Visual Thought User's Guide
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Chapter 7

Using Connections

Connections are special lines that "rubberband" between the objects they connect. When you move one object, the ends of the connections move with it.

Connections are created with the Connection tool.
Connections have two "live" ends. Each end can be attached to an object by dragging the end over the object.
Connections do not have to be connected to objects. One or both ends can be in free space. You can connect a free end to an object later by dragging the end over an object and releasing it.
Connections can be straight lines or, if they are composed of more than two joints, they can be smoothed out and made curved.

Creating and Deleting Connections

This section shows you how to create a connection between objects, create a free connection, create a connection with multiple joints, and delete a connection.

Creating a Connection Between Two Objects

Create a circle and a rectangle by dragging the shapes from the Palette.

Click on the Connection tool (or press 3).

You can also, with the Connection tool activated, click-and-drag from the first shape to the second. Release the mouse button when you are above the second shape.

Click first inside the circle, move the mouse and then click inside the rectangle to connect the two objects. You have made a connection.

Creating a Free Connection

Free connections are connections that are not currently attached to an object at either end.

Click on the Connection tool (or press 3).
Click once in the View window.
Move the cursor to a different location and double-click.

You have created a free connection.

Free connections can be connected to objects later on; to do so, simply drag the end of one connection over the top of an object. The connection will attach to the object.

Creating a Connection with Joints

Make sure you have clicked on the Connection tool. (The cursor should be a cross-hair).
Click once in the View window.

While creating a connection, pressing the Delete or Backspace key will remove the most recently added joint.
Move the cursor to a different location and click once.
Move the cursor and again click once.
Move the cursor and double-click.

.

You have created a free connection with three joints.

Follow the same procedure to create a connection with multiple joints between two objects, except that to end a connection on an object, you should only click once on the object.

Deleting Connections

To delete a connection, select it and press the Delete or Backspace key. Connections can also be cut and pasted like all other Visual Thought objects.

Moving Connected Objects

Create a circle, triangle and star.
Click on the Connection tool (or press 3).
Connect all the shapes: make a connection between the circle and the triangle and make a connection between the star and the triangle.
Click on the Select tool (or press 1). Move the star around. Notice how the connection is maintained-and the connection point on each shape follows the perimeter of the shape.

Graphical Attributes of Connections

Connections are objects; you can select them, duplicate and delete them, as well as change their format in a variety of ways.

You can format connections using the Inspector window as follows:

Attribute

Inspector Panel

Control

Color

Style

Set Color button

Dash Pattern

Style

Dash list

Width

Style

Width field

Shadowed

Style

Shadowed? toggle

Arrows

Shape

Arrow lists

Straight or Curved

Shape

Smoothness panel

Add & Format Text

Text

Double-click on the connection, enter text in text box.

Examples of Formatting Connections

Visual Thought allows you methods of easily changing the formats of connections. Below are examples of changing their width, their color and their curvature. You can also add arrows at their beginning or end.

Changing Stroke Width

Create a connection. Notice that the connection is already selected.
Click on the Style button in the Inspector panel selector (Ctrl-4).
Slide the Width slider to 2. Alternatively, you can enter 2 in the Width field to change the width of the stroking. You must then press Return or Tab for the formatting to take place.

Adding Arrows

Select a connection.
Click on the Shape button in the Inspector panel selector (Ctrl-2).
Scroll down through the arrow lists to display the arrows shown below.

Click on the Show At Start? and the Show At End? checkboxes.
Click on the individual arrows in the arrow lists to generate the connection shown below.

Curving a Connection

Create a connection with more than two joints.

Click on the Shape button in the Inspector panel selector.
Click on the Curved Smoothness button in the lower, right-hand corner of the Inspector window.

The connection becomes curved.

In the View window, click on the Select tool (or press 1) and drag the individual handles to increase the curvature of the connection.

Click on the Straight Smoothness button in the lower, left-hand corner of the Inspector to straighten the connection again.

Using AutoConnect

Normally, the AutoConnect mode is turned on in every View. When on, this mode causes connection ends to connect to objects they are dragged and released over. When AutoConnect mode is off, connections that are being created or resized never connect to other objects.

Turning AutoConnect off is useful in certain situations when you don't want connections to "snap" to the perimeters of shapes or to connect to other connections.

When AutoConnect is On

When AutoConnect is on, connection ends are "live."

Create two circle shapes.
Change to the Connection tool (or press 3).
Click-and-drag from the first circle to the second circle to create a connection between them. Notice that no matter where you click and release, as long as you click and release over the circles, the connection you create snaps to the perimeters of the circles.

Create a free connection by clicking in empty space, then double-clicking in another empty place to finish creating the connection.
Change to the Select tool (or press 1).
Drag one end of the free connection onto one of the circles. Notice that the connection end snaps to the perimeter of the circle.

When AutoConnect is Off

When AutoConnect is off, connection ends are "dead."

Choose ArrangeTurn AutoConnect Off (Ctrl-Shift-C) to turn AutoConnect mode off. This command is a toggle, so after you turn the mode off, the menu item will read Turn AutoConnect On.
Create two circle shapes.
Change to the Connection tool (or press 3).
Click-and-drag from the first circle to the second circle to start creating a connection between them. Notice that this time, the connection "ignores" the circles and the ends do not snap to the perimeters. You must double-click to end the connection.

Create a free connection by clicking in empty space, then double-clicking in another empty place to finish creating the connection.
Change to the Select tool (or press 1).
Drag one end of the free connection onto one of the circles. Notice that the connection end does not snap to the perimeter of the circle.

Choose ArrangeTurn AutoConnect On (Ctrl-Shift-C) to turn AutoConnect mode back on. After you do this, the menu item should read Turn AutoConnect Off.
Now try dragging the end of the connection onto a circle again. This time, the connection end does snap to the circle perimeter.

Visual Thought User's Guide
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