Adding connection points

[Top Spin]

I am having trouble getting new connection points aligned.

1. How can I get a new connection point to snap to the edge of the
shape? If I add a connection point to a rectangle (on a flowchart), it
sometimes "floats" just outside the rectangle if I am not very
careful.

2. Is there any way to align the connection points like with shapes?
Can they be made to snap to guide lines?

3. Is there a way to make the nudge arrows apply only to the
connection points? They move the entire shape for me.

Thanks

 

[Karsten Farrell]

Hi Top Spin, thanks for writing this:

I am having trouble getting new connection points aligned.

1. How can I get a new connection point to snap to the edge of the
shape? If I add a connection point to a rectangle (on a flowchart), it
sometimes "floats" just outside the rectangle if I am not very
careful.

2. Is there any way to align the connection points like with shapes?
Can they be made to snap to guide lines?

3. Is there a way to make the nudge arrows apply only to the
connection points? They move the entire shape for me.

Thanks

Can't look over your shoulder to see if I'm right, but the same thing
happens to me when my shapes are not aligned with the grid. Usually what I
do is:

1. Set magnification to 400% (so I can clearly see the edge of the shape
and the grid lines).

2. Nudge the shape until the edge where you want to place the connection
point aligns with a gridline. Remember how many times you press the arrow
key to get it aligned.

3. Place the connection point.

4. Reselect the shape and nudge it in the opposite direction the same
number of times you used in step 2. This will avoid the stairstepping
effect on other lines that stay with their connection points.

You can also play around with the strength of attraction to gridlines and
shapes and guides. I tried this, but found it less convenient to remember
to go back and reset them. Nudging the shape to a gridline worked out
easier for me ... and if I forgot to nudge it back to where it was, the
drawing always reminded me by having stairstepped lines where I had
straight ones before.

You can also temporarily turn off grid snap.