Drawing Lines

[Mick]

In word 2002 I used to be able to draw nice diagrams using simple text boxes
and a few lines. That version of word would snap my lines to a grid and
every thing went well.

In word 2007 ultimate edition, this is not the case as there is no simple
way of drawing straight lines that touch shapes which are not connectors and
are not made to behave like a connector. For example, drawing two boxes, one
below the other, and connecting them with three lines, one from each of the
bottom corners directly to the others top corners, and one connecting from
the bottom middle to the others top middle border. Word 2007 forces this to
be a connector, which can be seen when the lines are moved once they have
been places on the borders of one of the shapes.

Am I missing something here? Is there a way to solve this so I can do word
2002 style drawing on word 2007? I do not think that the scibble tool is a
solution either, and importing from word 2002 is also not valid.

Thanks

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Mick,

In following the steps you mentioned in a blank document in Word 2007 I don't get that behavior unless I'm using a Word drawing
Canvas from Insert=>Shape=>New Drawing. In a drawing canvas MS has changed the behavior from prior versions. Where there used to
be separate shape categories for lines and connectors, there is now only a lines category and where you are working determines the
default behavior of lines. In prior versions folks would be confused as to why they had a connectors category but it was always
'greyed out' if they were trying to draw in the body of the document.

Inside a Word Drawing Canvas the default is to use treat the lines as connectors when a shape in the canvas is selected. Outside of
the Word drawing canvas connector features are not available

There are a couple of workarounds that may be useful if you are working in a drawing canvas.

1. Click on a blank spot in the drawing canvas before selecting the line shape. It should only act as a connector if you have
another shape already selected when you choose to insert a line.

2. If you hold the ctrl key while in the Insert=>Shape or in the
Drawing Tools=>Insert Shapes dialogs and click on a shape Word will insert that shape into your document without drawing one by hand
(it does this in prior versions as well, both in and outside of the drawing canvas). You can then move and overlay the line (in a
drawing canvas) without it being treated like a connector.

3. If you have already inserted a connector within a Word drawing canvas, you can drag the connector line away from the attachment
points and you should see an indicator that it is a line (green line-end points) rather than a connector (red line-end markers).

===================
In word 2002 I used to be able to draw nice diagrams using simple text boxes
and a few lines. That version of word would snap my lines to a grid and
every thing went well.

In word 2007 ultimate edition, this is not the case as there is no simple
way of drawing straight lines that touch shapes which are not connectors and
are not made to behave like a connector. For example, drawing two boxes, one
below the other, and connecting them with three lines, one from each of the
bottom corners directly to the others top corners, and one connecting from
the bottom middle to the others top middle border. Word 2007 forces this to
be a connector, which can be seen when the lines are moved once they have
been places on the borders of one of the shapes.

Am I missing something here? Is there a way to solve this so I can do word
2002 style drawing on word 2007? I do not think that the scibble tool is a
solution either, and importing from word 2002 is also not valid.

Thanks>>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*