Connectors, text and tables: options in the drawing editor
This page lists the options for connectors (the arrows and lines between shapes), text and tables in the drawing editor, with their defaults, and a few details of the Arrange tab. The options are draw.io’s own. Antenor has changed only the colours a drawing starts with: a new connector is a black line, and a new shape has a white fill and a black outline. You set the options in the format panel on the right when the connector, text or table is selected. The format panel itself is described in The drawing editor: menus, panels and toolbar; how to draw and connect shapes is in Draw your first flowchart, and how to tidy up is in Tidy up a diagram: align, style, group and layers.
Connectors
Section titled “Connectors”The settings for a selected connector are on the Style tab:
| Setting | Choices | Default for a new connector |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Straight, orthogonal (only right angles), horizontal or vertical tree routes, isometric, curved, and entity relation. | Straight |
| Corners | Sharp, rounded or curved. | Sharp |
| Line jumps, where two connectors cross | None, arc, gap or sharp. | Not stated |
| Arrowheads | One choice for the start and one for the end of the connector, each with a size and an offset. Choose none for a plain line. | An arrowhead at the end only |
| Line pattern | Solid, dashed or dotted. | Solid |
| Line thickness | A thickness in points. | 1 pt |
More about connectors:
- Several texts on one connector. Double-click another spot on the connector to add another text. A text on a connector can use the page background as its background colour: choose Page Background as the text’s background.
- Reverse and flip. The Arrange tab for a selected connector has buttons to reverse its direction and to flip it.
| What | How |
|---|---|
| A text without a shape | Double-click an empty spot in the drawing. In the box of common shapes that opens, choose the text shape. |
| Formatting part of a text | Double-click the shape, select the words, and format them: bold, italic, underline, colour, lists, links, subscript or superscript. The button for clearing formatting removes it again. |
| The Text tab | Font, size, colours, alignment (left, centre or right; top, middle or bottom), spacing, line height, and vertical text. |
| Pasting text | Ctrl+Shift+V pastes text without its formatting. |
How the keys work while you write in a shape is in Keyboard shortcuts in the drawing editor.
Tables
Section titled “Tables”You insert a table with the table icon on the toolbar; drag to choose the number of rows and columns.
| What | How |
|---|---|
| Select the table or a cell | Click once to select the table, click again to select a cell. |
| Cells that hold shapes | With the container option for the table on in the format panel, each cell can hold shapes; without it, cells hold text. |
| Add or delete rows and columns | Buttons on the Arrange tab, with the table or a cell selected. A selected row can also be deleted with the Delete key. |
| Merge cells | Select the cells and merge them on the Arrange tab; unmerge in the same place. |
| Resize rows and columns | Drag the borders between them. |
Arrange tab details
Section titled “Arrange tab details”| What | How it works |
|---|---|
| Position | The left and top position of a shape is measured from the top-left corner of the page. |
| Distribute | Needs two or more selected shapes. With the Spacing option ticked, the gaps between the shapes are made equal; without it, the centres of the shapes are spread evenly. |
| Autosize on a group | Shrinks the group to fit its contents. |