Drawing Lines

To draw a line, select the line tool on the drawing tools bar and click in the document at the place you'd like the line to start. If that point is on a shape or other graphic, the line will be attached to that graphic. Each time you click on the document, another point will be added to the line. To terminate the line by connecting it to a shape, click anywhere in that shape. Note that as you move over the shape, the shape will highlight to indicate that the line will be connected and any magnets on the shape will become visible. Clicking on a magnet will connect to that magnet. You can also connect to other lines. As you move over another line, the line highlights. If you click near an existing point on a line, the line will connect to that point. To terminate the line elsewhere in the document, double-click. Lines which start or end at shapes (or lines or other graphics) will remain connected, even if the shapes are moved around. Once you've selected a line in the document (after drawing it, or by using the selection tools), you can use the mouse to reshape it and the Info window to change its style and to add labels it. Holding down the Shift key while creating a line will constrain the angle of the current segment to multiples of 45 degrees. Holding down the Option key while creating lines will prevent the line from attempting to connect to other graphics. Hitting Backspace or Delete while creating a line will remove the last point that added. Hitting ESC while creating a line cancels the line. Option-double-click on an existing line to add a bend point. Double-click on an existing line to add a label. Related Topics Drawing Tool Preferences The Info window Resizing and Reshaping Connection Magnets Table of Contents: Graphics Main Table of Contents