Changing the Layout of Connected Shapes

Key Points

• Diagrams, such as flowcharts, organization charts, and network diagrams, include connectors that represent process sequences, employee relationships and hierarchies, and physical relationships among pieces of equipment.
• Visio 2007 makes connecting shapes even easier by adding a new feature: AutoConnect. With AutoConnect, Visio does all the connection work for you. Just drag shapes onto the drawing page, and Visio connects, aligns, and evenly distributes the shapes for you.
• You can use AutoConnect or the Connector tool to create connections in flowcharts. Connectors are 1-D shapes that connect 2-D shapes. In flowcharts, connectors are usually lines or arrows.
• Connectors can be glued to the shapes that they connect. You can break the bond by moving a connector endpoint or deleting the connector. Connectors that are glued to shapes are represented with a red endpoint.
• You can create two types of connections in Visio diagrams: shape-to-shape connections and point-to-point connections. Shape-to-shape connections connect shapes at the two closest points. Point-to-point connections connect shapes at specific connection points. When you move a shape connected by a point-to-point connection, the connector stays attached to the connection point.
• You can add text to a connector the same way you would any other shapeby selecting the connector and typing. Each connector also has a shortcut menu; right-click the connector to display it.
• You can reroute connectors by dragging an endpoint to a new shape or connection point, or by dragging a midpoint on a connector segment. Delete a connector by selecting it and pressing the Delete key.
• You can change the layout of all the shapes in your flowchart by clicking Configure Layout on the Shape menu.
• You can distribute three or more shapes evenly by using the Distribute Shapes command on the Shape menu.
• You can align two or more shapes by using the Align Shapes command on the Shape menu. Visio aligns the secondary shapes with the primary shape.