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Draw Guide 7.3

Chapter 8,
Connections, Flowcharts, and Organization Charts

Copyright

This document is Copyright © 2022 by the LibreOffice Documentation Team. Contributors are listed below. This document maybe distributed and/or modify it under the terms of either the GNU General Public License (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html), version 3 or later, or the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), version 4.0 or later.

All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors

To this edition

Peter Schofield

Kees Kriek

 

To previous editions

John Cleland

Martin Fox

Jean Hollis Weber

John A Smith

Peter Schofield

Regina Henschel

Claire Wood

 

 

Feedback

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Note

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Publication date and software version

Published May 2022. Based on LibreOffice 7.3 Community.
Other versions of LibreOffice may differ in appearance and functionality.

Using LibreOffice on macOS

Some keystrokes and menu items are different on macOS from those used in Windows and Linux. The table below gives some common substitutions for the instructions in this document. For a detailed list, see the application Help.

Windows or Linux

macOS equivalent

Effect

Tools > Options on Menu bar

LibreOffice > Preferences on Menu bar

Access to setup options

Right-click

Ctrl+click and/or right-click depending on computer setup

Opens a context menu

Ctrl or Control

⌘ and/or Cmd or Command

Used with other keys

Alt

⌥ and/or Alt or Option

Used with other keys

F11

⌘+T

Open the Styles deck in the Sidebar

Connectors and glue points

Connectors and glue points were briefly introduced in Chapter 2, Drawing Basic Shapes. This section describes them in more detail and how to use them.

Connectors are lines or arrows whose ends automatically dock to a connection or glue point on the border of an object. Connectors are useful in drawings because connecting lines between objects remain connected to objects, even when objects are moved or rearranged. Also, when an object with a connector attached is moved or resized, the connector automatically adjusts its shape to accommodate the changes.

For example, when creating flowcharts, organization chart, schematics, or diagrams, it is highly recommended to use connectors instead of simple lines. Using connectors removes the need to redraw lines between objects,

When a connector is drawn or selected, Draw displays selection handles that are different to the selection handles for normal lines or objects. The termination points of a connector are round at the start and end points of a connector, and square in the center of the lines that make up a connector, as shown by the example in Figure 1. The square selection handles on a connector are used to change the routing of a connector where applicable.

Figure 1: Example of connectors between objects

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Connectors

Draw has a comprehensive selection of connectors to connect objects together, for example, in a flowchart or organization chart. The default set of connectors can be accessed using one of the following methods:

If necessary, the pop-up toolbar for connectors on the Drawing toolbar can be displayed as a Connectors sub-toolbar as follows:

1)  Click on the triangle ▼ on the right of Connectors on the Drawing toolbar.

2)  Click on the line at the top of the pop-up toolbar and drag it on to the Workspace.

3)  Release the cursor and the pop-up toolbar becomes the Connectors sub‑toolbar (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Connectors sub-toolbar

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Connector type groups

Connectors are grouped into four groups as follows:

Connector types

The full range of predefined connectors can be accessed by clicking on the triangle ▼ on the right of the titlebar for the Connectors sub‑toolbar and selecting Visible Buttons from the context menu. The connectors are installed on the Connectors sub-toolbar in the same order that they appear in the Visible Buttons drop-down list. The full range of connectors available for use is as follows:

Connector Ends with Arrow

Straight Connector Ends with Arrow

Curved Connector Ends with Arrow

Line Connector Ends with Arrow

Connector

Straight Connector

Curved Connector

Line Connector

Connector with Arrows

Straight Connector with Arrows

Curved Connector with Arrows

Line Connector with Arrows

Connector Starts with Arrow

Straight Connector Starts with Arrow

Curved Connector Starts with Arrow

Line Connector Starts with Arrow

Connector Ends with Circle

Straight Connector Ends with Circle

Curved Connector Ends with Circle

Line Connector Ends with Circle

Connector Starts with Circle

Straight Connector Starts with Circle

Curved Connector Starts with Circle

Line Connector Starts with Circle

Connector with Circles

Straight Connector with Circles

Curved Connector with Circles

Line Connector with Circles

Depending on the computer system being used, the connectors already installed on the Connectors sub‑toolbar are indicated either by a check mark against the name, or the connector icon is highlighted.

Adding connectors to objects

1)  Click on the triangle ▼ on the right of Connectors on the Drawing toolbar to open the options available for selecting connectors.

2)  Select the type of connector required. See “Connector type groups” and “Connector typesabove for more information on connector types.

Figure 3: Example of object glue points

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3)  Move the cursor over one of the objects to be connected and small crosses appear around the object edges, normally in the same position as object selection handles. These crosses are the glue points to which a connector can be attached (Figure 3). See “Glue points” on page 1 for more information on glue points.

4)  Click on the required glue point to attach the start point of the connector, then click and drag the cursor to draw a connector to the target object.

5)  When the cursor is over a glue point of the target object release the cursor and the connector is drawn. The connector end point is attached to the glue point on the target object.

6)  The square selection handles that appear on the connector are used to adjust the path of the connector so that it does not cover any other object in its path. See “Modifying connectorsbelow on how to change the connector route to avoid any objects the connector crosses over.

Note

The end point of a connector can be positioned in an empty part of a document. When the cursor is released, the unattached end point of the connector is locked into place until it is moved to a different location.

Note

The start and end points of a connector cannot be swapped, that is the start point becomes the end point and the end point becomes the start point. To swap the end points of a connector, the connector has to be deleted and a new connector has to be drawn in the opposite direction.

Modifying connectors

To detach or reposition a connector, click and drag either round end point of a connector line to a different location. See the example in Figure 1 on page 1 for an example of round end points.

To change the connector route between objects so that the connector does not overlap any objects on the route, click on a square control point on the connector line and drag it to a new position. See the example in Figure 1 on page 1 for an example of square control points.

To modify a connector, right-click on the connector and select Connector from the context menu to open the Connector dialog (Figure 4). Use this dialog to change connector type and its properties.

Figure 4: Connector dialog

Image6

Note

The type of connector ends cannot be changed using the Connector dialog. To change the connector ends, the connector has to be deleted and a new connector drawn with the required ends.

Glue points

Glue points are not the same as object selection handles. The selection handles are for moving or changing the shape of an object (see Chapter 3, Working with Objects for more information). Glue points are used to fix or glue a connector to an object so that when the object moves, the connector stays fixed to that object.

Figure 5: Glue Points toolbar

Image7

All objects have glue points and Figure 3 on page 1 shows an example of glue points visible on an object after a connector has been selected. Glue points are not normally displayed on an object and only become visible when one of the following methods is used.

To add, customize or delete glue points to an object, go to View > Toolbars > Glue Points on the Menu bar to activate the Glue Points toolbar (Figure 5). This toolbar only becomes visible after using one of the following methods:

Note

Show Glue Point Functions on the Drawing toolbar is not part of the default set of tools for the Drawing toolbar. To add this tool, right-click in an empty area on the Drawing toolbar and select Visible Buttons > Glue Points from the context menu.

Glue point types

When the Glue Points toolbar opens, only the five tools on the left of Glue Point Relative are active. The remaining six tools on the right of the toolbar only become active when Glue Point Relative is deselected.

The following six tools only become active when Glue Point Relative is deselected.

Note

Each glue point added to an object can have only one horizontal position and one vertical position. Only one of the horizontal position tools and one of the vertical position tools can be selected and used at any one time.

Adding glue points

By default, most objects normally have four glue points as shown in the example in Figure 3 on page 1. Add additional glue points to an object as follows:

1)  Go to View > Toolbars > Glue Points on the Menu bar to activate the Glue Points toolbar.

2)  Make sure no objects are selected and use one of the following methods to open the Glue Points toolbar:

3)  Select the object, then click on Insert Glue Point on the Glue Points toolbar.

4)  Move the cursor to the required position on the selected object and the cursor changes shape. Normally this is a cross, but the actual shape used depends on the computer setup.

5)  Click once to add a glue point. To add more glue points, move the cursor to a new position and click.

6)  When finished adding glue points, move the cursor off the selected object and click in an empty space to deselect the object.

7)  Alternatively, right-click on a glue point previously added to the object and select Insert Glue Point from the context menu, then click and drag the new glue point to the required position.

8)  Select the type of glue point required from the options available on the Glue Points toolbar. See “Glue point typesabove for more information.

Note

When an object has no fill, a glue point can only be added to the border of an empty object.

Tip

When adding, moving or customizing glue points, it is recommended to use the zoom function to make it easier to work with glue points. See Chapter 3, Working with Objects for more information. Also, glue points snap to the grid making it easier to position a glue point.

Customizing glue point exit direction

Customize the exit direction for a glue point that has been added to an object as follows:

1)  Go to View > Toolbars > Glue Points on the Menu bar to activate the Glue Points toolbar.

2)  Open the Glue Points toolbar:

3)  Double-click on a glue point that has been added to an object to select the glue point for customization.

4)  Select the required exit direction for the connector to be attached to the glue point using one of the following methods:

Customizing glue point positioning

Customize the horizontal and vertical positioning for a glue point that has been added to an object as follow:

1)  Go to View > Toolbars > Glue Points on the Menu bar to activate and open the Glue Points toolbar.

2)  Double-click on a glue point that has been added to an object to select the glue point for customization.

3)  Click on Glue Point Relative on the Glue Points toolbar to deselect this tool, or right-click on the glue point and select Glue Point Relative from the context menu to deselect the tool.

4)  Select the horizontal and vertical positioning tools required for the glue point using one of the following methods Only one horizontal positioning tool and one vertical positioning tool can be used at any one time:

Note

Only glue points that have been added to an object can be customized. The default glue points included with an object cannot be customized.

Deleting glue points

1)  Select a glue point for deletion that has previously been added to the object.

2)  Press the Delete or Backspace key, or go to Edit > Cut on the Menu bar.

Note

Only glue points that have been added to an object can be deleted. The default glue points included with an object cannot be deleted.

Connector text

Text can be easily added to connectors, then formatted, for example, to make a flowchart or organization chart easier to follow. See Chapter 9, Adding and Formatting Text for more information on working with and formatting text.

Figure 6: Text Formatting toolbar

Image8

Figure 7: Standard toolbar with Insert Vertical Text added

Image3

Figure 8: Drawing toolbar with Insert Vertical Text added

Image1

Adding text

1)  Select a connector and the control points become active.

2)  Enter text mode using one of the following methods. A flashing text cursor appears close to the connector and the Text Formatting toolbar (Figure 6) opens.

3)  Type the required text for the connector.

4)  If necessary, format the connector text. See “Formatting textbelow for more information on formatting and editing text text.

5)  When adding and formatting text is complete, move the cursor away from the text and connector, then click to end text mode. This also closes the Text Formatting toolbar.

Note

In the default installation of LibreOffice, the Insert Vertical Text tool is not included on the Standard or Drawing toolbars. To add Insert Vertical Text to the toolbar, right‑click in an empty area in either toolbar, go to Visible Buttons and select Vertical Text from the context menu.

Figure 9: Text dialog - Text page

Image10

Formatting text

1)  Select a connector with text added and activate the control points to enter text mode. See “Adding textabove for more information on adding text to a connector.

2)  Use the tools available on the Text Formatting toolbar or the options available in Format > Text on the Menu bar to format the text. By default, connector text is formatted with horizontal central alignment and vertical central positioning for the connector text paragraph.

3)  Right-click on the connector text and select Text Attributes from the context menu to open the Text dialog (Figure 9) and change how the text appears next to the connector. The options available are as follows:

4)  Click OK to save the changes to text attributes and close the Text dialog.

5)  Move the cursor away from text and connector, then click to end the text mode. This also closes the Text Formatting toolbar.

Note

The options available for text animation are not recommended for connector text unless the drawing is going to be displayed as part of a presentation. See the Impress Guide for more information on text animation.

Note

The options available for text columns are not recommended for connector text. Text columns are normally used for text that is placed into a text box when adding information to a drawing or into an object such as a rectangle or circle. For more information on text columns, see Chapter 9, Adding and Formatting Text.

Flowcharts

For drawing flowcharts (also known as flow diagrams), Draw has a floating Flowchart sub‑toolbar (Figure 10) that includes a large selection of flowchart tools to create a flowchart.

1)  Click on the triangle ▼ to the right of Flowchart on the Drawing toolbar to open a Flowchart pop-up menu. Note that the Flowchart icon changes shape depending on the last flowchart tool used.

2)  Click on the line at the top of the Flowchart pop-up menu and drag the pop-up menu into the Workspace.

3)  Release the cursor and the pop-up menu becomes a floating Flowchart sub‑toolbar.

Figure 10: Flowchart sub-toolbar

Image9

The available flowchart shapes on the Flowchart sub-toolbar, from left to right, are as follows:

Flowchart: Process

Flowchart: Alternate Process

Flowchart: Decision

Flowchart: Data

Flowchart: Predefined Process

Flowchart: Internal Storage

Flowchart: Document

Flowchart: Multidocument

Flowchart: Terminator

Flowchart: Preparation

Flowchart: Manual Input

Flowchart: Manual Operation

Flowchart: Connector

Flowchart: Off-page Connector

Flowchart: Card

Flowchart`: Punched Type

Flowchart: Summing Junction

Flowchart: Or

Flowchart: Collate

Flowchart: Sort

Flowchart: Extract

Flowchart: Merge

Flowchart: Stored Data

Flowchart: Delay

Flowchart: Sequential Access

Flowchart: Magnetic Disc

Flowchart: Direct Access Storage

Flowchart: Display

An example flowchart is shown in Figure 11 and the recommended basic steps when creating a flowchart are as follows:

Figure 11: Example flowchart

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Organization charts

Draw does not have a toolbar for organization charts, but these charts are easily created using basic shapes, flowchart shapes, and connectors. Hierarchy in an organization is easily indicated using shading and/or color. When using shading and color in an organization chart, make sure the selection provides a good contrast between the text and the shading or color. This makes the chart easy to read on a computer display or in a printed document.

An example of an organization chart is shown in Figure 12. This was drawn using the rectangle basic shape and connectors.

Figure 12: Example of an organization chart

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