Lines and Text
Draw Lines
You can connect shapes with lines. SmartDraw can anchor lines to shapes so
that, when you move the shape, the line stays attached and adjusts itself accordingly.
In SmartPanel, click the Line Shape menu and choose
a line type. Your cursor becomes a pencil when it enters the Work Area. To
connect two shapes, click on the border of one and drag your mouse
to the other. As you approach the second shape, your cursor becomes an anchor,
indicating that the line will be linked to the shape if you release now. You may
also notice connection points, small black points on a shape indicating where lines
can attach.
To just draw a line, simply click, drag, and release in the Work Area.
Line Hops
If there are lines in your diagram that intersect but are not actually connected, you will
want to employ Line Hops. This feature causes one of the intersecting lines to
appear to be "hopping" over the other line, showing that they are not interacting.
In SmartPanel, click Line Hops. In the dialog that
appears, you can choose to show or hide line hops, as well as what shape and size they are.
If a line was selected when you clicked the button, you can specify whether line hops are
used for the selected line.
Add Text
You can add text to shapes, lines, or the background. Simply click Add Text
in SmartPanel, then click in the Work Area where you would like to add text
and begin typing.
