Tools for Drawing Connectors
Connectors are very crucial in drawing professional diagrams. They provide a sense of connection between two or more shapes or objects. In EdrawMax, you will find a total of four Connectors - Right-Angled Connector, Curved Connector, Straight Connector, and Freeform Connector. To access any of these connectors, click Home > Connector.
Right Connector: The Right Connector is a straight-line connector that can be converted into a right-angled connector. To use this, click Home > Go to Connector > Select Connector.
Note: The Right Connector comes with square-shaped connection points that help you change the size of the connector. Simply drag the connector from one of those connection points and change the size and resolution.
Curved Connector: The Curved Connector provides a curved line between two points. To use this, click Home > Go to Connector > Select Curved Connector.
Note: The Curved Connector comes with two circular-shaped connection points that help you change the curve shape of the connector. Simply drag the connector from one of those connection points and change the curved shape of this connector.
Straight Connector: The Straight Connector is a straight-line connector that connects two shapes. To use this, click Home > Go to Connector > Select Straight Connector.
Note: The Straight Connector comes with one single connection point that lets you change the straight line’s position. Simply drag the connector from this connection point and adjust the location.
Freeform Connector: As the name suggests, Freeform Connector is a freeform line that you can draw on the canvas as required. To use this, click Home > Go to Connector > select Freeform Connector. Once you stop drawing the line, you will find a dotted rectangle with two square icons on either side of it. Drag them to modify the freeform shape that you have created.
Connectors Between Shapes
Once you have added more than one shape on your EdrawMax canvas and you need to connect them, you will need to access any of the above-mentioned connectors.
Every shape comes with two connection points:
- Present Connection Point: It is a fixed point that helps you “glue” connectors and shapes.
- Floating Connection Point: Floating Connection Point’s position is changeable as per the shape’s outline or requirements.
Tip: Connection Point is a very important part of EdrawMax. When you move a shape that is attached to another shape via a connector, the connection line will automatically adjust its angle to keep the two connection points connected.
Add Connectors Between Shapes
Step 1: Find the connection point between two shapes where you want to draw a connection line.
Step 2: Put the cursor above it and the connection point and the cursor will look like:
Step 3: Drag the mouse to draw a connector from Shape A to Shape B. You can change the direction or position of the connector by moving the control points on the connection line.
Note: By default, the right-angle connector will be in play. If you want to change it, click on Home > Connectors and choose the one you wish to apply between the two shapes.
Tip: Right-click on any connector > select any connector from the context menu.
Customize Connector
EdrawMax offers several options to easily customize the connectors. Click on Design > Select the Connector and choose from different connectors based on widths and sizes.
Click on Customize Connector to create a new theme connector. From this pop-up option, create a new connector based on your preferences by modifying Shade/Tint, Transparency, Lineweight, Linetype, Cap type, Rounding presets, and more.
Connection Points Tool
To add one or more connection points on the shape:
Step 1: Create or select a shape on the canvas.
Step 2: Click Home > Connector > Connection Points Tool
Step 3: Click on the shape where you want to add a new connection point. You can add one or more connection points to your shape.
Step 4: You can use these newly created connection points to make new connections with different shapes.
Move Connection Points
In order to move a connection point:
Step 1: Create or select a shape on the canvas.
Step 2: Click Home > Connector > Connection Points Tool
Step 3: Click on anywhere on the screen to add different connection points. You can have as many connection points as required.
