LibreOffice Draw Connectors and Glue Points Guide
LibreOffice Draw provides specialized connector tools and magnetic glue points designed to create dynamic flowcharts, network maps, and technical diagrams. Connectors automatically attach to designated connection points on objects, ensuring lines remain linked even when shapes are moved or resized. This guide covers the various types of connectors available in LibreOffice Draw, how magnetic glue points function, and how to customize them for precise diagramming.
Types of Connectors in LibreOffice Draw
Connectors in LibreOffice Draw are intelligent lines that link two objects together. When an object shifts, the connector automatically recalculates its path. LibreOffice Draw organizes connectors into four primary categories:
- Standard Connectors: These connectors use right-angle (orthogonal) bends to navigate around or between objects. They are ideal for standard flowcharts, organizational charts, and schematics where clean, rectangular paths are preferred.
- Direct Connectors: A direct connector is a straight line drawn point-to-point between two glue points without any bends or angles.
- Curved Connectors: These connectors form smooth, rounded bezier curves between objects, offering a softer, stylized look for concept maps and process flows.
- Line Connectors: Line connectors consist of multiple straight segments joined at adjustable angles, allowing for flexible custom routing between shapes.
Each connector category offers variations for line ends, including plain ends, directional arrowheads, circles, and squares, which can be applied to the start, end, or both sides of the line.
Understanding Magnetic Glue Points
Glue points are specific anchor locations on an object where connectors attach magnetically. While ordinary shape handles resize or rotate an object, glue points only serve as connection targets.
By default, every standard shape in LibreOffice Draw includes four magnetic glue points located at the center of each edge (top, bottom, left, and right). When you hover a connector tool near an object, these points illuminate as small blue or red markers to indicate a magnetic snap.
Managing and Customizing Glue Points
For complex diagrams, the default four glue points may not provide sufficient precision. LibreOffice Draw includes a dedicated Glue Points toolbar that allows users to create and edit custom connection locations.
- Inserting Glue Points: Activating the Glue Points tool allows you to click anywhere inside or on the border of a selected shape to create a new magnetic attachment point.
- Exit Directions: You can define the direction a connector leaves a glue point (Top, Bottom, Left, or Right). Setting specific exit directions prevents connector lines from awkwardly overlapping or clipping through shapes.
- Relative vs. Fixed Positioning: Glue points can be configured to remain fixed to an absolute coordinate or set to scale proportionally when the parent object is resized.
- Deleting Glue Points: Custom glue points can be selected and deleted using the Delete key, while default points will remain intact.