All the world's a connector in Word 2007?

[JMF]

I have just migrated to Office2007, and something odd seems to be
happening in Word: I can't create a plain old line or arrow any more. I
can only create connectors. Clicking on the icon for either lines or
arrows ONLY gives me the respective line or arrow connectors. In fact, I
do not see anywhere two separate icons for "plain old line" and
"connector" line, or "plain old arrow" and "connector arrow." Because of
this, I am getting a suspicion that in Word 2007 you can only create
connectors now. Does anybody have more info on this?

(I checked with PowerPoint2007, and there it appears that you can still
create plain old lines versus connector lines, etc.)

Thanks for any insights.

 

[Gordon]

I have just migrated to Office2007, and something odd seems to be
happening in Word: I can't create a plain old line or arrow any more. I
can only create connectors. Clicking on the icon for either lines or
arrows ONLY gives me the respective line or arrow connectors. In fact, I
do not see anywhere two separate icons for "plain old line" and
"connector" line, or "plain old arrow" and "connector arrow." Because of
this, I am getting a suspicion that in Word 2007 you can only create
connectors now. Does anybody have more info on this?

(I checked with PowerPoint2007, and there it appears that you can still
create plain old lines versus connector lines, etc.)

Insert Tab-Shapes.....works for me....

 

[JMF]

Insert Tab-Shapes.....works for me....

OK, I'll try again. There must be something I'm doing wrong, then ...

Thanks

 

[JMF]

OK, I'll try again. There must be something I'm doing wrong, then ...

Okay, it's official: in PowerPoint and Excel (2007), I can create normal
lines and arrows. In Word 2007, they are always created as connectors.
No idea why ...

 

[Gordon]

Okay, it's official: in PowerPoint and Excel (2007), I can create normal
lines and arrows. In Word 2007, they are always created as connectors. No
idea why ...

What do you mean by "connectors"?

 

[Bob I]

Okay, it's official: in PowerPoint and Excel (2007), I can create normal
lines and arrows. In Word 2007, they are always created as connectors.
No idea why ...

technically they are all called "connectors" and the only difference is
the size and color of the endpoint grab handles.

 

[JMF]

What do you mean by "connectors"?

Connectors differ from "normal" lines as follows: they are lines with
endpoints which try to attach themselves to objects at specified points
on those objects. You can tell that a line is a connector by clicking on
it and looking at its endpoints. They will be green or red. When an
endpoint is green, it is not "connected" to anything. When it is red, it
has been connected to a point on some object. They are "sticky" in the
sense that they try to attach themselves to nearby objects. The nice
thing about them is that when you move the objects around, the
connectors stay stuck to them.

A normal line doesn't work like that. Its endpoints don't try to attach
themselves to anything, they just go where you put them. And if they're
touching another object and you move the object away, they don't go with
it, they stay put.

Sometimes you just want normal lines that don't try to connect
themselves to anything. In Word 2007 I can't create such lines. I always
end up with the "connector lines" that want to connect themselves to
objects.

Since I've only just got started on Word2007, there may be some setting
or something that I haven't understood yet .. because it's hard to
believe I can't do it!

Thanks for the discussion on this, much appreciated.