n);
        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;
    };
    std::vector<std::pair<int, int>> pos;
    std::vector<std::vector<_edge>> g;
};

void solve(){
    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)
     **/
    max_flow<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;
    }

}

signed main(){
  ios::sync_with_stdio(false);
  cin.tie(0);

  int T = 1;
  // cin >> T;

  while(T--) solve();

  return 0;
}


Measured memory_bytes: 7804