Connectors and custom anchor points

Method Two

Why?

Create your own custom connector points in PowerPoint.

However, I am not happy with where the connector has attached itself, and for some strange reason, I want it somewhere different (and I have seen cases where this has happened).

But, it seams that we are unable to do this because we have only a limited number of anchor points available for attachment. So, now we try to fool PowerPoint!

I want my attachment to occur on these two highlighted areas:



To achieve this, we need to draw custom auto shapes so that we can add extra anchor points.

To do this, we will use the current hexagons as "templates" to draw custom ones over the top. Then we will get rid of the originals and use the new ones to add anchor points.

We get a Freeform line.



And start to trace the Freeform line over the underlying hexagon.

Our finished line looks like this:



We then delete the one under it. Now we right click on the newly drawn shape and select edit points.



If the new hexagon is not closed properly, we could close it. As we don't need to do this in this example, we will select "add point".



There is a little trick here. When we click "add point", we need to have right-clicked on the shape where we want the actual point added. We then get an extra anchor point where we want it. If not happy with its' placement, we cold always click the point and drag it to a new position.



Now, do the same with the other hexagon. In my example, I used a short-cut method. I went <control + d> to duplicate the first shape, and then simply flipped it horizontally!



We add the connectors, and if it has worked properly, they will jump to our new anchor points when we are near them with our mouse.



The final way to check the attachment is to move one of the shapes' position. The connectors will move as well.

Method Three

 
© Glen Millar

Last Updated: March 28, 2005