Connect Shapes Using Lines in Visio

Quick reference

• 00:04 Let's start to see some ways that we can connect our shapes.
• 00:08 The reason that you would connect the shapes is maybe to show a relationship
• 00:11 between those two shapes or a flow, or something like that.
• 00:15 So in this case,
• 00:16 we have the diagram that we've been working on throughout the lessons.
• 00:20 I like to start connecting these shapes.
• 00:22 So we'll click on the Home menu, and
• 00:25 we'll pick on the connector tool right over here.
• 00:28 When you click on the connector tool and start to move it towards the shapes.
• 00:32 Notice what's going to happen, the shapes will have the connector points.
• 00:36 So I'm going to move the mouse to that connector point on the start and
• 00:41 just drag it down to the connector point on the User ID.
• 00:45 And then there is that connector.
• 00:48 Now, the connector is still on until you would turn it off.
• 00:52 So, let's try this again.
• 00:54 My connector is still on, I'm going to move my mouse to the Enter User ID.
• 00:59 And go to the bottom connector, and just drag it down to the Login Correct, good.
• 01:06 All right, so we can start to see our shapes are connecting.
• 01:09 Now in this case, I wanted to go from the Login Correct over to this one.
• 01:14 So the connected tool is still on, I'm going to move
• 01:17 the mouse to that connector point and drag it to the connected point over here.
• 01:22 Very good.
• 01:24 And I'll click on the connector tool, get the connecting point and
• 01:28 drag it from here to this one.
• 01:31 So we can always use the connector tool like that.
• 01:34 When you're done with your connector tool, we're going to go ahead and
• 01:37 pick on the pointer tool.
• 01:39 You always go back to the pointer tool when you're done with a certain tool.
• 01:44 This way I can select things or add things in and things like that.
• 01:48 Now it turns out the diamond here is a decision.
• 01:52 And then in this direction I want to say yes, and
• 01:54 in this direction I want to say no.
• 01:56 So we can add text to our lines, so I'm going to click on that line.
• 02:02 See how it is selected now, and I'll type in the word, yes.
• 02:08 And then I'll click on this line, type in the word, no.
• 02:12 So now you can see how the text is associated with the line.
• 02:16 So, right there, we just use the connector tool.
• 02:20 Now when you use that connector tool, it assumes that you want to
• 02:24 keep on connecting things so it keeps it on, until you pick on the pointer tool.
• 02:29 Another thing you can do is you could add them one by one.
• 02:32 So if I click on the Insert menu and pick on connector here,
• 02:35 then it's just going to add one connected to the page.
• 02:39 So for example, I picked on the connector tool under the Insert menu,
• 02:43 and then you still see the connector points here.
• 02:46 So I'm just going to go from the start and then move it over into the stop like that.
• 02:53 Good.
• 02:53 Now within that connector line, notice how you have different points there.
• 02:58 So you can actually get those points and resize it or
• 03:02 reshape it in case it has to go around different shapes.
• 03:07 All right, so you can use those connected points to resize or readjust that line.
• 03:13 So maybe you have to go around the different shape.
• 03:15 But notice when I use the connected tool and the Insert menu, is just one and done.
• 03:20 In other words, it's already back to the Select tool.
• 03:24 Now I don't really need that line there, it's just an example.
• 03:27 So I'm going to click on that line, and then press my delete key, right?
• 03:31 So you can always add things or delete things into your diagram pretty easily.
• 03:36 I would like to connect these so let's try one of those,
• 03:39 we'll pick on the connector tool.
• 03:41 And then I'm going to click on the connector point for the keyboard and
• 03:45 drag it over to the connector point for the other process here.
• 03:50 Good.
• 03:50 Now because I started here, and drag it from here to there.
• 03:54 That's where the arrow is going to go.
• 03:56 You see the arrow.
• 03:58 So you could actually just move the line so
• 04:01 it's going in the other direction if that were the case.
• 04:04 But it's especially going to be where it starts to where it ends,
• 04:07 that's the direction of the arrow.
• 04:10 Very good.
• 04:10 So another thing that you could do is you can go back to the Home menu,
• 04:16 and then just use the pull down here and just use a line.
• 04:21 Now if I just threw a line over here, it's not going to connect anything.
• 04:25 However, if I used a line with the shapes, then it will connect.
• 04:31 So notice how my line tool is still there.
• 04:34 If I move my mouse to the shape, it automatically makes that a connector.
• 04:38 So I'm just going to get from this connector point to this one, okay?
• 04:42 And that made it kind of a straight line,
• 04:45 whereas the connectors themselves would have those connector points, all right?
• 04:50 No problem with that.
• 04:51 Now I don't really need that one.
• 04:53 Now always remember to go back to the pointer tool.
• 04:56 I pick on the pointer tool, and then click on that line, and then delete it.
• 05:00 And then of course, I'll pick on this line and delete that one as well.
• 05:04 So to connect your shapes together,
• 05:07 we can use the connector tool here on the Home menu.
• 05:11 You can also use the connector tool on the Insert menu.
• 05:16 We can also use, if we go back to the Home menu,
• 05:18 if we click on this pull down, you could use the line.
• 05:22 But the line is just going to connect two shapes,
• 05:25 otherwise you can make a straight line.
• 05:28 And those are going to be different ways to connect your shapes here in your Visio
• 05:32 diagram.

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