Connector Tool

[erin]

Hello,
I am using the connector tool in Inkscape, and have been having some problems with it working exactly how i want it to... 
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So I have two shapes I want to connect, and my connection line will only go to the right of the first shape down to the second, and instead I want it to go down THEN to the right. Is there any way I can make it do that??
Thank You,
Erin

[brynn]

Welcome to the forum!

Hhmm, I haven't tried using that tool in a while.  Sometimes I wonder why developers keep it.  Let's see.....  Oh, how very odd!  Yes, I can reproduce that!  If I move the mouse to the right, it only goes out then down.  If I move the mouse to the left, it only goes down then out.

I'm not sure if there might be some reason for that, or not.  And sadly, since I haven't upgraded to the current stable version, I can't report it as a bug.

But the good news is....well, there are a couple of good news.  One is that there are a few different options on the control bar.  I'm not sure if you've found those yet?  You might find another option that you would prefer.

And also, you don't have to use the Connector tool at all.  You could simply draw the lines with the Pen tool.  Draw with the Pen tool, then switch to the Node tool to fine tune the node placement, if necessary.

Whoah!  I'd say there's a significant bug in this tool!  Just now, I'm drawing a 2nd connector, and the first one is flipping itself around, without any input from me.  My mouse is "holding" the connector which I'm in the process of drawing, and I'm watching the previous one flip up and down!  Hopefully someone who is using 0.92.4 can test this and report if necessary.  It's happening with Orthogonal mode, and all other options disabed.

[erin]

Thanks for the feedback,
Okay, so I have played around with the pen and node tool a little and maybe I should just do some more explaining as to what i am trying to do. This is supposed to be a flowchart so I want shapes and their lines to be moved and edited fairly easily. That is the reason I have used the connector tool in the first place... also if I just used the pen tool is there a setting I can apply so that it would make 90° angle from one shape to the next?

[brynn]

You should be able to move the lines and shapes just as easily with the Pen tool and Selection tool, as with Connector tool.  And especially with Snapping enabled, you can get the same results as with the Connector tool. 

Yes, you can use the Ctrl key with the Pen tool, to keep the lines perfectly vertical or horizontal. 

Or else if you look at the control bar (the first bar above the horizontal ruler), the Pen tool has a Paraxial Line Segment mode.  It only draws in right angles.  For editing with the Node tool, you need to make sure to select 2 nodes at the same time.  Click right on the path to select the 2 nodes on either side of the mouse.  Then they will both move together, and that will allow you to maintain the 90 degree angles during editing.

I'm hopefully going to be upgrading in the next couple of days.  Once I have the current version, I can report bugs, and I will definitely report these.  But they likely won't be fixed very quickly.  It will be the next version at least, before they get fixed.  So be sure to ask if you have any additional questions about editing.  If you count us altogether, we're a bottomless pit of tips and tricks!

[erin]

Ok, so do I need to create a center node in my shapes to connect the lines to then? Or should I just make more grid lines so that I can get the lines exactly where I need them? I understand that to make a angle, you need to click once where you want the line to bend?
When I draw with the pen tool, then move my shape one way or another, it does not stretch the line out like it would when I used the connector tool...

[brynn]

Ok, so do I need to create a center node in my shapes to connect the lines to then?

If you want the line to start/end at the center of a shape, you can use Snapping.  The Snap control bar is usually on the right side of the Inkscape window.  Set it up like in this image.


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When the mouse comes close to the center, you'll see some small text popping up, that says which kind of thing wants to snap to which kind of place.  If you're using the Pen tool, it will probably say "Handle to Object Rotation Center".  And when you click, as long as the mouse is close enough to make that text pop up, Inkscape will snap the beginning or end of the path to that rotation center (and not necessarily where your mouse is, unless by chance you already have the mouse over the exact center).

Or if you want the line to start on the stroke of a shape, snapping can do that too, but you'll need to enable another button, that's not shown in the image above.  That's the "Snap to paths" button.

I understand that to make a angle, you need to click once where you want the line to bend?

Yes.  Click once to start the path.  Click once to set a node.  I think I mentioned earlier about using the Ctrl key, to draw perfectly horizontal or vertical lines.  Or else use the Paraxial Line mode of the Pen tool.  And double-click to end the path.

When I draw with the pen tool, then move my shape one way or another, it does not stretch the line out like it would when I used the connector tool...

When you need to move the lines, you need to switch to the Node tool  .  If you click right on a line with the Node tool, it will select the node on both sides of the mouse.  Or you could drag a selection box around both nodes.  Then grab one of those selected nodes, and when you drag it, both nodes will move at the same time.  As long as you always move 2 nodes at the same time, it will keep the 90° angles.  Also remember to hold the Ctrl key while you move the nodes.  That will make sure you only move vertically or horizontally.

I could make a little video for you, if you like?

[erin]

Hey, that would be awesome if you did, thanks so much for all your help, its been great as I am trying to make this and its been a challenge with me being new to Inkscape!!

[erin]

Do you have an idea of why sometimes when I use the pen tool ( )it makes the horizontal line thinner than the verticle one sometimes? I just used it to draw a right angle and some if my angles are like this and some are not...?

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So then when it does do that to my line and I add these end points, it stretches them out like this instead of making a circle like the one above did.

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[brynn]

It sounds like you might have a shape being applied to your paths.  On the Pen tool control bar, which is the first row of icons above the horizontal ruler, make sure the Shape dropdown menu says None.  Also make sure it's in Regular Bezier mode, and not another like Spiro Spline or other.

Sometimes seeing horizontal or vertical lines thicker or thinner than they should be is a display problem with Inkscape.  Zooming can affect it too.  Sometimes you might need to move a node, by just a pixel or maybe even half a pixel, to fix it.  Yes, I know the angle would no longer be 90 degrees, but with just a pixel, it would still look like it was.  But I'd want to see the SVG file before I was sure that was the problem.

Hhmm, I notice on your ovals, that the sides are wider than the top and bottom.  I'm not sure how you did that, haha.  Did you do it on purpose, or is that part of the problem too?

How are you putting the dot on the end of the line?  Markers?  You would need to move the paths first, and then apply the dot after you finish moving them.  Sorry, I didn't know about the dot, when I explained about moving the paths around.

Unfortunately, I'm about to log off for the day (prior commitment) so I won't be able to make the video right away.  But it looks like you're figuring out the Pen tool, and other things too, on your own.  Using the grid with snapping is great way to keep the angles square!  Besides the dot, is there anything else you're using, that you didn't mention yet?  I would want to put that in the video too.  I probably won't be back until tomorrow night, but I'll still plan on making it then, if you still need it.

[erin]

Yes, so I have looked there and it says "none" also I have the paraxial line option selected.

I did have a look at the SVG file and it still looks the same...

Ha, the ovals, no, that was not on purpose at all, maybe that is part of the problem...

Yes, I am using end markers which I choose under the stroke style options. Is that the best way to go about it?

Maybe if I just send you a shot of my overall page, you could get a good idea for everything I am trying to do. 

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[brynn]

Yes, that screenshot will help me with what to show you in the video.

Yes, markers is a good solution for the dots.  I wonder if you're editing the lines differently than I suggested?  If you're moving the nodes, that would not be affecting the dots.  The dot should just move with the node, but not get elongated.  But if you're using the Selection tool, and dragging on the arrows, that will stretch the dots.

I wish I could make that video right now, but I'm going to be late if I don't get out of here!

But to solve the problem of the lines not being the same width everywhere, we would need to see the SVG file.  It sounds like it might be the display issue, meaning that they aren't really different widths, they just look like they are.  But again, I'd want to examine the file, to be sure.

OH!  I just had a thought about it.  When you make a long vertical line, with the short lines going out to the right, are there vertical lines on top of each other?  I would be able to see that in the SVG file.  But if you already know, you can already fix it.  Or are you just making short horizontal lines that touch the vertical lines, but aren't connected to them?

If there are vertical lines on top of each other, that could make it look like it's a little bit wider than the horizontal part.

Although that would not be how the ovals got wider on the sides....  So if you could share the SVG file, we can figure it out.

[erin]

I'm excited to get the video! I'm not really editing the lines so I don't think it is from the selection or node tool...
I was also going to tell you, I am planning to have text off of each of those dots so if I was just wondering if the best way to do that is to make a bunch of different text boxes and line them up?
Here is the file, so you can have a look...

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Thank you SO much for all your help!!

[erin]

I did think of why the ovals may be thicker at one end... I used an actual flowchart shape and that may be how they are supposed to be...??

[brynn]

Yes, I see those ovals are actually identified as Symbols in the SVG file.  (Whatever is selected with Selection tool is identified in the status bar.  So you can know what kind of objects you're working with.)  If I drag a new one out of the Symbols dialog, they are 30 inches long!  If you scale them using the Ctrl key, that will keep them in proportion, and they won't be thicker on the sides.  However, it doesn't sound like that's how you're creating them.  It sounds like you might be pasting them into the file, or maybe importing.  It might not be anything that you're doing to cause that, but it might be different native resolutions between Inkscape and the program which originally created them.  But I'll show you how you can create ovals with Inkscape, just in case you might want to try.

After looking at your file and testing some things, I think those elongated dots and thicker/thinner lines might be a display issue (glitch, if not bug).  The next time you see that, try scrolling the malformed dots off the screen, and then scroll back.  Or minimize the window, and then bring it back up.  I don't see any in the file, and I haven't been able to make it happen.

I think you said it doesn't happen all the time, right?  I would say just pay attention the next time you see it, and try to gather more info about it.  Did you do something different, or did something act differently.  Right now I'm thinking it's just the display,  but I'm not sure.

It looks like you have the right idea with the Pen tool, but I'll show the editing I was trying to explain, and ovals, and I'll show you how you can align the text.  And I'll be back shortly with a little video.

[brynn]

Ok, so since you're using a grid with snapping, there's really no need for the editing technique which I described before, about always selecting 2 nodes to keep the angles perpendicular.  Because snapping to the grid will keep them that way.

But I showed you how to set the snap control bar for editing.  The way you had it set, only the Pen tool and other tool handles would snap.  But you'll see how to set it, and when you edit, nodes will snap to the grid.

Snapping can also be used to align the text.  It's hard to see on the video, but there's a tiny square in the bottom left corner of the text, which is called the text anchor.  And it can snap, as well as many other features.  So you can snap it to a particular vertical grid line, and the text will be all aligned.  You can either type new text every time, or I usually prefer to just duplicate an existing piece of text, and edit that.

The reason I do that has to do with how Inkscape handles fonts.  If you type a new text object, it will have your default font.  But if you were using something besides your default, it will be an extra step to change the font.  So I just duplicate text with the same font I was using.

And then I showed you both the Ellipse tool, to make ovals, and the Rectangle tool.  I think the Rectangle tool looks better, with rounded corners, than the Ellipse.  You might have noticed too how the rectangle handles, were snapping to the grid.  Snapping is really a miraculous feature!



(recommend using full screen button for the video) (escape key to get out of full screen mode)

[erin]

Sweet! Thanks so much!! I think what I'm gonna do with the information I have and that nice little video, is just start completely over. It should't take too long to create what I already have and instead of using that symbol I will do like you showed with a rectangle... Thank you so much! I will try again

[brynn]

You're welcome.    Have fun!