8 - Working with 1-D Shapes, Connectors, and Glue

3 4

Should a shape behave like a box or a line? When you're designing a Microsoft Visio shape, that's one of the questions you need to ask. A shape that behaves like a box—that is, a two-dimensional (2-D) shape—can be stretched vertically or horizontally. A shape that behaves like a line—a one-dimensional (1-D) shape—can be stretched and rotated in one operation. You can use 1-D shapes to join other shapes together, and in this capacity they are often called connectors. The attribute of a shape that causes it to stay joined to another shape is called glue. You can glue a 1-D or 2-D shape to other shapes.

This chapter explains the differences between 1-D and 2-D shapes and describes how to create different types of 1-D shapes. It also explains how to work with the glue that holds shapes together.