Working with Connectors

Connect shapes using the Connector tool

Connect shapes using the Drawing tools

Connect shapes using a connector shape from a library

Drag a connector from a control handle on a shape

Add text to a connector

Reposition text on a connector

Add arrows or other line ends to a connector

Reset the path of a connector 

Connect shapes using the Connector tool

1. Click the Connector tool .

2. Draw connection line as follow:

   To keep the connector glued to a specific point on a shape, drag from a connection point on the first shape to a connection point on the second shape. The connector endpoints turn red when the shapes are connected.

                      

   Note  You can also create connections between shapes where one side of the connector is connected to a point and the other end of the connector is connected to the shape (and vice versa).

Connect shapes using the Drawing tools

1. Click the Line tool , or Arc tool , or Sector tool , or Curve tool , or Freehand tool .

2. Draw connection line as using Connector tool.

                      

Connect shapes using a connector shape from a library

1. In a library that has connector shapes, drag a connector shape from the library .

2. Drag the connector's begin point to the shape you're connecting from.

3. Drag the connector's end point to the shape you're connecting to.

   The endpoints turn red when the connector is glued to the shapes.

   

   

Drag a connector from a control handle on a shape

1. Select a shape that has built-in connectors, and position the pointer over the shape's control handle .

2. Drag the control handle to a connection point on another shape.

   Note Not all the control handle can be glued to connection points, when dragging the control handle and moving over connection point, red rectangle will appear if the control handle can be glued. But you cannot dynamically glue them.

   

Add text to a connector

1. Select a connector.

2. Type the text you want to add to the connector.

   Note For Right-angle connectors (created by Connector tool , or by Line tool ), there three text blocks.

                     

   Double click the area where you want to type text, the nearest text block will be activated.

   For example, double click the begin point area of the Connection line, the text block near the begin point will be edited.

   

Reposition text on a connector

Many connectors have control handles for moving text. To move the text, select the connector and then use the Selection tool to move the text control handle.

Note  If the connector does not have a control handle, you can still reposition its text using the Text Block tool , just as you would on any other shape. Click the Text Block tool, click the shape, and then drag the double rectangle that appears when the pointer is over the text in the text block.

Add arrows or other line ends to a connector

1. Select a connector.

2. On the Shape menu, click Line. Also you can click on Format toolbar.

3. Under Line ends, choose the type and size of line end you want.

4. Click OK.

Notes

The line ends on a connector don't necessarily indicate the direction of the endpoints (endpoint: Either of the square handles that appear at the beginning or end of a selected line, arc, or other connector shapes in library.) of the connector. If you need to reverse the direction of a connector, select the connector, point to Rotate or Flip on the Shape menu, and then click Flip Horizontal, and also you can change the Line ends to reverse the direction.

Reset the path of a connector

1. Select a dynamic connector (created by Connector tool ) on the page, then the Connector Layout toolbar will appear.

2. Click Reset Connector button on the toolbar.

   As you press Reset Connector button, the connector will reset its path and change its Reroute Mode to Reroute Freely as well. In Reroute Freely mode, connector will reroute its path when any operation happens.

Note Only the connector has been modified by dragging control handle or , otherwise the Reset Connector button is Unable.

         Once the dynamic connector is modified, the Never Reroute button will be focus, and the dynamic connector will never reroute until you click Reroute Freely button .