Reducing the Complexity of Connector Lines

[Jim]

Is there any way to control the complexity of the squiggly connector lines
(e.g., AutoShapes>Connectors> [the lower left one in the matrix])? Sometimes
when I insert that connector it has one intermediate inflection point (yellow
diamonds) between the end points (red circles) and sometimes it has two
inflection points. I don't know what determines that, or how to reduce the
number from two to one, but I would like them all to have only one inflection
point between the end points.

Thanks!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I can't find a way to insert or create one with more than one node. Could
the ones with two nodes have been imported from, say, Visio?

 

[Jim]

Thanks for looking into this. No, I do have Visio installed, but I'm using
MS Word 2003 to create the connectors directly, not importing anything. If I
draw a simple diagram the connectors do seem to be single flex points.
However, the drawings I'm working on have a lot of objects that are close
together. I think Word is trying to create a path around the borders of all
the objects, including other connectors, even though there is a shorter,
simpler path through the open space of nearby objects (such as a text box
with no border). I can delete or shrink the intervening objects but once a
connector has decided on a path around that object, it goes around that
object even after the object is removed. By the way, I've had connectors
created with at least 3 inflection points (or segments - whatever the yellow
diamonds represent).

--
Jim (a.k.a. ORTNPALMS)

I can't find a way to insert or create one with more than one node. Could
the ones with two nodes have been imported from, say, Visio?

Is there any way to control the complexity of the squiggly connector lines
(e.g., AutoShapes>Connectors> [the lower left one in the matrix])? Sometimes
when I insert that connector it has one intermediate inflection point (yellow
diamonds) between the end points (red circles) and sometimes it has two
inflection points. I don't know what determines that, or how to reduce the
number from two to one, but I would like them all to have only one inflection
point between the end points.

Thanks!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There's a Reroute Connectors command on the shortcut (right-click) menu that
might do what you want.

Thanks for looking into this. No, I do have Visio installed, but I'm using
MS Word 2003 to create the connectors directly, not importing anything. If I
draw a simple diagram the connectors do seem to be single flex points.
However, the drawings I'm working on have a lot of objects that are close
together. I think Word is trying to create a path around the borders of all
the objects, including other connectors, even though there is a shorter,
simpler path through the open space of nearby objects (such as a text box
with no border). I can delete or shrink the intervening objects but once a
connector has decided on a path around that object, it goes around that
object even after the object is removed. By the way, I've had connectors
created with at least 3 inflection points (or segments - whatever the yellow
diamonds represent).

--
Jim (a.k.a. ORTNPALMS)

I can't find a way to insert or create one with more than one node. Could
the ones with two nodes have been imported from, say, Visio?

Is there any way to control the complexity of the squiggly connector lines
(e.g., AutoShapes>Connectors> [the lower left one in the matrix])? Sometimes
when I insert that connector it has one intermediate inflection point (yellow
diamonds) between the end points (red circles) and sometimes it has two
inflection points. I don't know what determines that, or how to

reduce
the

number from two to one, but I would like them all to have only one inflection
point between the end points.

Thanks!

 

[Jim]

Reroute connectors comes close, but it doesn't consistently simplify an
existing connector. If the existing connector is not the shortest connector
between two objects, reroute connectors will (always, I think) replace the
connector with a shorter one. In some instances it will also simplify the
connector, but I have one particularly troublesome case where Word has drawn
a very convoluted connector and refuses to give up on it - even if I delete
it and start over.

Thanks.
--
Jim (a.k.a. ORTNPALMS)

There's a Reroute Connectors command on the shortcut (right-click) menu that
might do what you want.

Thanks for looking into this. No, I do have Visio installed, but I'm using
MS Word 2003 to create the connectors directly, not importing anything. If I
draw a simple diagram the connectors do seem to be single flex points.
However, the drawings I'm working on have a lot of objects that are close
together. I think Word is trying to create a path around the borders of all
the objects, including other connectors, even though there is a shorter,
simpler path through the open space of nearby objects (such as a text box
with no border). I can delete or shrink the intervening objects but once a
connector has decided on a path around that object, it goes around that
object even after the object is removed. By the way, I've had connectors
created with at least 3 inflection points (or segments - whatever the yellow
diamonds represent).

--
Jim (a.k.a. ORTNPALMS)

I can't find a way to insert or create one with more than one node. Could
the ones with two nodes have been imported from, say, Visio?



Is there any way to control the complexity of the squiggly connector lines
(e.g., AutoShapes>Connectors> [the lower left one in the matrix])?
Sometimes
when I insert that connector it has one intermediate inflection point
(yellow
diamonds) between the end points (red circles) and sometimes it has two
inflection points. I don't know what determines that, or how to reduce
the
number from two to one, but I would like them all to have only one
inflection
point between the end points.

Thanks!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I just have a hard time getting Word to leave my connectors alone. When I
want the elbow in a certain place (because I'm trying to match a diagram
someone gave me to copy) and Word flips it over, I get really annoyed. I'm
sure Word's idea is that the main function of a connector is to connect, and
as long as it's connecting, what difference does it make how, but if you're
trying to create an ancestry chart...

Reroute connectors comes close, but it doesn't consistently simplify an
existing connector. If the existing connector is not the shortest connector
between two objects, reroute connectors will (always, I think) replace the
connector with a shorter one. In some instances it will also simplify the
connector, but I have one particularly troublesome case where Word has drawn
a very convoluted connector and refuses to give up on it - even if I delete
it and start over.

Thanks.
--
Jim (a.k.a. ORTNPALMS)

There's a Reroute Connectors command on the shortcut (right-click) menu that
might do what you want.

Thanks for looking into this. No, I do have Visio installed, but I'm using
MS Word 2003 to create the connectors directly, not importing

anything.
If I

draw a simple diagram the connectors do seem to be single flex points.
However, the drawings I'm working on have a lot of objects that are close
together. I think Word is trying to create a path around the borders

of
all

the objects, including other connectors, even though there is a shorter,
simpler path through the open space of nearby objects (such as a text box
with no border). I can delete or shrink the intervening objects but

once
a

connector has decided on a path around that object, it goes around that
object even after the object is removed. By the way, I've had connectors
created with at least 3 inflection points (or segments - whatever the yellow
diamonds represent).

--
Jim (a.k.a. ORTNPALMS)


:

I can't find a way to insert or create one with more than one node. Could
the ones with two nodes have been imported from, say, Visio?



Is there any way to control the complexity of the squiggly

connector
lines

(e.g., AutoShapes>Connectors> [the lower left one in the matrix])?
Sometimes
when I insert that connector it has one intermediate inflection point
(yellow
diamonds) between the end points (red circles) and sometimes it

has
two

inflection points. I don't know what determines that, or how to reduce
the
number from two to one, but I would like them all to have only one
inflection
point between the end points.

Thanks!

 

[Rick]

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