SmartDraw User's Guide2

SmartDraw
Draw Anything Easily

User's Guide
Version 7
SmartDraw.com
Getting Started
10
Welcome to SmartDraw! ......................................................................................................... 10

Installing SmartDraw............................................................................................................... 11
Installing SmartDraw on a Network ........................................................................................ 11
The Welcome Dialog............................................................................................................... 12
Getting Help ............................................................................................................................ 13
Creating a New Drawing ......................................................................................................... 13
Closing and Saving Drawings.................................................................................................. 13
Drawings and Windows........................................................................................................... 14
Right Mouse Button Menus..................................................................................................... 15
The Program Toolbar............................................................................................................... 15
The Drawing Toolbar .............................................................................................................. 16
The Document Toolbar............................................................................................................ 18
Rulers and Grids ...................................................................................................................... 18
Undo and Redo ........................................................................................................................ 19
Storing Two or More Drawings in the Same Document.......................................................... 19
Tool Default Settings............................................................................................................... 19
Exiting SmartDraw .................................................................................................................. 20
The Left Panel
20
The Left Panel.......................................................................................................................... 20

The Wizard Panel .................................................................................................................... 20
The Explorer Panel .................................................................................................................. 21
Searching the Symbol Libraries............................................................................................... 23
Opening Symbol Libraries....................................................................................................... 24
Explorer Favorites ................................................................................................................... 25
Explorer Right Mouse Button Menus ...................................................................................... 26
Refreshing the Explorer Tree................................................................................................... 26
Library Previews and on-demand installation ......................................................................... 26
Licensed and Unlicensed Content............................................................................................ 29
Drawing with SmartDraw
30
Selecting a Template................................................................................................................ 30
Template Previews and On-Demand Installation .................................................................... 32
Adding Objects to Your Drawing ............................................................................................ 34
Sticky Tool Selection............................................................................................................... 36
Drawing Lines and Curves ...................................................................................................... 36
Line Hops ................................................................................................................................ 39
Selecting Objects ..................................................................................................................... 40
Selecting with the Tab Key...................................................................................................... 42
Moving Objects ....................................................................................................................... 43
Re-Sizing Objects .................................................................................................................... 43
The Shape Properties Dialog ................................................................................................... 45
The Position and Size Dialog................................................................................................... 46
Rotating Objects ...................................................................................................................... 47
Flipping Objects....................................................................................................................... 48
Deleting Objects ...................................................................................................................... 49
Duplicating Objects ................................................................................................................. 49
Changing the Appearance of a Drawing
50
Changing the Appearance of Shapes ....................................................................................... 50

Shading and Textures .............................................................................................................. 51
SmartDraw 7 Help
Changing the Texture Properties ............................................................................................. 52

Changing the Appearance of Shape Borders ........................................................................... 53
Changing the Shape ................................................................................................................. 54
Adjusting Shapes ..................................................................................................................... 55
Editing Shape Outlines ............................................................................................................ 55
Changing the Appearance of Lines.......................................................................................... 56
Arrowhead Styles..................................................................................................................... 58
Creating Your Own Arrowheads ............................................................................................. 60
Changing the Shape of a Line.................................................................................................. 61
Dimensioning: Showing Line Length...................................................................................... 61
Changing the Background Color ............................................................................................. 62
Copying the Appearance of a Shape or Line ........................................................................... 62
Colors and Shadows ................................................................................................................ 63
Overriding Shadows ................................................................................................................ 64
Defining Your Own Color and Shadow Styles........................................................................ 65
Overriding Styles ..................................................................................................................... 67
Working with Text
67
Entering Text in Objects .......................................................................................................... 67

Positioning Text Inside Objects............................................................................................... 68
Automatic Text Resizing ......................................................................................................... 68
Text Entry Properties............................................................................................................... 69
Entering Background Text....................................................................................................... 71
Text Entry and the Tab Key..................................................................................................... 71
Attaching Text to Lines ........................................................................................................... 72
Changing Text Fonts, Size and Style....................................................................................... 73
Anti-Alias Text ........................................................................................................................ 74
The Global Default Font .......................................................................................................... 74
Changing Text Color ............................................................................................................... 74
Changing Text Using the Toolbar............................................................................................ 75
Object Shrinking Due to Deleting Text ................................................................................... 76
Inserting Symbols .................................................................................................................... 76
Special Characters ................................................................................................................... 77
Bulleted Text ........................................................................................................................... 77
Changing Text Shadows .......................................................................................................... 78
Real-Time Spelling Correction................................................................................................ 78
The Check-Spelling Dialog ..................................................................................................... 79
Selecting a Spelling Language................................................................................................. 81
The Spelling Dictionary........................................................................................................... 82
Spelling Options ...................................................................................................................... 85
Find and Replace ..................................................................................................................... 86
Using Tables
88
What are Tables? ..................................................................................................................... 88

Adding Tables to a Drawing.................................................................................................... 88
Changing a Normal Shape into a Table ................................................................................... 89
Changing a Table into a Normal Shape ................................................................................... 89
Table Rows, Columns and Cells.............................................................................................. 90
Formatting Tables.................................................................................................................... 90
Adding Table Formats of Your Own ....................................................................................... 90
Adding Text to Tables ............................................................................................................. 91
Moving Around the Table........................................................................................................ 92
Selecting Table Cells ............................................................................................................... 92
Applying Changes to Selected Cells........................................................................................ 93
Selecting Cell Dividers ............................................................................................................ 93

Moving Cell Dividers .............................................................................................................. 94
Changing the Width and Height of Cells ................................................................................. 94
Spacing Table Rows and Columns Evenly .............................................................................. 95
Resizing the Table Object........................................................................................................ 95
Joining and Splitting Cells....................................................................................................... 95
Inserting Rows, Columns and Cells......................................................................................... 96
Appending Rows and Columns ............................................................................................... 97
Deleting Rows, Columns and Cells ......................................................................................... 98
Deleting, Copying and Pasting Text in Tables ........................................................................ 98
Changing the Appearance of a Table....................................................................................... 98
Line-Linking In Tables (for Timelines) ................................................................................... 98
Shape-Linking in Tables.......................................................................................................... 99
AutoFill.................................................................................................................................. 100
Adding Photos (or Other Images) to Tables .......................................................................... 101
Projects that Use Tables......................................................................................................... 102
Arranging Objects
103
Arranging Objects.................................................................................................................. 103

Using Grid Snaps................................................................................................................... 104
Aligning Objects.................................................................................................................... 105
Making Objects the Same Size .............................................................................................. 105
Spacing Objects Evenly ......................................................................................................... 106
Centering the Drawing on the Page ....................................................................................... 106
Changing the Front-to-Back Order ........................................................................................ 106
The Tab Order........................................................................................................................ 107
Locking Objects..................................................................................................................... 107
Grouping and Ungrouping Objects........................................................................................ 107
Combination Objects ............................................................................................................. 108
Using Layers
109
Using Layers.......................................................................................................................... 109

Defining Layers ..................................................................................................................... 109
The Layer Tabs ...................................................................................................................... 111
The Active Layer ................................................................................................................... 111
Moving Objects Between Layers........................................................................................... 112
Changing the Order of Objects Within a Layer ..................................................................... 112
Linking Lines and Shapes
113
What is Linking?.................................................................................................................... 113

Linking a Line to a Shape ...................................................................................................... 113
Shape Connection Points ....................................................................................................... 115
Modifying Connection Points................................................................................................ 116
Linked Targets and Linked Objects....................................................................................... 117
Turning Linking On and Off.................................................................................................. 117
Linking Shapes to Lines ........................................................................................................ 117
Linking Shapes to Each Other ............................................................................................... 119
Linking Shapes to Shape Borders.......................................................................................... 119
Linking Lines to Each Other.................................................................................................. 120
Joining Lines to Each Other................................................................................................... 120
Automatic Connector Lines
121
Using Automatic Connectors................................................................................................. 121
SmartDraw 7 Help
Adding Connectors to a Drawing .......................................................................................... 122

Changing a Connectors Shape.............................................................................................. 122
Adding Objects to a Connector.............................................................................................. 122
Linking Automatic Connectors to Each Other....................................................................... 123
Adjusting the Connector Spacing .......................................................................................... 124
Changing an Automatic Connectors Appearance................................................................. 125
Using Automatic Connectors in Flow Charts ........................................................................ 125
Symbol Libraries
127
Symbol Library Windows...................................................................................................... 127

Document Toolbars ............................................................................................................... 130
Opening Symbol Libraries..................................................................................................... 131
Searching for Library Symbols.............................................................................................. 133
Changing the Settings for a Symbol ...................................................................................... 133
Adding New Symbols to a Library ........................................................................................ 136
Transferring Symbols between Libraries............................................................................... 137
Creating a New Symbol Library ............................................................................................ 138
The Library Builder Wizard .................................................................................................. 138
Sharing Libraries on a Network............................................................................................. 140
Drawing Freeform Shapes and Lines
141
Using Freeform Drawing ....................................................................................................... 141

The Stepwise Freeform Tool ................................................................................................. 142
The Continuous Freeform Tool ............................................................................................. 143
Joining Freeform Lines To Each Other ................................................................................. 144
Creating Closed Freeform Shapes ......................................................................................... 145
Flexible Reshaping of Freeform Shapes ................................................................................ 146
Editing the Outline of Shapes ................................................................................................ 147
Shortcuts for Editing Shape Outlines..................................................................................... 150
Viewing and Printing
150
The SmartDraw Drawing Area .............................................................................................. 150

Portrait vs Landscape Pages .................................................................................................. 152
Setting the Page Margins ....................................................................................................... 152
Changing the View ................................................................................................................ 152
Setting the Ruler Scale........................................................................................................... 154
Printing .................................................................................................................................. 155
Printing Large Diagrams and Posters .................................................................................... 156
Page Setup ............................................................................................................................. 156
Print Preview ......................................................................................................................... 158
The Print Dialog .................................................................................................................... 159
E-mailing a Drawing.............................................................................................................. 161
Publishing To The Web With SmartDraw
162
Three Ways To Publish to the Web ....................................................................................... 162

Publishing To SmartDrawNet................................................................................................ 163
The Web Publishing Dialog................................................................................................... 163
Creating a SmartDrawNet Account ....................................................................................... 165
Viewing Your SmartDrawNet Account................................................................................. 165
Exporting to HTML Files ...................................................................................................... 167
Exporting to a Bitmap File..................................................................................................... 168
The Export Bitmap Dialog..................................................................................................... 169
Hyperlinking to Files and Web Pages.................................................................................... 170
Using Hyperlinks ................................................................................................................... 172
Using Digital Photos in SmartDraw
173
Adding Photos to Your Drawings.......................................................................................... 173

The SmartDraw Image Plug-In.............................................................................................. 173
Running SmartDraw Image Plug-In ...................................................................................... 174
Getting Help for the SmartDraw Image Plug-In.................................................................... 174
Using SmartDraw with MS Word, PowerPoint and Other Programs
174
Inserting Drawings into to Microsoft Word........................................................................... 175

Understanding OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) ......................................................... 175
Inserting Drawings Into PowerPoint, Excel, and Other Programs......................................... 176
Transferring Objects from Word, Excel, and other Programs to SmartDraw ........................ 176
The Microsoft Office Companion.......................................................................................... 176
Adding Office Objects to SmartDraw with Paste and Paste Special ..................................... 177
Inserting Objects into SmartDraw with the Insert Command ................................................ 178
Editing OLE Objects in SmartDraw ...................................................................................... 179
Managing OLE Object Links................................................................................................. 179
How Cut, Copy, and Paste Work in SmartDraw.................................................................... 180
Properties of Imported Image Objects ................................................................................... 181
File Formats that can Be Imported......................................................................................... 181
Ungrouping Imported Images ................................................................................................ 182
Opening Files Created with Other Flowchart Programs ........................................................ 183
The File Conversion Wizard.................................................................................................. 184
Exporting Drawings............................................................................................................... 185
Exporting Vector vs. Bitmap Files......................................................................................... 186
Customizing SmartDraw
186
Creating SmartDraw Templates............................................................................................. 186

Designing Templates ............................................................................................................. 187
The Options Dialog................................................................................................................ 187
Skipping the New Document Dialog ..................................................................................... 189
Changing the Toolbar Shapes ................................................................................................ 189
Defining Your Own Menu Colors ......................................................................................... 190
Defining Your Own Gradient Fills ........................................................................................ 191
SmartDraw Licenses
193
SmartDraw Licenses.............................................................................................................. 193

Workgroup Licenses.............................................................................................................. 193
Adding Additional Network Licenses ................................................................................... 194
Technical Support and Troubleshooting
195
SmartDraw Tech Support Knowledge Base .......................................................................... 195

How to Get Technical Support .............................................................................................. 195
Your Trial Timer has been Corrupted.................................................................................... 196
How to Order SmartDraw
196
How to Order SmartDraw...................................................................................................... 196

Order Online .......................................................................................................................... 197
Order By Phone ..................................................................................................................... 197
Order By Fax or Mail ............................................................................................................ 197
SmartDraw 7 Help
Order Internationally ............................................................................................................. 198

Different SmartDraw Editions ............................................................................................... 198
Money Back Guarantee ......................................................................................................... 199
SmartDraw License Agreement
199
SmartDraw Software License Agreement (Purchased Copy) ................................................ 199

SmartDraw Software License Agreement (Trial Edition)...................................................... 205
SmartDrawNet Terms and Conditions................................................................................... 211
SmartDraw Tutorials
218
The Easy Solution for Business Diagramming ...................................................................... 218

Creating Flowcharts with SmartDraw ................................................................................... 218
Flowchart Basics ..................................................................................................... 218
The Flowchart Wizard............................................................................................. 221
Adding Shapes to Your Flowchart .......................................................................... 222
Connecting Your Flowchart Shapes with Lines ...................................................... 224
Using Automatic Line Connection (Auto Flow) in Flowcharts............................... 225
Adding Arrowheads to Your Flowchart Lines ........................................................ 226
Creating Line Hops In Flowcharts........................................................................... 227
Entering Text in Your Flowchart Shapes ................................................................ 228
Arranging and Aligning Flowchart Shapes ............................................................. 229
Making Fine Adjustments to the Position of Flowchart Shapes.............................. 229
Using Tables for Flowchart Swimlanes................................................................... 229
Changing the Appearance of Objects in Your Flowchart........................................ 231
Applying a Style (Color Scheme) to Your Flowchart ............................................. 231
Tips for Drawing Effective Flowcharts ................................................................... 232
Flowchart Examples ................................................................................................ 233
Creating Organizational Charts with SmartDraw .................................................................. 233
Org Chart Basics ..................................................................................................... 233
The Org Chart Wizard ............................................................................................. 235
Using Automatic Connectors to Create Org Charts................................................. 237
Adding, Moving, and Rearranging Org Chart Boxes .............................................. 238
Adding a New Branch to Your Org Chart ............................................................... 239
Changing an Org Chart Connectors Shape............................................................. 240
Adjusting the Spacing of an Org Chart Connector .................................................. 241
Org Chart Connector Hot Zones .......................................................................... 244
Creating Hierarchical Org Chart Trees.................................................................... 245
Adding Text to Your Org Charts............................................................................. 250
Equal Sized Boxes in Org Charts ............................................................................ 251
No Overlap in Org Charts........................................................................................ 252
Importing Org Charts from Data Files..................................................................... 252
Exporting Org Charts to Data Files ......................................................................... 255
Changing the Appearance of Your Org Chart ......................................................... 256
Organizational Chart Examples............................................................................... 258
The Easy Solution for Gantt Charts & Calendars .................................................................. 258
Creating Gantt Charts with SmartDraw................................................................................. 258
Gantt Chart Basics................................................................................................... 258
The Gantt Chart Wizard .......................................................................................... 260
Using Tables for Gantt Charts ................................................................................. 261
Formatting Your Gantt Table .................................................................................. 261
Joining and Splitting Gantt Table Cells................................................................... 262
Changing the Appearance of Your Gantt Table ...................................................... 263
Formatting Gantt Chart Rows and Columns ........................................................... 264
Adding Text to Your Gantt Chart............................................................................ 264
Auto Fill .................................................................................................................. 265

Adding Task Bars to Your Gantt Chart ................................................................... 265
Linking Gantt Bars with Lines to Show Relationships............................................ 268
Using Table Cells as Gantt Bars.............................................................................. 269
Adding Milestone Marker Symbols to Your Gantt Chart........................................ 269
Tips for Creating Effective Gantt Charts................................................................. 270
Gantt Chart Examples.............................................................................................. 272
Creating Calendars with SmartDraw ..................................................................................... 272
Opening the Calendar Templates ............................................................................ 272
The Calendar Wizard............................................................................................... 273
The Month Builder Wizard...................................................................................... 274
Adding Text to a Calendar ...................................................................................... 276
Changing the Colors in a Calendar.......................................................................... 277
Changing Calendar Borders and Grid Lines............................................................ 277
How to Add Clip Art to a Calendar ......................................................................... 278
How to Create Photo Backgrounds for Calendars ................................................... 279
Creating Floor Plans with SmartDraw ................................................................................... 280
Before You Create a Floor Plan .............................................................................. 280
Choosing a Floor Plan Template ............................................................................. 282
Using the Floor Plan Wizards.................................................................................. 283
Choosing a Scale for Your Floor Plan..................................................................... 284
Drawing a Room Outline in a Floor Plan ................................................................ 285
Editing a Room Outline in a Floor Plan .................................................................. 287
Reshaping a Room Outline in a Floor Plan ............................................................. 288
Showing Dimensions in Floor Plans ....................................................................... 289
Adding a Wall Divider to a Room in a Floor Plan .................................................. 290
Adding a Ready-Made Room Outline to Your Floor Plan ...................................... 291
Adding Doors and Windows to a Floor Plan........................................................... 292
Adding Furniture to a Floor Plan............................................................................. 293
Finding Floor Plan Furniture Symbols .................................................................... 295
Changing the Properties of Floor Plan Symbols...................................................... 296
Using Layers in Floor Plans .................................................................................... 297
Creating Landscape Plans........................................................................................ 298
Printing or Publishing Your Floor Plan ................................................................... 299
Floor Plan Examples................................................................................................ 301
The Easy Solution for Technical Drawing............................................................................. 301
Creating Software Design Diagrams with SmartDraw .......................................................... 301
Using SmartDraw for Software Diagrams............................................................... 301
Software Design Diagrams: Examples and Tutorials .............................................. 301
Topics of Special Interest for Creating Software Design Diagrams........................ 302
Creating Network Design Diagrams with SmartDraw........................................................... 306
Using SmartDraw for Network Diagrams ............................................................... 307
Network Design Diagrams: Examples and Tutorials .............................................. 307
Topics of Special Interest for Creating Network Design Diagrams ........................ 307
Creating Engineering Diagrams with SmartDraw ................................................................. 313
Using SmartDraw for Engineering Diagrams.......................................................... 313
Engineering Diagram Examples.............................................................................. 314
Topics of Special Interest for Creating Engineering Diagrams ............................... 314
SmartDraw 7 Help
Getting Started
Welcome to SmartDraw!
SmartDraw is the easy-to-use program that lets anyone draw great looking charts and
diagrams. You don't have to be an artist to get great results with SmartDraw.
Ready-made templates help you get started, and thousands of built-in SmartDraw
symbols provide a nearly unlimited selection of objects and graphics you can use in
your drawings. SmartDraw automatically aligns your shapes, symbols, lines, and text
for a perfect appearance, and the ready-made Design Styles can create a
professional-looking color scheme for your entire drawing with just a click of the
mouse.
SmartDraw works as a stand-alone program, and also as part of Microsoft Office and
other programs that support Object Linking and Embedding (OLE). You can insert a
SmartDraw drawing directly into Microsoft Word or PowerPoint with a simple copyand-paste. You can also insert Office documents, like graphs, equations, and
spreadsheets into your SmartDraw drawings.
SmartDraw is available in six different editions:
SmartDraw Flowchart Edition
SmartDraw Org Chart Edition
SmartDraw Floor Plan Edition
SmartDraw Gantt Chart and Calendar Edition
SmartDraw Technical Edition
SmartDraw Suite Edition
Each of these editions is custom-tailored to create a particular type of diagram, and

each includes special features, wizards, templates, and symbol libraries for that
purpose.
The powerful Suite Edition contains the features of all of the other Editions in one
program.
Installing SmartDraw
Before you can run SmartDraw, you must install it by running the Setup Program.
There are two ways to get the setup program file:
By downloading over the Internet.
On a CD
Internet Download
Anyone can freely download the SmartDraw Trial Edition from
www.smartdraw.com. You can also download full versions of any SmartDraw
program that you have purchased.
In either case, the file you download to your computer is an installation program.
You must run it to install SmartDraw onto your system.
The simplest way to do this is to download the file to your desktop. This creates an
icon on your Windows desktop. You can then run the install program by double
clicking on its desktop icon. Alternately, you can run the installation program using
the Run command under the Windows Start menu.
CD
If you purchased SmartDraw on a CD, all you have to do is put the disc in your
computers CD drive, and the setup program, setup.exe, will start automatically. If
this does not happen, you must run setup.exe manually.
The easiest way to do this is to use the Run command, found by pressing the
Windows Start button. You will be prompted for the name of the program you want
to run. If you placed the SmartDraw CD in your computers Drive D, for example,
just type:
D:\SETUP
Then simply follow the directions displayed by the Setup program.
Installing SmartDraw on a Network

To install SmartDraw on a network, simply install it on the server in the normal way
described above. For each client that will have access to the server, create a shortcut
(or icon) for SmartDraw on the client system and run the program once. SmartDraw
will install itself properly on the client system.
You must have a workgroup license to share one copy of SmartDraw between
multiple users on a network.
SmartDraw will not run from a network drive unless you have a workgroup license.
SmartDraw counts the number of different users that have accessed the program on
the network (not including the server itself) and limits the number of unique users to
the number of licenses you have purchased. If a user has accessed the program but
SmartDraw 7 Help
Getting Started 11
no longer needs to use it, you can free that user's license using the network
administration features under the License command.
See SmartDraw Licenses for more information
The Welcome Dialog

Once installed, SmartDraw appears on your Windows Start menu, and a SmartDraw
icon appears on your desktop. To run SmartDraw, double-click on this icon, or run
SmartDraw in the same way that you run your other programs.
When you run SmartDraw, you are greeted with the Welcome Dialog.
The Welcome Dialog

You can start by (a) Creating a New Drawing, or (b) opening a recently used
drawing by clicking on one of the thumbnail images, or (c), using Browse to search
for an existing drawing using the standard Windows File Open dialog.
By default, pressing Enter at the Welcome dialog opens the last drawing you were
working on.
If you prefer to skip the Welcome dialog each time you run the program, you can
make one of these start-up choices permanent by changing the Options under the
Tools menu. Just un-check the Show Welcome Dialog checkbox, and you will
automatically create a new drawing each time you run SmartDraw.
Getting Help
SmartDraw offers extensive on-line help. There are several ways to access the help
system.
Help Menu
The Help menu shows several commands for accessing different Help functions.
View Tutorial displays a quick tutorial on drawing with SmartDraw. It covers the
basics to help get you up and running fast.
Contents display the Help table of contents. Double clicking on any of the
underlined items takes you to the screen for that topic.
Index presents the index to the Help system. If you start to type the name of the
subject you are looking for, the scrolling list of topics will show any words that
match.
Using Help explains the use of the Windows Help program. If this is not installed on
your system (by Windows), this command will not work.
Open the PDF User's Guide opens the full User's Guide in PDF (Adobe Acrobat)
format. If you do not already have the PDF User's Guide installed, you will be
prompted to install it in the background or download it from www.smartdraw.com.
NOTE: To open PDF files, you need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on
your system. To download it, visit http://www.adobe.com.
Help in Dialogs
Dialogs are the little screens that pop up to ask you a question, provide information,
or take input from you. All dialogs contain a Help button. Pressing this button, or
typing the F1 key, opens the Help system to the section that describes that dialogs
functions.
Creating a New Drawing

A new drawing is created when (a) you start the program and select Create
a New Drawing in The Welcome Dialog, or (b) you press the New Drawing button
on the toolbar, or (c) when you use the New... command under the File menu.
When you choose to create a new drawing, youll see the Create New Document
dialog, which allows you to select a template to begin your drawing. All drawings
begin with a template (even if its a blank one).
Closing and Saving Drawings

You may close a drawing window by using the Close command under the File menu,
or by clicking the windows close button (X) in the title bar. If you have multiple
drawings open, you may close all windows at once using the Close All command
under the Window menu. Any changes you have made to your drawing DO NOT
become permanent unless you save them. If you have made changes since you last
saved, you are reminded to save your drawing before the window closes.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Getting Started 13
You can save drawings to a file on your hard disk using the Save or Save
As commands under the File menu. Pressing the Save button on the toolbar also
saves the drawing.
New drawings must be given a name before they are saved. You do this with the
standard Save Dialog you see in all Windows programs.
The Save Dialog

For drawings that have been saved, and already have a file name, the Save As
command can be used to save the drawing to a different file name. The Save
command saves the drawing to the same filename.
Using SmartDraw Template saves the current drawing as SmartDraw Template.
This is the same as a normal file but with the extension SDT. When template files are
opened, an untitled copy is made and the template is left unopened and unaltered.
When you save a file as a template, your original drawing is also preserved with its
current file name.
While you can save templates with the Save Dialog, if you want them to appear in
the SmartDraw Explorer, use the Save As Template command (File menu) instead.
Drawings and Windows

Each SmartDraw drawing resides in its own document window. SmartDraw is a
Multiple Document Interface (MDI) application, and up to 32 document windows
can be open at the same time.
When these windows are maximized, as is usually the case, the front-most window
fills the entire Program Window (the SmartDraw screen area), so that none of the
other document windows can be seen. You can change this using the commands
under the Window menu.
Cascade Windows and Tile Windows commands both show all the document
windows, the former by overlapping them, the latter by dividing the program
window into adjacent rectangles.
The remaining items on the Window menu are the names of the open drawings.
Selecting one of the items makes that window active.
All program commands and actions apply only to the drawing in the Active
document window, which in Cascade or Tile mode has a blue title bar. Clicking on
the title bar of any document window makes that drawing active.
Right Mouse Button Menus

Clicking with the right mouse in the document window displays a context-sensitive
menu, which means the menu commands are specific to the area of the screen that
you clicked on. The right-click menus provide very convenient shortcuts to many of
the features found on the main menu bar.
The Program Toolbar

The Program Toolbar and the Drawing Toolbar (which on the View menu are
collectively called the Toolbar) lie below the menu bar and above the document
window.
The top row of buttons is called The Program Toolbar.
The Program Toolbar

The toolbar can be shown or hidden by selecting the Show Toolbar item under the
View menu.
The buttons on the Program Toolbar provide shortcuts for commands found in the
menu bar. You can find out what each button does by holding the cursor over it for a
second or more. A small yellow window pops up describing its purpose. This is
called a ToolTip.
The buttons on the Program Toolbar are as follows:
Create a New Drawing Allows you to create a new, empty drawing. Has
the same function as the New command on the File menu. See Creating a New
Drawing.
Open an Existing Drawing Allows you to open an existing drawing
using the Windows File Open dialog. Has the same function as selecting Open
(Ctrl+O) from the File menu.
Save a Drawing - Save your drawing by clicking on the disk icon. Has the
same function as choosing Save from the File Menu. See Closing and Saving
Drawings.
Print a Drawing - Print the active drawing by clicking on the printer icon.
Has the same function as selecting Print from the File menu.
Undo and Redo Allows you to undo and redo changes to a drawing up to
100 steps back. See Undo and Redo.
Cut, Copy, and Paste Standard Windows program tools for
cutting, copying and pasting elements within a drawing, or from one drawing to
another. Also works to copy and paste elements into or out of other programs (such
as MS Word, Excel, etc).
SmartDraw 7 Help
Getting Started 15
Zoom Allows you to Zoom in (get closer to the drawing) or Zoom out
(get farther from the drawing). After selecting the tool, click the left mouse button to
zoom in, and the right to zoom out. See Changing the View.
Hyperlink Allows you to hyperlink an object in your drawing to another
drawing, document, or web page. See Hyperlinking to Files and Web Pages.
E-mail: E-mail your drawing to another computer user. See Three Ways To
Publish to the Web.
Publish to Web: Post your drawing on your own secure and personal Web
space on SmartDraw Net for free.
Open the Explorer Opens the SmartDraw Explorer in the Left Panel (if it
is closed).
Add a Table Inserts a new Table into your drawing. See Adding Tables
to a Drawing.
Add a Photo to the Drawing If you have the SmartDraw Image Plug-In
installed, this automatically opens the Plug-In to allow you to select a photo to insert
in the drawing.
Microsoft Office Companion These buttons allow you

to quickly add objects from Microsoft Office to your drawing.
Graph (MS Graph)
WordArt (MS WordArt)
Clip art (Clip art Gallery)
Equation (MS Equation)
Spreadsheet (Excel)
Word processing document (Word)
If any of these Microsoft applications are not installed on your system, their buttons
do not appear. See The Microsoft Office Companion.
The Drawing Toolbar

The Drawing Toolbar lies below the Program Toolbar and above the document
window. The currently active button is highlighted by a white background. The
active button determines what will happen when you click with the mouse in the
drawing.
The Drawing Toolbar
You can find out what each button does by holding the cursor over it for a second or
more. A small yellow window pops up describing its purpose. This is called a
ToolTip.
The entire toolbar can be shown or hidden by selecting the Show Toolbar item
under the View menu.
The buttons on the Drawing Toolbar are as follows:
When the Selection button is active, clicking in the drawing selects, moves,
or resizes existing objects.
When the Multiple Selection button is active, clicking on an object selects
it without de-selecting other selected objects. This makes it easy to select many
objects at one time by clicking on them one after another.
When the Text button is selected, clicking on a shape opens it for text
entry. If you click in the background of the drawing, you create a new background
text object.
When the Straight Line button is selected, clicking and dragging in the
drawing draws a straight line. Dragging and dropping from the button also draws a
line.
When the Arc button is selected, clicking and dragging in the drawing
draws an arc of a circle. Dragging and dropping from the button also draws an arc.
When the Segmented Line button is selected, clicking and
dragging in the drawing draws a segmented line. The drop list allows you to toggle
between two types of segmented line: the regular square-cornered Segmented Line,
or a Curved Segmented Line. Dragging and dropping from the button also draws a
segmented line.
When the Automatic Connector button is selected, clicking and dragging
in the drawing draws an Automatic Connector. The drop list allows you to change
the connector type to any one of 20 different configurations. Dragging and dropping
from the button also draws an Automatic Connector.
When the Freeform Stepwise button is selected, you can draw a freeform
shape or line, made of straight segments, by clicking a series of points one after
another in the drawing. Hitting the Esc key or drawing a closed shape exits the
freeform drawing mode.
When the Freeform Continuous button is selected, you can draw a
continuous freeform line by clicking and dragging with the mouse in the drawing.
Releasing the mouse or drawing a closed shape ends the freeform drawing session.
The three Shape Buttons allow you to draw the shapes shown on
their faces. Using the drop list, you can configure each button to show any of the 24
standard shapes. You can specify the default size and proportions of the shapes by
double-clicking on the button.
The Fill Color button fills the interior of the currently selected shape, or
any new shapes you add, with the currently specified fill color. You can change the
fill color by using the drop list.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Getting Started 17
The Line and Border Color button changes the color of the currently
selected line, or the border of the currently selected shape, to the specified color. Any
new lines that you add, or the borders of any new shapes, will have this color by
default. You can change the color by using the drop list.
The right-most
section of the toolbar contains the Text Tools. These are the standard text tools used
by nearly all Windows programs. For details on the functions of these tools, see
Working with Text section.
The Document Toolbar

A Document Toolbar appears at the top of a document window, below the Drawing
Toolbar, and is associated with a single document.
Document Toolbar docked below the Drawing Toolbar

A document toolbar is a Symbol Library window that has been dragged to the top of
a document window and docked there. It behaves just like a library window and is
fully customizable. Many of the built-in templates have their own specialized
Document Toolbar.
Rulers and Grids

Rulers are normally displayed along the top and left edges of the drawing window.
Drawing Window with Rulers and Grid Showing

The divisions on the ruler define the spacing of a grid that covers the drawing area.
You can show or hide the grid using the Show Grid command under the View
menu. The same grid (whether showing or not) controls the spacing of the Grid
Snaps. You can also print the grid behind your drawing by selecting the Print the
Grid checkbox from the Page Setup Dialog.
The Status Bar in the lower-right corner of the document window displays the
coordinates of the cursor, and the dimensions of any currently selected shape, in the
units of the ruler.
Clicking in a ruler displays a temporary dotted line, called a Guide, which follows
the position of the cursor. This can be used to measure the position of an object in
the drawing. Clicking in the upper left corner, where the two rulers meet, and then
dragging, displays two of these lines forming a cross hair guide.
See also: Setting the Ruler Scale.
Undo and Redo

Almost any change you make to a drawing can be undone using the Undo command,
under the Edit menu.
When you undo, the undo menu item changes to redo. Using Redo returns the
program to its state before the undo command was used. You can undo and redo up
to 100 steps back. As in Microsoft Office, Ctrl-Z is the shortcut keystroke command
for Undo and Ctrl-Y is the command for Redo. If the command is gray, there is no
previous state to return to.
The Undo and Redo buttons on the toolbar can also be used to perform an
undo or redo. If the arrow on the button is gray, there is no previous state to return to.
Storing Two or More Drawings in the Same Document

Because SmartDraw supports multiple pages per document, you may be tempted to
put independent drawings on different pages in the same file.
Dont do this! Store each independent drawing in its own document.
The multiple page feature of SmartDraw is intended to allow you to draw one large
drawing that requires more than a single page. It is not intended to allow you to put 6
different flowcharts in one file. Commands like Center Drawing on Page and Print
on One Page assume that the contents of a file are one drawing. There is nothing to
gain by storing multiple drawings in one file. Put all drawings you want to print
separately in their own drawing file.
If you have already put more than one drawing in the same file, it is easy to separate
them by using Copy and Paste to place them into new files.
Tool Default Settings

If you change the characteristics of an object in your drawing (such as the fill color
of a shape, or the thickness of a line) the next object you draw will have those
characteristics.
The few exceptions to this rule are specialized settings that you are unlikely to want
as a default.
You can also set the initial defaults for new drawings. This is described in the
Settings for Empty section under Designing Templates.
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Getting Started 19
Exiting SmartDraw
You can exit SmartDraw by using the Exit command under the File menu. You can
also click on the Close button (X) at the upper right corner of the program window.
Before the program quits, you are prompted to save any open drawings that have
been changed.
The Left Panel
The Left Panel

The Left Panel lies at the left side of the drawing area, and it operates in two
different modes. You can use the tabs at the top of the panel to switch between the
modes:
The Wizard Panel
The Explorer Panel

In some drawings, the Wizard Panel may be empty (if the drawing has no
corresponding Wizard) but the Explorer Panel is always available.
At the bottom of the left panel, you can dock Symbol Libraries for easy access.
Many of the ready-made templates come with libraries already docked in this
location.
You can adjust the width of the left panel by dragging the bar that separates it from
the drawing area. It can never be more than 50% of the document window.
You can get rid of the Left Panel entirely by clicking on the Close button (X) at its
upper right corner, and you can re-open it by choosing Show Left Panel from the
View menu.
The Wizard Panel

Some drawing templates display a Wizard in the Left Panel. A Wizard gives you
hints about how to start a drawing, and it also provides quick shortcuts to the most
commonly used tools for that type of drawing.
For example, if you open a Flowchart template, the Wizard in the left panel will
provide instructions and tools specific to drawing flowcharts.
A flowchart Wizard in the Left Panel

If one of the other Panels (Explorer or Fields) is currently active in the Left Panel,
you can always switch back to the Wizard mode by clicking on the Wizard tab at the
top.
The Explorer Panel

The Left Panel displays a list of your SmartDraw Symbols, presented in a familiar
Windows Explorer-like tree format.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Left Panel 21
The Left Panel

The Left Panel contains a Windows Explorer-like tree control that displays all of the
SmartDraw symbol libraries organized into a hierarchy of Collections.
Each library collection appears as a folder icon. If you click on a folder it opens up
showing either more folders representing sub-collections, or icons representing
symbol libraries.
Clicking on an open folder closes it again.
You can also open and close folders by clicking on the + and buttons next to the
folder icons. Folders with + icons contain other folders and clicking on the + reveals
them. An open folder containing other folders has a next to it. Clicking on this
closes the folder.
The Explorer tree lets you quickly browse through the symbol collections, like using
the table of contents in a book.
As you browse, allowing your mouse to hover over the name or icon of any library
causes a library Preview to pop up.
A Library Preview
A Preview is a small thumbnail image of the symbols in the library. You can use it to
quickly see the contents of that library without having to open it.
Searching the Symbol Libraries

At the top of the SmartDraw Explorer panel is the Search Bar. Typing a word into
this bar and pressing the Enter Key, or clicking on the Go button, searches all of the
libraries in the Explorer tree for symbols that match that word.
The Search Bar

In addition to the words in its name, every SmartDraw symbol can contain keywords
that describe its content. These too are searched. Earlier we compared browsing the
Explorer tree to looking through the table of contents of a book. Using the Search
Bar, then, is like looking in the index.
You can enter more than one word into the Search Bar, separated by spaces or
commas. SmartDraw finds matches for libraries that contain all of the words that you
specify. (In Boolean terms, the search is an AND search). If you want to make it an
OR search, you can type Keyword OR Keyword, and SmartDraw will find any of the
keywords that you type.
The search is not case-sensitive. (It doesnt matter if the words are in capital letters).
Partial matches are found as long as the word begins with the search word. For
example, if you searched for Form, matches would be found for Forms and Formula
but not Perform.
Once the search is completed, a shortcut to the matching libraries is placed in the
"Search Results" folder at the top of the Symbol Explorer panel.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Left Panel 23
Results of a Search
The word-search index of the Explorer tree is rebuilt automatically when changes are
made to the content, but if you suspect trouble with the index, you can force it to be
rebuilt by holding down the CTRL key as you click on the Go (or Search)
button.
Opening Symbol Libraries

When you find the appropriate symbol library in the Explorer tree, you can open it
by simply dragging its icon to the drawing area, in which case it will float above the
drawing area.
Dragging a Library from the Explorer
Alternately, you can double-click on it, in which case it will open as a docked library
below the Explorer Panel.
A Library Docked Below the Explorer Panel

For more information see Opening Symbol Libraries.
Related Topics
The Document Toolbar
Explorer Favorites
At the top of the Explorer is a folder called My Favorites. You can drag Symbol
Libraries from other sections of the Explorer tree into Favorites to have them readily
available.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Left Panel 25
Your Favorites folder contains a short cut to any library you add to it. It does not
create a copy of the library or move it from its original location. You can delete
library short cuts from Favorites without deleting the libraries themselves.
You can create your own sub-categories inside Favorites by clicking on the folder
with your right mouse button. You can also drag icons (and sub-folders) from one
Favorites sub-folder to another.
Your Favorites folder is stored in your personal preferences and is not shared with
any other user on a network installation.
Explorer Right Mouse Button Menus

Clicking on the icons in the SmartDraw Explorer with the right mouse button
displays a context-sensitive menu (one that depends on the type of icon clicked-on).
Symbol Library Icons
Right clicking on a library icon lets you open it, add it to your favorites, or display a
Preview that stays up until you click somewhere else.
Favorite Library Icons
Right-clicking on a library or template icon in the My Favorites folder lets you open
it, remove it from your favorites, or display a Preview that stays up until you click
somewhere else.
The Favorites Folder
Right clicking on the Favorites folder lets you clear all favorites.
Favorites Sub-Folders
Right clicking on a Favorites sub-folder lets you create your own sub-folder within
it. If the sub-folder is one you created, you can also delete it and rename it.
SmartDraw Explorer
Right-clicking on the SmartDraw Explorer folder at the top of the tree lets you
refresh the tree or clear the Favorites. Refreshing the Explorer Tree should not
normally be necessary.
Refreshing the Explorer Tree

Closing the SmartDraw Explorer folder at the top of the tree and then re-opening it
causes the tree structure to be rebuilt. You need not do this unless you think some
installed libraries are failing to appear in the tree. Your next search will rebuild the
word index.
Sometimes installing new Symbol Libraries will cause the Explorer tree to refresh
itself automatically.
If SmartDraw sometimes crashes when the tree is rebuilt, your Windows system has
a mismatched set of system files that manage the tree control. You can normally
correct this by installing Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 (or above).
Library Previews and on-demand installation

Your Explorer Panel may contain Previews of some Symbol Libraries that are not
yet installed. These previews provide the benefits of having SmartDraws complete
catalog of symbol libraries available for searching, while using about 1% of the disk
space required by the full libraries if completely installed.
A preview is a small copy of a symbol library file that contains only the ToolTip
preview (the small thumbnail image you see when you browse through the tree).
Previews let you browse and search the library catalog as if it were completely
installed on your system. Previews are shown in the tree with white instead of yellow
icons.
When you attempt to open a symbol library preview, you are given the opportunity
to install the full library, using the Install Library Dialog.
The Install Library Dialog

You can install the library from your SmartDraw CD, or, if you are connected to the
Internet, by downloading it directly from the SmartDraw web site. Installing from
the web has the advantage that you are always getting the most recent version of the
library.
Downloading A Symbol Library
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Left Panel 27
If you choose to install a previewed symbol library by downloading it from the

SmartDraw web site, selecting your connection speed gives you an estimate of the
time required to complete the download. Pressing the OK button presents the
Download Dialog.
The Download Dialog

Press the Start Download button, and a window will appear displaying the progress
of the download.
Progress Dialog
Once the symbol library download has begun, you can close the Download Dialog
and continue with your work. When the download is successfully completed the
library downloaded will open automatically in your SmartDraw program.
You must have access to FTP to install libraries from the SmartDraw web site. Inside
some corporations, this service is blocked. Talk to your network administrator if you
have difficulties.
Installing Symbol Libraries from the CD
If you opt to install new Symbol Library from the CD, the Install from the CD
Dialog appears. Place the SmartDraw CD into your CD Drive and identify the drive
using the Browse button.
The Install from the CD dialog

Pressing the Install button begins the installation process. When the installation is
successfully completed the new library will open automatically in your SmartDraw
program.
See Template Previews and On-Demand Installation.
Licensed and Unlicensed Content

Normally all of the SmartDraw library symbols and drawing templates (collectively
called content) that appear in your SmartDraw program will be licensed to you, and
you have full use of them.
However, in some cases you may have installed Trial versions of symbols or
templates that come with other editions of SmartDraw. These should never appear in
your purchased SmartDraw program, because they are hidden if they are unlicensed.
However, if you find and try to open one of these unlicensed libraries or templates
directly from your hard disk using your Windows file system, you will be warned
that it is unlicensed, and it will not open.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Left Panel 29
Drawing with SmartDraw
Selecting a Template
When you choose Creating a New Drawing in SmartDraw, youll see the Create
New Document dialog. You must choose a template from this dialog to begin your
drawing (even if its a blank template). Its important to choose a template that
matches the type of drawing you intend to create.
Choosing a Template from the Create New Document Dialog

If none of the templates match the kind of drawing you want to create, pick the one
most similar. Each template (even the blank ones) has special settings for grid snaps,
line-linking, and other crucial attributes that make it easy to draw a particular type of
diagram or very difficult if you choose the wrong type of template.
Browsing the Template Categories
At the left side of the Create New Document dialog lays the Category List. The
Template List at the right shows small images (thumbnails) of the templates. Each
subcategory in the template list is identified by its own header bar, with the
thumbnails for that subcategory appearing underneath.
Some of these thumbnails represent true Templates, which are starting points for
diagrams. Some represent Examples, which are educational illustrations of finished
diagrams. You may find that some examples are similar enough to the drawing you
want to make that you can use them as starting points, also.
The Empty template in each category is unique to that category. For example, an
Empty flowchart template is different from an Empty org chart template. Although
they may look the same on the surface, the behind-the-scenes settings are carefully
specified for a particular type of drawing.
If you own one of the drawing-specific versions of SmartDraw (for example, the
Flowchart Edition) you may only see one category of templates (such as Flowchart
templates). If you have the Suite version, you will see template categories for many
types of drawings.
To open a template, double-click on it, or click on it and press the OK button.
Template Favorites
If you right click on a template you can add it to My Favorites, which appears at the
top of the category list.
The Favorites category contains short cuts to the actual templates. The original
templates still reside in their original locations, and removing them from Favorites
does not delete the actual templates.
You can remove a template from My Favorites by right clicking on it and selecting
Remove from Favorites. Choosing Clear Favorites will remove all templates from
the favorites category.
See also Creating SmartDraw Templates.
Searching For Templates
You can search for templates using the Template Search Bar at the top of the
Create New Document dialog. Typing a word into this bar and pressing Enter, or
clicking on the Search button, searches all of your templates for those that match
that keyword.
The Template Search Bar

In addition to searching the words in the templates names, SmartDraw also searches
through keywords associated with each template.
You can enter more than one word into the Search Bar, separated by spaces or
commas. SmartDraw finds matches for libraries that contain all of the words that you
specify. (In Boolean terms, the search is an AND search). If you want to make it an
OR search, you can type Keyword OR Keyword, and SmartDraw will find any of the
keywords that you type.
The search is not case-sensitive. (It doesnt matter if the words are in capital letters).
Partial matches are found as long as the word begins with the search word. For
example, if you searched for Form, matches would be found for Forms and Formula
but not Perform.
The search results appear in the Search Results category listed at left. The results of
your last search will be available there until you conduct a new search.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Drawing with SmartDraw 31
Template Previews
Some of the templates shown in the Create New Document dialog may be Previews
of templates that are not yet installed.
The preview thumbnail looks the same as an installed template thumbnail. But when
you try to open a preview, you will be prompted to automatically download the
actual template from the web (or install it from your CD). To learn more, see
Template Previews and On-Demand Installation.
Template Previews and On-Demand Installation

Some of the templates shown in the Create New Document dialog may be Previews
of templates that are not yet installed. A preview is a small thumbnail image of a
template that you see when you browse through the New Document categories.
Previews let you browse and search for templates as if they were completely
installed on your system.
These previews provide the benefits of having SmartDraws complete catalog of
templates available for browsing, while using a tiny fraction of the disk space
required to install all of the actual templates.
The thumbnail preview looks the same as an installed template preview. But when
you try to open a preview, you will be prompted to automatically install the actual
template from the web or your CD. When you install a template from a preview,
SmartDraw also installs all the other templates in that category at the same time.
Installing a Template from a Preview
When you attempt to open a template preview, you are given the opportunity to
install the full template, using the Install Template Dialog.
The Install Template Dialog

You can install the template from your SmartDraw CD, or, if you are connected to
the Internet, by downloading it directly from the SmartDraw web site. Installing
from the web has the advantage that you are always getting the most recent version
of the template.
Downloading A Template
If you choose to install a previewed template by downloading it from the SmartDraw
web site, selecting your connection speed in the Before You Begin Your Download
Dialog gives you an estimate of the time required to complete the download.
The Before You Begin Your Download Dialog

Press the Start Download button, and a window will appear displaying the progress
of the download.
Progress Dialog
Once the template download has begun, you can close the Progress Dialog and
continue with your work. When the download is successfully completed the template
downloaded will open automatically in your SmartDraw program.
You must have access to FTP to install templates from the SmartDraw web site.
Inside some corporations, this service is blocked. Talk to your network administrator
if you have difficulties.
Installing Templates from the CD
SmartDraw 7 Help
If you opt to install new templates from the CD, the Install from the CD Dialog
appears. Place the SmartDraw CD into your CD Drive and identify the drive using
the Browse button.
The Install from the CD dialog

Pressing the Install button begins the installation process. When the installation is
successfully completed the new template will open automatically in your SmartDraw
program.
See Library Previews and on-demand installation.
Adding Objects to Your Drawing

A SmartDraw drawing is made up of shapes, lines, and sometimes ready-made
graphic symbols like clip art. All of these are called Objects.
You add shapes and lines to your drawing by using the buttons on The Drawing
Toolbar, or add symbols by dragging them from Symbol Libraries.
The Drawing Tools on the Program Toolbar
A Symbol Library Window

There are two ways to add objects to your drawing:
Drag and Drop

With a single mouse click you can drag an object to your drawing. Simply click on
the button for that object, whether on the toolbar or in a library window, and drag
your mouse to the drawing area, and release. This creates a shape or line with the
default size and shape in your drawing.
For example, to add a rectangle to your drawing, click on the rectangle button on the
toolbar without letting go of the mouse button. While still holding down the mouse
button, move the cursor onto your drawing area. (This is called dragging with the
mouse.) A rectangle shape follows the cursor, so you can see where the object will
be placed when you drop it. When you release the mouse button, a new rectangle is
added to your drawing at that position.
Drag and Drop

You can change the default size and shape of the objects created by the toolbar
Shape buttons by double-clicking on the button and changing the settings.
Similarly you can add lines to your drawing by dragging them from the toolbar in the
same fashion. However, lines are usually drawn using the Pencil method, described
below.
Other graphic symbols can also be added to your drawing in the same manner, by
clicking on the buttons in a library window and dragging them to the drawing.
Pencil Drawing
The pencil method requires two clicks but gives you full control over the
size and shape of the object that you draw.
For example, to add a rectangle shape using this method, first click on the rectangle
button in the The Drawing Toolbar, and then let go of the mouse button. As you
move the cursor into the drawing area it becomes a pencil cursor. Click in the
drawing area and drag the mouse to draw a rectangle of any size you like, then
release the mouse button to add the shape to the drawing. You can use this method
for drawing shapes, lines, and any graphic symbols found in the Symbol Library.
SmartDraw 7 Help
You can draw a perfectly regular version of a shape by holding the Ctrl key while
drawing. For example, you can draw a square by holding the control key and
drawing a rectangle, or draw a circle by holding Ctrl while drawing an oval. This
trick also works when you are resizing one of these shapes with the mouse.
Sticky Tool Selection

Normally, after you have drawn an object using the pencil method, the selection
(pointer) tool becomes active again automatically. If you want to draw several copies
of the same kind of object, you can force that object button to remain selected by
holding the Shift key down the first time you click on it. This tool remains sticky
for pencil drawing until you click on a different tool, or drag and drop an object.
Drawing Lines and Curves

Lines and curves are usually drawn using the pencil method (but you can also drag
and drop one from the toolbar and then move it where you want it).
There are four line tools on The Drawing Toolbar: the Straight Line, the Arc, the
Segmented Line (which comes in two varieties: the square-cornered Segmented
Line and the Curved Segmented Line) and the Automatic Connector Line. All of
these lines can have different styles applied to them.
Straight Lines
Straight lines connect any two points by the shortest path. They may be
drawn at any angle, but will snap to perfectly horizontal or vertical directions if
drawn close to these directions. If you want a line just a few degrees off from
horizontal or vertical, you can use the Rotate command under the Arrange menu to
specify its angle precisely.
Arcs
An Arc connects any two points with an arc of a circle. Like straight lines,
arcs can be rotated and converted to other line shapes using the Change Line Shape
command. The degree of curvature of an arc can be adjusted using the special
selection handle at its center.
Adjusting the Curvature of an Arc

Segmented Lines
The Segmented Line is designed to connect two objects. It attaches itself

perpendicularly to each object and travels from point A to point B in straight
segments with 90-degree turns. (Dont worry if it flops around while youre drawing
it. When you finally anchor it, it will fall neatly into place.)
A Segmented Line connecting two shapes

For the segmented line to attach properly, you must have Allow Lines to Link
turned on under the Arrange menu.
Moving the objects causes the segmented line to change its shape to maintain its
position relative to each object. Segmented lines can have from 1 to 5 segments,
depending on the arrangement of the shapes linked.
The Curved Segmented Line behaves exactly like the Segmented Line, but
instead of having square corners, it travels from point A to point B in a smooth
curve.
A Curved Segmented Line connecting two shapes

Changing the Shape of a Line
In addition to using the three basic line tools on the toolbar, you can create many
other types of lines by using the Change Line Shape command under the Lines
menu.
Change Line Shape

Two of these line types, the Communications Link and the Digital Link, have a
special kink in the middle to represent network connections.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Lines for Communication Links

Using the Change Line Shape menu, you can turn any line into a variety of different
shapes:
Straight Line
Arc (a circular curve)
Segmented Line (square cornered)
Curved Segmented Line
Parabolic Curve
Quarter Ellipse
Many of these are also offered in special configurations, such as being constrained
to vertical or horizontal positions or a fixed number of segments.
You can also use the Flip command under the Arrange menu to create additional
variations.
(Note: The Shape of a line should not be confused with the appearance of Style of
the line. See Changing the Appearance of Lines.)
The Automatic Connector is a special kind of line that automatically
connects several shapes together into evenly spaced patterns. See Using Automatic
Connectors.
Freeform Lines
SmartDraw allows you to create custom shapes and lines using the two Freeform
drawing tools on the toolbar.
When the Freeform Stepwise button is selected, you can draw a freeform
shape or line, made of straight segments, by clicking a series of points one after
another in the drawing. Hitting the Esc key or drawing a closed shape exits the
freeform drawing mode.
When the Freeform Continuous button is selected, you can draw a

continuous freeform line by clicking and dragging with the mouse in the drawing.
Releasing the mouse or drawing a closed shape ends the freeform drawing session.
See Using Freeform Drawing.
Line Hops
Line hops are useful in flowcharts and engineering diagrams to indicate lines that
cross without intersecting.
Line hops work only for lines created with the straight line, arc, and segmented
line tools on The Drawing Toolbar. (Not for Automatic connectors or shapes created
with the Freehand Drawing tools.)
You can create a line hop by right-clicking on the line to bring up the Line Hops
dialog.
The Line Hops Dialog

For line hops to appear, the Line Hops feature must be turned on for the whole
document (by choosing the Show button), and for the individual line you have
clicked on (by checking Show hops where this line crosses over other lines.)
The style (round or square) and size (small, medium, or large) of the line hops are set
for the entire document, not for individual hops.
If the line being hopped over is a double line (from the Line Style menu), or simply
two single lines drawn close together, the hopping line will make just one hop
spanning both lines.
Line hops rely on the Front-to-Back order to know which one is on top. The line in
front will have the hop (bend) in it. If your preferred line does not have the hop,
SmartDraw 7 Help
youll need to bring it to the front by selecting it and choosing Bring to Front from
the Arrange menu. See Changing the Front-to-Back Order.
A line may have no more than 32 hops. If the position of a line hop conflicts with an
arrowhead, the arrowhead overrules the hop.
Selecting Objects
Before you can move, stretch, color, or manipulate an object or piece of text on your
page, you must select it.
The Selection Tool (at the far left of the Toolbar) is your normal cursor. To
select an object on the page, simply click on it once with the Selection tool.
Shapes filled with transparent color must be clicked on their border to be selected.
Shapes filled with color can be clicked anywhere in their interiors.
A selected object has black Selection Handles at the corners. By dragging these
handles, you can stretch or resize the object.
Growing an object
A selected object also has a Rotation Handle. By dragging the rotation handle, a
shape or line can be rotated to any angle.
The most recently selected object is always shown with solid (black) handles and is
called the Target object. Other selected objects are shown with hollow handles. The
target object is called the target because, when you use certain commands such as
Align and Make Same Size, the other selected objects are aligned or re-sized to
match it
Selecting an object by clicking on it de-selects all other selected objects unless you
hold the Shift or Ctrl key down while you click. With the Shift or Ctrl key held
down, clicking a second time on any object de-selects it.
Selecting Text
You can select text in your drawing in one of two ways: You can click on the object
(including a background text object) that contains the text, which implicitly selects
the whole piece of text inside the object. Or you can double-click on any object
containing text (including a background text object), which will open the text for
editing. In this case the cursor changes to a typical text-insertion cursor, which you
can drag to highlight parts of the text for making changes.
For special instructions on selecting text in Table Cells, see Selecting Table Cells.
Selecting Multiple Objects
You can select several objects at one time. (This is useful for Grouping and
Ungrouping Objects or for applying a common property, like a color, to all of them).
SmartDraw offers three ways to select several objects at one time:
1) Hold the Shift Key down while clicking on each object in turn with the normal
selection tool.
on the toolbar (beside the regular
2) Choose the Multiple Selection Tool
selection tool) and click on a series of objects, one after another, to select them all.
Clicking in the background of the drawing cancels the Multiple Selection session.
3) Trace an imaginary box around the group of objects with the mouse. Click in
an empty area of the page, hold the mouse button down, and drag the mouse until the
dotted box encloses the objects you want to select. Then release. All of the objects
inside the box will be selected.
Boxing with mouse
All objects selected
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Holding the Shift key down while dragging adds the enclosed objects to any existing
selection.
Boxing (sometimes called rubber-banding) is useful for deleting unwanted objects
from your page. Simply trace a box around the area you want to delete, and then hit
the delete key.
Select All
You can select all the objects in your drawing at once by choosing Select All from
the Edit menu.
Selecting with the Tab Key

If no objects in your drawing are selected, pressing the Tab key selects the first one.
If one or more objects are already selected, pressing the Tab key moves the selection
from the current Target object to the next object in the drawing.
Selecting the next object with the Tab key

By pressing the Tab key in this way, you can select each object in the drawing oneby-one.
Pressing Shift-Tab reverses direction and selects the previous object in the drawing.
Selection Difficulties
Sometimes, its hard to click on the object that you want because other objects lie on
top (or in front) of it. There are two ways to overcome this:
You can select the objects on top and use the Send to the Back command under the
Arrange menu.
Alternately, you can drag a box around the objects, selecting them all. Shift clicking
on the objects in the front now de-selects them, leaving only the object you want still
selected.
Once selected, the colors, borders and other attributes of objects can be changed
using the menu commands. Selected objects can also be cut, copied and duplicated.
Typing from the keyboard when a shape is selected adds text to it. These actions are
described in detail elsewhere.
Moving Objects
Moving Objects with the Mouse
You can move an object simply by clicking on it and dragging it with the mouse
while keeping the mouse button pressed down. An outline of the object follows the
mouse as you move it.
If you hold the Shift key down while you use the mouse to move an object, it moves
only horizontally or vertically.
Moving a Group of Objects
If more than one object is selected, clicking and dragging on any one of them moves
all the selected objects as a group. If an object is linked to another (with certain kinds
of linking) moving one of the objects will move the other. When a group of objects is
moved, an outline of the rectangle that encloses the group follows the mouse.
Moving Objects with the Arrow Keys
You can use the arrow keys to move objects very precisely. Typing an arrow key
moves a selected object by one screen pixel (1/100 of an inch at normal viewing
magnification) with each keystroke. The arrows move the objects on-screen
according to their direction, up, down, right, and left. If more than one object is
selected, all are moved.
Aligning Objects
The Align command under the Arrange menu can be used to align all selected
objects with the selected target object. See Aligning Objects.
Spacing Objects Evenly
The Space Evenly command under the Arrange menu can be used to arrange all
selected objects so that equal distances separate them. See Spacing Objects Evenly.
Centering the Drawing on the Page
The Center Drawing on Page command under the Arrange menu can be used to
move all the objects in the drawing so that they are centered in the minimum number
of pages needed to print them. See Centering the Drawing on the Page.
Re-Sizing Objects
Using the Mouse
To change the size or shape of an object you must first select it, and then click on
one of the grow handles (black squares) with the mouse. Moving the mouse, while
keeping the mouse button pressed down, drags the handle and changes the size of the
object.
Growing an Object
Only one object at a time can be resized this way.
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Some standard shapes, like rectangles, and many of the library symbols, can be sized
to any proportion. Others, such as the standard circles on the drawing toolbar,
maintain their proportions when re-sized.
The side handles on a shape, such as a rectangle, will stretch the object only in the
direction perpendicular to that side. Handles at the corners stretch the object all
directions simultaneously.
Proportional shapes (like circles) have no handles on their sides, and their corner
handles grow the shape proportionately.
For shapes that can be stretched to any proportion, such as rectangles, holding down
the Ctrl key while dragging with the mouse makes a perfectly regular (square)
version. (not sure what this means).
Holding down the Shift Key forces a shape to grow in proportion to its current
shape.
For shapes that can normally be sized only proportionally, holding down the Shift
Key while dragging with the mouse allows them to be sized to any proportion.
Some of the 24 standard shapes on the Drawing Toolbar have a special smart
resizing property by which some key components keep their original proportions,
even while the rest of the shape is stretched or shrunk. The arrow shape is one
example: the arrowhead keeps its original shape even when the whole shape is
elongated.
Some Freeform polygon shapes have additional, special growth and resizing
properties. See Creating Closed Freeform Shapes for more details.
Sizing with the Arrow Keys
You can use the arrow keys to resize a shape very precisely. Pressing an arrow key,
while holding down the Shift Key, increases or decreases the size of the object by
one screen pixel (1/100 of an inch at normal viewing magnification) with each
keystroke. The right and down arrows increase the size at the right and bottom. The
left and up arrows decrease the size at the right and bottom.
You can apply these changes to more than one object simultaneously, by selecting
more than one first.
Make Same Size
The Make Same Size command under the Arrange menu can be used to make all
selected objects the same size as the selected target object. See Making Objects the
Same Size.
Grouping
Objects may be combined into Groups. When grouped they may be sized
proportionately as a single object. See Grouping and Ungrouping Objects.
The Shape Properties Dialog

The Shape Properties Dialog allows you to change the sizing and other behaviors of
a shape.
Shape Properties Dialog

There are four choices of sizing behavior:
Proportional objects have only four grow handles (one at each corner) and maintain
their proportions when re-sized. Imported images (and many library symbols) are
initially set to re-size proportionally.
Horizontal Only objects have only two grow handles and can be re-sized only in the
horizontal direction.
Vertical Only objects have only two grow handles and can be re-sized only in the
vertical direction. This is useful for objects that represent vertical lines.
No restrictions allow objects to grow in all directions without maintaining
proportions. These objects have eight grow handles, four on the corners and four on
the sides.
The Change Colors box applies only to certain library symbols and imported
images. See Changing the Settings for a Symbol.
The Do not check spelling check box turns off (or on) spelling correction for the
text inside this particular shape. This is useful if you want to keep spelling correction
turned on for your drawing in general, but want it off for a particular shape that
contains a proper name or some other unusual text. When you group objects, spelling
correction is turned off for text inside the group. You can turn it back on again with
this setting.
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Show Dimensions allows you to add automatic Length Labels to the sides of the
shape, which change dynamically to display the current length in the units displayed
on the rulers. You can choose whether the shape will show its dimensions Always,
Never, or Only When Selected.
If the shape is a Freeform polygon, checking the box labeled Allow sides to be
independently adjusted causes dimension labels to appear on all sides of the shape.
Otherwise, the dimensions shown are those of the invisible rectangle that encloses
the shape.
Show Area allows you display the calculated area of a shape in its center in the units
of the rulers. This command only works for the 24 native toolbar shapes and for
polygons created with the freeform drawing tools.
Allow Shapes to Link to Borders allows you to drop a shape so that it attaches to
another shapes border, via its attachment point (usually in the center).
Allow Shape to Link to Cells in Tables permits the shape to be dropped on a table
cell, where it will attach and stick. See Shape-Linking in Tables.
The Position and Size Dialog

You can specify the exact size and position of an object using the Position and Size
Dialog. The values are in the same coordinate system shown on the rulers.
You can display this dialog by selecting an object and then using the Position and
Size command under the Arrange menu. Alternately, you can right-click on the
object and select Position and Size from the menu.
The Position and Size Dialog

You can specify the coordinates of the left, top, right, and bottom of the shape in the
units shown.
Changing the left and top values also changes the right and bottom, shifting them to
maintain the same width and height.
The two buttons control whether changing the object's bottom or right value changes
the objects size (by leaving the left and top unchanged) or changes the objects
position (by changing the left and top to maintain the dimensions).
The position dialog for a line, unlike that for shapes, allows you to enter the length of
the line.
Also, to help you position objects, the Status Bar in the lower-right corner of the
document window displays the coordinates of the cursor and the dimensions of any
currently selected object.
Rotating Objects
All shapes, text, and straight lines can be rotated to any angle. You can do this
manually by dragging the rotation handle (which looks like a small circle) on the
selected object. The cursor changes to the rotation shape
when positioned over
a rotation handle.
A Rotation Handle
Clicking on the rotation handle and dragging with mouse rotates the shape about its
center.
Rotating a Shape
When the Snap to Grid feature is turned on, the angle of rotation snaps to an
increment of 15 degrees (15, 30, 45 and so on.).
You can also rotate objects using the Rotate commands on the Arrange menu. The
Rotate sub-menu provides commands to rotate objects by 90 degrees in either
direction, and to return an object to the horizontal position.
The Set Angle command allows you to specify the exact angle of rotation within one
tenth of a degree, via the Set Rotation Angle Dialog.
Set Rotation Angle Dialog

Rotating Multiple Objects
The rotation commands on the menu apply to all selected objects. This allows you to
rotate a group of objects all at once. The angle shown in the Set Rotation Angle
dialog is the one associated with the last object selected (known as the Target
Object).
This feature allows you to align the any number of objects to match the angle of
another object. While holding the Shift key down, select the objects that you wish to
SmartDraw 7 Help
align, selecting the Target Object last. Now select the Set Angle command and press
OK. The objects will be rotated to match the Target Object.
You can rotate straight lines, shapes, library symbols, and most imported images.
The exceptions are Segmented Lines, bitmap images, and Automatic Connectors.
Also, objects linked to others do not rotate. (Since they cannot maintain their link if
they do.) However, you can rotate a shape or line before you link it to another.
Objects that cannot rotate do not have a rotation handle.
When an object is rotated, the text associated with it rotates too.
Rotated Shapes with Text
Flipping Objects
All objects, except bitmap images, can be flipped, either horizontally or vertically.
Horizontal flipping changes an object as if it were reflected in a mirror down its
middle.
Horizontal Flipping
Vertical flipping changes an object as if it were reflected in a mirror across its
middle.
Vertical Flipping
Note that text you have entered into the object is unaffected by flipping.
You can use Flipping to generate even more styles of connectors and segmented
lines than are available on the Change Connector Shape and Change Line Shape
menus.
Changing Connector Styles with the Flip Command
Deleting Objects
You can delete objects from a drawing simply by selecting them and then typing
either the Del key, or the Backspace key. The Clear command under the Edit menu
has the same effect.
Duplicating Objects
The Duplicate command, under the Edit menu, makes a copy of the selected object
and adds it to the drawing, offset by a small distance from the original object.
Duplicating Two Selected Objects at Once

The duplicate object (or objects) is already selected, so clicking on it and dragging
can move it. If the newly duplicated object is immediately moved with respect to the
original, the new distance between it and the original is used as the offset for any
further duplication. You can use this feature to create neat rows and columns of
evenly spaced lines or shapes.
The illustration below shows the steps involved in making a column of evenly
spaced lines.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Changing the Appearance of a

Drawing
Changing the Appearance of Shapes

The Shapes menu can be used to change the color and border style of existing shape
objects.
The first step is to select the shape or shapes you wish to change, by clicking on
them. Selecting a color from the Fill Color menu will change the fill color of any
selected shape. This color will also become the default fill color of any new shape
added to the drawing afterward. Imported digital images and library symbols that are
not re-colorable are not affected by fill color.
The Color Menu
You can quickly change the fill color of a selected object by clicking on the
Fill Color button on The Drawing Toolbar. This button provides a shortcut to the
Fill Color command on the Shapes menu.
The fill color can be transparent, which means that the background of the drawing
shows through the shape. (Note: To select a shape with a transparent fill you must
click on its border.)
You can also pick from any of the 16 million colors supported by Windows using the
More Colors selection.
You can also choose a fill that blends from one color to another using the Gradient
Fill selection. If you want to create a custom gradient fill, see Defining Your Own
Gradient Fills.
Shading and Textures

The Shading command under the Shapes menu, and the Fill Pattern command
under the Line and Border Style menus, allow you to fill a shape, line, or border with
a hatched pattern. The menu shows five hatched patterns and a plain (no shading)
option.
In addition to the basic shading and fill patterns, you can select Textures to open the
Select a Texture Dialog:
The Select a Texture Dialog
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Changing the Appearance of a Drawing 51
Here you can choose from a variety of vector or bitmap texture patterns to fill your
object. You can create new categories using the Add Category button and add
patterns of your own using the Add Textures button to import any kind of graphic
image (an image that tiles in a repeating pattern usually works best). You can remove
a selected pattern with the Remove button. With the Properties button, you can
default texture parameters. (To learn more about setting Properties, see: Changing
the Texture Properties )
SmartDraw automatically aligns the textures within a given document so that
adjacent objects containing the same texture can appear to be one continuous shape.
See also:
Changing the Texture Properties
Changing the Texture Properties

The Properties and Edit commands under the Select a Texture Menu give you
additional options to modify new and existing textures.
The Properties button allows you to permanently change the default settings for the
selected texture. The Edit button only changes the properties of the current selected
object leaving the default texture settings available.
Using the Properties or Edit button brings up the Set Texture Application
Parameters dialog.
Scale
You can scale a texture two ways: 1) Size the texture to a percentage of its normal or
2) Scale the width of the texture to be an exact measurement across.
For basic drawings, the default of 100% of normal is recommended. You can adjust
this percentage between 25% to 400%.
In a floor plan with the default 1/4 inch scale (where 4 ft equals one inch on the
screen), setting the scale of the texture to be 1 feet across would give you 4 tiles
representing 4 feet on the screen.
Alignment
The default texture alignment is set to Align to the top left of the document. This
option aligns the textures within a give document so that adjacent objects containing
the same texture can appear to be one continuous shape.
You can set the texture alignment of a shape to begin at the: Top Left, Top Center,
Top Right, Center Left, Center, Center Right, Bottom Left, Bottom Center, or
Bottom Right.
Changing the Appearance of Shape Borders

Shapes have a border around their edge. This can be dotted, dashed, or solid, or
double-lined, in a choice of several different thicknesses. Thick borders grow
towards the center of the shape.
Borders can also be filled with colors, patterns, or textures, just as shapes and lines
can.
Shapes may have no border (None). These shapes must have a different fill color
than the background or they will not be visible.
The Border Color, Border Thickness and Border Style commands under the
Shapes menu change the appearance of a selected shapes border. The values
selected also become the default settings for the border of any new shape added to
the drawing.
Border Thickness Menu

Thick or filled borders grow outward from the shape, leaving the interior the original
size.
Border Style Menu

You can also quickly change the border color of a selected object by
clicking on the Line and Border Color button on the The Drawing Toolbar. This
button provides a shortcut to the Border Color command on the Shapes menu.
Shapes and symbols that can be re-colored respond to border style changes by
changing their appearance, while those that cannot, show a border around the
rectangle that encloses the entire symbol.
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Filled Shape Borders

As with Shape Interiors you can Fill the border of a shape with a color, pattern, or
texture. First select a shape, and then click on the Shape Menu, then Border Style,
and then Filled, to bring up the Define Filled Border dialog.
The Define Filled Border dialog

Here you can specify the thickness, color, fill thickness, fill color, and fill pattern of
the border.
By dropping down the Fill Pattern menu, you can choose from a set of different
shading patterns.
The Fill Pattern Menu

The hatched patterns use the border color for the hatching on a background
determined by the fill color (including transparent fills). If a hatched pattern is
selected and the border and background colors are the same, the border color is
changed to a contrasting color.
At the bottom of the Fill Pattern you can click on Textures to access the Select a
Texture Dialog. For a description of this dialog and its functions see Shading and
Textures.
Changing the Shape

The actual shape of an existing shape object can be changed to any of the other 24
standard toolbar shapes, using the Shape command under the Shapes menu. This
displays the Change Shape menu.
Change Shape Menu

Any selected shapes are converted to the shape chosen from this menu. The
command has no effect on library symbols or images.
You can also quickly change one shape to another by right-clicking on the shape and
choosing the Shape command from the right-click menu.
Adjusting Shapes
Many of the standard toolbar shapes have properties that can be can be adjusted (for
example, the degree of roundness of rounded rectangles or the angle between the
vertical and horizontal sides of a parallelogram). The defaults for these quantities can
be set by double clicking on the button that shows that shape on the toolbar.
You can adjust the outlines of objects already in the drawing by clicking on their
Adjustment Handles.
Adjusting Shapes
To adjust an adjustable shape, click and drag on the open diamond-shaped handle
that appears when an adjustable shape is selected. You can see the effect of the
changes you are making in real time as a temporary dotted image shows the new
outline of the shape. Release the mouse and the shape changes its outline to match
the dotted image.
Editing Shape Outlines

Shapes can also be completely decomposed into their component lines and curves
and then modified using the Edit Shape Outline command. You can stretch or bend
the lines and curves of the shape and then rejoin it to create a new custom shape. See
Editing the Outline of Shapes in the freehand drawing section.
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Editing the Outline of a Shape
Changing the Appearance of Lines

The appearance of lines can be changed using the Lines menu. The Lines menu
commands apply to selected straight lines, arcs, segmented lines, and automatic
connector lines.
Lines can be colored and filled with color or patterns

The Line Color command changes the color of any selected lines.
You can quickly change the color of a selected line by clicking on the Line
and Border Color button on The Drawing Toolbar. This button provides a shortcut
to the Line Color command on the Lines menu.
The thickness of the line can be changed using the Line Thickness command under
the Lines menu.
The Style command, under the Lines menu specifies whether the line is dotted,
dashed, solid, double, or filled.
Choosing a Filled style brings up the Define Filled Line dialog where you can
specify the border thickness, border color, fill thickness, fill color, and fill pattern, of
the line.
The Define Filled Line dialog

By dropping down the Fill Pattern menu, you can choose from a set of hatched fill
patterns.
The Fill Pattern Menu

At the bottom of the Fill Pattern menu you can click on Textures to access the
Select a Texture Dialog. For a description of this dialog and its functions see
Shading and Textures.
Arrowheads
You may add arrowheads to either or both ends of any line. There are 35 different
built-in arrowhead styles, and you can also create your own.
To add arrowheads to a selected line, choose Arrowheads from the Lines menu, then
choose from the three options for arrowhead position: right end, left end, or both
ends. The default style is a simple solid arrowhead.
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The Arrowheads menu

To choose a different arrowhead style click on More Styles from the Arrowheads
menu to bring up the Arrowhead Styles dialog.
Showing Line Dimensions (Length)
You can set any line to automatically display its length in a variety of formats. See
Dimensioning: Showing Line Length.
Arrowhead Styles
From the Arrowheads dialog you can choose from a number of different styles of
arrowheads for either or both ends of your line. You can also specify the size and
displacement, or even create your own arrowheads.
The Arrowheads Dialog

Left (Top)
Clicking on one of the 36 style buttons changes the type of arrowhead that will
appear on the left end (or top end if vertical) of the lines currently selected. A
preview appears in the preview window. The None selection results in no
arrowhead at the left end.
Right (Bottom)
Clicking on one of the 36 style buttons changes the type of arrowhead that will
appear on the right end (or bottom end if vertical) of the lines currently selected. A
preview appears in the preview window. The None selection results in no
arrowhead at the right end.
Displacement
You can specify whether the line touches a shape or falls a little short. If the line is
displaced, it does not appear to touch the shape but still remains linked to it. This
property can be controlled independently for each end of a line, and does not apply
to ends with no arrowhead.
Size
Clicking on one of the three size buttons controls the size of the arrows and applies
the selection to both ends of the line.
Arrowheads in the Center of Lines
Three of the arrowhead styles place an arrowhead at the center of the line instead of
at the end.
Centered Arrowheads
Lines with different settings
If you have several lines selected, and their arrowheads have different properties, the
arrowhead dialog will show no existing setting for those properties. For example, if
two lines have different right arrows, no right-arrow buttons will appear to be
highlighted when the dialog is displayed. If you leave the style buttons un-pushed,
but you push one of the size buttons, then, when you press the OK button, both
arrowheads will change size but they will retain their different right arrow styles.
Once assigned, an arrowhead remains fixed on the end to which it was assigned,
despite any later changes in the lines direction.
Creating Your Own Arrowheads
If you double-click on any of the 35 right-facing arrow style buttons you can change
its style to one of your own design.
See Creating Your Own Arrowheads.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Creating Your Own Arrowheads

In addition to the 35 built-in arrowhead styles, you can create your own. There are
four steps involved:
1.
Create an image for your arrowhead

Begin by drawing the symbol you want to use as an arrowhead, either with
SmartDraw, or with some other drawing program. You can draw the symbol at a
comfortable size. It need not be as small as the eventual arrowhead. SmartDraw will
scale it to the right size.
The arrowhead design should be for a right-facing horizontal arrow. SmartDraw will
automatically transform the image for other directions. The arrowhead will
eventually be drawn with dimensions that are 1.75x longer than wide. For best
results, draw your symbol with that ratio of length to width.
A Custom Arrowhead Image

2.
Copy it to the clipboard

After selecting the new object youve drawn, use the Copy command to transfer
your image to the clipboard. If your arrowhead is consisted of multiple objects, make
sure all objects are selected before using the Copy command.
3.
Open the arrowhead dialog

Select a line in your drawing and use the Arrowheads command under the Lines
menu to open the arrowhead dialog.
4.
Double-click on a right-facing button.

You may replace any of the standard arrowheads with your custom design. Select the
arrowhead you want to replace and double-click on its right facing button. (When
you replace an arrowhead on the right-facing button you automatically replace it for
the left-facing button also.) You are presented with the Customize Arrowhead
Dialog.
Customize Arrowhead Dialog
You should see your design attached to the end of a line above the Clipboard
Picture radio button. Selecting this radio button replaces the built-in arrowhead with
your image. You can also use this dialog to return to the standard arrowheads at any
time.
There are two other choices you can make with this dialog: To draw the outline of
the custom arrowhead with the same thickness and color as the line it is attached to,
and to fill any shapes in the design with the same color as the line.
Effect of Custom Arrowhead Dialog checkboxes

The effects of these choices are shown above.
Once you have assigned a custom arrowhead to a button in the arrowhead dialog,
you may assign it to any line in the normal way. The arrowhead is stored in your
SmartDraw preferences (smartd4.opt) in your Windows directory. You can restore
all of your arrowhead settings back to their default using the Revert Arrows to
Default button in the arrowhead dialog.
Changing the Shape of a Line

Lines and Automatic Connectors can have many different shapes, and you can
convert one line shape into another using the Change Line Shape and Change
Connector Shape commands. Note that you cannot change a line into an Automatic
Connector, and vice-versa. See Drawing Lines and Curves.
Dimensioning: Showing Line Length

You can add an automatic Length Label to any line, and it will change dynamically
to display the current length in the units displayed on the rulers.
First select the line and then choose the Show Length command under the Lines
menu. Alternately, you can right-click on the line and choose Show Length from the
right click menu. This brings up the Show Line Dimensions dialog.
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The Show Line Dimensions dialog

You can choose whether the line will show its dimension Always, Never, or Only
When Selected.
The Show options are defined as follows:
The distance between the end points of a line means the shortest straight distance
between the two endpoints, regardless of the actual path of the line. For example, if
the line is an Arc, or a segmented line, the actual path of the line will usually be
longer than the straight distance between its end points.
The total length of the line is the sum of all its segments along its actual path.
(The exception to this is the Segmented line, which shows the length of its horizontal
segment, so that it can easily be used as a call-out length marker.)
The length of each line segment labels each segment with its own separate
dimension label.
The length label appears just above the line. For curved or segmented lines, if the
end points setting is used, the label is shown along an imaginary straight line
between the end points.
The Line Label Font
You can specify the font of your line label using the Font button in the Show Line
Dimensions dialog. Clicking on the button opens the standard font selection dialog.
By default, the font style and size is set by the font of the Footer in The Print Dialog.
The font setting of the line dimensions also automatically sets the font used to
display for shape dimensions and area.
See also Shape Dimensions and Area under The Shape Properties Dialog.
Changing the Background Color

The background of the drawing may be colored by using the Background Color
command under the View menu. Drawings with transparent backgrounds export
transparent images that acquire the background color of the document that displays
them. Drawings with white backgrounds export images that have opaque white
backgrounds, no matter where they are displayed.
The background color is also affected when you choose a color scheme in Colors and
Shadows under the Edit menu.
Copying the Appearance of a Shape or Line

You can copy the appearance of a shape or line and transfer it to another object using
the Format Painter tool on the SmartDraw toolbar. This works like the Format
Painter in Microsoft Office programs that you may have used.
To use this convenient feature, begin by selecting the shape or line that has the
on the
appearance you want to copy. Then click on the Format Painter button
toolbar. It will become highlighted. Next, simply click on the object you want to
change. It will change its appearance to match the object you originally selected and
the Format Painter button will no longer appear to be highlighted.
Using the Format Painter

You can change the appearance of several objects, one after another, if you hold the
Shift key down when you first click on the Format Painter button. This makes the
button stay pressed as you click on several objects one at a time. You can also apply
the same appearance to several objects at the same time by dragging a selection box
around them with the Format Painter button pressed in.
The format painter transfers the color, border, pattern, and text settings from one
shape to another. With lines, it also copies the arrowhead style. The format painter
also works with background text objects and in tables.
Colors and Shadows

The Colors and Shadows command, under the View menu, allows you to apply a
design Style to your entire drawing all at once. A style is a color scheme, specifying
the color of the background, shapes, borders, lines, text, and shadows in your
drawing.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Colors and Shadows Dialog

SmartDraw provides hundreds of professional, ready-made styles. These are listed in
the Select a style list box. A preview of the style's appearance is shown in the
Sample window. You can quickly browse through the available styles using the up
and down arrow keys to change the selection.
Press the OK button to apply the selected style to your entire drawing. This gives
you a professional looking drawing in one simple step.
You can undo any change you make, or you can apply another style to try any
number of different "looks".
If you select a shadowed style, shadows are applied to your shapes. Some styles also
apply the shadow to lines and to text. The 3D styles give a raised or sunken look.
You can control whether a shadowed style applies the shadows to lines and text by
checking the appropriate boxes in the shadow section of the dialog:
Apply To Lines
Checking this box applies the selected shadow style to lines as well as shapes. This is
only visible if a shadow style is selected. This setting is forced on for the raised and
sunken shadow styles.
Apply to Text
Checking this box applies the shadow style to text as well as shapes. This is only
visible if a shadow style is selected. Text below 18 points in size usually looks poor
with shadows.
Reverse Text Shadow
This option is only available if the raised or sunken 3D shadow styles are chosen.
Checking this box applies the reverse text shadow: raised if the shape shadow is
sunken, sunken if the shape shadow is raised. This can give an interesting effect.
Controlling Color Changes
You can separately control whether color changes are applied to lines and fills by
checking the appropriate boxes in the Colors section of the dialog. If the Lines box is
checked, changes are applied to both borders and lines. This is forced to be on for 3D
shadowed styles. If the Fills box is checked, then color changes are applied to both
text and fill colors.
Overriding Shadows
SmartDraw allows you to override a global shadow style for individual shapes, lines
and text blocks.
Shape and Line Shadow
You can use the Hide Shadow command, under the Arrange menu, to turn off any
shadows for shapes or lines that are currently selected. If the shapes or lines already
have hidden shadows, the menu item changes to Show Shadow, and selecting it
turns the shadows back on for these objects.
Show Shadow has no effect on selected lines if the current style does not normally
apply shadows to lines.
Text Shadow
The Shadow command, under the Text menu, has an effect on text shadows similar
to that of Hide and Show Shadow, under the Arrange menu, on lines and shapes.
Selecting this command toggles text shadows on and off for selected text objects. Its
status is shown by a check mark. This command has no effect if the current style
does not specify text shadows.
Defining Your Own Color and Shadow Styles

Pressing the Define button in the Colors and Shadows dialog allows you to add your
own styles, or to modify the standard ones..
The Define Colors and Shadow Styles Dialog

Selecting a Style to Edit
Click on the style in the scrolling list that you want to edit. The style's name is
copied into the Name field, and the Change button becomes active.
The Sample window shows a preview of the currently selected style, and it reflects
changes to the style as you edit it.
Changing Style Settings
You can specify the colors for all the types of objects in your custom style using the
Colors panel.
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Color Scheme
Pressing on any color panel with the mouse displays the color menu, which you can
use to change the color of that property.
The Border color sets the color of shape borders. Line color sets the color of lines
and connectors. Fill Color sets the color of the fill inside of shapes. This can be
transparent. Text color sets the color of text. Shadow color sets the color of any
shadows. Highlight color is only used by the raised and sunken three-dimensional
shadow styles.
Background color sets the color of the drawing background. This, too, can be
transparent.
There are six shadow styles to choose from. These are shown in the array of Shadow
buttons, with the top left button representing no shadow. If a shadow style in the
right column is selected, the angle of the shadow can also be controlled using the
controls labeled Angle.
Shadows can be applied optionally to lines and text. Check the appropriate boxes to
set your preference.
Adding a Style
You can add a new style by pressing the Add button in the Colors and Shadows
dialog. This button becomes active when you change the Name field so that it no
longer matches the style selected in the list, and the settings for colors and shadow
have been changed.
Changing a Style
You can change the currently selected style by pressing the Change button. This
button is active when the name in the Name field matches the style selected in the
list and the settings for colors and shadow have been changed. Pressing it changes
the selected style to the current color and shadow settings.
Renaming a Style
The Rename button becomes active when the name of the selected style has been
changed, but the properties of it have not. Pressing the button renames the current
style.
Deleting a Style
The Delete button is active when the name in the Name field matches the style
selected in the list. Pressing it removes the selected style from the list.
Overriding Styles
All new shapes and lines added to your drawing adopt the Colors and Shadows
scheme of the currently selected Style.
You can change the colors of any selected object, after it has been created, using
commands on the Shapes and Lines menus. This changes the color scheme of the
current style, and any new objects added adopt the new scheme. Existing objects that
are not selected when a color is changed are unaffected.
You cannot change the shadow style of individual objects. Every object follows the
shadow scheme of the current style. To change the appearance of shadows, you must
select another style, or modify the current style's shadow scheme.
Working with Text
Entering Text in Objects

You can enter text inside the 24 standard shapes available from the toolbar, or inside
or adjacent to most library symbols, or as background text objects.
A shape can be opened for text entry by simply selecting it and starting to
type. Shapes can also be opened for text entry by double clicking on them or by
pressing the text button (A) on the toolbar and clicking once on the shape.
Library symbols behave similarly, except that some are designed to have text go
inside, and some are designed to have the text go outside the symbol. See Changing
the Settings for a Symbol.
When a shape, symbol, or background text object is opened for text entry, the
standard Windows insertion point appears. This is a flashing vertical line. All of the
normal conventions for Windows text editing apply: Dragging with the mouse
selects text (which is then shown in inverted color). Selected text can be cut, deleted
or copied. The font, size, style and color of selected text can be changed using
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Working with Text 67
commands on the Text menu, or by using the Text buttons at the right-hand side of
the The Drawing Toolbar.
Positioning Text Inside Objects

Text entered inside an object does not always fill it completely. You can control the
position of the text inside the object using the Alignment command under the Text
menu.
Text can be aligned in shapes in all possible combinations of four horizontal
positions (left, right, center or flushed) and three vertical positions (top, bottom or
center). The resulting twelve alignment styles are shown graphically on the
Alignment menu under the Text menu.
The Text Alignment Menu

You can also quickly adjust the alignment by clicking on the drop-down list beside
the alignment button on the The Drawing Toolbar.
The Alignment command can be used when an object that contains text is selected,
or when an object is open for text entry. Alignment affects both the way text is
displayed within the object, and the way the object grows when text is added.
When text is open for editing, different alignments may be applied to individual
paragraphs within the same shape.
Flush alignment is similar to left alignment except that wrapped lines have smooth
right edge as well as left edge. Left-aligned text has a ragged right edge.
Changing the alignment of background text often has little noticeable effect because
the text fits inside its shape exactly. Changing whether it aligns right or left has no
visible effect if the text is already touching both sides of its shape. The direction that
the background text object will grow as text is added is affected however.
Automatic Text Resizing

As you add text to an object it word-wraps like a word processor until the object is
full. Then, as you enter more text, the size of the text shrinks automatically to allow
more to fit inside the object. Finally, when the text has shrunk to your minimum
specified size (by default this is 8pt), the object grows to accommodate more text.
This is shown below.
The text shrinks, as the box grows and continues to as you add more text.
The way an object grows to accommodate more text is determined by both the
alignment of the text in the object, and the sizing rules chosen using the Text Entry
Properties Dialog.
Text Entry Properties

The Text Entry Properties dialog appears when you select that command from the
Shapes menu. Changes made with this dialog apply to any selected object (including
an object that contains a table).
Text Entry Properties Dialog

This dialog allows to you to set:
The way objects grow as you add text
The gap between the edge of the object and the text it contains
How to begin text entry by clicking with the mouse.
Text Sizing Rules

There are three different ways objects can grow as you add text.
Horizontally and Vertically
This is the default for most objects. The object grows so as to maintain its
proportions.
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Horizontal and Vertical Text Sizing

Horizontally
This is the default for background text objects and for the text that appears below or
above image-objects and library symbols. New text is added on the current line. New
lines occur only when the Enter Key is typed.
Horizontal Text Sizing

Vertically
Text "wraps" within the width of the object, as in a word processor when the text
reaches the edge of the page. The object grows vertically as new lines are added.
Vertical Text Sizing

Effect of Text Alignment
As an object grows according to these rules, it maintains a fixed point according to
its text alignment. If text inside an object is centered, the center of the object remains
fixed and the object grows outward from the center. An object with left-aligned text
remains fixed at its left edge and grows on the right. Objects with top-justified text
grow downward, and so on.
Allowing Text to Shrink
You can force the text inside an object to attempt to shrink before it causes the object
to grow by checking Allow Text to Shrink in the Text Entry Properties dialog. You
can also specify the minimum size that the text will shrink to before it forces the
object to grow.
Text Margins
The gap between the edge of the text inside an object and the inside of the object
border is set using the Text Margins control. This setting is in 1/100 of an inch and
defaults to 2. Reducing this value will allow more text to fit inside an object.
Text Entry and Mouse Clicks
The three Allow Text Editing with a choices allow you to set whether a singleclick or a double-click on an object opens it for text editing, or whether it can be
opened for text editing at all.
Objects normally require a double-click for text editing. (A single click is used to
move and select them.) Objects that contain tables, on the other hand, normally
require only a single click to begin editing.
Sometimes it is useful to require a single click for editing normal objects, for
example in using SmartDraw to fill-in a form. On the other hand, if you have
created, for example, a flowcharting symbol with multiple-text-entry areas, you will
probably want it to require double-clicks for text editing like normal objects.
The Do not allow text editing choice is also useful for forms. It prevents the labels
and prompts in the form from being changed while the user fills-in the form.
Text Entry and the Enter Key
Normally, typing the Enter Key inserts a new line into the text you are editing.
Opting to have the Enter key Tab to the next shape causes an Enter Key to
behave like the Tab Key and move you to the next shape or cell within a table.
Shift- Enter moves back, just like Shift-Tab does normally. This behavior is very
useful when using SmartDraw to design and fillout forms.
When the Enter Key is set to behave like the Tab Key, holding the Ctrl Key down
while you type the Enter Key adds a new line instead of moving to the next object.
Defaults
All of the settings in the Text Entry Properties dialog become the defaults for
newly created objects once applied to a selected object, with the important exception
of the mouse-clicks setting.
Entering Background Text

If the text button on the toolbar is pressed, then clicking in the background
of the drawing starts a text entry session. The text you type creates a new object
called a Background Text Object. This is a rectangle shape that initially has no
border, and has a transparent fill. The text resides in this invisible object.
You can select background text objects and open them for further text entry like any
other object. You may assign them a border and colors and rotate them, like any
other object.
However, they do have some properties that differ from a normal object. Text objects
align to the Snaps according to the baseline of the first line of text, not their center or
top-left corner like other objects. Also, they are removed from the drawing if all their
text contents are deleted, so that your drawing does not become littered with
invisible empty text objects.
Text Entry and the Tab Key

If you are entering text into an object, typing the Tab key selects the next object in
the tab order and opens it for text editing. Shift-Tab does the same in the reverse
order.
You can use this feature to enter text in your objects the way you would fill in a
form: Double-click on the first object and enter text. Then tab to the next object,
enter text, tab again and so on.
If you are entering text into a table the Tab key moves you to the next text entry
field in the table. Once you reach the last table field, a tab takes you to the next
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object. The keyboard navigation in tables is smoothly integrated into navigation

between objects.
You can enter a tab character into an object by typing Ctrl-alt-tab.
See also: The Tab Order in Changing the Front-to-Back Order.
Attaching Text to Lines

In addition to adding text to objects, you can also label lines with text. To do this,
simply select a line and begin typing. A background text object will be created and
attached to the line, normally in the center.
This text object will remain attached to the line when you move the line. It can
change its orientation to match that of the line, or it can remain horizontal. You
control this using the Align Shapes and Text on the Line command settings, found
under the Lines Menu. There are two choices: Along the Direction of the Line, and
Horizontally.
Text attached to a line

The text alignment command also changes the position of text associated with a line:
Text Alignment and Lines

The text is positioned on the line according to the current text alignment setting for
the text (using the Alignment command under the Text menu). You can change the
alignment by selecting either the text or the line and using the Alignment command.
You can cause the text to appear above or below the line by setting the alignment to
one of the top or bottom positions under the Alignment menu.
When the text is added on the line, the text is automatically given an opaque
background that hides the line underneath. When text is added below or above the
line, the text is given a transparent background so that the line shows through.
You can show the line through the text (or vice versa) by selecting the text object
itself and changing its fill color to transparent, using the Shape menu.
You can set the text entry position for an imported image or a library symbol so that
the text goes above or below the symbol instead of inside. These objects behave
similarly to lines with respect to text entry and alignment. Selecting the object and
starting to type creates a background text object that remains linked to the object.
See also: Dimensioning: Showing Line Length
Changing Text Fonts, Size and Style

You can change the font, size and style of selected text using the Font command
under the Text menu. This presents the standard Font Dialog.
The Font Dialog

There are three drop-list controls in this dialog, along with a Sample window that
shows the selected typeface.
Font
This shows a list of all True Type fonts in the system. If none is highlighted, the
range of text or objects selected has more than one font. Leaving this list un-selected
will result in no change to the font.
Size
This shows a list of sizes for the selected font. If the size you want is not listed you
may type it in the size field. If no size is highlighted, the range of text or objects
selected has more than one size. Leaving this list un-highlighted will result in no
change to the size.
Style
This shows a list of styles (or weights) for the selected font. If no style is
highlighted, the range of text or objects selected has more than one style. Leaving
this list un-highlighted will result in no change to the style.
Superscript/Subscript
By checking one of these boxes with a piece of text selected, you can make it a
super-or subscript. This will not work if you have an entire shape or table cell
selected, only a specific piece of text.
Applying the Change
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Selecting a new font from the Font Dialog changes the typeface for any of the
characters that are currently selected in your drawing. If no characters are selected,
the next character you type will be in the new typeface.
When one or more objects containing text are selected, applying a change using the
Font Dialog changes all the text inside the selected objects. You can change the
typeface of all the text in a drawing by using the Select All command, followed by
the Font command.
The typeface applied using the Font Dialog becomes the default typeface for new
text entered into empty objects, or entered as background text objects.
See also The Global Default Font.
Anti-Alias Text
SmartDraw provides an optional feature that is often referred to in graphics programs
as anti-aliasing. You can turn anti-aliasing on and off by using the Smooth Lines
and Curves feature, found in the Options dialog under the Tools menu.
When you select Turn on Smoothing SmartDraw will slightly blur the edges of
lines and shapes, including the edges of text, to avoid a jagged appearance when
printed out.
The Global Default Font

Under certain conditions, when you change the font of a piece of text, you establish a
new Global Default Font, which is stored in your personal settings. This font will
become the automatic font for new text in your drawing, and it will even replace the
font of existing text in new templates that you open.
Setting the Global Default Font
The global default font is updated any time you select an object, or all of the text in
a text block that you are editing, and change the font. The new font is stored as your
new global default font.
The Default Font Size
Special rules apply to the size of the default font:
1. Your personal font size is only updated when the document font size is set
between 8 and 14.
2. Only text and cells with the default font AND a point size between 8 and 14 are
changed to your personal font size.
Note, that a symbol font can never become your personal font.
Changing Text Color

You can change the color of text using the text Color menu (under the Text menu),
or directly from the Text Color button on the Drawing Toolbar.
Changing the Text color

You can change the color of individual selected characters. The color selected from
the menu is applied only to the range of text currently selected.
Changes can also be applied to selected objects that contain text. In this case, the
new color is applied to all the text inside the selected objects.
Changing Text Using the Toolbar

You can also change the size, style, color, and alignment of selected text by using the
text buttons on the The Drawing Toolbar.
The Text-Editing Buttons on the toolbar

These buttons work like those found in many Windows programs that you may be
familiar with.
Pressing the buttons for bold, italic, etc. toggles the text style. For example, pressing
the Bold button when it is not depressed turns bold on. Pressing it again, when it is
already depressed, turns bold off. If the B on the button is gray, then the objects or
text currently selected is a mixture of bold and plain.
The following keyboard short cuts can also be used to change styles:
Bold
Ctrl+B
Italic
Ctrl+I
Underline
Ctrl+U
Superscript
Ctrl+ +
Subscript
Ctrl+ -
The Superscript and Subscript commands can also be found on the Font dialog.
The size of text can be increased or decreased using the text-sizing bar.
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Changing Text Color from the Toolbar

You can change the color of selected text by using the Text Color button
on the toolbar. This is a shortcut that behaves like the Text Color function under the
Text menu.
Changing Text Alignment from the Toolbar

You can change the alignment of selected text by using the Text Alignment
button on the toolbar. This is a shortcut that behaves like the Text Alignment
function under the Text menu.
Object Shrinking Due to Deleting Text

If you delete text from an object, or make the text a size smaller, so it occupies less
space, the object may shrink if it has expanded from its real size to accommodate
the text.
The real size for any object is the size set using the normal sizing commands, such
as clicking and dragging on a selection handle. If the object is forced to grow
because more text is entered inside than will fit, it remembers its original size. When
text is removed from the object, it shrinks back to its original size if it can. If the
object is already at its "real" size, then removing text has no effect.
Inserting Symbols
The Insert Symbol command, under the Text menu, allows you to quickly insert a
character in a particular font. It presents the Insert Symbol Dialog and is active only
when a text entry session is open. Selecting one of the symbols from the dialog
inserts it into the stream of text.
The Insert Symbol Dialog

You select a symbol by clicking on it. Pressing OK, or double-clicking, inserts the
symbol and closes the dialog.
If the font drop-down list shows Normal Text, the typeface of the inserted
character is the same as the current font. If a specific font is selected, the inserted
symbol has this font.
You can add new fonts, or remove them from the list, using the Add Font and
Remove Font buttons.
Special Characters
SmartDraw supports text entry of the following special characters:
Tab. You can enter a tab character by typing Ctrl-Alt-Tab. (Normally

tabs move you from one object to another)
Hard Space. Typing Ctrl-Space enters a hard space. This joins two
words so that they are not separated by word wrapping. Hard spaces are
also not hidden at the end of lines when they wrap, like normal spaces
are.
Soft Hyphen. Typing Ctrl-hyphen enters a soft hyphen. This is

invisible but allows a word to be split by word wrapping, in which case
it shows as a hyphen at the end of a line.
Bulleted Text
You can use the Bullets command, under the Text menu, to automatically format
text with one of four bullet styles, with proper indentation. Bullets can be applied to
the entire object, or individual paragraphs within an object.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Bullet Menu
Bulleted Text
Changing Text Shadows

Whether the text in a drawing shows a shadow is determined by the properties of the
current Colors and Shadows style, and whether this has been overridden for a
particular object, using the Shadow command under the text menu.
Real-Time Spelling Correction

SmartDraw will check the spelling of the text you as you enter it if Check Spelling
While You Type is turned on under the Tools menu. Un-checking this option turns
off real-time checking. On slower computers, turning off spelling correction while
you type will speed up text editing.
With spelling checking turned on, any misspelled words are underlined with a wavy
red line.
Misspelled words are underlined with red wavy lines.

Right clicking (clicking with the right mouse button) on the misspelled word shows a
menu with alternative spellings and other commands.
Right-clicking on a misspelled word.

If you select one of the alternative spellings, the word is replaced with this selection.
The other commands:
Ignore All. Ignores the word for this session.
Add. Adds the word to your user dictionary, so that it is considered

correct in all future sessions.
Auto Correct. Adds the word to your user dictionary along with the
misspelling, so that if you use that misspelling again, SmartDraw will
correct it for you automatically.
Spelling. This shows the The Check-Spelling Dialog.
The Check-Spelling Dialog

You can check the spelling of an entire document (or just the selected text or objects)
interactively using the Check-Spelling Dialog.
When you use this command to check spelling interactively, either the selected range
of text, or the selected object(s), is checked first. You are then given the opportunity
to continue to correct spelling in the rest of the document.
The Check-Spelling Dialog

The Check Spelling Dialog has the following controls
Add
This causes the reported word to be added to the dictionary (not sure what word is
missing here) currently selected in the Add Words To list. Use the Add button if a
correctly spelled word you use often is reported as a misspelling (e.g., your family
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name). If the word is not used frequently, you may want to select the Ignore or
Ignore All buttons instead.
Add Words To
This indicates which user dictionary words will be added when (still not sure what
this is explaining) you select the Add button. The Add Words To list shows all user
dictionaries currently open. You can open or close other dictionaries via the
Dictionaries dialog, which is accessible by selecting the Dictionaries button.
Cancel
Stops the current spell-checking operation.
Change
Causes the reported word to be replaced with the word in the Change To box. Only
this occurrence of the reported word is replaced. If you want this and all following
occurrences of the word replaced, select the Change All button. If the Change To
box is empty, such as when a repeated word is reported, the Change button changes
to Delete.
Change All
Causes this and all following occurrences of the reported word to be replaced with
the word in the Change To box. If you want only this occurrence of the word to be
replaced, use the Change button. If the reported word is one you frequently misspell,
you might consider adding it to a user dictionary via the Dictionaries dialog. You
can display the Dictionaries dialog by selecting the Dictionaries button.
Change To
Contains a word that will replace a misspelled word when you select the Change or
Change All buttons. You can enter a word in the Change To box by typing, or you
can select one of the suggested replacements from the Suggestions list.
Consider Changing
Contains a word that may be misspelled or otherwise incorrect, and is presented with
a candidate replacement word. You can change the word by selecting the Change
button, or skip it by selecting the Ignore button. The label of this box changes to
Not in dictionary when a misspelled word is detected.
Dictionaries
Causes the Dictionaries dialog to be displayed. You can use the Dictionaries dialog
to open or close user dictionaries, and to edit the contents of user dictionaries.
Ignore
Causes this occurrence of a misspelled word to be skipped. If the same misspelled
word appears later, it will be reported.
Ignore All
Causes this and all further occurrences of this misspelled word to be skipped. You
might use this button if the word reported as a misspelling is actually spelled
correctly. If the word is one you use frequently, you may wish add it to your
dictionary by selecting the Add button.
Lock Pos
Locks the position of the Check-Spelling dialog in place. Normally the CheckSpelling dialog attempts to position itself to avoid the window containing the text
being checked. When the Lock check box is checked, the Check-Spelling dialog will
always appear at the last place you positioned it.
Not in dictionary
Indicates that a misspelled word was detected. The word is considered misspelled
because it could not be located in any open dictionaries. The label of this box
changes to Consider changing when a word and a suggested replacement are
displayed.
Options
Causes the Options dialog to be displayed. You can use the Options dialog to set
spelling-checker options.
Suggest
Search more thoroughly for suggested replacements for the current misspelled word.
Each time you press the Suggest button, a "deeper" search is made. The Suggest
button is disabled once all possible suggestions have been located.
Suggestions
Contains a list of suggested replacements for the misspelled word reported as
misspelled. This list is filled in automatically when a misspelled word is detected.
Subsequent presses of the Suggest button may yield more suggestions. A word
selected in this list will be automatically copied to the Change To box, where it can
be substituted for the misspelled word by pressing the Change button.
Undo button
Removes the last change made.
Selecting a Spelling Language

The Spelling Language submenu, under the Tools menu, lets you switch languages
with a single menu command. Each language supported is shown on the submenu.
The currently selected one is shown with a check mark. The language selection
applies to SmartDraw as a whole, not just the document that you are working on.
SmartDraw supports the following languages.
American English
British English
Brazilian Portuguese
Danish
Dutch
Finnish
French
German
Norwegian
Italian
Spanish
Swedish
These dictionaries are available on the SmartDraw CD, or via download from
http://www.smartdraw.com/dictionaries.htm.
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Dictionary Organization
The language dictionaries are stored in the Spelling folder inside the SmartDraw
program folder. Each language has its own folder inside the Spelling folder. All users
on a network share these dictionaries.
The custom dictionaries that users edit are stored in a folder inside their Windows
folder called SmartDraw. Each user on a network has custom dictionaries.
The Spelling Dictionary

Pressing the Dictionaries button in the Check-Spelling dialog, or using the Spelling
Dictionaries command under the Tools menu, opens the Dictionary Dialog. This
allows you to manage your own custom dictionaries, where your own private words
(like your name, special acronyms, etc.) are stored.
The Dictionaries Dialog allows you to open and close user dictionaries, and to edit
the contents of an open user dictionary. The contents of dictionaries are saved in disk
files. Only open dictionaries are consulted during a spell-checking operation.
The Dictionaries Dialog

The Dictionary Dialog has the following controls:
Words
This contains the list of words in the currently selected user dictionary, as well as the
currently selected word.
Other Word
This contains an alternate word associated with the currently selected word. The
other word is used in the Auto change and Conditionally change actions to supply
a replacement word. You can enter more than one word in the Other Word box, but
the total length should be limited to 63 characters.
Action
The action tells the spelling checker what to do when it finds a word in the
dictionary. The following actions can be selected:
Auto change (use case of checked word)

This action allows you to automatically replace one word with another. For example,
if you often type recieve instead of receive, you might enter the word recieve with
receive as the other word and Auto change (use case of checked word) as the
action. The spelling checker will then automatically correct recieve wherever it
appears. If recieve were capitalized (Recieve) the spelling checker would
automatically replace it with Receive. Note that the replacement is made
automatically only if the Auto Change option is enabled (see the Spelling Options
Dialog for information on the Auto Change option).
Auto change (use case of other word)
This action allows you to automatically replace one word with another, without
considering the case of the replaced word. This action is useful for automatically
expanding abbreviations. For example, you could enter the word TBD with to be
determined as the other word and Auto change (use case of other word) as the
action. The spelling checker will automatically replace TBD with to be determined
wherever it appears.
Conditionally change (use case of checked word)
This action is the same as Auto change (use case of checked word) above, except
that the replacement is only suggested by the Check-Spelling dialog. It does not
happen automatically.
Conditionally change (use case of other word)
This too is like Auto change (use case of other word) but is only suggested by the
Check-Spelling dialog.
Exclude (treat as misspelled)
This action tells the spelling checker that the word is misspelled, even if it is listed in
another dictionary. Words marked with this action will never be offered as
suggestions for misspelled words, and they will be reported as misspellings when
they are encountered by the spelling checker. Note that the spelling checker looks up
words in user dictionaries in the order in which the dictionary files appear in the
Files list. If you want to exclude a word, make sure it doesn't appear in a previous
user dictionary.
Ignore (skip)
This action tells the spelling checker that the word is spelled correctly, and can be
skipped over. This is the most common action.
Add Word
This causes the word entered in the edit area of the Words list to be added to the
currently selected dictionary. The currently selected action and other word are
associated with the word. You can use the Add Word button to change the action or
other word associated with a word. Note that the Add Word button is enabled only
when a new word is typed in the edit area of the Words list. The words you add may
contain virtually any character, but only words that contain embedded periods should
have trailing periods (e.g., U.S.A. is OK, but USA. is not).
Delete Word
This causes the word appearing in the edit area of the Words list to be removed from
the currently selected dictionary. The associated action and other word are also
removed.
Files
SmartDraw 7 Help
This contains the list of open dictionary files. When you select a dictionary file from
the list, its contents are displayed in the Words list.
Add File
This opens a user dictionary file. When you select the Add File button, a dialog
appears which you can use to select the dictionary file to open. The set of open
dictionary files is remembered, so once you add a dictionary file you don't need to
add it again. If you need to create a new user dictionary, use the New button. You
can open other applications' user dictionary files, including those of Microsoft
Office.
Your Office user dictionary is usually called custom.dic. Search for this file and add
it to the file list and you can share a common list of your personal words with
SmartDraw.
Remove File
This closes the currently selected dictionary file. Closed dictionaries are not checked
during a spelling check. Although the file is closed, it is not deleted. Closed
dictionary files can be later reopened using the Add File button.
New
This creates a new user dictionary file. When you select the New button, a dialog
appears which you can use to specify attributes of the new dictionary.
Export
This saves the contents of the currently selected dictionary to a text file. When you
select the Export button, a dialog appears which you can use to select the name of
the text file to which words in the dictionary will be exported. The words are written
to the file one per line.
Import
This adds the words contained within a text file to the currently selected dictionary.
When you select the Import button, a dialog appears which you can use to select the
text file to be imported. Each word in the selected file is loaded into the dictionary.
Language
This displays the language (e.g., English, or French, etc.) of the words in the
currently selected dictionary.
New Dictionary Dialog
You can use the New Dictionary Dialog to specify the attributes of a new user
dictionary.
File Name
Contains the name of the disk file used to hold the new dictionary's contents. You
can enter a name here or use the Browse button to display a dialog showing the
names of other dictionary files.
Browse
Displays a dialog, which shows the names of other user dictionary files. You can use
the dialog to view the names of existing dictionary files, and to enter the name of the
new dictionary file.
Language
Specifies the language (e.g., French, English) of the words the new user dictionary
will contain. If the language you want to use is not listed, select "Other."
OK
Closes the New Dictionary Dialog and creates the new dictionary.
Cancel
Closes the New Dictionary Dialog without creating a new dictionary.
Spelling Options
The Spelling Options command opens the Spelling Options Dialog. This lets you
specify several options that affect the way the spelling checker operates.
Spelling Options Dialog

Ignore Capitalized Words
When enabled, any words beginning with a capital letter are ignored (i.e., are
skipped over without being checked). You might enable this option if the text being
checked contains many proper names.
Ignore All-Caps Words
When enabled, any words consisting entirely of capital letters are ignored. You
might enable this option if the text being checked contains many acronyms.
Ignore Words with Numbers
When enabled, any words containing embedded digits are ignored. Examples of such
words include Win95 and Q4.
Ignore Words with Mixed Case
When enabled, any words containing an unusual mixture of upper- and lower-case
letters are ignored. Examples of such words include SmartDraw and Caps Lock.
Report Doubled Words
SmartDraw 7 Help
When enabled, any word appearing twice in a row is reported via the Check
Spelling Dialog.
Case Sensitive
When enabled, a distinction is made between capitalized and non-capitalized words.
For example, canada is considered different from Canada, so canada would be
reported as a misspelling. When the option is disabled, canada and Canada are
considered identical. Note that the performance of the spelling checker will be
reduced if this option is disabled.
Phonetic Suggestions
When enabled, suggestions are made on the basis of phonetic (sounds-like) similarity
to the misspelled word. This option tends to improve suggestions for badly
misspelled words. Enabling this option will increase the time required to locate
suggestions. Note that either this option or the Typographical Suggestions option
must be enabled or no suggestions will be offered.
Typographical Suggestions
When enabled, suggestions are made on the basis of typographical (looks-like)
similarity to the misspelled word. This option is appropriate for people who are
generally good spellers. Note that either this option or the Phonetic Suggestions
option must be enabled or no suggestions will be offered.
Suggest Split Word
When enabled, two separate words will be suggested as a replacement for a
misspelling containing two joined words. For example, is the would be suggested as
a replacement for isthe.
Auto Correct
When enabled, words marked with Auto Change actions will automatically be
changed to their specified replacements. When disabled, you will be prompted before
the words are changed.
Suggestions
Determines the speed and accuracy of the initial search for suggested replacements
for misspelled words. When a misspelled word is detected, a search is automatically
made for suggestions. This option controls the speed and accuracy of this automatic
search. Pressing the Suggest button in the Check-Spelling dialog causes an
increasingly more accurate (but slower) search for suggestions, with each successive
click.
Find and Replace

As with most text-editing programs, SmartDraw can find and replace any word in
your drawing.
The Find command, under the Edit menu, shows the Find and Replace Dialog.
Find and Replace Dialog

You can enter any target string into this dialog. If you press the Find Next button,
SmartDraw will search for a match. Once a match is found, it is highlighted and
scrolled into view. Pressing Find Next again, finds the next occurrence.
Initially only the selected range of text is searched. This is either the selected range
of text within an object, or the selected object(s) or table. Once all selected instances
of the target word have been examined, you are then given an opportunity to search
the remainder of the drawing.
Normally SmartDraw searches for the target string without regard to upper or lower
case, and it will report matches that are not whole words. For example, if you search
for mary it will find Maryanne. You can change this behavior by checking the
appropriate boxes in the dialog.
Match case causes SmartDraw to find matches only when the case of the characters
in the drawing also matches the target.
Match whole word only causes SmartDraw to ignore matches when the target
appears as part of another word.
Replacing Words
If you click on the Replace button in the Find and Replace Dialog, or select the
Replace command under the Edit Menu, the dialog opens out to its expanded form.
Expanded Find and Replace Dialog

If the target string is highlighted in your drawing, pressing the Replace button will
replace the target with the replacement string and then go on to find the next match.
Pressing Replace again replaces the next match and so on.
You can replace all instances (initially in your selected range and then in the entire
document) automatically by pressing the Replace All button.
Find Next Menu Command
After you close the Find and Replace dialog, your target and replacement strings
(and checkbox settings) are remembered (even between sessions). You can find the
next instance of the current target string at any time without showing the Find and
Replace Dialog, by using the Find Next command under the Edit Menu.
The shortcut to the Find Next command is the F3 key. Holding the Shift key down
and typing F3 finds the previous match. The search order of objects is the same as
their tabbing order in the drawing.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Using Tables
What are Tables?

Normally, text entered into a SmartDraw object occupies a single text entry area that
fills the object. However, SmartDraw also supports Tables, which contain multiple
text-entry areas within a single shape object.
Tables are particularly useful for creating timelines, organizational charts, Gantt
charts, software diagrams, and business forms. Well show a few examples of these
in Projects that Use Tables at the end of this chapter, but first lets look at the basics
of tables.
Normal Shape
Table
Each text entry area (or cell) acts like a separate shape as far as text entry is
concerned. Each cell can have its own text alignment and background color, and the
text inside shrinks or grows independently of other cells.
Adding Tables to a Drawing

You can add a new table to your drawing by clicking on the table button.
This is a shortcut to the Add New Table command under the Table menu.
The Table Dialog shows a list of pre-defined table formats that you can select from
the scrolling list. Pressing the OK button adds a new table with the selected format to
your drawing.
You can specify the number of rows and columns in your table by changing the
numbers in the appropriate boxes.
The Table Dialog

As a shortcut you can also drag and drop a table into your drawing from the toolbar
table button. This creates a table using the most recently selected format from the
Table Dialog.
Tables created by the table button or the Add New Table commands are rectangular.
Changing a Normal Shape into a Table

Some existing shapes can be converted into tables by the Convert to Table
command under the Table menu. As with a new table, you select the format from the
Table Dialog. This inserts the desired table into the shapes currently selected. Any
text already inside the shape is placed in the first cell of the table.
Non-rectangular shapes may also contain tables:
Different shapes containing the same 2x2 table

Convert to Table works with any of the 24 standard shapes available from the Shape
buttons on the The Drawing Toolbar, and with any custom shapes created with The
Stepwise Freeform Tool and The Continuous Freeform Tool. Other shapes and
symbols cannot be converted to tables.
Changing a Table into a Normal Shape

You can also change a table into a normal shape (one that has a single text-entry
area) using the Convert to Text command under the Table menu. Any text
contained in the table cells is joined together as one text block inside the converted
shape.
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Using Tables 89
Table Rows, Columns and Cells

Tables are composed of rows and columns of cells. Typically the cells in each row or
column are lined up to form a perfectly regular grid, but this need not be the case.
Cells can be joined and split to create nearly any kind of table structure you can
imagine.
Each cell is an independent rectangular area that may have its own text, background
color, and other attributes. The boundaries of the cells are like the borders of shapes.
They may have their own thickness, color, and pattern. Cell borders may also be
hidden, so that the gridlines are invisible. Some examples of table formats are shown
below.
Different Table Formats

Note that columns may differ in width and rows may differ in height. Cells may also
span many rows or columns. These irregular formats are achieved by joining and
splitting table cells, or by moving segments of the cell divider lines.
Formatting Tables
You can change the appearance and cell arrangements of an existing table, by
choosing Format Table from the Table menu. This shows the Table Dialog.
SmartDraw provides a set of ready-made table formats in the scrolling list on the left
of the Table Dialog. A preview of the format currently selected in the list appears on
the right.
The number of rows and columns in any particular format can be adjusted using the
text fields in the Parameters section of the dialog.
A checkbox lets you choose whether to include the text labels associated with the
selected format, or not.
A second checkbox gives you the choice of whether to try to resize the table (if you
convert it to a shape) to fit inside your existing shape, or to grow your shape to fit the
normal dimensions of the table. Note that it is not always possible to fit the new table
format inside your shape, particularly if you add rows, since rows have a minimum
height defined by the text settings for the cells.
Adding Table Formats of Your Own

When you use the Format Table command to modify an existing table, the new,
resulting format is added to the Table list and shown in the dialog as [Current
Settings]. You can add the current setting to the permanent list of formats by
pressing the Add to List button. This presents the following dialog:
Adding the current table to the list of table formats

Enter a name for the format and press OK to add it to the list.
You can remove a format you added by selecting a format in the list and pressing the
Remove button. Permanent built-in formats cannot be removed.
Formats you have added are stored in your personal preference file and are not
available to other users sharing the same copy of the program on a network.
Adding Text to Tables

By default, table cells are opened for text editing with just one click of the mouse.
You can change this using the Text Entry Properties under the Shapes menu while
the table shape is selected. If you created your table by converting an existing shape,
then, by default, double-clicking is required for text entry. This too can be changed
to a single click using the same command.
Text entry in a table cell behaves exactly the same way as text entry in a freestanding
shape.
Preventing Changes to Text
Sometimes you may want to prevent text in a cell from being changed (or to prevent
text being entered into a cell at all). This is quite common in forms, where you may
want to lock the text that prompts the user for input, while leaving the adjacent cell
open for the user to type in.
You can allow or prevent text editing on a cell-by-cell basis using the Do Not Allow
Text Editing command under the Table menu. The setting will be applied to any
highlighted cells. Using the command toggles the ability to edit text on and off for
the selected cells.
Text Resizing and Tables
If you enter a large amount of text, the cell will be forced to grow. To maintain the
row and column arrangements of the table, the cells entire row or column will also
grow.
All the cells in a table follow the text resizing rules of the overall shape that contains
the table. By default, shapes containing tables are set to grow vertically as text is
added. This means that text wraps within a cell, and rows get taller as text is added.
Shapes containing tables can also be set to grow horizontally or proportionately as
text is added. Horizontal growth means that columns (and tables) get wider as text is
entered.
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Using Tables 91
Text Sizing in Tables
Moving Around the Table

When you are entering text into a cell, typing the Tab key moves the text insertion
point to the next cell to the right. If the cell is at the end of a row, the insertion points
wrap around to the first cell on the row below. Shift-Tab does the reverse.
The Up and Down arrow keys also move the insertion point up and down rows
within a column.
The Right and Left arrow keys move the insertion point left and right within the text
of the current cell, but to the left and right cell respectively if the cell contains no
text.
Note that cells with the Do Not Allow Text Editing attribute (under the Table menu)
are skipped when moving the insertion point with the tab key. This is particularly
useful in forms, where you can use this to lock the cells containing fixed
information, such as labels or prompts, so users automatically skip those cells when
tabbing through the form.
Selecting Table Cells

Clicking and dragging the mouse within a table, when the text insertion cursor is
active, selects a range of cells, highlighting their centers with black, just as in Excel
and other spreadsheets. If the table is configured for single-click text entry, the text
insertion cursor appears when your mouse hovers over the table cells. If it is set for
double-click text entry, you must click twice on a cell to get the text insertion cursor.
Rows and columns can also be selected by clicking at the leftmost or
topmost edge of the table. When a click would select a row or column, the cursor is
displayed as a wide arrow (shown at left).
Selecting the overall shape that contains the table selects all the cells and
dividers in the table. The containing shape itself is selected by clicking on its border.
The cursor appears as the normal selection tool (shown at left) when a click would
result in the selection of the entire shape, rather than the cells it contains.
Clicking anywhere in the table in Multiple Select mode always selects the shape
containing the table, rather than individual cells.
Holding the Ctrl key down while clicking on a cell allows you to select a
discontinuous group of cells, one cell at a time. Ctrl-clicking on a selected cell deselects it.
Holding the Shift key down while clicking on a cell extends the selection rectangle
from the Anchor cell to the clicked cell. The anchor cell is the cell in the table that
was initially selected.
Once a cell is selected, the selection can be moved using the arrow keys. Holding the
Shift key down while pressing an arrow key extends the selection in that direction,
just like shift-clicking does. Tabbing also moves the cell selection.
Applying Changes to Selected Cells

Once a cell is selected (either by opening it for text editing, or by highlighting it
with the mouse), you can change its properties with the commands under the Table
menu.
The Cell Background Color and Cell Background Shading change these
properties for selected cells. The equivalent commands under the Shapes menu also
work in the same way on selected cells.
Note that a gradient fill color can only be applied to an entire table. If you apply a
gradient fill to one cell, the whole table adopts this color. In the same way, if you
apply a normal color to a cell in a table with a gradient fill, the whole table loses its
gradient and adopts the average color of the gradient fill.
The Grid Line Style and Grid Line Color submenus, under the Table menu, can be
used to change the borders of the selected cells. (Note that the equivalent commands
under the Shapes menu change these attributes for the border of the shape which
contains the table.).
Most of the Text menu commands may also be applied to cell contents: Font, Text
Color, Alignment, Bullets etc.
Selecting Cell Dividers

You can also select the lines or dividers between cells with the mouse.
When a mouse click would result in the selection of a divider, the cursor
becomes two parallel lines with arrows indicating the directions in which the divider
can be dragged.
Clicking on a divider line selects it. Selected dividers are shown as green dotted
lines. Once a divider has been selected, you can extend the selection range by shiftclicking on lines parallel to it. Ctrl-clicking adds just the line clicked-on to the
selection range.
You can change the attributes of the selected dividers with the menu commands in
the Grid Line Style and Grid Line Color submenus under the Table menu. The
equivalent commands under the Lines menu make the same changes to table
dividers.
Partially Selecting Row and Column Dividers
Normally, when a cell divider line is clicked with the mouse, the entire divider for
that row or column is selected. If the Alt key is held down while clicking, however,
only the segment of the divider touching that cell is selected. Alt clicking on
additional divider segments adds them to the selection. Holding down both the Alt
and Ctrl keys toggles the Selection State of a divider segment on or off.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Using Tables 93
This feature lets you change the properties of separate parts of a row or column
divider, and more importantly, allows parts of them to be moved.
Moving Cell Dividers

In tables, clicking on a row or column divider not only selects it, but also allows you
to move it. You can increase or decrease the width of columns and the heights of
rows by dragging the dividers with the mouse.
When whole column dividers are moved, only the width of the column to the left of
the divider is affected. The columns to the right remain the same size. Hence the
table grows wider or narrower to accommodate the change in width of that column.
The same principal also applies to row dividers.
Using the Alt key to select a segment of a column divider allows the small selected
segment to be moved, changing the width of the immediately adjoining cells. This is
one way to create tables with cell arrangements that are more complicated than
regular rows and columns.
Alt-Drag just the top row column driver
Moving Partial Column Dividers

When column dividers are moved while holding down the Alt key, the column to
one side of the divider becomes narrower as the one on the other side becomes
wider. The width of the overall table remains unaffected, unless forced to grow to
maintain a minimum width for a column.
Changing the Width and Height of Cells

There are several ways to adjust the height and width of cells, and hence the rows
and columns, within a table.
Dragging Cell Dividers in Tables
Elsewhere we described how row and column dividers can be dragged to change the
width of columns and the height of rows, using the mouse.
If grid-snaps are turned on, the grid affects the position of cell dividers. When the
snaps are active, row heights snap to whole line heights, as determined by the height
of the first line in the table, and column dividers fall only on the lines of the grid.
This makes it easy to re-align column dividers that have been separated by dividing
cells or by dragging partial dividers.
The far right and bottom edges of the table behave like dividers and can be dragged
with the mouse. The divider cursor appears just inside these edges (unlike interior
dividers, where it appears directly on top of the divider line). Dragging on this
phantom divider changes the width of the last column, or height of the bottom row.
Spacing Table Rows and Columns Evenly

These commands, under the Table menu, make all the rows or columns in the table
the same height or width, while changing the size of the table as little as possible.
Resizing the Table Object

Resizing the object that contains the table stretches or shrinks the table as a whole to
fit the new dimensions of the object.
The object containing the table cannot be reduced in height to less than the minimum
required height of all the rows (which is specified by the tables text properties).
You can quickly minimize a tables height by using the mouse to shrink its
surrounding object vertically as far as it will go.
Holding the Shift key down while resizing the object with a corner selection-handle
will scale the overall object, and the table inside it, proportionately.
Joining and Splitting Cells

The Join Cells and Split Cells commands, under the Table menu, allow you to
create complex table structures.
The Join Cells command joins the currently selected cells into one cell, combining
any text in those cells into a single block of text. When cells from multiple rows are
selected, cells adjacent to each other in the same row are joined first. Cells adjacent
to each other in the same column are joined only if they have no selected neighbors
in the same row.
Joining cells in the same row simply removes the cell divider(s) between them.
Join Cells in a Row
Joining Cells Horizontally

Joining cells in the same column creates a single cell that spans the rows containing
the selected cells. Cells that span more than one row always span a whole number of
rows. It is not possible to create a cell that lies partially in a row.
Join Cells in a column
SmartDraw 7 Help
Using Tables 95
Joining Cells Vertically

The Split Cells command does the reverse of Join Cells. If a cell spans more than
one row, splitting creates a cell for each row spanned. Any text in the split cell is
placed in the top, or left, cell.
If no selected cell spans more than one row, all selected cells are split into two cells
within the same row and occupying the same space as the original cell: A vertical
cell divider is added to the center of the cell.
Inserting Rows, Columns and Cells

You can insert columns and cells anywhere in the table using the Insert command
under the Table menu.
When whole rows are selected, the Insert command shows Insert Row. It adds the
same number of rows as are selected, inserting them above the uppermost selected
row.
Insert
Insert Row
When whole columns are selected, The Insert command becomes Insert Column. It
inserts the same number of columns as are selected, inserting them to the left of the
leftmost selected column.
Insert
Insert Columns
When a rectangular block of cells is selected that is not a whole row or a column, the
Insert command says Insert Cells and presents a dialog with four options for
inserting:
Insert Cells Dialog

In addition to inserting whole rows and columns, cells may be inserted in just the
selected rows or columns. This provides an easy way to shuffle a whole column
down (or a row right), to insert a missing value, for example.
Shift Cells Down
Inserting cells within a column
Shift Cells Right

The same table inserting within a row
Appending Rows and Columns

The Format Table command (Table menu) provides an easy way to append rows
and columns to a table. This command presents the Table Dialog. The format of the
currently selected table appears as [Current Settings]. You can append rows or
columns by increasing the values for the number of rows or columns shown in the
dialog and pressing OK.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Using Tables 97
You can also completely change the arrangement of cells in the table by selecting
one of the other formats from the scrolling list shown in the dialog.
Deleting Rows, Columns and Cells

You can remove selected cells from the table with the Delete Cells command. This
works in essentially the reverse way of the Insert Cells command. When whole rows
and columns are selected, the Delete command shows Delete Rows and Delete
Columns, respectively.
When you delete partial rows and columns with the Delete Cells command, values
are moved up or left, but the total number of rows and columns remains fixed. To
remove spare rows or columns, if desired, simply make a second Delete operation.
You can use the Format Table command to remove rows and columns from the
bottom or right edge of the table. Just type in new values for the number of rows and
columns shown in the Table dialog and press OK.
Deleting, Copying and Pasting Text in Tables

With a single keystroke you can delete the text contents of a selected table cell,
without removing the cell itself. Typing the Backspace or Delete key erases the text
in all selected cells.
The content of selected cells can be copied to the clipboard using the Copy or Cut
commands under the Edit menu. Pasting the content back into a SmartDraw table
preserves its row and column arrangement along with font, alignment and other text
attributes. You can even paste the table data from SmartDraw into another program,
such as an Excel spreadsheet or Word table, and it will retain its tabular format.
The reverse also works. Pasting tabular data from another program into a
SmartDraw table preserves the row and column arrangements of the data, placing
each field in its appropriate cell. This allows data from spreadsheets and other
programs that generate tabular data to be formatted as a table in SmartDraw.
Changing the Appearance of a Table

To change the color, pattern, borders or text properties of table cells, select the cells
and then use the appropriate menu commands under the Table and Text menus.
Selecting the entire object (the overall shape) containing a table implicitly selects all
the cells and dividers in the table, and any changes to the attributes then apply to the
entire table.
Line-Linking In Tables (for Timelines)

SmartDraw provides a special line-linking feature in tables. This makes it easy to
create Gantt Charts and Time Lines.
If you draw a line on top of your table (using straight line, segmented line, or arc tool
buttons) the end points of the line will link to the table cells. Now, if the table is
moved, stretched, rotated, or reformatted, the line automatically moves with the cells
it is attached to.
In the example below, the red line with the arrowhead was drawn on top of the table
and the line was allowed to link to the table cells.
A line linked to table cells

Then the Insert Column command was used to add a new column to the left of the
middle one. The line automatically stretched to stay attached to the original cells to
which it was linked.
The same table after Insert Column

The endpoints of the line can be linked at three different vertical positions with
respect to a table row: the top, center, or bottom of the row. (Linking to the top or
bottom places the line directly on top of the row divider line).
Within the columns, the endpoints of the line can be linked to any position along the
horizontal axis (in other words, the horizontal linking points are continuous).
You can also link one end of a line to a table cell and the other end to a shape
outside the table. This effectively treats the table cell as one object and the outside
shape as another, and in that respect is similar to the normal practice of Linking a
Line to a Shape.
See also Shape-Linking in Tables.
Shape-Linking in Tables
As with Line-Linking In Tables (for Timelines), shapes can also be linked to table
cells. You can use this property in two ways:
1. Small shapes, such as the symbols used in Timelines to represent milestones or
other events, can be linked and stuck to the table cells within which they lie. For
example, the red and green symbols in the illustration below are shapes linked to
table cells.
Shapes and lines linked to table cells

For shapes to link to table cells, the Allow Shape to Link to Cells in Tables feature
must be turned on in The Shape Properties Dialog.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Using Tables 99
2. Table cells can also be indirectly linked to shapes outside the table by drawing a
line between them. This effectively treats the table cell as one object and the outside
shape as another, and in that respect is similar to the normal practice of Linking a
Line to a Shape.
AutoFill
The row and column headers in a table are frequently a series of numbers, months or
days. SmartDraw can create these series for you, with the AutoFill command under
the Table menu. This presents the AutoFill dialog.
The AutoFill Dialog

SmartDraw will automatically type the selected series across a range of rows or
columns, beginning with the currently selected cell.
There are five choices for the type of series: Numbers, days-of-the-week, months,
years, and a constant value.
For days-of-the-week and months, the sequence can begin at any value, and it repeats
until the Number of Values is reached. A checkbox lets you choose between full and
abbreviated names for the days or months. A preview appears showing the current
selections.
For years and other series of numbers, a prefix and a suffix can be specified to create
a string. For example, the parameters:
Results in Q1, 1998; Q2, 1998; Q3, 1998 and so on.

The radio button at the bottom of the dialog indicates whether to insert the series
across the row containing the currently selected cell or down its column.
Adding Photos (or Other Images) to Tables

You can insert a digital photo or other kind of bitmap image into a table cell.
A Photo inserted into a Table Cell

There are three ways to insert a photo (or other image) into a table:
SmartDraw 7 Help
1.
Copy the image in another program and Paste it into the table cell (the
cell must be selected or have your cursor positioned in it so SmartDraw
knows where to Paste the image.)
2.
If you have the SmartDraw Image Plug-In (or the SmartDraw.com

product FotoFinish) installed on your computer, then selecting a table
cell (or placing your cursor in it) and then clicking on the Add a Photo
tool on the The Program Toolbar launches the Image Plug-In program
and allows you to select an image to insert. If you answer yes to Do
you wish to replace the current content? the image will be inserted
into the table. If you answer no, the image will be opened in the PlugIn program, and a temporary image placeholder will be inserted in the
Using Tables 101
table. If you double click on this placeholder later, you will again have
the opportunity to replace it with an image from the Plug-In program.
3.
You can right-click in a table cell and choose Insert Photo from the
menu, or you can place your cursor in a cell and choose Insert Photo
from the Table menu. In either case, the Image-Plug in will be
launched, and from there the process is identical to that described in
number 2 above.
Photos and Images that Resize Table Cells

The first time a photo is inserted into an empty table cell, the cell will be resized to
fit the photo. (The photo may also be automatically scaled down by SmartDraw if it
will make the table unreasonably large.) If a different photo is subsequently inserted
in that cell, it will be cropped to fit the pre-existing cell size.
The exception to this rule is that, if the cell contains a photo placeholder (rather than
an actual photo or image) the placeholder cell will be resized when you replace it
with a real photo.
Projects that Use Tables

The ability to divide shapes into multiple text areas (Tables) opens up a whole new
world of flexibility in diagramming:
Timelines
Timelines are diagrams that consist of one large table.
Timeline
Software Diagramming
Many of the symbols used in software diagramming require independent text entry
areas. These are easily created by turning by Changing a Normal Shape into a Table.
Multi-Text Entry Symbol

Organizational Charts
Multiple text entry areas in a single shape allow you to store complex information in
organizational charts or family trees.
Organizational chart with multiple fields per position

In the example above, each position has four cells: Name, title, extension and room.
The last two share the same row. The cell dividers are white, to make them appear
invisible.
Forms
SmartDraws sophisticated table functions make it an excellent form designer:
Designing Forms with SmartDraw

The cells containing prompts can be locked so that users cant change them, and the
user can simply Tab from one active cell to another while filling out the form.
Arranging Objects
Arranging Objects
SmartDraw provides easy, automatic shortcuts to help you arrange the objects in
your drawing. With a few mouse clicks you can align them, make them uniformly
SmartDraw 7 Help
Arranging Objects 103
sized, or make them evenly spaced. You can rotate, flip, and position them in many
different ways. These commands are grouped under the Arrange menu.
Using Grid Snaps

Beneath your drawing lies a grid of imaginary lines spaced at the interval of the
smallest increments on the rulers. When grid Snaps are turned on, under the Arrange
menu, the centers (or in some cases the edges) of shapes and lines automatically
align themselves with the grid as they are drawn, moved, or resized with the mouse.
This makes aligning your objects very easy: You simply drag them with the mouse
and let them stick where they want.
The grid used by the snaps is the same one that is displayed by the Show Grid
command under the View menu.
You can choose whether the Edges or the Center of your objects will snap to the
grid. You set this property for the entire drawing in the Rulers and Grids dialog
under the View menu.
The Set Rulers and Grid dialog

The Center setting works best when lines are used to link shapes together, as in
flowcharting. The Edges setting works best when the edges of shapes must line up,
as in a form or a floor plan.
When you move or resize objects by using the arrow keys, they do not align with the
snaps. This makes it easy to make fine adjustments in position without turning the
snaps off.
The Use Snaps command, under the Arrange menu, toggles the snap mechanism on
and off. When Snaps are on, the menu item shows a check mark.
Aligning Objects
The Align command, under the Arrange menu, aligns the edges of selected objects
with a target object. The target object is the last one selected when you select a series
of objects. You can recognize it by its solid black handles. The other selected objects
have hollow handles.
The Align Left and Right commands align the left or right edges of the selected
objects with the left or right edge of the target object.
Align Left Command

Aligning the Top and Bottom works similarly.
The Center Vertically command aligns the midpoints between the left and right
edges of the objects. Center Horizontally works similarly, aligning the midpoints
between the top and bottom of the object.
Making Objects the Same Size

You can automatically resize several objects to be identical in height, width, or both
using the Make Same Size command under the Arrange menu.
Like the Align command, Make Same Size uses the last object selected in a series as
the target object. The Width option makes all selected objects the same width as the
target object. Height and Both (?) work similarly.
Make Same Size Command

Objects that can only shrink or grow proportionally maintain their proportions when
using this command.
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Spacing Objects Evenly

The Space Evenly command, under the Arrange menu, allows you to arrange three
or more selected shapes so that there is the same amount of space between them. The
Space Evenly menu item has three choices on its sub-menu: Horizontally equalizes
the space between objects in the horizontal direction only. Vertically does the same
in the vertical direction, and Both spaces them evenly in both directions at the same
time.
Centering the Drawing on the Page

The Center Drawing on Page command under the Arrange menu can be used to
move all the objects in the drawing so that they are centered in the minimum number
of pages needed to print them. The drawing is also moved to the top-left of the
drawing area. This command applies to all objects, not just selected objects.
If your drawing does not fit on one page, you can still print it on a single page by
checking the Print on One Page check box in The Print Dialog. This will shrink
your entire drawing proportionally to fit on one printed page. It will not change the
size of the actual drawing, only the printed output.
Changing the Front-to-Back Order

Every object is either in front of or behind every other given object, depending
on the order in which they were created, or the layer in which they reside. You can
change the front-to-back order of the objects in your drawing using the Bring to
Front or Send To Back commands under the Arrange menu (or by right-clicking on
the object).
Bringing the rectangle to Front

Bring to Front moves any selected objects in front of the non-selected objects. Send
to Back does the reverse. These commands have no visible effect unless objects
overlap one another.
Send to Back
If your drawing has multiple layers, using Bring to Front will move the object to the
top layer. Using Send to Back will move it to the bottom layer.
The Tab Order

The order in which objects become selected as you type the Tab key is called the
Tab Order.
The tab order is the order in which objects were created, unless you use the Bring to
Front or Send to Back commands to change this order.
Locking Objects
You may lock or unlock selected objects using the Lock Object command under the
Arrange menu. This prevents the object from being moved or edited until it is
unlocked again. When selected, a locked object has gray handles instead of black to
indicate its locked status.
Locking objects is useful if you want to place an object behind others and don't want
to accidentally move it while clicking on the objects in front of it. Locked objects
cannot be opened for text editing. However, their properties (color etc.) can be
changed using the menu commands.
Grouping and Ungrouping Objects

Two or more objects may be combined into a Group using the Group command
under the Arrange menu. The Ungroup command reverses this.
Groups can have hierarchy. For example, in the illustration below, the two
rectangles are first grouped together. Then the three ovals are grouped together.
Finally these two groups are grouped together into the large group. If you Ungroup
the large group, you will have two small groups, not five individual objects. Of
course you could then Ungroup the small groups to separate the objects.
Grouping
To group two or more objects, select each object with the multiple selection tool and
then click Group from the Arrange menu.
Properties of Groups
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No individual objects in a group can be edited.
Clicking on any member of a group selects the group.
Objects whose position is determined by links to other objects are

automatically included in groups
Moving the combination moves all members of the combination.
Sizing the group sizes all members of the group.
Rotation rotates the group as if it were a single object.
Duplicating, copying and pasting applies to the group as a whole
Locked objects can not be included in groups
Groups can not be flipped
Hyperlinks are not accessible in a group, however they are maintained

upon ungrouping
Ungrouping Imported Images

You can also group and ungroup most imported images into native SmartDraw
objects. This is described in Ungrouping Imported Images in the section on using
SmartDraw with other programs.
Adding Groups to Symbol Libraries
A grouped object may be added to a symbol library as a new symbol by simply
dragging it onto a library window. Groups retain their properties as library symbols,
and are drawn as a grouped object when placed in a drawing. See Adding New
Symbols to a Library.
Combination Objects
Combination objects behave similarly to groups except there is no hierarchy and you
can enter text in individual shapes within a combination object. Combination objects
are most commonly used when you want shapes in your drawing to be positionable
as a group, but you want to be able to enter text in them.
Two or more selected objects may be combined into a Combination Object using
the Create a Combination Object command under the Arrange menu. Using the
Ungroup or the Separate a Combination Object command ungroups them.
Properties of Combination Objects
Combination Objects behave as single objects in some respects, and as individual
objects in others. The following operations treat the combination object as a single
object:
Clicking on any member of the combination selects the combination.
Changing properties (color, thickness, font etc.) affects all members of

the combination.
Moving the combination moves all members of the combination.
Sizing the combination sizes all members of the combination.
Rotation rotates the combination as if it were a single object.
Flipping reflects the combination as if it were a single object.
Duplicating, copying and pasting apply to the combination as a whole.
The following operations treat the elements of the combination objects as individual
objects:
Lines link to individual objects within a combination.
Shapes attach to automatic connectors and other shapes as individual

objects.
Text is edited and entered independently for each object in the

combination.
Other files remain hyperlinked to individual combination members

after they are made into a combination object.
With combination objects, there is no hierarchy, as there is when Grouping objects.
Using Layers
Using Layers
SmartDraw allows you to define more than one Layer in your drawing. A layer is an
invisible plane that contains its own shapes, lines, symbols and other drawing
objects. Each layer has a unique name, and any layer can be moved within the layer
stack to lie above or below any other layer. Objects in higher layers lie visually
above objects in the lower layers.
A simple drawing contains just one layer; complex drawings can contain several.
You create additional layers using the Defining Layers dialog under the Arrange
menu. In a multi-layer drawing, any selected object can be assigned to any layer
using the Move Object To Layer command in the Layers submenu under the
Arrange menu.
Layers are typically used to make complex diagrams like floor plans, where, for
example, the walls may be in a different layer from the furniture, or the wiring. You
can selectively hide or reveal layers to isolate aspects of the drawing for viewing and
printing.
Defining Layers
You add layers to your drawing and set their properties using the Define Layers
command under the Arrange menu.
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Using Layers 109
The Define Layers Dialog

Adding Layers
Each new drawing document starts out with just one layer, called the Default Layer.
You can add a new layer by clicking on the Add New Layer button in the Define
Layers dialog under the Arrange/Layers menu. You are prompted for a name for the
new layer, and it is added to the stack, above the existing layers.
Naming Layers
You can name a layer anything you like (including the Default Layer) by clicking on
its name in the Define Layers dialog and then pressing the Edit Layer button.
Layer Properties
Layers have two properties: Visible and Clickable. The settings of these properties
are shown with check marks in the columns to the right of the layer name in the
Define Layers dialog. If the Visible box for a layer is unchecked, then all objects in
this layer are hidden, both on-screen and when printed. If the Clickable box is
unchecked then, even if the objects are visible, they behave as if they are part of the
drawing background; they cannot be moved, deleted or changed in any way. Layers
that are not visible are also not clickable.
You can adjust these properties by clicking directly on the checkboxes in the list.
The fourth column in the layer list shows how many objects in the drawing are
currently assigned to this layer.
Note that the active layer is always active and visible, and the checkboxes for this
layer are locked in these states. This is because newly created objects are always
assigned to the active layer.
Changing the Layer Order
The layers appear in your drawing in the same order (top to bottom) that they appear
in the Define Layers dialog. The layer at the top of the list is the topmost (or front
most) layer in the drawing. This means that objects assigned to this layer lie in front
of (and may hide) objects in the lower layers. Similarly, objects assigned to the
second layer lie in front of objects assigned to the third layer and so on.
You can adjust the position of a layer in the stack by selecting it in the list and then
clicking on the Move Layer Up and Move Layer Down buttons in the dialog.
Removing Layers
You can remove a layer from the drawing by selecting it in the Define Layers dialog
and pressing the Remove Layer button. Any objects assigned to this layer are
automatically re-assigned to the top layer.
The Layer Tabs

If more than one layer exists in your drawing, then Layer Tabs appear at the bottom
of the drawing window.
Each tab represents one layer. The active layer tab is white and the inactive layer
tabs are blue.
Clicking once on a tab makes that layer active. Double-clicking on a tab opens the
Define Layers dialog.
Small icons on each tab indicate the layer properties. The eye appears if the layer is
set to be visible. A red X appears over the eye if the layer is set to be invisible.
A lock icon appears if the layer is set to be non-clickable.
Clicking on the small triangle below these icons brings up a menu that allows you to
change the layer properties. Right clicking on the tab brings up the same menu.
The active layer is always clickable and visible (even if only temporarily).
If you want to quickly make all your layers visible, you can use the Show All Layers
command under the Layers section of the Arrange menu. If a checkmark appears
beside this command, all your layers are already visible.
If the number of layer tabs exceeds the space available at the bottom of the drawing
area, scroll buttons appear at the left of the tabs, allowing you to scroll left and right
through the layers.
The maximum number of layers in a drawing is 32.
The Active Layer

The layer with the currently selected Tab is the Active Layer.
The active layer is always visible and clickable (even if only temporarily). All newly
created objects are normally assigned to the active layer automatically. There are
only three exceptions to this rule:
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Objects created with the Duplicate command remain in the layer of the
object that was duplicated.
Using Layers 111
Objects Copied and Pasted within a drawing stay in the layer they were
copied from.
Objects Copied and Pasted from one drawing to another remain in their
respective layer only if the destination drawing has a layer with the
same name as the original layer. Otherwise they are assigned to the
active layer.
If you want to work on a particular layer, you can make it active by clicking on its
tab at the bottom of the drawing window.
Moving Objects Between Layers

Any selected object can be moved to another layer, or moved to the top or bottom
within its own layer.
The Move Object to Layer command, under Layers in the Arrange menu, will
move the currently selected object to the layer that you specify on the drop-down list.
Move Object to Layer Menu

The drop list shows all the layers in their top-to-bottom (front-to-back) order. If the
selected objects are all currently assigned to the same layer, the name of this layer is
checked.
You can also bring a selected object to the front or back of its own current layer,
using the Bring to Front of Layer and Send to Back of Layer commands.
If you move an object to a layer that is not visible or clickable, the object itself will
no longer be visible or clickable.
The Move Object to Layer command also appears on the right-click menu for any
selected object.
Changing the Order of Objects Within a Layer

The Bring to Front and Send to Back commands found on the Arrange Menu send
a selected object to the front and back of all objects in all layers. This may result in
moving the object to a different layer from the one it is currently in.
To move an object to the front or back of its own current layer, use the Bring to
Front of Layer and Send to Back of Layer commands under Layers in the Arrange
menu.
Linking Lines and Shapes
What is Linking?
SmartDraw lets you link objects together so that they stay connected when you
move or re-size them.
See: Linking a Line to a Shape, Linking Shapes to Lines, Linking Shapes to Each
Other, Linking Lines to Each Other and Linking Shapes to Shape Borders
Linking a Line to a Shape

When Allow Lines to Link is turned on (under the Arrange menu), you can link
lines to shapes.
To connect two shapes with a straight line, click on the Straight Line Tool
the Toolbar and release.
on
Now your cursor looks like a pencil. Touch the pencil to the edge of one shape
and click down with the mouse. Drag the pencil to the edge of another shape, and
release.
Starting a Line from a Shape
Anchoring a Line to a Shape

When the end of the line approaches the shape's border, a series of round solid
circles appear on the shape, indicating the points on the border where the line may
link. These are called Shape Connection Points.
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Linking Lines and Shapes 113
Connection Points
The end of the line then snaps to the closest connection point and the mouse
cursor becomes an "anchor". Releasing the mouse while in this state links the line to
the shape.
The line is like a rubber band that stretches or shrinks to stay connected to the shapes
as they are moved
Lines stay connected when shapes are moved

See also Shape Connection Points.
Line Linking and Flowcharts
Linking lines to shapes is essential to creating flowcharts. By connecting your shapes
with linked lines you can move and rearrange the shapes in your flowchart without
breaking the flow lines.
In a typical flowchart, youll want to link the line to the center of the side of a shape.
The flowchart drawing templates are set up so that the centers of the shapes snap to
the grid. If you link your lines to the centers of the sides, all your lines will be
straight.
On the other hand, if you draw a floor plan (or any other drawing where the
alignment of edges is more important than centers), then youll want the edges to
snap to the grid. You can specify this in the grid snap settings.
Linking Lines To Table Cells

You can link lines directly to individual cells in tables, which is useful for drawings
such as Time Lines and Gantt charts. See Line-Linking In Tables (for Timelines).
Breaking a Link
A line may be un-linked from a shape by reversing the linking process. First, select
the line by clicking on it. A round handle will appear where the line attaches to the
shape. Grab that round handle and drag it away from the shape to break the link.
When only one end of a line is linked to a shape you can also break the link by
simply moving the line (by dragging it) away from the shape. Deleting an object
linked to a line also breaks the link.
Shape Connection Points

Shapes and symbols can have either Fixed or Continuous, or Custom Connection
Points.
You can modify the connection points for any shape in your drawing by right
clicking on the shape and choosing Connection Points from the menu.
The Connection Points Dialog

Only the 24 standard shapes available from The Drawing Toolbar have Default
(fixed) connection points, which lie as follows: four at the corners of the shape, four
in the center of the sides, and one between each of these points. These default points
are ideal for drawing simple flowcharts, org charts, and similar diagrams.
Any closed shape (whether a standard toolbar shape or some other closed polygon)
can be set to have Continuous Connection Points, allowing you to link lines or other
objects to any location on the perimeter of your shape. In addition to flexibility,
Continuous Connection Points allow you to connect a very large number of lines to
the same side of a shape.
Any shape or symbol can be set to have Custom Connection Points, which allows
you to add remove, or reposition Connection Points at will. Most library symbols
only have Custom Connection Points and cannot be set to Default or Continuous
(though there are exceptions, such as the closed polygons mentioned above).
The number of Default or Custom Connection Points on any shape may not exceed
16. Continuous Connection Points are, of course, essentially infinite.
Modifying the Connection Points for a symbol on your page only modifies that
single instance of that object. It does not modify the master copy of that shape in the
symbol libraries. However, you can permanently alter the Connection Points for a
SmartDraw 7 Help
library symbol using the Edit Symbol function in the symbol library. You may want
to make a copy of the symbol and modify that one, so you dont lose the properties
of the original.
The Shape Attachment Point
Each shape or symbol also has an Attachment Point, usually at its center, which
determines where it will link if attached to a line, or attached to another shapes
border, or to a table cell. You can move the attachment point using the Connection
Points dialog, where the Attachment Point is shown as a diamond.
As with Connection Points, modifying the Attachment Point for a shape or symbol
on your page only modifies that single instance of that object. It does not modify the
master copy of that object in the symbol libraries. However, you can permanently
alter the Attachment Point for a library symbol using the Edit Symbol function in the
symbol library. You may want to make a copy of the symbol and modify that one,
so you dont lose the properties of the original.
See also:
Modifying Connection Points
Linking Shapes to Each Other
Changing the Settings for a Symbol

You can use the Shape Connection Points dialog to modify the Connection Points for
any shape or symbol.
Each Connection Point is shown as a small black square, and when it is selected it
looks like a black circle.
The Attachment Point is shown as a small black diamond, and when it is selected it
looks like a large black diamond.
Moving the Connection Points
You can drag the connection points with the mouse to a new location within the
boundaries of the shape, or you can type the four arrow keys to move a selected
point.
In the Custom mode, the preview shows a grid background. You can cause the
connection points to snap to the grid as you move them by checking the Use Snaps
box.
Adding and Deleting Connection Points
When a point is selected, you can delete it by typing the backspace or delete key.
The Attachment point (diamond) cannot be deleted.
You can add a new point by holding Ctrl while you click on the shape. Each shape
can have a maximum of 16 connection points.
Holding down Ctrl and using the arrow keys moves the selection from one point to
another.
See also:
Linked Targets and Linked Objects

In any linking relationship (such as that between a line and a shape), one object is
called the Linked Target and the other the Linked Object. Using the example of a
line linked to a shape (as in a flowchart), the object that shows connection points (the
shape) is the Linked Target, and the object linked to it (in this case the line) is the
Linked Object.
A Linked Target (shape) and Linked Object (line)
The Linked Target object usually controls the positioning of the linked object. If the
linked target is moved, the linked object either moves or re-sizes itself to maintain
the link.
Lines are allowed to have one or two targets. A line with one linked target (i.e., only
one end of the line is linked to a shape), will move when the shape is moved. With
two targets (i.e., both ends of the line are linked to shapes), the line will stretch or
shrink to maintain the connection when one target shape is moved.
When a line that is linked to one target is moved, the link is broken. When a line that
is linked to two target objects is moved, all three are moved as a group.
Turning Linking On and Off

You can turn the linking behavior of lines and shapes on and off. This is very useful
when you want to draw a finely detailed picture, and you don't want objects that are
close to others grabbing them and linking to them.
The Allow Lines to Link command, under the Arrange menu, toggles the ability of
lines to link to other objects. The templates for drawing flowcharts and similar
drawings have this setting turned on by default.
The Allow Shapes to Link command toggles the ability of shapes to link to other
shapes. Shape-linking is used more seldom than line-linking, so in most drawing
types this is turned off by default.
Linking Shapes to Lines

Allowing shapes to link to lines should not be confused with allowing lines to link to
shapes. It is essentially the reverse process. When Allow Shapes to Link to Lines
under the Arrange is turned on, the line becomes the Linked Target and the Shape (or
a library symbol) becomes the Linked Object.
Shapes link to lines via one attachment point, usually in the center of the shape. You
link a shape to a line by dragging it over the line so that its center (or attachment
SmartDraw 7 Help
point) draws near the line. As the shapes attachment point comes into contact with
the line, the cursor changes to the anchor shape and the attachment point becomes
highlighted as a black dot.
Linking a Shape to a Line

Releasing the mouse leaves the shape linked to the line. If the line is moved the
shape follows.
The linked shape can be dragged along the line like a bead sliding on a string.
Dragging the shape away from the line breaks the link. Linking shapes to lines is
useful in circuit diagrams and similar engineering diagrams: The circuit components
can be dropped directly onto a line and slid to their appropriate positions. When the
line is moved, the shapes move with it.
Circuit Diagram Using Shapes Linked to Lines

When the Line Shows Through the Linked Shape
Sometimes when a shape links to a line, the line appears to show through the shape.
This usually means the line lies in front of the shape. Selecting the shape and using
the Bring To Front command under the Arrange menu reverses their order.
Line in Front of Shape

Bring to Front:
Shape in Front of Line

Align Shapes and Text on a Line
The Align Shapes and Text on a Line command under the Lines menu controls the
way shapes (including text objects) lie along the line they are linked to. There are
two settings: Along the Direction of the Line and Horizontally. Select the line, (not
the shape) and choose one of these options from the Lines menu.
When the line is set to Align along the Direction of the Line, a shape rotates to
follow the direction of the line.
Align along the direction of the line

When the alignment is set to Horizontally, the shape or text object maintains its own
angle of rotation and can be rotated independently of the direction of the line.
Horizontally
See also Attaching Text to Lines.
Linking Shapes to Each Other

When Allow Shapes to Link under the Arrange menu is turned on, one shape can be
linked to another shape.
When shapes link to each other, any of the Shape Connection Points on the linked
shape can snap to any of the connection points on the target shape. Shapes can only
link to one target at a time.
This feature is useful if you want to attach a background text object to a shape so that
it follows the shape around when the shape is moved or re-sized.
See also Linking Shapes to Shape Borders.
Linking Shapes to Shape Borders

Since a shape border is essentially like a line, one shape can be linked to another
shapes border by its Attachment Point in the same way that shapes can link to lines.
This border-linking is commonly used in floor plans, for example, to overlay a shape
representing a door or window onto the border of a shape representing a room.
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One shape linked to the border of another

Once attached, the linked shape can slide along the border of the other like a bead on
a string.
For a shape to link to another shapes border, the following conditions must be true:
1) The shape whose border will be linked to must be a polygon shape created with the
Freeform drawing tool.
2) Allow Shapes to Link to Lines must be turned on under the Arrange menu.
3) The shape which will be linked (dropped on) to the border of the other must have
Allow Shape to Link to Borders turned on from The Shape Properties Dialog.
See also Linking Shapes to Lines.
Linking Lines to Each Other

Lines can be linked to other lines by dragging the endpoint of one line to any point
on another line and letting it attach, similarly to the way lines link to shapes. (Allow
Lines to Link under the Arrange menu must be turned on for this to work). This is
useful for creating branched networks of lines that remain attached when their target
objects (whether shapes or lines) change size or move. If two lines are connected to
the same Connection Point on the border of a shape, the second line will
preferentially connect to the shape and not the line.
Joining Lines to Each Other

In addition to linking to each other, when freeform drawing is enabled, one end of a
line can be joined to the end of another line to create a freeform line. If the Enable
Freeform Draw command under the Arrange menu is checked, then dragging one
end of a line to another will join them together. To disable this feature and use
linking instead, simply toggle the Enable Freeform Draw command so that it is
unchecked.
Using Automatic Connectors

One of the most powerful features of SmartDraw is the use of Automatic
Connectors to create regular arrangements of shapes. Applications include
organizational charts, fishbone diagrams, network diagrams, and even flow charts.
Using Connectors
Automatic Connectors are special intelligent lines that can attach themselves to
shapes, symbols, and even other lines. A connector is programmed to arrange the
objects linked to it in a particular pattern. As new objects are linked to a connector,
the other objects already linked to it adjust to accommodate the new one and
maintain the pre-programmed arrangement. In the example below, a new shape is
added to an organizational chart connector.
Adding a new shape to a Connector
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Automatic Connector Lines 121
The new shape (white) is dropped between the two existing shapes and the connector
automatically adjusts to insert it between them.
Adding Connectors to a Drawing

You can add automatic connectors to a drawing in the same way you add any other
object: (1) by using drag-and-drop from the toolbar, or (2) by the pencil drawing
method.
The Automatic Connector tool lies on the The Drawing Toolbar. By
default, dragging from this tool to the drawing area creates a standard organizational
chart connector with shapes already connected.
Many of the org chart templates offer ready-made connectors in various
arrangements on The Document Toolbar.
Changing a Connectors Shape

Once you have added an automatic connector to a drawing, you may change its
shape (configuration) using the Change Connector Shape command on the Lines
Menu. (This replaces the Change Line Shape command when a connector is
selected instead of a regular line).
Change Connector Shape

The Flip command, under the Arrange menu, can also be used to create additional
variations of these shapes. However, if any objects are already attached to the
connector, you may need to remove them before flipping it, and then reattach them.
When no objects are linked to a connector, it appears as a small line with prongs on
it. Its shape may be hard to discern until two or more objects have been linked to it.
Adding Objects to a Connector

When you move an object or a line close to an automatic connector, ghost
connection points appear and a rectangular outline near the connector indicates the
position where the object will be linked if you release it.
Releasing the mouse links the object to the automatic connector.
Linking to an Automatic Connector

Dragging an object away from the automatic connector disconnects it, and then the
objects still linked to the connector move together to fill the space.
Breaking a Link to an Automatic Connector

Dragging a shape from one connection point to another changes the order of the
shapes.
Re-arranging a Link to an Automatic Connector
Linking Automatic Connectors to Each Other

Automatic connectors can be linked to each other to create elaborate hierarchies.
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Organization Chart with Two Connectors

In the illustration above, the connector that holds the four smaller shapes (at the
bottom) is linked to the higher connector that holds the two larger shapes. This
connector is in turn linked to the top (manager) shape.
Adjusting the Connector Spacing

There is normally an equal amount of space between the edges of shapes linked to an
automatic connector. This regular spacing [C] is controlled using the grow handles at
each end of the main connector line.
In addition to this regular spacing adjustment, you can also individually add to the
space between each shape, by clicking and dragging on the adjustment handles [D]
The length of the lines connecting the main line to each shape is controlled by grow
handles at the end of the first and last of these lines (where they connect to the
shapes) [B].
The length of the line connecting the connector to another object [A] is controlled by
the grow handle at the end of this line.
These relationships are shown in the figure below.
Grow Handles and their Parameters
Some connector arrangements have two lines that may connect to other shapes at
each end of the main connector line [A]. Only one of these can be linked to another
object at a given time.
Side Arm Connectors and their Parameters

The side arm lines [A] of an automatic connector can be hidden away by tucking the
grow handles "under" the line. This gives a clean end to the main connector line,
where desired:
Automatic Connector with a Side Arm Hidden Away
Changing an Automatic Connectors Appearance

An automatic connector has the same attributes as a line, and the Lines Menu
commands can be used to set its thickness, color, and style.
Automatic connectors can also show arrowheads. Right-facing arrowheads appear at
the junction where the connector lines meet their linked objects. Left-facing
arrowheads point towards the main connector line.
Automatic connectors cannot have text associated with them (see Attaching Text to
Lines) and cannot be rotated.
Using Automatic Connectors in Flow Charts

While automatic connectors are most often used in org charts, automatic connectors
can sometimes be useful in flowcharts, usually to create a linear arrangement.
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Horizontal Automatic Connector with Arrowheads

To create a branch, a second automatic connector can be linked to one of the shapes
attached to the first automatic connector.
Horizontal and Vertical Automatic Connectors with Arrowheads

Even segmented lines can be used to create additional connections:
Flow Chart with Segmented Lines and Automatic Connectors

The usefulness of this can be seen by adding another step to the horizontal connector
in the illustration above. When the Delay symbol is dropped on the line, all of the
other shapes automatically expand to accommodate, as shown below.
Flowchart is Automatically Reformatted
Symbol Libraries
Symbol Library Windows

In addition to the built-in shapes shown on The Drawing Toolbar, SmartDraw
provides thousands of additional objects in Symbol Libraries.
The symbols in any given library are similar to each other and are designed for use in
similar types of drawings. Large collections of symbols are divided into many
separate libraries. The libraries reside as files on your hard disk.
Library Windows
A symbol library can appear in three different modes (or locations) on your screen.
As a Floating Window
Docked in the Left Panel
Docked as The Document Toolbar
Floating Libraries
An open symbol library can float over your drawing area, allowing you to drag it
from place to place. Up to 16 library windows can be open at the same time, each
showing the contents of a different library.
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Symbol Libraries 127
A Floating Library Window

The library window shows rows of buttons, each displaying a different symbol. The
name of the library is shown in the window title bar.
You can modify the properties of the library using the Libraries menu on the main
menu bar.
When you click the minimize button at the top right of the window, it shrinks the
library to a minimized window at the bottom of your screen. This is useful if you
want to temporarily move a library window out of the way without docking it at one
side of the screen.
Libraries Docked in the Left Panel

Symbol libraries can be docked at the bottom of the Left Panel.
Many templates automatically open with libraries docked in this position.

If you dock multiples libraries here, the most recent one lies in front. You can bring
any library to the front of the stack by clicking on its title bar. To add a symbol from
a docked library to your drawing, just click on its button and drag it to the drawing
area.
See also Opening Symbol Libraries.
Changing the Size of the Library Buttons

If a library is docked below The Explorer Panel, the size of the buttons will
automatically grow larger or smaller if the Panel is made wider or narrower.
The buttons in a floating library, or a library docked as a Document Toolbar, are
fixed in size.
Symbol Types
There are two types of library symbols: Automatic and Metafile. Automatic
symbols are native SmartDraw objects (such as the 24 standard shapes found on the
The Drawing Toolbar). Metafile symbols are images in Windows Metafile format
(WMF).
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Both types have similar properties when added to a SmartDraw document: They can
be rotated, flipped, colored, typed-into and manipulated in many of the same ways.
Only automatic symbols have all the special properties of the native SmartDraw
shapes, including the ability to be decomposed into freeform shapes.
Adding Symbols to a Drawing
You can click on one of the symbol buttons in a library and drag a copy of that
symbol into the drawing. Alternately, clicking and releasing the button changes the
cursor to a pencil. Drawing with the pencil (by holding down the mouse and
dragging) draws a new copy of the symbol at any size you want.
When an automatic symbol made up of more than one object or group is dragged
onto the page, each of its components is drawn as a separate object at its original
size.
Automatic Scaling of Symbols
Some symbols have the property of automatically re-sizing themselves based on the
current ruler settings as they are added to a drawing. For example, if a drawing has
rulers set so that one screen inch is equivalent to 48 inches, then a 36-inch desk
symbol will be sized automatically to be 0.75 inches long when it is added to the
drawing. This is useful for drawing floor plans and other scaled drawings. See
Changing the Settings for a Symbol.
Removing a Symbol from a Library

You can remove a symbol from a library by clicking on its button in the library
window, and then selecting the Remove Symbol command in the Libraries menu.
Or you can right-click on the symbol in the library window and select Remove
Symbol from the right-click menu.
Document Toolbars
You can change a library window into into The Document Toolbar by dragging it to
the top of a document window. As the library window approaches the toolbar area,
its gray outline changes to toolbar shape. Releasing the mouse changes it to a
document toolbar. This is called docking the library.
You can detach a docked library by dragging the document toolbar away from the
top of the document window, or by right-clicking on it and selecting Detach
Toolbar. Now the library window floats over your drawing. You can then drag it
directly to the docking point below The Explorer Panel if you like.
Each document can have only one document toolbar at a given time. Attempting to
dock a second toolbar will fail. However, you can dock a different toolbar to each
open document. You can also dock up to 16 libraries beneath The Explorer Panel.
When a document is maximized to fill the entire program window, the document
toolbar appears as a third row of buttons below the program toolbar.
Document Toolbar below the Program Toolbar

Bringing a new document to the front, with a different document toolbar, changes the
third row.
A document toolbar behaves just like a library window: You can add symbols to it
by dragging them from the page; you can transfer symbols by dragging them from
other libraries, and so on.
When a document is saved, its relationship to its document toolbar is saved too, and
the next time it is opened, the toolbar remains in place. Many of the SmartDraw
templates use this feature to automatically open their own toolbars.
The most recently docked library becomes the default toolbar for all new documents
that dont already have their own toolbars. You can use this feature to create your
own permanent third row to the program toolbar: Simply dock your favorite
library, and all new documents will automatically have this toolbar.

When you find the appropriate symbol library in the Explorer tree, you can open by
simply dragging its icon to the drawing area. The open library will then float over
the drawing area in its own window. You can drag it from place to place by clicking
on its title bar.
Opening a library by dragging it from the Explorer

If you drag the library icon (or an open floating library) to the bottom left area of the
Explorer Panel, it will dock there. This means it will become attached at that
position, filling the lower part of the Left Panel.
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If you dock more than one library at the bottom of the Explorer, they will stack atop
one another so that you can just see the title bars of all except the top one. Clicking
on the title bar of any docked library in the stack brings it to the top.
Other Ways to Open Symbol Libraries
As an alternative to dragging a symbol library from the Explorer tree to the drawing
area to open it, you can also:
1) Drag it from the Explorer tree to the docking area at the bottom of the Explorer
window.
2) Select it by clicking on its name in the Explorer and then hit the Enter key.
3) Double-click on its name in the Explorer tree.
Using any of these three methods will result in the library opening in the docking
area at the bottom of the Explorer.
You can drag any library from the docking area (by its title bar) into the drawing
area to make it float over the drawing area.
You can also drag and dock a library at the top of the document window (the top of
the drawing area) where it becomes The Document Toolbar.
A symbol library docked as a Document Toolbar
Searching for Library Symbols

You can search for a symbol by name or keyword using the Search Bar in the The
Explorer Panel

Each SmartDraw symbol has dozens of properties that you can customize or modify
using the Edit Symbol dialog.
These properties include everything from the way the symbol can change color, to
the way objects connect to it, the way text appears in it, the way it can be resized,
and much more.
To edit the properties of a library symbol, double-click on the symbol button in the
library window, or right-click on it and choose Edit Symbol from the right-click
menu.
The Edit Symbol Dialog

Automatic Settings
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If Automatic Settings is checked in the Edit Symbol dialog, the symbol was
originally created with SmartDraw and will behave as a native SmartDraw object
when added to a drawing. It automatically has the properties of a native SmartDraw
object and you cannot override these using this dialog.
If the box is unchecked, the symbol behaves like an imported image. You can set its
properties (width, height, resizing behavior and text entry) using this dialog.
Symbols created in SmartDraw itself can be set to be either Automatic or nonAutomatic.
Symbols created outside SmartDraw cannot have automatic settings so for these
symbols (if, or unless?) the Automatic checkbox is unchecked and disabled.
Preferred Size
The width and height fields in the Edit Symbol dialog control the size of the symbol
when it is created using Drag and Drop. If the Grow setting is set to Proportional,
changing one value changes the other, so as to maintain the same proportions.
This setting is grayed out for automatic symbols composed of more than one native
object, since their original size is maintained.
There are two ways to set the preferred size that a symbols takes when added to a
drawing: Use Fixed Size and Scale to Ruler Settings.
If Use Fixed Size is selected, the shape is sized to exactly the width and the height
specified on the screen, regardless of the rulers settings for the drawing. Your
control panel sets the units of this measurement. If your system is set to use metric
units the dimensions are in centimeters, otherwise they are in inches.
If Scale to Ruler Settings is selected, the symbol will scale to the size dictated by
the ruler settings of the drawing. For example, if you set the preferred size for the
symbol to be 1.0 meter, and you add the symbol to a drawing with a ruler scale of 1.0
meter to the inch, the symbol will be drawing exactly 1.0 inches long on the screen.
However, if you add the symbol to another drawing with a scale of 0.1 meters to the
inch, the shape will be drawn 10 inches long.
Scale to Ruler Settings is very useful for drawing scaled drawings like floor plans.
Grow
The four Grow radio buttons in the Edit Symbol dialog control the way the symbols
can be resized. These settings are grayed out for automatic symbols.
Proportional drawings have only four grow handles (one at each corner) and
maintain their proportions when re-sized.
Horizontal Only drawings have only two grow handles and can be re-sized only in
the horizontal direction. This is good for drawings that represent horizontal lines.
Vertical Only drawings have only two grow handles and can be re-sized only in the
vertical direction. This is good for drawings that represent vertical lines.
No restrictions allow drawings to grow in all directions without maintaining
proportions. These drawings have the usual 8 grow handles.
These values can be changed for a single instance of a symbol already added to a
drawing by using the Shape Properties command under the Shapes menu.
Enter Text
Using the Text settings in the Edit Symbol dialog, you can change the way text
appears in a symbol. This text can be Inside the drawing as in the 24 standard
toolbar shapes, or Above or Below it. The fourth choice, No text, means that the
shape will not respond to the normal text entry commands.
If Inside the drawing is selected, four margin lines appear inside the Image window.
These should be adjusted so that the text area within the four lines does not extend
beyond the boundaries of the symbol.
These settings are grayed out for automatic symbols. These symbols are native
objects that retain their own automatic text sizing properties.
Changing the Way Symbols Attach to Lines
In the Edit Symbol dialog you can adjust the Attachment Point used to link the
symbol to a line by defining its position as a percentage (up to two decimal places)
from the top-left of the shape. You can also adjust it manually by dragging the
hollow diamond attachment point in the image window.
Only symbols that are non-automatic (metafiles), or that contain just one shape (not a
group), can be linked to lines and hence show attachment points. See also Modifying
Connection Points.
Adjusting Connection Points in the Image Window
The image window in the Edit Symbol dialog shows the symbol image against a grid
of green lines. A dotted border shows the edges of the rectangle that encloses the
symbol.
A non-automatic symbol has 16 Connection Points shown as solid black circles.
These are the points at which lines and other shapes will link to this symbol.
Automatic symbols use the connection points of their native objects.
Each line-linking Connection Point is shown as a small black square, and when it is
selected it looks like a black circle.
The Attachment Point is shown as a small black diamond, and when it is selected it
looks like a large black diamond.
You can drag a connection point with the mouse to a new location within the
boundaries of the shape, or you can type the four arrow keys to move a point that
you have selected by clicking on it.
To be active, connection points must lie outside the text margin lines (whether the
text is entered Inside the Drawing or not).
When the text setting is Inside the Drawing, four margin lines appear. You can
move these by clicking on the square handles at each end and dragging. By default,
these are set to create the smallest text entry area possible between all four lines. To
expand the text entry area you can drag these (does this continue to the next
paragraph?) (but they should remain within the borders of the symbol. When text is
entered Above or Below the symbol, the margin lines are ignored.)
You can delete a selected Connection Point in the Image window of the Edit Symbol
dialog by typing the backspace or delete key. The Attachment point (diamond)
cannot be deleted.
You can add a new point by holding Ctrl while you click on the shape. Each shape
can have a maximum of 16 connection points.
Holding down Ctrl and using the arrow keys moves the selection from one point to
another.
Dragging a Connection Point outside the boundaries of the symbol deletes it.
See also:
SmartDraw 7 Help

Change Colors
Checking the Change Colors box in the Edit Symbol dialog allows SmartDraw to
automatically change the fill color, line color, border color and other properties of a
symbol at the moment it is added to a drawing. Checking this box causes that
instance of the symbol to adopt the current default color scheme when added to a
drawing.
If Change Colors is turned off, the symbol behaves like an imported image. For
example, applying a border style places a border around the entire symbol but does
not change the look of the lines making up the symbol itself. Also, the symbols
original linking properties and other settings are retained, instead of being overridden
by SmartDraw default settings.
This function is turned off for Automatic Symbols.
When Change Colors is turned on, the color of the text, lines and borders follows the
current Border Color setting. The fill follows the Fill Color. Transparent fills are
not affected by the fill color.
The substitution of colors for lines, fills etc. may not work for all symbols. If the
symbol contains bitmapped images these may be unaffected by checking the color
box. The rules are: Pens follow the border style and color. Black fills follow the
border color. Text color follows the border color. Non-black fills follow the Fill
color. Transparent fills used by the drawing are left alone.
If you turn on Change Colors, you should experiment with a copy of the symbol to
see how it is affected. If the result is unsatisfactory, return to the dialog and un-check
the box again.
When a symbol is set to Automatic, the colors and other properties will always
change to adopt the current color scheme in the drawing. Only native SmartDraw
shapes can have the Automatic setting.
Symbol Name
The Symbol Name field in the Edit Symbol dialog, allows you to assign each symbol
a name. This name appears in the Symbol Library Window, or as a ToolTip if you
hover your mouse over a symbol when the library is docked as a document toolbar.
The naming feature is useful when more detail is required than an image might show.
For example, an IBM PS/2 computer may appear to be similar to another PC when
looking at the thumbnail image shown on the symbol buttons. Giving each a unique
name sets them apart.
Names are also used when searching for a symbol in the Explorer Panel. Additional
search keywords may be entered following the name. Just put a semicolon after the
name, then list your keywords, each separated by a space. Words after the semicolon
are not displayed in the ToolTip, or when names are shown on the buttons.
You can add names in different languages. By default, the names searched and
shown as ToolTips match the language of your SmartDraw Installation. If a native
name is not present, English is used.
Adding New Symbols to a Library

Adding Symbols from SmartDraw
Adding a new symbol that you have created in SmartDraw is a simple Drag and
Drop operation. Any object, or collection of objects dragged from a SmartDraw
document window and dropped onto a library window, may be added as a new
symbol.
If, while moving one or more objects using the mouse, you position the
cursor over an open library window, the cursor changes to the Library Drop
Cursor. If you release the mouse at this point, the Edit Symbol dialog appears. The
new symbol, composed of the objects that you were moving, appears in the Image
window. Pressing OK adds the objects to the library as a new symbol.
You can use the Edit Symbol dialog to set the appropriate properties for your new
symbol, before pressing OK to add it. You can also use it later to modify the
properties of the symbol.
Note that because entire groups or arrangements of native objects can be stored and
retrieved in libraries unchanged, you can use symbol libraries as a Scrapbook for
pieces of diagrams you might want to reuse.
Adding a Symbol from Another Program
You can use almost any Windows drawing program to create a new symbol. All that
is required is to be able to load an image to the Windows clipboard in standard
Windows metafile format.
Metafiles are placed on the clipboard when you use the Copy command under the
Edit menu in most graphics programs.
To add a symbol to a currently open library, first copy it to the clipboard and then
select the Add New Symbol command under the Libraries menu. The Edit Symbol
dialog is presented just as if you had dragged a SmartDraw object onto the library.
Images from other programs cannot have automatic settings.
See Changing the Settings for a Symbol.
Transferring Symbols between Libraries

Copying a symbol from one library to another is a simple drag-and-drop procedure.
Click on the symbol that you want to copy, and then drag it with the mouse, just as if
you were going to drag a copy into the drawing. However, instead of releasing the
mouse button over the drawing window (which adds a copy to the drawing), release
it over another library window, or document toolbar, that you want to copy the
symbol to.
When releasing the mouse would result in copying the symbol to another
library, the cursor will change to the drop library symbol cursor.
You can use this feature to collect the symbols you use most often into one or two
libraries for easy access. You can also use it to sort the order of the drawings in the
library by dragging them in the order you want to a new library.
Sorting Library Symbols
If you drag a symbol from one library to another it will enter the symbol sequence in
the position where you drop it.
If you drag an object from a drawing directly into a library, it will be added to the
end of the symbols sequence.
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You can rearrange the order of the symbols in a library by holding the Ctrl key
while dragging them with the mouse from one location to another.
Creating a New Symbol Library

You can create your own symbol libraries using the Create New Library command
in the Libraries menu. This displays the Create a New Symbol Library Dialog.
The Create a New Symbol Dialog

Your library will be save in the My Symbols folder in The Explorer Panel.
You can create a sub-category My Symbols by selecting the appropriate button. This
is reflected immediately in The Explorer Panel, and the new library is opened.
Your new library window, because it is empty, will show no buttons. You can add
symbols to the new library by dragging them from SmartDraw drawings, other
libraries, or by using the Add New Symbol command.
See Adding New Symbols to a Library.
The Library Builder Wizard

The Library Builder Wizard converts graphics files, in many popular formats, into
SmartDraw libraries. It can convert an entire folder of graphics files into one or more
libraries, or it can convert a tree of many folders into many libraries organized into
categories.
The Library Builder Wizard is ideal for converting your clip art files into
SmartDraw symbols. It can convert thousands of images in just a few minutes.
Open the Library Builder Wizard by selecting that command from the Libraries
menu.
The Library Builder Wizard

Converting your files requires five steps:
STEP 1: Choose the File Format
Select the file format of the graphics files that you want to import. The choices are
the same as those offered by the Import command. Files in scaleable formats like
Windows Metafiles (WMF), Postscript and AutoCAD format make better
SmartDraw symbols than non-scaleable bitmapped files like BMP, JPG and GIF.
STEP 2: Select the Files to Convert
Use the Browse button to select the folder that contains the graphics files you want
to convert.
The radio button controls how the files in the selected folder are converted into
libraries:
Selecting Convert all of the files in this folder into one library, will convert any
files specified in the origin folder into a new library with the same name as that
folder. For example, if you are converting 20 WMF files from a folder called Garden
Tools, these will be converted into one library called Garden Tools.
If there are more than 40 files in the folder selected, then two or more libraries will
be created. Their names include a number: Garden Tools-1, Garden Tools-2 and so
on.
Selecting Convert all of the files in this folders subfolders into multiple libraries
will convert any files of the selected type in the origin folders subfolders into
separate libraries, each with the same name as their origin subfolder.
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For example, if the Tools folder is selected, and it contains three subfolders called
Garden Tools, Garage Tools and Woodshop Tools, three libraries called Garden
Tools, Garage Tools and Woodshop Tools will be created.
If the subfolders like Garden Tools, themselves contain subfolders, then files in these
subfolders will also be converted into libraries with their subfolder name and so on:
The whole folder tree starting with the folder selected will be converted into a
matching tree of libraries.
STEP 3: Select the Category for the New Libraries
Use the Browse button to select the library category that will contain your newly
created library.
For example, if you choose ClipArt & Flyers/Tools as the category, using our
earlier example, the new library Garden Tools will be created in this category and
will appear there as an icon in the SmartDraw Explorer.
If you choose to generate a tree of libraries, by selecting Convert all of the files in
this folders subfolders into multiple libraries in STEP 2, the whole tree will be
added to the category you choose.
STEP 4: Select the Symbol Properties
You can also specify the properties of the symbols in the new library by clicking on
the Properties button in STEP 4. This displays the Set Symbol Properties Dialog.
Set Symbol Properties Dialog

You can choose how each symbol will grow, where text will be attached to it, and
whether it will respond to color changes. These settings are explained in more detail
in the Changing the Settings for a Symbol section.
STEP 5: Convert the Files

The final step is to press the Convert Files button to begin the conversion process.
You can watch the libraries being built, symbol-by-symbol. Once completed, The
Explorer Panel updates itself and expands to show the new libraries.
Sharing Libraries on a Network

Symbol Libraries can be shared by multiple users on a network.
When a library is opened more than once, the second and later clients open the
library as read-only. Only the first client to open the library has write permission.
Read-only libraries cannot be edited, and symbols cannot be added or removed.
Drawing Freeform Shapes and Lines
Using Freeform Drawing

With SmartDraw Professional you can create your own shapes and lines using the
freeform drawing tools located on the toolbar.
There are two freeform tools on the The Drawing Toolbar: The Stepwise
Freeform Tool and The Continuous Freeform Tool.
Because Freeform drawing is an advanced feature inappropriate for many drawing
types (such as flowcharts), it must be Enabled for any particular drawing before you
can use these tools.
When you click on one of the freeform drawing tools on the toolbar, you will be
presented with the Turn on Freeform Draw dialog to confirm your choice.
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Drawing Freeform Shapes and Lines 141
You can also enable freeform drawing by selecting the Enable Freeform Draw
item at the bottom of the Arrange menu. You turn it off by using this menu command
again, so that it is not checked.
The Stepwise Freeform Tool

Drawing with the stepwise tool results in precise shapes with sharp corners.
After selecting the tool, begin by clicking in the drawing area at the point that you
want your shape to begin. Then, move the mouse to the next point on your shape's
outline and click again. A new segment is automatically added to the line for each
point that you click.
Using the Stepwise Freeform Drawing Tool

You can terminate the drawing operation by clicking with the right mouse button,
typing the Escape Key or by double-clicking. If you double-click, the end of your
line is automatically joined to the beginning to make a closed shape. If you rightclick or hit Escape, the ends of the line are not automatically joined unless you
specifically click on the starting point of the line.
A Closed Shape and a Freeform Line

Each segment in the line or shape you draw with the stepwise tool is initially a
straight line with a diamond-shaped adjustment handle in the center. If you click on
the adjustment handle you can drag the segment to become a parabolic curve. You
can also click on the square grow handles at the end of each segment and change the
shape of your object. Using these handles, and some of the additional outlinemodification properties, you can draw just about any kind of shape or line.
Using the Adjustment Handles
The Continuous Freeform Tool

When drawing with the continuous freeform drawing tool the cursor
behaves like a pen. You click in the drawing where you want to begin and simply
drag the mouse with the left button held down. The continuous drawing tool is used
to draw fluid shapes and lines.
SmartDraw automatically fits the line you draw to a series of curved line segments.
These are similar to the curves that you can bend from your line segments in the
Stepwise drawing mode, but they are already curved to fit the path of the mouse.
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Using the Continuous Freeform Drawing Tool

When drawing continuously, you can create a straight-line segment by holding down
the Shift Key. Releasing the key restores the pen to its continuous drawing mode.
Joining Freeform Lines To Each Other

When freeform drawing is enabled, drawing a new line of any type near the
end of another joins them together to create a freeform line. When your line is ready
to join another, the cursor changes to this join line cursor:
Joining Two Lines to Create a Freeform Line

You can join one line to another as you are drawing it, or when you drag the grow
handle of an existing line to the end of another with the mouse. You can also drag
one end of a multi-segment line to its own other end to create a closed shape.
All line types (except automatic connectors) can be joined to other lines when
freeform drawing is enabled. In most new drawings, freeform drawing is not
enabled.
Freeform lines can be composed of four kinds of segments depending on the line tool
you use to draw each section.
Straight Lines are drawn with the straight line tool and segmented line
tool
Circular Curves are drawn with the arc tool.
Parabolic Curves are drawn with the freeform drawing tools
Quarter Ellipses are drawn by selecting the line and choosing a

quarter ellipse shape form the Change Line Shape command under the
Lines menu.
The Freeform Line Segment Types

By using combinations of these line types and adjusting them with the adjustment
handles, you can create a line with just about any shape.
Separating Joined Lines
You can detach joined lines by using the Split Into Two Lines command from the
right-click menu on a freeform line. The line is split at the corner grow handle next
to the point at which you clicked.
Creating Closed Freeform Shapes

When drawing with either of the freeform drawing tools, if you connect the endpoint
of the freeform line with the starting point, the drawing operation terminates, and the
shape becomes closed. (If you hold the Ctrl-Key down while using the Continuous
tool this automatic closing feature is overridden).
You can also close a shape by clicking on the grow handle at one end and dragging it
with the mouse to connect to the other end. You can also connect the ends of a line
by drawing a new line segment between them.
When your line is ready to join another, the cursor changes to this join line
cursor:
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Joining the Ends of a Line to Make a New Shape

You can continue to adjust the outline of a shape created this way by clicking on the
grow handles and adjustment handles. However as soon as you de-select the shape
by clicking elsewhere, it becomes a conventional SmartDraw shape with 8 grow
handles used for resizing. Like other shapes, you can type into it, fill it with colors,
and change the appearance of its border and so on.
You can edit the outline of the shape again by using the Edit Shape Outline
command from the Shapes menu or by right clicking on the shape.
Flexible Reshaping of Freeform Shapes

Closed freeform shapes (technically called polygons) have a unique reshaping
property that is not available when resizing or stretching other, simpler shapes.
When selected, a freeform shape has an extra set of grow handles, called reshaping
handles, which appear as black diamonds, one in the middle of each side of the
polygon. (For curved sides, the diamond appears on the imaginary straight line
between the two ends of the curved segment).
Additional Reshaping Handles on Freeform Shapes

The reshaping handle allows that side of the shape to be extended in a direction
perpendicular to the side of the shape upon which it lies.
This reshaping property allows you to extend one wing or protuberance of a shape,
and without distorting the proportions of the other parts of the shape.
As an example of how this may be useful, consider the floor plan of an L-shaped
room. If you want to extend one wing of the L shape without altering the other wing,
you can pull on the diamond reshaping handle to extend the desired section without
altering the other part of the room.
Reshaping one part of a freeform shape
This reshaping behavior is unique to polygon shapes created with the Freeform
Drawing Tools, or by editing the outline of the standard shapes found on the The
Drawing Toolbar, which turns them into freeform polygons.
Editing the Outline of Shapes

The Edit Shape Outline command is found under the Shapes menu. It can be
applied to any of the built-in shapes found on the The Drawing Toolbar and any
shape created using freeform drawing.
To edit the outline of a shape, select it and then use the Edit Shape Outline
command under the Shapes menu. If the shape was created with freeform drawing
(or has been edited before) you can also click on the border of the selected shape
with the Ctrl-Key held down as a shortcut outline-editing mode.
Now Control Points appear at the junctions of its segments, and Curve Adjustment
Handles appear on or near each curved segment.
Edit Shape Outline

During the editing session, any text inside the shape is hidden, and if the shape has
been rotated or flipped it reverts temporarily to its remembered horizontal
orientation.
SmartDraw 7 Help
You can adjust the outline of the shape by dragging the control points and
adjustment handles with the mouse. You can also add and remove controls points,
and change the line-shape of segments, as described below.
Inserting New Line Segments in Freeform Shapes
When you are Editing the Outline of Shapes, if you right-click on a segment of the
shape, a menu appears. The command Add Control Point on this menu divides the
segment at the point of the right-click into two line segments by adding a new
control point. You can also add control points by holding down the Ctrl-Key and
clicking anywhere on the outline.
Inserting a Line Segment by creating a new Control Point

Removing Line Segments
When you right-click on the outline of a freeform shape, the Remove Line Segment
command removes the line segment that you clicked on, by removing the control
point at the end of the segment. This is the reverse of inserting a segment. You can
also remove a control point (the black square at the junction of two segments) by
selecting it with a Ctrl-click and typing the Delete Key.
Removing a Line Segment by removing a Control Point

Changing the Shape of Line Segments
When you right-click on a line segment in a freeform shape, you can modify the
shape of that segment by choosing from the list of four shapes under Change Line
Segment Shape:
A Parabolic Curve
An Arc (circular curve)
A Quarter Ellipse
A Straight Line
All freeform shape outlines are made up of these four basic types of line segments.
Curves drawn with the freeform drawing tools are made of parabolas by default.
Outlines drawn with the other line types may consist of any combination of these
types.
A Freeform Shape Using Arcs (Circular Curves)
Quarter-ellipses are good for making 90-degree curves.
Editing Shapes Using Ellipses

Changing A Freeform Shape Back Into A Line
The right-mouse menu for a shape in outline-editing mode has an Open Shape Into
a Line command. This breaks the closed shape into a line (shaped exactly like the
shape), deleting any text it may contain, and removing any properties (such as fill
color) unique to closed shapes. There is almost no reason to do this because any
adjustment you may want to make to a shape outline you can do without opening it.
See Shape Connection Points.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Shortcuts for Editing Shape Outlines

There are several Ctrl-Key shortcuts for editing the outlines of freeform shapes:
Entering Outline Editing Mode
Holding down the Ctrl-Key and clicking on a shape that is already selected will put
it into outline editing mode without the use of the Edit Shape Outline command, as
long as the shape was created with freeform drawing, or has been in an outlineediting mode before.
Adding Control Points
Holding down the Ctrl-Key and clicking on a shape that is already in outline-editing
mode adds a new control point at that location.
Selecting and Deleting Control Points
In Outline Editing Mode, Ctrl-clicking on a freeform shapes control point (the black
square handle at the junction of two segments) selects the control point. Selected
control points are green. Typing the Delete-Key removes the selected control point.
See Shape Connection Points.
Viewing and Printing
The SmartDraw Drawing Area

If you are running Windows NT, 2000, or XP, the SmartDraw drawing area or
page is actually a huge space that accommodate any drawing up to 100,000 by
100,000 inches. Under Windows 95, 98, and ME, the drawing area is 50 by 50
inches, which is still large enough for nearly any kind of drawing.
You can define the size and properties of the drawing area using the Set Drawing
Area command under the File menu.
The Set Drawing Area Dialog

The drawing area is divided into tiles (single pages) equal in size to the printable
area of the printer paper currently selected. The tile in the top left corner is page 1,
and the pages are numbered consecutively to the right before wrapping to the second
row. In the preview, pages used by the drawing are shown in white, and unused
pages in gray.
Remove Blank Pages deletes any empty pages and moves the drawing to the top or
left of the occupied area.
By default the drawing area for new empty drawings is the 50x50-inch size that
works under both older and newer Windows operating systems. Under Windows 95,
98 and ME, the box labeled Limit the image size to 50x50 inches is automatically
selected.
If Allow the drawing area to grow automatically is checked, then each time an
object in your drawing is placed outside the current boundaries, a new page is added
to accommodate it.
You can choose whether to define the drawing area in inches (or centimeters in
metric systems), rather than pages, by checking the appropriate box. Otherwise the
drawing area is a multiple of whole pages.
Since the dotted lines represent the dimensions of the page currently selected for this
document, they change position when you change page orientation from Portrait to
Landscape (or vice versa), or change the paper size using the Page Setup command
under the File menu.
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Viewing and Printing 151
If the currently selected printer supports large format paper sizes (such as E-sized)
you can select this as the current paper size and the dotted page boundaries will
reflect this, allowing you to print a large drawing on a single sheet.
See Portrait vs Landscape Pages.
Portrait vs Landscape Pages

You can change the way your drawing prints on a page from tall (portrait)
to wide (landscape) using the Change To Landscape (or Portrait) command under
the File menu, or by clicking the equivalent icon on the toolbar.
You can also use the Page Setup Dialog.
Setting the Page Margins

If your drawing occupies more than one page, an ideal printer would print to the
edge of each sheet of paper so that the drawing could be pieced together afterwards
to form one continuous sheet. However, almost all printers have a gap, between
inch and inch, at the edge of each page, into which they cannot print. SmartDraw
takes this margin into account and shows the printable area of each page with dotted
lines on your screen.
You can set the margins for each page of your drawing using the Page Setup Dialog.
You can choose a fixed amount for each edge of the page or choose to use the
minimum margins possible for your particular printer.
This minimum setting is the best choice when you want to paste multiple pages
together to make a large chart.
Fixed margins are the best choice when you choose the Print on One Page option.
This lets you control the margins for your single page of output.
Changing the View

While all SmartDraw drawings can occupy an extraordinarily large area, unless your
drawing is very large you normally work only with a small part of this potential area,
up in the top left corner. Page 1 is the top-left page in the drawing area.
The View menu items 400%, 200%, 150%, 100%, 75%, 50%, Fit to Page, Fit to
Window and Custom control the scale used to display a drawing in its drawing
window. 100% is the scale used by most Windows programs to show objects at their
natural size. The other scales make objects look smaller or bigger than they really
are.
Choosing the Custom command under the View menu presents the Set Window
Zoom Dialog. You can use this to set the scale to any values between 5% and
1000%.
Set Window Zoom Dialog

The Fit to Page selection scales the window to show at least one complete page.
By default, in a new drawing, Fit to Window selection shows the 50 x 50 inch area
that is common to all versions of Windows.
These scale factors have no effect on the size of shapes and lines when they are
printed out, only as viewed on the screen.
As you change the view, SmartDraw attempts to keep all of your objects in the
visible part of your window. If this is not possible, it tries to keep all selected objects
in view. If this is not possible, it tries to keep the center of the selected set of objects
centered in the window.
You can rapidly change the view magnification using the Zoom tool on the
toolbar. After selecting the tool, left click in the drawing to zoom in, right click to
zoom out. You can also use Ctrl+ and Ctrl- to zoom in and out respectively. The
drop list to the right of the Zoom tool provides quick access to the same
magnification settings found under the view menu.
Two rulers normally appear at the top and left of the document window. You can set
their divisions, units, and origin using the Rulers and Grids Dialog, which is
accessed via the Define Rulers and Grid command under the View Menu. To
quickly access this dialog, right-click on the ruler.
See Setting the Ruler Scale.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Setting the Ruler Scale
Set Rulers and Grid Dialog

Entering a value for Show sets the number of units for each major division on the
ruler. Major divisions fall either every inch or every centimeter on the screen. This is
set using the Inch or cm radio buttons.
The actual units chosen using the drop down list do not change the appearance of the
rulers, but do affect the units shown for lines with automatic dimensioning. They
also affect the automatic sizing of shapes added from libraries.
The number of subdivisions per major division can also be set using the drop down
list.
The rulers can be hidden by checking or un-checking the Hide and Show checkbox
in the dialog.
Setting the Ruler Origin
You can set the position where you want the origin (the zero point) of the rulers, by
typing in a distance from the left or top edge.
An easier way to do this is to hold down the Ctrl-key and click the ruler with the
mouse at the point that you want to be zero. Double-clicking the ruler accomplishes
the same thing.
Double clicking in the area in the top-left of the drawing, where the rulers intersect,
sets the origin back to the top-left.
Ruler Guides
Clicking in a ruler displays a temporary dotted line, called a Guide, which follows
the position of the cursor. This can be used to measure the position of an object in
the drawing. Clicking in the upper left corner, where the two rulers meet, and then
dragging, displays two of these lines forming a cross hair guide.
Coordinates in Status Bar
The Status Bar in the lower-right corner of the document window displays the X
and Y coordinates of the cursor, and the dimensions of any currently selected shape,
in the units of the ruler.
Snaps
The Snaps setting, at the bottom of this dialog, controls the way shapes align
themselves with the grid. The default setting snaps the centers of shapes to the grid.
This is important if line linking is used to connect shapes (as in flowcharting)
because it ensures that the lines connecting the centers of shapes remain perfectly
horizontal or vertical. On the other hand, if you were drawing a floor plan, for
example, you would want the edges of your objects to snap to the grid.
Printing
For drawings that fit on one page, printing is very straightforward. Pressing the Print
button on the toolbar prints a single copy to your default printer.
Using the Print command under the File menu presents the The Print Dialog, which
gives you many more options, including the number of copies and the range of pages
to print. The range is only relevant when a drawing extends across multiple pages.
The shape and size of these pages are determined by the Page Setup selections.
Printing Multiple Page Drawings
SmartDraw does not normally print the entire drawing area. It prints only the
rectangular array of pages that the drawing actually touches. If your drawing lies
completely within one page, only that page is printed. If your drawing extends across
a page boundary, it is printed on two or more pages.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Multiple Page Drawing

In the example above, four pages are printed, marked 1,2,3, and 4. The top-left page
of the array of pages that contain the drawing is printed as page 1. The remaining
pages are then printed, starting with the page to the right of page 1, and proceeding
from top left to bottom right across each row.
When a page range is specified in the Print dialog, the page numbering follows this
scheme. For example, to print the bottom right page only, in the example above, you
would specify a range of page 4 through 4.
SmartDraw takes the page margin settings into account and shows the printable area
of each page with dotted lines on your screen.
Printing on One Page
Even if your drawing takes up more than one page on the screen, you can still print it
on one sheet of paper by checking the Print on One Page box in The Print Dialog.
You wont see this dialog if you print by clicking on the Print button in the toolbar,
so use the Print command on the File menu instead.
For best results, choose a page orientation (Portrait or Landscape) that matches the
shape of your drawing (tall or wide). Of course, if your drawing is very large it may
not be readable when printed on one page.
Printing Large Diagrams and Posters

Combining the Print on One Page feature and the Scale Up to Fit Page features
shown in the Page Setup and Print Dialogs, allows you to print a drawing larger than
your original, however you will need to use a large-format printer. For example, you
can create a drawing that fits onto a letter (or A4) sized page and print it on a 72 by
48 inch sheet by: 1) choosing a printer that supports a page of this size and 2)
checking both the Print on One Page and Scale Up to Fit Page checkboxes in the
Print dialog before you print.
Page Setup
The Page Setup command, under the File menu, is used to set the following
parameters:
Page orientation
Paper size
Printer
Printer properties
Printing Options
This information is stored with each drawing. If you change a printer property using
this command it will affect only the drawing in the front-most window. Changes will
have no effect on any other program, any other drawing, or on the global printer
settings.
The Page Setup command presents the Page Setup Dialog.
The Page Setup Dialog

The printer assigned to a particular drawing may be either the Default or a Specific
printer.
The Default printer is the one currently specified in the Windows Control Panel. If
the printer assigned to a drawing is set to the default, its assigned printer changes to
the new default each time you change the default printer, either by using the Control
Panel or by moving the drawing to a different computer. New drawings are set to the
default printer when they are created.
If you choose a printer other than the default, you assign a Specific printer to that
drawing. The next time you print it, it will automatically select the same printer, no
matter what the default printer setting is. If this printer is no longer available, you are
prompted to select another when the drawing is re-opened.
The remaining controls in the Page Setup dialog let you choose a paper size and
orientation. If you have more than one drawing open, these choices apply only to the
current front-most drawing.
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Overlap
Checking the checkbox marked Allow 1/6" Overlap... causes a small strip of each
page to be printed again on the pages that surround it (on multiple page drawings).
This makes it easier to paste together the pages of large drawings.
Options
Selecting the checkboxes in the Options section allows you to define preferences for
printing your drawing. For more information on printing your drawing and applying
these options see The Print Dialog section.
Print Preview
The Print Preview command puts SmartDraw into Print Preview mode. The Print
Preview button on the toolbar can also be used as a shortcut for this command.
Print Preview Mode

In print preview mode, the program window shows a representation of a printed
page. Use the scrollbar on the right to control which page is previewed. The current
page number is shown at the top left of the toolbar.
The toolbar has five buttons:
Close, which ends the preview mode. Portrait vs. Landscape, toggles you between
the two page orientations. Page Setup, which opens the Page Setup dialog, Print,
which ends the preview and presents the Print dialog, and a Help button. You can
use the Page Setup Dialog to change the size and shape of your paper and
immediately see the results in the Print Preview area below. You can also test the
Print on One Page option.
The Print Dialog

The Print command under the File menu presents the Print Dialog. You can use this
to control the range of pages printed, the number of copies and several other options.
The Print Dialog

Printer
The currently selected printer is shown at the top of the dialog. You can change to a
different printer using the drop down list.
Selecting a Range to Print
The Print dialog provides three choices for the range of pages to print.
All causes all the pages that the drawing touches to be printed.
Selection causes all the pages that the selected objects in the drawing
touch to be printed.
Pages, allows a range of the pages touched by the whole drawing to be

selected for printing.
Printing Multiple Copies

You can print more than one copy of your selected range of pages, by entering the
number of copies you want in the Copies field.
The Collate Copies checkbox determines the order in which the copies of the pages
of a drawing will be printed.
If the range selected requires only one page to print, this setting has no effect.
SmartDraw 7 Help
If the range selected involves more than one page, then checking the box will cause
multiple copies to be printed so that the pages are in collated order: page 1, 2, 3...
followed by page 1, 2, 3.... and so on.
Un-checking the box will cause all copies of page 1 to be printed, followed by all
copies of page 2 and so on. Non-collated printing (where available) is often faster
than collated printing.
For printers that do not have enough memory to store a whole page (like dot matrix
printers) the Collate Copies box is often checked and made inactive.
Print on One Page
Checking this box causes the entire drawing to be scaled down and printed on a
single page. This may result in reduced legibility. This affects only the printed
drawing, and will not change the view of the drawing on your screen.
Scale Up to Fit Page
Checking this box causes the entire drawing to be scaled up and printed on a single
page. This lets you print very large images from smaller drawings with a large
format printer.
Print to Scale
Checking this box allows you to specify a scale for printing your drawing. This is
particularly useful for scaled drawings such as floor plans. Using this option
presents the Set Printing Scale dialog:
The Set Printing Scale Dialog

You can access this dialog any time by using the Set Scale button, which appears in
the Print dialog when Print to Scale is turned on.
You have the option to (a) scale your drawing by a percentage, (b) specify the scale
in printed inches per drawing ruler-inch, or (c) fit the drawing to a fixed number of
pages.
The scaling percentage can be a minimum of 1% and a maximum of 1000%.
Print No Color
Checking this box causes the drawing to be printed in black and white only. All
borders, lines and text are made black, and the background and shape fills are made
white. This often gives sharper results with non-color printers, and requires much
less printer memory than printing in color.
Print Page Footers
Checking this box causes a footer showing the name of the drawing, the number of
the page, and the current date and time to be printed at the bottom of each page.
Define Footer
This button becomes visible when the Print Page Footer box is checked. Pressing it
brings the Define Footer Dialog into view.
The Define Footer Dialog

Changing the setting of the Position buttons changes the position of the footer. The
footer can be placed at the very bottom of the printable area of the page, or 1/4-inch
or 1/2 inch above the bottom.
Pressing the Font button displays the Windows Font Dialog. This lets you choose
the font, size and style for the footer text. A point size of 10 or less is recommended.
Print the Grid
Checking this box causes the grid on the drawing area to print behind your drawing.
On color printers, the grid will print in green.
Print To File
Checking this box causes the printed image to be stored in a file on disk instead of
being printed to the printer.
E-mailing a Drawing
You may e-mail a drawing by selecting the Send option under the File
menu or by pressing the E-mail to a Friend button on the toolbar. Your default
MAPI e-mail program will automatically open with the drawing attached. A link to
the free SmartDraw Viewer will be included in the body of the e-mail so even if the
recipient does not have SmartDraw, they will be able to view and print your drawing.
For more information on the free SmartDraw Viewer visit
http://www.smartdraw.com/viewer.htm.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Publishing To The Web With

SmartDraw
Three Ways To Publish to the Web

SmartDraw makes it easy to publish your drawings to the web in three different
ways.
Publishing to SmartDrawNet
As an owner of SmartDraw you can create your own SmartDrawNet account at no
additional charge, Your SmartDrawNet account is your own personal web space for
sharing your drawings with friends, colleagues and clients.
You can publish a drawing to SmartDrawNet with just a couple of mouse
clicks using the Publish to the Web menu under the File menu, or using the
equivalent button on the toolbar. Select the Publish to SmartDrawNet command
under this sub menu.
Exporting to HTML Files
A second option for publishing SmartDraw documents to the web is to export a
drawing as HTML files. You can then upload the files to any web site. The Export
To HTML Files command, found under the Publish to the Web sub menu on the
File menu, works in exactly the same way as Publish to SmartDrawNet, except the
files are saved to your hard disk instead of being automatically uploaded to
SmartDrawNet.
Exporting to a Bitmap File
The web supports three different bitmapped graphic formats: JPG, GIF and PNG.
You can export your drawing as a bitmap in any of these three formats using the
Export command under the File menu. Then incorporate the images into your own
HTML.
When you publish to SmartDrawNet or export to HTML files, SmartDraw actually
exports a bitmap in one of these formats for each drawing, and then creates HTML to
display the bitmap and support any hyperlinks you have defined for your drawing.
Hyperlinks in Published Drawings
SmartDraw allows you to create hyperlinks to other SmartDraw drawings, web pages
and other documents. When you Publish to SmartDrawNet, or Export to HTML
Files, SmartDraw gives you the option of including these links in the output. If you
have linked to another drawing, SmartDraw can also export the linked drawing
automatically and any of its links and so on, recursively. This lets you use
SmartDraw to a create a linked network of drawings and then export the whole thing
as an interlinked web site of multiple pages.
See:
Publishing To SmartDrawNet
The Web Publishing Dialog
Creating a SmartDrawNet Account
Hyperlinking to Files and Web Pages
Publishing To SmartDrawNet
What is SmartDrawNet?
Your SmartDrawNet account is your own personal web space for sharing your
drawings with friends, colleagues and clients. It is included at no additional charge
when you purchase a copy of SmartDraw.
Publishing to SmartDrawNet is easy. Use the Publish To SmartDrawNet command
under the Publish to the Web sub menu that appears on the File menu.
You can also access this command by pressing the Web Publishing button
on the toolbar.
When you use this command you are presented with the Web Publishing Dialog.
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Publishing To The Web With SmartDraw 163
Unless you want to change any of the settings, publish your currently open drawing
by simply clicking on the Publish Now button. You will see a progress indicator as
your files are uploaded to SmartDrawNet, and then your web browser will open to
show the drawing you published.
The first time you publish to SmartDrawNet you must indicate your agreement to the
terms and conditions and create your account. (See Creating a SmartDrawNet
Account.)
Including Hyperlinks
If your drawing contains hyperlinks to web pages or other SmartDraw drawings, the
checkbox labeled Include Hyperlinks will be checked. Otherwise it will be unchecked and inactive. If you leave this box checked, SmartDraw will preserve the
hyperlinks to web pages in the page you publish to SmartDrawNet. Un-checking the
box causes SmartDraw to omit the hyperlink function in the page you publish.
If your drawing contains links to other SmartDraw drawings, a second checkbox
labeled Also export other SmartDraw drawings linked to this one will be active
and checked. Leaving this box checked will cause SmartDraw to export more than
one page. It will export the current drawing plus all of the linked drawings while
preserving the links between them. It does this recursively, meaning that if the linked
drawings themselves are linked to other drawings, those drawings are exported as
well, and so on until all links are resolved.
This is a very powerful feature and it allows you to make a whole web site of linked
SmartDraw drawings that you can then publish or export.
Choosing an Album Name
Your SmartDrawNet account stores pages that you publish in folders called Albums.
You can invite visitors to view individual pages in any album, entire albums or all of
your albums.
The Album that your drawing will be published to is set using the text field at the
bottom of the dialog. If an album with this name does not exist, it is created
automatically.
When you are publishing single pages, SmartDraw remembers the name of the
album you published to last time and selects this by default. Each page you publish is
added to the album. This means if you publish the same drawing four times to the
same album you will have four copies of it in the album. You can delete drawings
(and whole albums) from your SmartDrawNet account controls on the
SmartDrawNet web page.
When you are publishing multiple linked pages with the Also export other
SmartDraw drawings linked to this one box checked, the album name defaults to
the same name as the drawing and any previously created album with this name is
replaced by the newly published one.
For example, if you are publishing a drawing called Org Chart, that is linked to 10
other drawings (one for each box in the chart), the album name will default to Org
Chart. If any album called Org Chart already exists in your SmartDrawNet account,
it is replaced by the new version you are publishing.
Changing the Size and Format of the Image
The Web Publishing Dialog shows the size and format of the page you are about to
publish. You can change this by clicking on the Change button. This presents the
The Export Bitmap Dialog and lets you choose from any of the three formats
normally supported by web browsers (GIF, JPG and PNG). It also lets you control
the size of your image. The larger the image and the more colors you specify for it,
the slower it will upload and the more space it will occupy.
Creating a SmartDrawNet Account

When your first try to publish a drawing to SmartDrawNet you will be prompted to
create a SmartDrawNet account.
The Create a SmartDrawNet Account Dialog

Only one SmartDrawNet account per SmartDraw serial number is permitted. Enter
your e-mail address and make up a password. SmartDraw will remember these
settings so that you dont have to enter them each time. If you enter an e-mail
address that is already in use, unless you also know the password, you wont be able
to make an account, so enter your real e-mail address.
Once your account is created, you can upload from other installations of SmartDraw
by entering your e-mail address and password using the Log In button in The Web
Publishing Dialog.
Viewing Your SmartDrawNet Account

You can view the pages you have published to your SmartDrawNet account using
the View My Drawings on SmartDrawNet command under the Publish to the
Web sub menu, or by using the Web Publishing button on the toolbar. If you have
already created an account, SmartDraw uses the e-mail address and password it
stores to log you in automatically.
When you use this command your browser opens to your personal SmartDrawNet
user page. This lists all of your albums in the left column, and shows thumbnailsized images of the pages in the currently selected album.
Viewing Albums and Pages
You can view any Album in your SmartDrawNet space by clicking on its name in
the left column. The main part of the web space shows thumbnail-size images of
each page. If you click on any of the thumbnails, you see that page at full size. A
SmartDraw 7 Help
Next-Previous control at the top-left of the page lets you browse through the pages
in the album.
Other controls at the top of the image let you delete the image or, when you are
viewing thumbnails, delete an entire album.
You can also invite others to view your Drawings.
Inviting Others to View Your Drawings
To invite other people to view a drawing simply login to your SmartDrawNet
account and view a drawing that you wish to invite others to see. Click on the Invite
Friends button at the top of the image.
The first time you do this you are presented with a page that lets you enter the names
and e-mail addresses of the people you want to invite.
Entering Addresses in your SmartDrawNet Address Book

Once you have entered some names on this page, you are taken directly to the
invitation screen with the names already filled-in. SmartDrawNet remembers the
names and e-mail addresses you have entered from previous sessions in your
personal address book so you dont have to type them in each time.
The SmartDrawNet Invitation Screen

The Invitation Screen is just an e-mail entry screen. All of the names shown in the
To: field receive the e-mail. Buttons at the bottom of the screen let you invite people
to see just one page, a whole album, or all of your albums.
A person you invite receives an e-mail with the title and text you enter here, plus
additional information and a hyperlink that they can use to access your page. People
you invite see just what you allow them to see. They cannot browse your web space
(unless you let them) or delete your albums. They do not have access to your
password or account information.

If you would like to export your drawings to a web site other than SmartDrawNet
you can use the Export to HTML Files command under the Publish to the Web
sub menu on the File menu.
Exporting to HTML files gives you all the same features as publishing to
SmartDrawNet but saves the resulting HTML and bitmap files to your disk instead of
uploading them to the web.
Using this command presents a special version of the Web Publishing Dialog.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Export to HTML Files Dialog

This has all the same features as the Web Publishing Dialog but instead of
specifying a SmartDrawNet album name, you specify the name of the folder on your
hard disk that you want the exported files saved in. SmartDraw will create this folder
if it does not exist.
When SmartDraw exports to an HTML file it also includes a GIF, PNG or a JPG file
with the same name followed by _img. For example, if you export to
Flowchart.htm, a bitmapped file called Flowchart_img.gif (or png or jpg) is also
created. You must upload both files (using any FTP software of your choice) to your
web server in order to view the exported image in a web browser. You should always
upload all of the files exported into the folder.
If you check the Include Hyperlinks box when exporting to HTML files, ALL
hyperlinks are preserved, including those to non-html documents and executables.
You are responsible for making any necessary hyperlinked files available on your
web site.

The third method for publishing SmartDraw drawings to the web is to export them to
a bitmapped file and then write your own HTML to display them.
Export to a bitmap file using the Export command under the File menu. Choose one
of the bitmap formats supported by SmartDraw: BMP, PCX, TIFF, GIF, PNG and
JPG. Most web browsers will display only GIF, PNG and JPG formats. When you
export to a bitmap you are presented with the The Export Bitmap Dialog. This is the
same dialog that is presented when you change the size and format of the image from
the Web Publishing Dialog.
The Export Bitmap Dialog

SmartDraw exports to several bitmapped file formats including BMP, TIFF, GIF,
JPG, PNG and PCX. All of these formats represent an image as a pattern of colored
dots, called a bitmap.
The number of dots used to represent each inch of an image is called its resolution.
The number of different colors that each dot can represent is called its color depth.
The higher the resolution and color depth of a bitmap, the better it looks, but the
more memory and disk space it occupies.
When creating a bitmap, there is always a trade-off between resolution and color
depth, and memory requirements. SmartDraw lets you control this trade-off when
you export to a bitmapped file format by displaying the Export Bitmap Dialog.
Export Bitmap Dialog

The Export Bitmap Dialog lets you specify the width and height of the bitmap you
are about to export, in dots, screen inches and printer inches. It also lets you specify
the number of colors that each dot can represent (the color depth).
Your entire SmartDraw drawing is always scaled to fit the size of the bitmap you
choose. The size you choose should always be the size you want it to be in the
application that will use it, so that you dont have to scale the bitmap after it is
exported. (Bitmaps scale poorly.)
For example, if you are exporting your drawing to a GIF to use as part of a web
page, and you want the resulting image to be 400 dots (or pixels) across, then enter
400 in the first row of the Width Column. The other width and height values will all
change to reflect this width. The height changes because the proportions of your
drawing are always maintained.
Selecting the Maximum Colors drop-down list selects the color depth for your
exported bitmap. Some bitmapped formats do not allow all color depths. For
example, GIFs always have a color depth of 256.
The memory required for your export is also shown in the dialog, If this number
exceeds 32,000 most systems will not be able to export the bitmap. If you have
SmartDraw 7 Help
trouble exporting large bitmaps, try shutting down other programs to free up
additional memory.
When exporting to a GIF you can specify a background color that will become
transparent when viewed with most web browsers. You can also choose whether the
exported file should be in interlaced or non-interlaced format. Interlaced images
display more quickly than non-interlaced, but take longer to come into focus.
These options are specified in the GIF Format Options Dialog. This is displayed
when GIF format is selected and you press the transparent button in the HTML
export dialog.
GIF Format Options Dialog
Hyperlinking to Files and Web Pages

One of the more powerful features of SmartDraw is its ability to hyperlink text or
any shape to another SmartDraw drawing file, a web address (URL), another
programs document (such as a Word document), or even a program command line,
using the Insert Hyperlink command under the Tools menu.
To create a text hyperlink, enter text editing mode and select one or more
characters. Then use the Insert Hyperlink command under the Tools menu or click
on the Insert Hyperlink button on the The Program Toolbar. To create a hyperlink
for an entire shape, first select an object in the drawing, and then select the Insert
Hyperlink command. In both cases, the Hyperlink Dialog appears.
The Hyperlink Dialog

Here you can link your selected object or text to another SmartDraw drawing, a web
address, a document, or even launch another program.
You enter the file name, the web URL, or the program command line of the file that
you want to link to. You can also use the Browse button to search for a particular
file. This presents the standard Open dialog.
Press OK to link your selected object to the destination.
Hyperlinked text will change color to blue and become underlined. This hyperlink
highlighting does not show when you print or export to graphic formats (except to
HTML when hyperlinks are preserved). Clicking on the blue text opens the linked
file or URL.
A Text Hyperlink
Shapes and lines that have hyperlinks associated with the whole object are shown
with a special symbol that consists of a plus sign inside a small box.
The Hyperlink Symbol

Clicking on this symbol opens the linked file or URL.
You can edit or remove a hyperlink by selecting it and using the Insert Hyperlink
command again. This changes to Edit Hyperlink if a hyperlink is selected.
For more information on hyperlinking, see Using Hyperlinks.
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Using Hyperlinks
Nested Drawings
You can use hyperlinking to create hierarchical or nested drawings that let you
drill down for more detail.
For example, suppose you are creating a flowchart for a process that includes one
very complex step. On your summary (or high-level) flowchart, you can represent
the complex step by a single shape and then hyperlink the shape to a detailed
flowchart illustrating the complex process. Later, if you click on the hyperlinked
symbol in the summary chart, the detailed chart represented by the shape opens up.
Creating Web Sites
You can use hyperlinks between drawings to create a parallel set of interlinked web
pages (essentially a complete web site). If you check both the Include Hyperlinks
and Also export other SmartDraw drawings linked to this one boxes in the Web
Publishing Dialog, SmartDraw will publish or export all of the linked drawings into
a set of interlinked web pages.
Web Site Mapping
The ability to hyperlink a shape to a web page URL makes SmartDraw a very useful
tool for drawing a flowchart that documents a web site. Each page may be
represented by a symbol that is actually hyperlinked to the page itself.
When you export to HTML, you can preserve hyperlinks to SmartDraw drawings
and website addresses. Now you have a clickable map of the web site.
Hyperlinking Notes and Background Information
You can attach a page or more of notes to any shape in a drawing by hyperlinking it
to a word-processing document. You can also attach a help file or a web address.
For example, in a network diagram you can attach a document that shows the make,
model, serial numbers, and history of a given piece of hardware to its symbol in the
drawing.
Limitations to Hyperlinking
Hyperlinking also allows you to create a link to Programs and Documents you have
installed on your computer. When you export your SmartDraw drawing to HTML or
Upload SmartDrawNet, these hyperlinks are not retained. These two links only work
when navigating in the SmartDraw Program.
If you want to create hyperlinks to documents and programs in your HTML
document, the document and/or program needs to first be available on the website.
Once the files are available, obtain the web page address (http://www. ) and use this
address in combination with the Web Page hyperlink.
Using Digital Photos in SmartDraw
Adding Photos to Your Drawings

You can use the SmartDraw Import command, under the File menu, to import image
files in bitmap formats like BMP, PCX, TIFF, JPG, PNG and GIF. Digital photos
and scanned images are essentially identical because they both represent a picture as
a pattern of colored dots, called a bitmap.
Once imported, bitmaps become Image Objects, that can be moved and sized like
other SmartDraw shapes. However, because of their specialized format, they cannot
be rotated or flipped using the normal SmartDraw operations and you cannot change
their appearance.
Bitmaps are edited with software specifically designed for this purpose, such as
SmartDraws companion product The SmartDraw Image Plug-In. The SmartDraw
Image Plug-In is only available in SmartDraw Suite.
The SmartDraw Image Plug-In

The SmartDraw Image Plug-In is an add-on module for SmartDraw. It allows you to
edit digital images inside SmartDraw, or to automatically insert digital images into
SmartDraw drawings. For example, you could add employee photos to your
company organizational chart to associate real people with their roles. Or you could
supplement a floor plan of a room or building with an actual photo of the space, or
add pictures of your products to an order form or brochure.
SmartDraw Image Plug-In Projects
The SmartDraw Image Plug-In works hand-in-hand with SmartDraw:
SmartDraw 7 Help
You can change the appearance of bitmaps in your SmartDraw

drawings using a complete set of powerful photo editing tools.
You can browse, view, and insert photos and other bitmap images into
SmartDraw drawings.
Using Digital Photos in SmartDraw 173
You can create a customized Photo Frame to mask your photo with any
shape you create in SmartDraw.
You can rotate, scale, and flip bitmap images in SmartDraw drawings
(you cannot do this with SmartDraw alone).
You can use SmartDraw to create custom templates for printing photo
album pages or thumbnail sheets from the SmartDraw Image Plug-In.
Running SmartDraw Image Plug-In

You can run The SmartDraw Image Plug-In by clicking on its icon on The
Program Toolbar.
If you do not have a license for the SmartDraw Image Plug-In, you will be offered a
chance to download the free Trial Version and use it for 30 days with no obligation.
If you own a license, but have not yet installed the SmartDraw Image Plug-In, follow
the prompts to download and install it.
Once installed, you can access the SmartDraw Image Plug-In by clicking the toolbar
icon. This will launch the SmartDraw Image Plug-In in a separate window.
You can also launch the Image Plug-In from your Windows Start menu or by
clicking on its icon on your desktop.
Getting Help for the SmartDraw Image Plug-In

To get Help and documentation for the SmartDraw Image Plug-In, just run
the Plug-In program and click on the Help menu on its toolbar.
Using SmartDraw with MS Word,

PowerPoint and Other Programs
While SmartDraw can exchange drawings with most Windows programs, it is

designed to work especially closely with the Microsoft Office suite of programs.
Inserting Drawings into to Microsoft Word

The instructions below for transferring drawings into Microsoft Word also apply to
PowerPoint, Excel, and the other MS Office Suite programs.
Copy and Paste
The easiest way to transfer drawings you create in SmartDraw to Microsoft Word is
to simply copy the drawing in SmartDraw (using the Copy command under the Edit
menu) and then paste it into Word (or PowerPoint, etc.)
Using the Insert Command in Word
You need not actually run SmartDraw at all in order to insert a SmartDraw drawing
into a Word document (or PowerPoint slide, etc.) Word has an Object command on
its Insert menu. You can use this command to insert a SmartDraw drawing directly
into your Word document. You can insert a new, empty drawing or an existing one.
When you use the Word Insert Command, Word automatically launches SmartDraw
so that you can select, modify, or create the drawing your want to insert.
When you insert a New Drawing, the last type you picked from the New Drawing
dialog is created by default.
Drag and Drop
You can also drag selected parts of a drawing from SmartDraw into Word,
PowerPoint, and other office programs. Unless you hold down the Ctrl key while
you do this, the selection will be deleted from the drawing after it is transferred to
Word. This conforms to the standard Windows conventions.
Understanding OLE (Object Linking and Embedding)

Because Word (and all Office Programs) is an OLE Client and SmartDraw is an
OLE Server, Word stores all of the SmartDraw drawing information in its document
when you paste, not just the picture you see. This is called Embedding. A copy of
your SmartDraw drawing is embedded in the Word document.
If you double-click on the SmartDraw drawing in Word it will re-open in SmartDraw
and you can edit it.
An alternate way of transferring a SmartDraw drawing to Word is to paste an OLE
Link using Words Paste Special command. If you choose to paste a link, the
picture you see is transferred to Word along with the name of the SmartDraw file it
came from but not the entire SmartDraw file itself.
If you double-click on the linked SmartDraw drawing in Word it opens the original
SmartDraw file allowing you to edit it, just as with an embedded drawing. OLE
Linking is useful if you want just one copy of your drawing to be shared between
several documents. When you embed a drawing, changing the embedded copy does
not change any other copy. When you paste an OLE link, changing the one linked
drawing changes all the linked copies of that same drawing.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Using SmartDraw with MS Word, PowerPoint and Other Programs 175
Inserting Drawings Into PowerPoint, Excel, and Other

Programs
Inserting SmartDraw drawings into Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and any other
OLE Client programs, works exactly as described in the section about Microsoft
Word.
Transferring Objects from Word, Excel, and other Programs

to SmartDraw
In addition to being an OLE server, SmartDraw is also an OLE Client, (just like
Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc).
This means that when you paste images from other programs that are OLE servers
(such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) into SmartDraw, they become embedded or
linked OLE objects that can be re-opened and edited by their parent programs.
For example, if you paste a graph from Excel into a SmartDraw drawing, both the
image of the graph and the underlying Excel file structure are stored in the embedded
drawings. Double clicking on the graph in SmartDraw opens it again in Excel for
editing.
The images you paste from Office behave just like library symbols in SmartDraw.
You can link lines to them, flip them, rotate them, and resize them.
Perhaps most important of all, you can add OLE objects to libraries, and they retain
their OLE object nature. SmartDraw supports libraries not only of symbols, but also
of live objects that can be opened in other applications!
SmartDraw offers The Microsoft Office Companion on the The Program Toolbar to
make inserting Office objects into SmartDraw quick and easy.
The Microsoft Office Companion

If Microsoft Office is installed on your computer, you can add MS graphs, bitmaps,
equations, spreadsheets and all of the Office clip art to your SmartDraw drawings
with just a click.
SmartDraw has a special set of Office toolbar buttons called the Microsoft Office
Companion on the right end of the The Program Toolbar.
The Microsoft Office Companion Toolbar

By clicking on these buttons you can add any of the following objects your drawing.
Graph (MS Graph)
WordArt (MS WordArt)
Clip art (MS Clip art Gallery)
Equation (MS Equation)
Spreadsheet (MS Excel)
Word processing document (MS Word)
If any of these programs are not installed on your system, their buttons do not appear
in SmartDraw.
When you click on the Equation button, the MS Equation application is launched.
The equation you create will appear in your drawing when you close MS Equation.
A similar thing occurs when you press the Graph, Spreadsheet and Word
Processor button.
Pressing the Clip Art button shows the Office Clip Art Gallery. By using this
button the thousands of clip art images that are included with Office become
available as SmartDraw symbols.
Pressing the Graph or WordArt buttons brings up the Gallery Dialog. Here you
can choose from a collection of SmartDraw symbol libraries containing preformatted Graphs or WordArt examples.
Object Gallery Dialog

Selecting a library from the list displays its preview on the right. If you open one of
these libraries, you can drag one of the sample objects into your drawing and then
open it by double clicking or by using the object menu commands.
Adding Office Objects to SmartDraw with Paste and Paste

Special
In addition to using the The Microsoft Office Companion buttons, you can also
Paste an object from Microsoft Office, or other OLE Server applications, into
SmartDraw. When you do this, SmartDraw makes its own copy of the application
file and stores it in the drawing as an embedded object.
On the other hand, if you paste using the Paste Special command under the Edit
menu in SmartDraw, you can choose between several different ways of pasting your
SmartDraw 7 Help
Office object into your drawing. Using this command displays the Paste Special
Dialog.
Paste Special Dialog

The dialog shows a list of formats under the As heading. When you select the first
format at the top of the list (depending on the program you copied the object from)
you may be offered the choice of Paste or Paste Link. Pasting a Link pastes the
picture of the object, and the name of the file it came from, into your SmartDraw
drawing. Whenever you change the contents of this linked Office program file,
SmartDraw will automatically update the picture to the newest version.
Choosing the second item in the As list (Picture) only gives you the option to Paste
(not to Paste Link). In this case, pasting the Office object into your drawing just
transfers a picture into SmartDraw without the underlying link to the original file. If
you paste just an image and then change the original Office file, youll need to paste
it into SmartDraw again if you want to update the image.
Inserting Objects into SmartDraw with the Insert Command

You can also add OLE objects to SmartDraw with the Insert Object command
under the Edit menu. This shows the Insert Object Dialog.
Insert Object Dialog (Create New)

When the Create New button is selected, the list shows all of the different types of
objects, from other programs, that can be inserted into your SmartDraw drawing. To
create a new object (such as an Equation from the Microsoft Equation editor, for
example), select one of the items in the list and press OK.
When the Create from File button is selected the dialog appears and shown below:
Insert Object Dialog (Create from File)

This allows you to pick an existing file on your system and insert it into your
drawing as an embedded or linked object.
Editing OLE Objects in SmartDraw

SmartDraw allows you to insert OLE objects from other programs (such as
Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and others) into your drawings. When one of these
objects is selected in SmartDraw, the bottom item of the SmartDraw Edit menu
changes to a submenu showing the name of the object.
You can use the commands on this menu to open the object for editing. Alternately,
you can double-click on the object itself to open it for editing.
When you open the object, SmartDraw launches the parent program (where the
object was originally created) so that you can modify the object. When you close or
update the object in the parent program, it is automatically updated in SmartDraw.
Managing OLE Object Links

When an OLE Linked object is selected, the Links command under the Edit menu
presents the Links Dialog. You can use this to manage OLE links in your document.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Links Dialog

The list shows all of the linked OLE objects in your drawing. You can change the
parameters of the item selected in the list by using the buttons on the right.
Open Source opens the file associated with the link. Change Source lets your fix a
link that has been broken because the original file has moved.
Update Now causes SmartDraw to get the current image from the linked file. Break
Link breaks the OLE link, making the object a simple picture object that no longer
updates.
How Cut, Copy, and Paste Work in SmartDraw

You can exchange information between SmartDraw and other programs using the
clipboard and the standard Edit commands, Cut, Copy and Paste.
The clipboard is a place that Windows temporarily stores text, pictures and other
data that have been copied so that they can be transferred to another document or
program with a Paste command.
When you are editing text, Copy, Cut and Paste act on the text in the standard
Windows way. When you are not editing text, entire images are transferred to and
from the clipboard.
Each of these commands has a button on the toolbar you can use instead of the Edit
menu.
Cut and Copy
The Copy command transfers all or part of the drawing to the clipboard. Its behavior
depends on what is selected.
When nothing is selected, a representation of the whole drawing is copied to the
clipboard (as a metafile). This drawing can then be pasted into word processors and
other applications.
SmartDraw is an OLE Server. If another application supports Object Linking and
Embedding (OLE) as a client, pasting the drawing also pastes a copy of the
SmartDraw file itself into the application, so that double-clicking on the pasted
drawing will open it up in SmartDraw again.
When one or more shapes or lines are selected, the Copy command copies just those
shapes and lines to the clipboard. They can be pasted back into a SmartDraw
drawing, or pasted (as a picture) into another program.
Cut is a combination of Clear and Copy. It first copies any selected objects to the
clipboard, and then deletes them.
Paste
If the clipboard contains shapes or lines copied from SmartDraw, using Paste adds
these to the current drawing. If the clipboard contains an image from another
program it is pasted into the drawing as an Image Object.
Properties of Imported Image Objects

When images from other programs are imported or pasted into SmartDraw they
become Image Objects. These can be thought of as rectangular shapes, initially with
no border, with the image inside.
An image object can be moved and arranged like any other shape. Normally when
you resize them they maintain their proportions. However, if the Shift Key is held
down while the object is resized, you can resize it to any proportion. Like other
shapes, you can change an image objects sizing behavior using the Shape Sizing
command, under the Shapes Menu.
When you try to type into image object, the text goes beneath the object (as a linked
background text object), instead of inside.
Applying color and border changes to image objects either adds a border, or changes
the colors in the image, depending on the Change Colors setting in the Edit Symbol
dialog. You can also ungroup many imported images into native SmartDraw objects
using the Ungroup command under the Arrange menu.
File Formats that can Be Imported

You can import images from other programs into SmartDraw using the Import
command under the File menu. This shows the Import Dialog. This is the same as
the Open Dialog and is used to select the file to be imported.
Before you can import a file you must identify the file type using the Files of Type
field in the Import Dialog:
SmartDraw can import the following vector formats:
SmartDraw 7 Help
Windows Metafile
Enhanced Metafile
Encapsulated Postscript (EPS)
AutoCAD (DXF)
CGM
HPGL
PDF
Adobe Illustrator
MicroGrafx Draw
DWG (AutoCAD)
CDR (Corel Draw)
SmartDraw can import the following Bitmap formats:
BMP
PC PaintBrush (PCX)
GIF
JPG
PNG
TIFF
When object are imported they become Image Objects.
Ungrouping Imported Images

With the exception of the bitmapped formats (BMP, PCX, GIF, JPG, PNG and
TIFF), all image objects, whether imported or pasted into SmartDraw, are stored in
WMF (Windows Metafile) format. You can ungroup these images into native
SmartDraw objects using the Ungroup command under the Arrange menu. (If the
ungroup command is gray, then your selected image is probably a bitmap that
cannot be ungrouped.)
The Ungroup command brings up the Separate Drawing dialog.
Separate Drawing Dialog

SmartDraw has to make many assumptions to convert crude metafile images into
native SmartDraw objects, such as joining shapes to the end of lines as arrowheads,
combining lines of text into paragraphs, placing text inside shapes, and joining line
segments together into one segmented line. These techniques are based on empirical
rules and are not always perfect. If you have imported images that do not convert
well, please contact SmartDraw Technical Support. We are always working to
improve the algorithms.
Conversion Defaults
Selecting the Flowcharts choice automatically selects the best separation settings for
decomposing images of flowcharts. The Freehand choice does the same for
freehand drawings. The individual settings are explained below.
Combine text into paragraphs
Text from imported images consists of single line strings, where each string has one
typeface. If this box is checked SmartDraw will attempt to combine these strings into
one paragraph. The setting for single or double space indicates how much space
SmartDraw should allow between lines before it terminates one text block and
creates another.
Place text inside existing shapes
When this box is checked, the text blocks detected by SmartDraws conversion
process are placed inside any shapes that they appear to lie on top of. SmartDraw
will try to detect and duplicate the alignment of the text inside the original shape.
Convert small shapes at the end of lines into arrowheads
With this box checked SmartDraw attempts to recognize arrowheads at the end of
lines.
Separate segmented lines into individual line objects
With this box checked, SmartDraw will treat perpendicular lines that could be
interpreted as a segmented line instead into separate lines.
Separate curves and other sequences of lines into individual objects.
Freehand drawings often have many complex curves. These can be decomposed into
hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of tiny SmartDraw lines, or left combined as a
single curve. Checking this box forces their decomposition into many short straight
lines. This will be appropriate only in rare cases.
Opening Files Created with Other Flowchart Programs

SmartDraw can intelligently disassemble metafiles from other flowchart programs
(such as Visio, Flowcharter, etc) and turn them into usable charts in SmartDraw
format. (Note that this process cannot be perfect, since other programs often contain
objects that SmartDraw does not, and vice versa).
To convert a flowchart to SmartDraw format, first save it from the original program
in Windows Metafile format (WMF) using the programs own export or save
command. Then you can open the WMF file in SmartDraw using the Import
Command under the File Menu.
When the file opens, the Separate Drawing dialog appears. The settings for
conversion of flowcharts are already selected, but this gives you an opportunity to
adjust them if your drawing does not convert well with the default settings.
Press OK and the drawing is converted to native SmartDraw shapes and lines. You
can then make any needed adjustments or repairs by hand to complete the conversion
process.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The File Conversion Wizard

The SmartDraw File Conversion Wizard is designed to make it easy for you to join
the thousands of users who have switched from another competing product to
SmartDraw.
It can be used to automatically convert dozens or even hundreds of files created with
Visio, Flowcharter, and other programs into SmartDraw format all at once.
To convert files using this Wizard, the program you are converting from must be
installed on your system, because the wizard uses that program as part of the
conversion process.
First select the File Conversion Wizard from the SmartDraw File menu.
File Conversion Wizard

Follow these steps to convert the files to SmartDraw format:
STEP 1
Use the drop-down list to select the type of file you want to convert (Visio,
Flowcharter, etc). You can choose Other to convert a format that is not listed. For
any format you choose, the source program must be present on your computer, and
this program must be an OLE server (most major software programs are). The
Wizard will warn you if you choose a format that does not meet these criteria.
STEP 2
Next identify the file or files that you want to convert. You can convert all the files
in a particular folder, or just one file. Before you choose to convert all the files in a
folder you might want to convert one of them as a test.
STEP 3
Start the conversion process. As the Wizard converts your files you may see activity
from the program that created the files and from SmartDraw itself. It typically takes
between 10 and 60 seconds to convert each file. The converted files are stored in the
same folder as the original files with the same name, but with a SmartDraw SDR file
extension. For example, if you have a Visio file:
C:\MyDrawings\flowchart.vsd
The Wizard will create a corresponding SmartDraw file:
C:\MyDrawings\flowchart.sdr
If the Visio file has multiple pages, the Wizard will create a SmartDraw file for each
page:
C:\MyDrawings\flowchart-Page1.sdr
C:\MyDrawings\flowchart-Page2.sdr
Fine Tuning the File Conversion

The Wizard extracts a Windows metafile from each file to be converted. Then it
decomposes the metafile into native SmartDraw objects. By default, the settings for
this decomposition are optimized for converting flowcharts, organization charts and
similar diagrams. You can adjust these settings by pressing the Fine Tuning button
in the Wizard dialog to display the Separate Drawing dialog.
Exporting Drawings
SmartDraw can export drawings in several standard Windows file formats using the
Export command under the File menu. This presents the Export Dialog, which is
used to specify the name of the exported file and its format. This is similar to the
Save Dialog.
Use the Files of Type drop-list to change the format of the exported file.
SmartDraw can export the following vector formats:
Windows Metafile
Enhanced Metafile
Encapsulated Postscript (EPS)
AutoCAD (DXF)
CGM
HPGL
PDF
Adobe Illustrator
MicroGrafx Draw
SmartDraw can export the following Bitmap formats:
SmartDraw 7 Help
BMP
PC PaintBrush (PCX)
GIF
JPG
PNG
TIFF
Exporting Vector vs. Bitmap Files

SmartDraw can export its drawings in a variety of vector and bitmap file formats.
See a list of them here.
Vector formats consist of mathmatically defined lines and curves that can be scaled
and stretched without degredation. They retain their sharpness when they are scaled
or printed. SmartDraws native objects are vector obejcts.
Bitmaps are patterns of dots. They are large in file size and memory usage. They also
do not scale well. Bitmaps are commonly used as image formats on web pages, but
otherwise they are not the best format for transferring SmartDraw drawings to other
programs.
Instead, vector formats like Windows Metafile format (the original 16-bit Windows
metafile format) and the Enhanced Metafile format (32-bit revision of the WMF
format) are almost universally shared among Windows programs and are a much
better choice for sharing SmartDraw drawings.
Customizing SmartDraw
Creating SmartDraw Templates

You can create your own custom SmartDraw templates. A template is a SmartDraw
drawing that has been saved using the Save As Template command under the File
menu. Instead of SDR, a template has the file extension SDT.
The Save as Template dialog prompts you to name your template. You can also add
keywords, separated by commas, that you think may be useful later when searching
for the template.
Your template will be save in the My Templates folder in The Explorer Panel.
You can create a sub-category inside My Templates by selecting the appropriate
button.
Pressing OK saves your drawing as a new template, and, if appropriate, creates the
new category. This is reflected immediately in the Creating a New Drawing dialog.
Designing Templates
Your custom template does more than just save a drawing as a starting point for
future use. It also saves all the default settings associated with your drawing.
Those default settings include:
Snap-to-grid alignment
Line- and Shape-linking settings
Any docked Document Toolbar
Colors and shadows
Line and border thickness
Font
Rulers and their scale
Page orientation and size
Zoom level
The first two of these are the most important because they vary widely between types
of drawings and greatly affect the ease of drawing them.
Settings for Empty Templates
If you want to change the default font, color scheme, or other properties for the new,
blank drawings you create using the Creating a New Drawing Dialog, simply replace
the EMPTY.SDT template in the folder for a that drawing type with one that has
your desired settings.
But make sure that your new EMPTY.SDT template was created from the same
drawing-type, or you may end up with unsuitable settings.
The Options Dialog

The Options command under the Tools menu shows the SmartDraw Options
Dialog.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Customizing SmartDraw 187
The SmartDraw Options Dialog

This controls the way the program behaves when you start it, when you create a new
drawing, and other options.
Start Up
When you launch SmartDraw, it can show you The Welcome Dialog, the File Open
dialog, or no dialog (by simply opening a standard template). Specify your choice
using the buttons in the upper left corner of the Options dialog.
Creating a New Document
You can choose to skip the Create New Document dialog, and always start with a
default template of your choice. See Skipping the New Document Dialog.
Page Lines
The boundaries of pages in the drawing area are normally shown as dotted lines. If
you prefer not to see these lines when working at 100% (or near 100%)
magnification, you can choose 50% magnification or below in the Options dialog
under the Tools menu.
Smooth Lines and Curves

When you select Turn on Smoothing SmartDraw will slightly blur the edges of
lines and shapes, including the edges of text, to avoid a jagged appearance when
printed out. This feature is often referred to in graphics programs by the technical
name of anti-aliasing.
Quick Previews
Large drawings with lots of symbols can sometimes render slowly when you switch
the View to Fit to Window. If you prefer, you can opt for a quick preview in these
cases, by selecting the Always, or When they appear to be small options under the
Options dialog.
Hints
SmartDraw will display hints for beginning users if this box is checked. Hints are
little informative windows that pop up automatically when you try to use certain
features of the program for the first time.
Each hint will only appear once in each SmartDraw session. Hints can be switched
off from any Hint dialog. We recommend that you leave the Hints switched on the
first few times you use the program.
Open Hyperlinks Maximized
By checking this setting in the Options dialog, you can cause any hyperlinked
drawings, web pages, or documents to open to their full, maximized size (filling the
entire screen) instead of appearing in a smaller window floating over the SmartDraw
program window.
Skipping the New Document Dialog

If you prefer to skip the Create New Document Dialog and always start with the
same type of drawing template, you can specify this in the Options settings under the
Tools Menu.
Here you can choose between three different ways to start your new drawings: (a)
with a default template that has settings appropriate for flowcharts (Create a new
drawing, no dialog or (b) with your own customized template called
SMRTDRAW.SDT, or (c) by seeing the Create New Document dialog, which lets
you choose from an array of templates. The latter is the default mode.
To use your own custom template, create a drawing with defaults that you want, and
use Save as Template under the File menu to save it in the same directory as the
SmartDraw program, with the name SMRTDRAW.SDT.
Next, use the Options command under the Tools menu and select Copy the
SMRTDRAW.SDT template.
Now instead of seeing the Create New Document dialog, your new drawings will
always open a copy of your SMRTDRAW.SDT template instead.
Changing the Toolbar Shapes

The three Shape buttons on the The Document Toolbar can be changed to show any
of the 24 standard shapes. You specify the shape either by dropping the list at the
right side of the button and choosing a new shape, or by double-clicking on the shape
button to display Shape Properties dialog, and then choosing Select Shape.
SmartDraw 7 Help

Within this dialog you can also set the size and adjustment parameters for the shape,
as described below.
Preferred Size
The width and height fields specify the default size of this shape when it is dragged
into a drawing. For circles and other shapes that can only be sized proportionately,
changing one value changes the other.
Adjustment
Some shapes, such as parallelograms and rounded rectangles, can have their angles
or curves adjusted.
The Adjustment field only appears if the selected shape can be adjusted. The
parameter value represents a proportion of the width or height of the shape and is
usually limited to a range of 0.1 to 0.4, or sometimes less. The effect of the change
can be seen in the preview window if you click in that window to refresh it after
changing the number.
Changing these parameters has no effect on any existing shapes in your drawing. It
affects only new shapes that you add. The outlines of existing shapes can be adjusted
by clicking on their adjustment handles, as described in the Adjusting Shapes
section.
Changing the shape assigned to the button will change the parameter to its default
value for that shape.
Defining Your Own Menu Colors

If you choose More Colors from any SmartDraw color menu, youll see the Color
Dialog, which allows you to choose from any of the 16 million possible Windows
colors.
The Color Dialog

You can define a custom color using the slider control to set the brightness and
dragging the crosshair in the window to select the hue. Your currently defined color
shows in the Color/Solid box.
Alternately, you can enter an explicit RGB or HSL value for the color in the
designated fields.
Once you have specified your custom color, click OK to apply it to the selected
object in your drawing.
You can also use the Color dialog to customize the default SmartDraw color menu.
Once you have defined a new color, click on one of the squares in the color grid at
the left. Then press the Update Color Menu button to replace the color in that
square with your new custom color. From now on, the SmartDraw color menu will
offer your new color in that square.
Double clicking on any menu square copies its color to the color box.
Pressing the Revert Menu to Default button changes all the menus back to their
default settings.
Defining Your Own Gradient Fills

The SmartDraw fill color menu shows a choice for Gradient Fill. If you choose this,
you see the Gradient Fill Dialog. . This lets you pick from any of the 64 pre-defined
gradients. You can also define your own custom gradients and save them for future
use.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Gradient Fill Dialog

A gradient fill is defined by two colors and the direction that the colors change. The
two colors are selected using the color controls labeled One and Two at the bottom
of the dialog. The direction of the fill is shown on the 16 buttons above these
controls. Pressing one of the buttons selects this fill direction. Pressing OK applies
the gradient fill to the currently selected shape.
Selecting an item in the Color Scheme list sets the current gradient to that color
combination.
You can add your own color schemes to the list by selecting new colors for the One
and Two color controls. When you click the Add To List button, SmartDraw
prompts you to name your new gradient scheme and then adds it to the list. You can
remove any gradient scheme from the list by selecting it and pressing the Remove
button.
SmartDraw Licenses
SmartDraw Licenses
SmartDraw will not run without a license. The license is created when the program is
installed with a valid serial number. You can inspect the licenses installed on your
system by selecting the Licenses command under the Help menu.
Licenses Dialog
The Licenses dialog displays a list of all the SmartDraw licenses installed on your
system.
Workgroup Licenses
The SmartDraw workgroup license allows ten or more computers to access
SmartDraw on a network. For example, a 10-Seat license permits 10 different
computers, (other than the server itself) to access the program.
SmartDraw records the identity of each computer that runs the program, and it will
allow no more computers to access it after the licensed number has been reached.
The list of computers that have used SmartDraw is maintained on the server and can
be inspected and edited by selecting the Licenses command, under the Help menu, to
display the Network Administration Dialog.
SmartDraw 7 Help
SmartDraw Licenses 193
The Network Administration Dialog

The number of seats supported by all network licenses installed is shown at the top
of the dialog, along with the number of users (computers) that have run this
networked copy of SmartDraw.
SmartDraw counts the number of computers that have accessed it by recording the
serial numbers of their hard disks.
If a user has run SmartDraw accidentally or no longer needs access, you can disable
that account by clicking on the users name and setting the status to Disabled using
the buttons at the bottom. This frees a license for use by another computer. You can
also use this technique to disable old hard disk serial numbers when computers are
replaced or upgraded with new drives.
As a security measure, these changes can only be made if you log-on to the server
itself.
Adding Additional Network Licenses

You can add licenses to an existing network installation by purchasing more online
at SmartDraw.com, or by contacting SmartDraw sales at 1-800-817-4238.
When you purchase additional licenses, running the installation program on the
network server automatically adds the new licenses and increases the total available.
For example, if you purchase two 10-seat licenses and install each in the same
program folder, the single shared copy of SmartDraw will permit 20 seats.
Technical Support and

Troubleshooting
SmartDraw Tech Support Knowledge Base

For instant, 24-hour information about the most common user problems, visit the
SmartDraw Knowledge Base here: http://www.smartdraw.com/support/
How to Get Technical Support

Technical support is available to all SmartDraw users including trial users. A
priority technical support form is available here:
http://www.smartdraw.com/support/contact.htm
Complete this form for direct access to a team of knowledgeable support engineers.
Other Ways to Get Technical Support
By e-mail to: support@smartdraw.com
Call (858) 225 3300 between 8 AM and 5 PM USA Pacific time.
When reporting a problem, please include the following information:
1) Your system configuration (version of Windows, printer, display type etc.)
2) A description of how to reproduce the problem.
3) A sample file that exhibits the problem (if possible).
Downloading the Latest Version

We frequently offer free updates that include bug fixes and new features. To
download these simply use the Get The Latest Version of SmartDraw command,
under the Help menu. Or visit
http://www.smartdraw.com/support
SmartDraw Information on the Web
Please visit the website at http://www.smartdraw.com/. Here you will find news of
the latest releases, patches, tips and useful information.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Technical Support and Troubleshooting 195
The SmartDraw website also includes detailed step-by-step tutorials on everything

from diagramming flowcharts and organizational charts to designing network layouts
and floor plans. Visit the SmartDraw Learning Centers.
Your Trial Timer has been Corrupted

You will receive the foregoing message upon startup of the SmartDraw Trial Edition
if SmartDraw was unable to write certain files on your drive.
This usually occurs when:
1) Your Windows settings did not allow SmartDraw to write some entries necessary
to run the program.
2) A program you're running caused some required files for the Trial Edition to be
deleted after the installation.
3) The System Restore feature in Windows (ME, 2000, XP) was utilized, which
caused the Windows registry to revert back to an older version.
What Do I Do Now?
When you see the corrupted message, the Trial Edition has been disabled and cannot
be recovered. You will either need to purchase SmartDraw, or install the Trial
Edition on another computer to continue using it.

When your trial period expires, you can continue working by purchasing the full
version of SmartDraw, which will replace your Trial Edition. Any drawings you
created with the Trial Edition will be preserved, and you can open them with the full
version.
SmartDraw offers deep discounts for multi-seat network licenses. For more
information on Enterprise Licensing please visit:
http://www.smartdraw.com/buyinfo/volume/index.htm
To purchase a single-use or multi-seat license, choose a preferred order method
below:
Order Online
Order By Phone
Order By Fax or Mail

Order Internationally
Order Online
Visit www.smartdraw.com and order online with a credit card. You can download
your software immediately and order an optional CD and Quick Start Guide to be
shipped to you.
If you have any questions or prefer to place your order over the phone, you can
always call SmartDraw.com between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time,
Monday through Friday, directly at 1-800-817-4238 (in the US and Canada) or 858549-0314 (outside the US).
If you wish to purchase SmartDraw with a Company Purchase Order, print out an
order form and mail or fax the order form with a copy of the Purchase Order.
SmartDraw.com only accepts Purchase Orders from entities in the US and Canada.
See Order By Fax or Mail for more information.
Return to How to Order SmartDraw
Order By Phone
Call to order from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pacific time. Monday through Friday.
1-800-817-4238 within the US and Canada, or call
858-225-3300 outside the US
You can order by phone and still receive the benefits of downloading the product
immediately after purchase as well as order the optional CD.
SmartDraw.com does not accept Purchase Orders by phone. If you wish to purchase
SmartDraw with a Company Purchase Order, print out an order form and mail or fax
the order form with a copy of the Purchase Order. SmartDraw.com only accepts
Purchase Orders from recognized entities in the US and Canada.
See Order By Fax or Mail for more information.
Order By Fax or Mail

Visit http://www.smartdraw.com/buyinfo/forms/index.htm for the latest up to date
order forms. Fill out the order form and fax it to:
858 549 2830
If sending a check, please mail the check and order form to:
SmartDraw.com
9909 Mira Mesa Blvd, Suite 300
San Diego, CA 92131
USA
SmartDraw 7 Help
How to Order SmartDraw 197
If you have any questions or prefer to place your order over the phone, you can
always call SmartDraw.com between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time,
Monday through Friday, directly at 1-800-817-4238 (in the US and Canada) or 858225-3300 (outside the US).
If you wish to purchase SmartDraw with a Company Purchase Order, print an order
form and mail or fax the order form with a copy of the Purchase Order.
SmartDraw.com only accepts Purchase Orders from entities in the US and Canada.
Order Internationally
SmartDraw.com has distributors all over the world.
To find the closest distributor to you, please visit our International Resellers Page.
You can also call SmartDraw.com at 1-800-817-4238 (in the US and Canada) or
858-225-3300 (outside the US) for more information.
Different SmartDraw Editions

SmartDraw is available in six different editions:
SmartDraw Flowchart Edition
SmartDraw Org Chart Edition
SmartDraw Floor Plan Edition
SmartDraw Gantt Charts and Calendars Edition
SmartDraw Technical Edition
SmartDraw Suite Edition
Each of these editions is custom-tailored to create a particular type of diagram, and

each includes special features, wizards, templates, and symbol libraries for that
purpose.
The powerful Suite Edition contains the features of all of the other Editions in one
program.
To help you choose the SmartDraw that's right for you, please visit SmartDraw.com.
To place your order today, visit www.smartdraw.com or call 1-800-817-4238 (in the
US and Canada) or 858-225-3300 (outside the US).
Return to How to Order SmartDraw.
Money Back Guarantee

Should you decide to purchase, SmartDraw offers a 30-day Money Back Guarantee
on all products if you are not satisfied with the application.
SmartDraw License Agreement
SmartDraw Software License Agreement (Purchased Copy)

IMPORTANT: CAREFULLY READ THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT
("LICENSE") BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT.
* YOUR INSTALLATION, COPYING, OR USE OF THIS PRODUCT
INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS LICENSE, AND THAT YOU
AGREE TO BE BOUND BY AND COMPLY WITH ALL OF ITS TERMS.
* IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF
THIS LICENSE, THEN: (A) DO NOT COPY, INSTALL, OR USE THIS
PRODUCT, AND (B)RETURN THE COMPLETE PRODUCT TO
SMARTDRAW.COM IMMEDIATELY FOR A REFUND OF THE LICENSE
FEES THAT YOU HAVE PAID.
A. LICENSE:
SmartDraw.com (also referred to as "we" or "us") hereby grants you a non-exclusive,
non-transferable (without the right to sublicense) license to use the Product (as
defined below) in accordance with all of the terms and conditions of this License.
The "Product" consists of: (1) all materials with which this License is packaged by
SmartDraw.com, which may include, but are not limited to, computer program(s),
software, and code; images; photographs; templates; symbols; texts; accompanying
SmartDraw 7 Help
SmartDraw License Agreement 199
printed materials; and "online" or electronic documentation, and (2) any

supplemental software code and supporting materials which may be provided to you
as part of support services provided or authorized by SmartDraw.com for the
Product.
B. YOU MAY:
1. install and use(solely in accordance with Product documentation and the terms and
restrictions set forth in this License)one copy of the Product on a single computer.
You may also make a second copy of the Product, and install and use(solely in
accordance with Product documentation and the terms and restrictions set forth in
this License) it on a home or portable computer used exclusively by you.
2. [If you purchased a workgroup multi-seat license]: install the Product on more
than one computer, or install the Product on a network server so that multiple
computers can access it. The Product may be installed on a network server only
where the number of computers with access to the Product via that server does not
exceed the number of computers specified in your purchase receipt for the
workgroup multi-seat license. For example, if your purchase receipt specifies a
workgroup multi-seat license for 100 computers, the Product may be installed: (a) on
a network server where it will be accessible by no more than 100 different computers
connected to the network served by that server, or (b) on up to 100 individual PC's,
or (c) or on some combination of both (a) and (b), provided that the total number of
PC's with access to the software does not exceed 100.
3. [if you purchased a workgroup concurrent-user license]: install the Product on a
network server, where the number of PC's that access the Product simultaneously
does not exceed the number of users specified in your purchase receipt for the
workgroup concurrent-user license.
4. make one copy of the Product for archive or backup purposes. You may also store
or install a copy of the Product on a storage device, such as a network server, used
only to install or run the Product on your other computers over an internal network;
however, you must acquire and dedicate a license for each separate computer on
which the Product is installed or run from the storage device.
5. if this Product includes Clipart and/or Photo Images, use the Clipart and/or Photo
Images only if you comply with the terms set out in the Guidelines for the Use of
Clipart and Photo Images below, provided that all provisions and terms of this
License for the benefit or protection of SmartDraw.com herein are also fully
incorporated by reference into such Guidelines, in addition to all terms and
conditions contained in such Guidelines.
C. YOU MAY NOT:
1. install, use, distribute or copy the Product except as expressly permitted in this
License.
2. translate, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Product, except to the
extent, if any, that such activities are clearly and expressly permitted by applicable
law despite such restrictions.
3. rent, lease or assign the Product.
4. modify the Product, merge the Product as part of any other product or collection of
products, or create derivative works derived from the Product, without the prior
written consent of SmartDraw.com
5. transfer the Product or your rights under this License to someone else
6. permit others to perform any of activities (1) - (5) immediately above.
In addition, in no event do we authorize you or anyone else to use the Product in

applications or systems where the Product's failure to perform can reasonably be
expected to result in significant physical injury, property damage, or loss of life,
including but not limited to use in hazardous environments requiring fail-safe
performance, such as in the operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or
communication systems, air traffic control, direct life support machines, or weapons
systems. The Product is not fault-tolerant and is not designed, manufactured or
intended for any such use. Any such use is entirely at your own risk, and you agree
to hold SmartDraw.com, and its principals, shareholders, officers, employees,
affiliates, contractors, subsidiaries and parent organizations, harmless from any and
all claims or losses relating to such unauthorized use.
D. TERM:
Your rights regarding the Product under this License shall remain in effect only as
long as you are in full compliance with the terms and conditions of this License, and
shall terminate automatically if you fail to comply with any such terms or conditions.
You agree, upon termination, to destroy all copies of the Product received, made or
used by you in connection with this License. The Limitations of Warranties and
Liability set out below shall continue in force even after any termination.
E. OWNERSHIP
All patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other ownership rights in the
Product are and shall remain in SmartDraw.com or third parties with which
SmartDraw.com has licensing arrangements. The source code of the Product and all
information regarding the design, structure or internal operation of the Product are
valuable trade secrets of SmartDraw.com or third parties with which
SmartDraw.com has licensing arrangements ("Confidential Information"), provided
however, that "Confidential Information" shall not include information which
otherwise would be Confidential Information to the extent that such information was
publicly known prior to the time you received it, or became known to you through no
violation of any of your, or others', confidentiality obligations to any other party
regarding the Product. To the extent, if any, to which you may learn any
Confidential Information, you shall not sell, transfer, publish, disclose, display, or
otherwise permit access by any third party to, the Confidential Information.
You shall ensure that any copies of the Product that you make or have made pursuant
to this License bear all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in or
affixed to the copy or copies of the Product as created and packaged by us. All
rights of any kind in the Product, which are not expressly granted in this License, are
entirely and exclusively reserved to and by SmartDraw.com.
F. SERIAL NUMBER
This License has a unique serial number. Publishing of this serial number will be
deemed a material breach of this License.
G. LIMITATION OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY:
LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO THE PRODUCT, ARE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS"
WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. FURTHER, SMARTDRAW.COM
DOES NOT WARRANT THAT ANY SUCH MATERIALS WILL MEET YOUR
REQUIREMENTS, OR THAT THE OPERATION OF SUCH MATERIALS WILL
BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE
RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF SUCH MATERIALS IS ASSUMED BY
YOU. IF ANY SUCH MATERIALS ARE DEFECTIVE, YOU, AND NOT
SMARTDRAW.COM OR ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS, OR
SmartDraw 7 Help
EMPLOYEES, ASSUME THE ENTIRE RISK OF SUCH DEFECT(S), AND THE

ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR, OR
CORRECTION.
WITHOUT LIMITING THE ABOVE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY OF ANY
KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NONINFRINGEMENT
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MADE
BY SMARTDRAW.COM, ON ANY MATERIALS PROVIDED BY
SMARTDRAW.COM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THIS PRODUCT.
NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY
SMARTDRAW.COM, ITS DEALERS, DISTRIBUTORS, AGENTS OR
EMPLOYEES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY INCREASE
THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY AND YOU MAY NOT RELY ON ANY
SUCH INFORMATION OR ADVICE. YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS,
WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.
NEITHER SMARTDRAW.COM, ITS PRINCIPALS, SHAREHOLDERS,
OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, CONTRACTORS, SUBSIDIARIES, OR
PARENT ORGANIZATIONS, NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN THE CREATION, PRODUCTION OR DELIVERY OF ANY
MATERIALS PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THIS PRODUCT, SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT,
CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING
DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION,
LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF
THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH MATERIALS, EVEN IF
SMARTDRAW.COM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES. THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL BE DEEMED
TO APPLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE
LAW AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE FAILURE OF THE ESSENTIAL
PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDIES. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE
AND AGREE THAT THEY HAVE FULLY CONSIDERED THE FOREGOING
ALLOCATION OF RISK AND FIND IT REASONABLE, AND THAT THE
FOREGOING LIMITATIONS ARE AN ESSENTIAL BASIS OF THE BARGAIN
BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
H. GENERAL:
This License is the entire agreement between you and us regarding the subject matter
set forth herein, superseding any other agreement or discussions, oral or written, and
may not be changed except by a signed agreement. This License shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, excluding
that body of law applicable to choice of law and excluding the United Nations
Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and any legislation
implementing such Convention, if otherwise applicable. If any provision of this
License is declared by a Court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or
unenforceable, such a provision shall be severed from the License and the other
provisions shall remain in full force and effect. The prevailing party in any action to
enforce or interpret this License agreement shall be entitled to recover its costs and
expenses, including attorneys' fees.
You agree to the exclusive (non-exclusive if you are located outside of the U.S.)
jurisdiction of, and venue in, the state and federal courts located in San Diego,
California for any dispute or matter relating to, arising from or connected with this
License agreement (enforcement of any legal decision may be enforced in any court
of competent jurisdiction). There are no third party beneficiaries of any promises or
obligations of SmartDraw.com herein. Any waiver by us of any violation of this
License by you shall not constitute, nor contribute to, a waiver by us of any other or
future violation of the same provision, or any other provision, of this License. The
parties acknowledge and agree that no third party (including but not limited to your
customers, clients or licensees) shall have any rights, either against us or our
suppliers, as a third party beneficiary of any rights, licenses, products or services
granted or provided by us to you hereunder. Paragraphs E, G and H shall survive
any termination of this License agreement. You agree not to assign, in whole or in
part, this License agreement or any of your licenses or rights hereunder. Any
assignment in violation of the forgoing restrictions shall be considered null and void.
If the Product is being acquired by the U.S. Government, the Product is commercial
computer software and documentation developed exclusively at private expense and
belongs to SmartDraw.com, and (i) if acquired by or on behalf of a civilian agency,
shall be subject to the terms of this computer software license agreement as specified
in 48 C.F.R. 12.212 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations and its successors, and
(ii) if acquired by or on behalf of units of the Department of Defense ("DoD") shall
be subject to the terms of this commercial computer software license agreement as
specified in 48 C.F.R. 227.7202.2, DoD FAR supplement and its successors.
Contractor/manufacturer is SmartDraw.com, 10085 Carroll Canyon Rd., San Diego,
CA 92131.
You understand that the Product is subject to the export control laws and regulations
of the U.S. or other applicable jurisdictions. You agree that you will not export or
re-export the Product in violation of such laws or regulations.
SmartDraw reserves the right, upon reasonable advance written notice to you, to
inspect your facilities, servers and computers to ensure that you are in full
compliance with this License agreement.
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES,
PHOTO OBJECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES:
This Product contains numerous clipart, symbols, templates and photo images
(collectively referred to as the "Images"), which are either owned by
SmartDraw.com or licensed from a third party. As a user of this Product you are free
to use, modify and publish the Images as you wish, subject to all of the restrictions
set out below and any additional conditions described in the credits dialog of certain
symbol libraries. If you are uncertain as to whether your intended use is in
compliance with the Guidelines set out below, we recommend that you seek the
advice of your own attorney or legal counsel. SmartDraw.com will not provide you
with an opinion as to whether your use is in compliance with these Guidelines.
A. YOU MAY, subject to any restrictions set out below:
1. incorporate any Image(s) into your own original work and publish, display and
distribute your work in any media. You may not, however, resell, sublicense or
otherwise make available the Image(s) for use or distribution separately or detached
from a product or web page. For example, the Image(s) may be used as part of a
web page design, but may not be made available for downloading separately or in a
format designed or intended for permanent storage or re-use by others. Similarly,
clients may be provided with copies of the Image(s) (including digital files) as an
integral part of your work product, but may not be provided with the Image(s) or
permitted to use the Image(s) separately or as part of any other product.
2. make one (1) copy of the Image(s) for backup or archival purposes.
B. YOU MAY NOT
1. create scandalous, obscene, defamatory or immoral works using the Image(s), nor
use the Image(s) for any other purpose, which is prohibited by law.
SmartDraw 7 Help
2. use or permit the use of the Image(s) or any part thereof as a trademark or service
mark, or claim any proprietary rights of any sort in the Image(s) or any part thereof.
3. use the Image(s) in electronic format, on-line or in multimedia applications unless
the Image(s) are incorporated for viewing purposes only, and no permission is given
to those viewing the Images to download and/or save the Image(s) for any reason.
4. rent, lease, sublicense or lend the Image(s), or a copy thereof, to another person or
legal entity.
5. use any Image(s) except as expressly permitted by this License.
6. use the Image(s) related to identifiable individuals, products or entities in a
manner, which suggests their association with, or endorsement of any product or
service.
C. YOU AGREE THAT
1. ALL CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES, PHOTO OBJECTS AND
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES
PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, ARE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS"
CORRECTION.
BY SMARTDRAW.COM, ON ANY CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES,
PHOTO OBJECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES PROVIDED BY
CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES, PHOTO OBJECTS AND
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO THIS PRODUCT, SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY
INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES
(INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE)
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH MATERIALS,
EVEN IF SMARTDRAW.COM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL BE
DEEMED TO APPLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY

APPLICABLE LAW AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE FAILURE OF THE
ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDIES. THE PARTIES
ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THEY HAVE FULLY CONSIDERED
THE FOREGOING ALLOCATION OF RISK AND FIND IT REASONABLE,
AND THAT THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS ARE AN ESSENTIAL BASIS OF
THE BARGAIN BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
2. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NEITHER SMARTDRAW.COM, NOR ITS
PRINCIPALS, SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES,
CONTRACTORS, SUBSIDIARIES, OR PARENT ORGANIZATIONS, ARE
LIABLE FOR ANY OFFENSIVE, HARMFUL, ILLEGAL, INDECENT,
INCORRECT, INCOMPLETE OR INACCURATE DATA, INFORMATION OR
MATERIALS EITHER COMPRISING, PART OF, OR ASSOCIATED WITH ANY
IMAGE OR COLLECTION OF IMAGES. YOU AGREE TO INDEMNITY AND
HOLD HARMLESS SMARTDRAW.COM IF YOU BREACH ANY OF THE
RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH HEREIN.
SmartDraw Software License Agreement (Trial Edition)

END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
IMPORTANT: CAREFULLY READ THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT
("LICENSE") BEFORE USING THIS PRODUCT.
* YOUR INSTALLATION, COPYING, OR USE OF THIS PRODUCT
INDICATES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS LICENSE, AND THAT YOU
AGREE TO BE BOUND BY AND COMPLY WITH ALL OF ITS TERMS.
* IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF
THIS LICENSE, THEN: (A) DO NOT COPY, INSTALL, OR USE THIS
PRODUCT.
A. LICENSE:
SmartDraw.com (also referred to as "we" or "us") hereby grants you a non-exclusive,
non-transferable (without the right to sublicense) license to use the Product (as
defined below) in accordance with all of the terms and conditions of this License for
a period of 30 days from the date that you first installed it. Once this 30-day period
has expired, you must either purchase a permanent license to use the Software, or
promptly destroy all copies of the Software in your possession. The software is
"installed" onto a computer when the installation is run.
The "Product" consists of: (1) all materials with which this License is packaged by
SmartDraw.com, which may include, but are not limited to, computer program(s),
software, and code; images; photographs; templates; symbols; texts; accompanying
printed materials; and "online" or electronic documentation, and (2) any
supplemental software code and supporting materials which may be provided to you
as part of support services provided or authorized by SmartDraw.com for the
Product.
B. YOU MAY:
1. install and use(solely in accordance with Product documentation and the terms and
restrictions set forth in this License)one copy of the Product on a single computer.
You may also make a second copy of the Product, and install and use(solely in
accordance with Product documentation and the terms and restrictions set forth in
this License) it on a home or portable computer used exclusively by you.
SmartDraw 7 Help
2. if this Product includes Clipart and/or Photo Images, use the Clipart and/or Photo
Images only if you comply with the terms set out in the Guidelines for the Use of
Clipart and Photo Images below, provided that all provisions and terms of this
License for the benefit or protection of SmartDraw.com herein are also fully
incorporated by reference into such Guidelines, in addition to all terms and
conditions contained in such Guidelines.
C. YOU MAY NOT:
1. install, use, distribute or copy the Product except as expressly permitted in this
License.
2. translate, reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the Product, except to the
extent, if any, that such activities are clearly and expressly permitted by applicable
law despite such restrictions.
3. rent, lease or assign the Product.
4. modify the Product, merge the Product as part of any other product or collection of
products, or create derivative works derived from the Product, without the prior
written consent of SmartDraw.com
5. transfer the Product or your rights under this License to someone else
6. permit others to perform any of activities (1) - (5) immediately above.
In addition, in no event do we authorize you or anyone else to use the Product in
applications or systems where the Product's failure to perform can reasonably be
expected to result in significant physical injury, property damage, or loss of life,
including but not limited to use in hazardous environments requiring fail-safe
performance, such as in the operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or
communication systems, air traffic control, direct life support machines, or weapons
systems. The Product is not fault-tolerant and is not designed, manufactured or
intended for any such use. Any such use is entirely at your own risk, and you agree
to hold SmartDraw.com, and its principals, shareholders, officers, employees,
affiliates, contractors, subsidiaries and parent organizations, harmless from any and
all claims or losses relating to such unauthorized use.
D. TERM:
Your rights regarding the Product under this License shall remain in effect only as
long as you are in full compliance with the terms and conditions of this License, and
shall terminate automatically if you fail to comply with any such terms or conditions.
You agree, upon termination, to destroy all copies of the Product received, made or
used by you in connection with this License. The Limitations of Warranties and
Liability set out below shall continue in force even after any termination.
E. OWNERSHIP
All patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other ownership rights in the
Product are and shall remain in SmartDraw.com or third parties with which
SmartDraw.com has licensing arrangements. The source code of the Product and all
information regarding the design, structure or internal operation of the Product are
valuable trade secrets of SmartDraw.com or third parties with which
SmartDraw.com has licensing arrangements ("Confidential Information"), provided
however, that "Confidential Information" shall not include information which
otherwise would be Confidential Information to the extent that such information was
publicly known prior to the time you received it, or became known to you through no
violation of any of your, or others', confidentiality obligations to any other party
regarding the Product. To the extent, if any, to which you may learn any
Confidential Information, you shall not sell, transfer, publish, disclose, display, or
otherwise permit access by any third party to, the Confidential Information.
You shall ensure that any copies of the Product that you make or have made pursuant
to this License bear all copyright and other proprietary notices contained in or
affixed to the copy or copies of the Product as created and packaged by us. All
rights of any kind in the Product, which are not expressly granted in this License, are
entirely and exclusively reserved to and by SmartDraw.com.
F. LIMITATION OF WARRANTIES AND LIABILITY:
LIMITED WARRANTY AND DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, INCLUDING BUT
NOT LIMITED TO THE PRODUCT, ARE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS"
YOU. IF ANY SUCH MATERIALS ARE DEFECTIVE YOU, AND NOT
CORRECTION.
BY SMARTDRAW.COM, ON ANY MATERIALS PROVIDED BY
MATERIALS PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO THIS PRODUCT, SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT,
CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES (INCLUDING
DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION,
LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF
THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH MATERIALS, EVEN IF
SMARTDRAW.COM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGES. THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL BE DEEMED
TO APPLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE
LAW AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE FAILURE OF THE ESSENTIAL
PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDIES. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE
AND AGREE THAT THEY HAVE FULLY CONSIDERED THE FOREGOING
ALLOCATION OF RISK AND FIND IT REASONABLE, AND THAT THE
FOREGOING LIMITATIONS ARE AN ESSENTIAL BASIS OF THE BARGAIN
BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
G. GENERAL:
SmartDraw 7 Help
This License is the entire agreement between you and us regarding the subject matter
set forth herein, superseding any other agreement or discussions, oral or written, and
may not be changed except by a signed agreement. This License shall be governed
by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, excluding
that body of law applicable to choice of law and excluding the United Nations
Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods and any legislation
implementing such Convention, if otherwise applicable. If any provision of this
License is declared by a Court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or
unenforceable, such a provision shall be severed from the License and the other
provisions shall remain in full force and effect. The prevailing party in any action to
enforce or interpret this License agreement shall be entitled to recover its costs and
expenses, including attorneys' fees.
You agree to the exclusive (non-exclusive if you are located outside of the U.S.)
jurisdiction of, and venue in, the state and federal courts located in San Diego,
California for any dispute or matter relating to, arising from or connected with this
License agreement (enforcement of any legal decision may be enforced in any court
of competent jurisdiction). There are no third party beneficiaries of any promises or
obligations of SmartDraw.com herein. Any waiver by us of any violation of this
License by you shall not constitute, nor contribute to, a waiver by us of any other or
future violation of the same provision, or any other provision, of this License. The
parties acknowledge and agree that no third party (including but not limited to your
customers, clients or licensees) shall have any rights, either against us or our
suppliers, as a third party beneficiary of any rights, licenses, products or services
granted or provided by us to you hereunder. Paragraphs E, F and G shall survive any
termination of this License agreement. You agree not to assign, in whole or in part,
this License agreement or any of your licenses or rights hereunder. Any assignment
in violation of the forgoing restrictions shall be considered null and void.
If the Product is being acquired by the U.S. Government, the Product is commercial
computer software and documentation developed exclusively at private expense and
belongs to SmartDraw.com, and (i) if acquired by or on behalf of a civilian agency,
shall be subject to the terms of this computer software license agreement as specified
in 48 C.F.R. 12.212 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations and its successors, and
(ii) if acquired by or on behalf of units of the Department of Defense ("DoD") shall
be subject to the terms of this commercial computer software license agreement as
specified in 48 C.F.R. 227.7202.2, DoD FAR supplement and its successors.
Contractor/manufacturer is SmartDraw.com, 10085 Carroll Canyon Rd., San Diego,
CA 92131.
You understand that the Product is subject to the export control laws and regulations
of the U.S. or other applicable jurisdictions. You agree that you will not export or
re-export the Product in violation of such laws or regulations.
SmartDraw reserves the right, upon reasonable advance written notice to you, to
inspect your facilities, servers and computers to ensure that you are in full
compliance with this License agreement.
TRIAL LIMITATIONS
The trial edition is designed to allow you to try the software before purchasing to
ensure that it meets your needs. In as much, it contains feature and content
limitations as defined below.
A. The trial functions for 30 days.
B. Printed documents contain a watermark. After purchasing, this watermark does
not appear even on documents created with the trial edition.
C. The number of prints is limited. When you attempt to print, you are warned about
the print limitation and informed about the number of prints you have remaining.
D. Additional feature and content restrictions
If you experience a limitation that is not defined herein, do not assume that it is a
restriction in the trial edition. Contact support@smartdraw.com for more
information.
GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES,
PHOTO OBJECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES
This Product contains numerous clipart, symbols, templates and photo images
(collectively referred to as the "Images"), which are either owned by
SmartDraw.com or licensed from a third party. As a user of this Product you are free
to use, modify and publish the Images as you wish, subject to all of the restrictions
set out below and any additional conditions described in the credits dialog of certain
symbol libraries. If you are uncertain as to whether your intended use is in
compliance with the Guidelines set out below, we recommend that you seek the
advice of your own attorney or legal counsel. SmartDraw.com will not provide you
with an opinion as to whether your use is in compliance with these Guidelines.
A. YOU MAY, subject to any restrictions set out below:
1. incorporate any Image(s) into your own original work and publish, display and
distribute your work in any media. You may not, however, resell, sublicense or
otherwise make available the Image(s) for use or distribution separately or detached
from a product or web page. For example, the Image(s) may be used as part of a
web page design, but may not be made available for downloading separately or in a
format designed or intended for permanent storage or re-use by others. Similarly,
clients may be provided with copies of the Image(s) (including digital files) as an
integral part of your work product, but may not be provided with the Image(s) or
permitted to use the Image(s) separately or as part of any other product.
2. make one (1) copy of the Image(s) for backup or archival purposes.
B. YOU MAY NOT
1. create scandalous, obscene, defamatory or immoral works using the Image(s), nor
use the Image(s) for any other purpose, which is prohibited by law.
2. use or permit the use of the Image(s) or any part thereof as a trademark or service
mark, or claim any proprietary rights of any sort in the Image(s) or any part thereof.
3. use the Image(s) in electronic format, on-line or in multimedia applications unless
the Image(s) are incorporated for viewing purposes only, and no permission is given
to those viewing the Images to download and/or save the Image(s) for any reason.
4. rent, lease, sublicense or lend the Image(s), or a copy thereof, to another person or
legal entity.
5. use any Image(s) except as expressly permitted by this License.
6. use the Image(s) related to identifiable individuals, products or entities in a
manner, which suggests their association with, or endorsement of any product or
service.
C. YOU AGREE THAT
1. ALL CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES, PHOTO OBJECTS AND
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES
PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, ARE PROVIDED TO YOU "AS IS"
SmartDraw 7 Help
CORRECTION.
BY SMARTDRAW.COM, ON ANY CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES,
PHOTO OBJECTS AND PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES PROVIDED BY
CLIPART, SYMBOLS, TEMPLATES, PHOTO OBJECTS AND
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES PROVIDED BY SMARTDRAW.COM, INCLUDING
BUT NOT LIMITED TO THIS PRODUCT, SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY
INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES
(INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE)
ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH MATERIALS,
EVEN IF SMARTDRAW.COM HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY
OF SUCH DAMAGES. THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH ABOVE SHALL BE
DEEMED TO APPLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY
APPLICABLE LAW AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE FAILURE OF THE
ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDIES. THE PARTIES
ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT THEY HAVE FULLY CONSIDERED
THE FOREGOING ALLOCATION OF RISK AND FIND IT REASONABLE,
AND THAT THE FOREGOING LIMITATIONS ARE AN ESSENTIAL BASIS OF
THE BARGAIN BETWEEN THE PARTIES.
2. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NEITHER SMARTDRAW.COM, NOR ITS
PRINCIPALS, SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES,
CONTRACTORS, SUBSIDIARIES, OR PARENT ORGANIZATIONS, ARE
LIABLE FOR ANY OFFENSIVE, HARMFUL, ILLEGAL, INDECENT,
INCORRECT, INCOMPLETE OR INACCURATE DATA, INFORMATION OR
MATERIALS EITHER COMPRISING, PART OF, OR ASSOCIATED WITH ANY
IMAGE OR COLLECTION OF IMAGES. YOU AGREE TO INDEMNITY AND
HOLD HARMLESS SMARTDRAW.COM IF YOU BREACH ANY OF THE
RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH HEREIN.
SmartDrawNet Terms and Conditions

At SmartDrawNet, users of either SmartDraw Photo or SmartDraw software can
upload, edit, and organize their SmartDraw images at a location on the World Wide
Web (that user's "Image Site"), and then share their images with their friends, family
and colleagues. SmartDrawNet is owned and operated by SmartDraw.com, A
California Corporation, ("SmartDraw.com").
If you access or use either SmartDrawNet, any Image Site on SmartDrawNet, or any
of services, materials or features appearing on SmartDrawNet or any Image Site,
then you agree automatically to all of the terms and conditions below, including but
not limited to agreeing to SmartDraw.com's Privacy Policy (collectively, the
"Agreement").
It is important that you read the Agreement. If you do not accept any term or
condition of the Agreement, you may indicate this only by not seeking access to
SmartDrawNet.
Please review the Agreement periodically, as it may be frequently revised and

updated, at SmartDraw.com's sole discretion.
Terms and Conditions
Change of Terms or Conditions. SmartDraw.com may change any term or
condition of this Agreement, and change or discontinue any service or access
previously offered or provided, upon notice posted in any area of SmartDrawNet
reserved or created by SmartDraw.com for such purpose. SmartDraw.com will use
reasonable efforts to inform you of such changes through e-mail, bulletins or other
comparable means, but you are responsible to check for SmartDraw.com's postings
of such changes.
Creating and Maintaining an Image Site
This Section 3 applies only to those with an Image Site at SmartDrawNet, except that
the definitions in this Section apply throughout the Agreement.
Age Requirement. You must be at least 13 years of age to access or use
SmartDrawNet.
Image Storage. You may store up to a total of 20MB of images on SmartDrawNet,

for use at the Image Site established in connection with your account. If you attempt
to upload images exceeding this limit, you will be required to remove previously
uploaded images before SmartDrawNet will accept new images. All images, data
and files transmitted or uploaded to SmartDrawNet for use in connection with Image
Sites is referred to as "Content."
Inactive Accounts. If your account is inactive for more than 180 days, your account
may be cancelled at SmartDraw.com's discretion. SmartDraw.com will send you an
e-mail message alerting you to the impending cancellation. If SmartDraw.com
receives no response within 30 days afterwards, SmartDraw.com may terminate your
account, and remove or discard any images you may have stored. Your account will
SmartDraw 7 Help
be deemed "inactive" over a given period if SmartDraw.com determines that during

that period, you did not add to or change any of the images on your Image Site, nor
otherwise change your Image Site in any significant way. Nothing in the foregoing
shall limit SmartDraw.com's authority to remove any or all of your Content from
SmartDrawNet at any time or terminate your account, with or without notice to you.
Registration. You may not set up or maintain an Image Site unless you have an
active account for that purpose with SmartDraw.com. In order to create such an
account, you must register your copy of the SmartDraw or SmartDraw Photo
software with SmartDraw.com, and submit to SmartDraw.com your correct name, email address and serial number for your software copy.
No Restricted Content. You may not transmit or upload, or cause to be transmitted
or uploaded, Restricted Content (as described below) to your Image Site or
elsewhere on SmartDrawNet. All content on SmartDrawNet is subject to review by
SmartDraw.com, but SmartDraw.com has no obligation to examine all or any part of
the submitted content. SmartDraw.com may delete or remove any Content on
SmartDrawNet in whole or part at any time, for any reason, without notice,
regardless of whether it qualifies as "Restricted Content."
Restricted Content includes, but is not limited to:
Content that is threatening, abusive, obscene, pornographic, defamatory,
objectionable or inappropriate.
Content that infringes or violates any copyright, trademark, patent or confidential
agreement.
Content that violates applicable state or federal law, or applicable orders or
judgments of any government authorities.
Content that promotes or assists in illegal activity.
Content that in any way exploits or harms minors.
Content intended for, or involved in, advertising or commercial solicitations.
Content sent either from an anonymous or false address, or from a person or source
whose description does not wholly correspond with the description of the account
holder as recorded in SmartDraw.com's records.
Content that contains software viruses, worms, Trojan horses or other dangerous
code, corrupt files, or any other content which may alter, impair, or affect access to
SmartDrawNet, or any materials or information on SmartDrawNet, or any other
system reachable through or via SmartDrawNet
Links to any of the foregoing content.
Your Responsibility. You are responsible for all of your activities on

SmartDrawNet, and any and all Content that you submit, or cause to be submitted, to
SmartDrawNet.
No Infringement. You hereby represent that each upload and/or transmission by
you of Content or any other materials to SmartDrawNet, and complete public or
private display of any such Content or other materials on your Image Site or
anywhere else on SmartDrawNet, does not and shall not violate or infringe any
copyright, trademark right, patent right, trade secret right, or other right of any other
person or entity.
Ownership. You hereby represent that you are the owner of all Content and other
materials you may cause to be uploaded or transmitted to SmartDrawNet, or that you
have all necessary licenses for all uses to which such Content and other materials
may be applied after upload or transmission.
Backup Copies. You are solely responsible for keeping copies of all of your Content
and all of your other materials and data. SmartDraw.com has no obligation to retain
any copies of any Content that you upload or transmit, nor to retain any copies of
your Image Site in whole or part.
Misuse of Account. You shall be fully responsible to SmartDraw.com for any and
all use and misuse of any account assigned to or for you, whether by you or any
other person or entity, regardless of whether such use or misuse is due to accident,
recklessness, negligence, or deliberate act or omission, or without fault whatsoever.
Such responsibility will include, but not be limited to, full indemnity for all injury,
loss or damage incurred by SmartDraw.com in connection with such use or misuse,
as further detailed in the Indemnity section below.
Third-Party Products. SmartDraw.com may make third-party products available

through SmartDrawNet for use in connection with your Image Site. If you wish to
take advantage of third-party offers or services, you must agree to any terms and
conditions imposed by the third party vendor.
Account Termination and Removal of Content. At the sole discretion of
SmartDraw.com, your account may be terminated and your Content may be removed
or deleted without notice for, among other things:
Conduct that violates this Agreement or the spirit of this Agreement.
Conduct that violates SmartDraw.com's Copyright Policy.
Conduct that violates SmartDraw.com's Privacy Policy.
Conduct that impairs in any manner the operability or stability of SmartDrawNet.
Conduct that violates SmartDraw.com's Restricted Content Policy.
In addition, SmartDraw.com may terminate your account and/or remove your

Content, with or without notice, at any time without cause. If SmartDraw.com elects
to explain or describe any reasons for terminating your account or removing your
Content, this shall not affect or limit SmartDraw.com's power and right to terminate
your account or remove your Content without cause, including action by
SmartDraw.com without cause at the same time as, or at any different time from, any
"for cause" action by SmartDraw.com.
SmartDraw.com shall not be liable to you for any termination of your access to the
site.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Image Site Rules. If you choose to implement any rules that apply to visitors to
your Image Site, then: (i) any and all such rules are subject to review by
SmartDraw.com, at SmartDraw.com's sole discretion, (ii) if SmartDraw.com
requires, at its sole discretion, that any such rule be changed or deleted, you will
immediately make such change or deletion, and (iii) no such rule may conflict with,
violate, or be inconsistent with this Agreement, any SmartDraw.com or
SmartDrawNet policy, or any applicable laws.
Privacy Policy. You accept and agree to all aspects of SmartDrawNet's Privacy
Policy, as published on SmartDrawNet. The Privacy Policy may be changed from
time to time at SmartDraw.com's sole discretion, provided that any change that
increases access to your information by person or entities outside Smartdraw.com's
business organization shall not apply to your information that was provided before
such change. SmartDraw.com shall give reasonable advance notice of all changes to
the Privacy Policy whenever practicable through notices displayed on
SmartDrawNet.
Scope of Access. You agree to receive and use all services, data and products on
SmartDrawNet in strict accordance with this Agreement, and all other rules,
limitations, conditions, protocols and procedures as may be prescribed or endorsed
by SmartDraw.com from time to time. In no event may you seek any kind of access
to, within or through SmartDrawNet beyond the level and kind of access expressly
and knowingly authorized and provided by SmartDrawNet, nor may you use
SmartDrawNet or any other SmartDraw.com system or facility to gain
unauthorized access to the systems, information, materials or property of
SmartDraw.com or anyone else. If you nonetheless seek or gain such access, you
shall be conclusively deemed to be exceeding your authorized access to
SmartDrawNet for all purposes under the law, and in violation of this Agreement.
SmartDrawNet System Rules. You agree to comply fully with any and all rules
and terms that SmartDraw.com may prescribe from time to time for use of
SmartDrawNet ("System Rules"). System Rules include all rules posted by
SmartDraw.com in one or more special areas of SmartDrawNet set aside for System
Rules, plus all other rules, warnings, disclaimers and notices that SmartDraw.com
may post at various points around SmartDrawNet. Some System Rules extend the
provisions of this Agreement, others cover areas not touched by this Agreement. In
any event, if you violate any System Rule, it shall be deemed a violation of this
Agreement.
Your Limited Use Rights. You may download and use Content and any other
information received through SmartDrawNet within your own personal computer or
terminal, provided you legally obtained such information, and subject to any
restrictions by the owner of, or legitimate claimants against, such information. You
may not use any of the Content or other information received through SmartDrawNet
for any other purpose, including but not limited to distributing, modifying,
transmitting, displaying, performing or otherwise exploit any such Information,
except where any such activity is expressly and clearly authorized to you by the
owner of such information.
Problem Transmissions. A transmission by you shall be considered a "Problem

Transmission" if it, in SmartDraw.com's opinion, is or may be: (i) in conflict with
any of your warranties, representations or undertakings in this Agreement, (ii)
illegal, or (iii) harmful in any manner either to SmartDraw.com or third parties. If at
any time SmartDraw.com discovers that all or any part of a transmission by you is or
may be a Problem Transmission, then SmartDraw.com may act upon and dispose of
such Problem Transmission as it deems prudent under the circumstances in its sole
discretion, including but not limited to destroying all or any part of the Problem
Transmission, returning all or any part of the Problem Transmission to you, holding
all or any part of the Problem Transmission as potential evidence, and turning over
all or any part of the Problem Transmission over to any government agent or
authority, and monitoring other messages or transmissions from you or others where
SmartDraw.com deems such monitoring necessary or helpful to protect itself or
others. SmartDraw.com shall use good faith best efforts to avoid intruding upon
your privacy when possible, though in no event shall such obligations apply so as to
place SmartDraw.com or other persons or entities at possible legal or other risk
relating to your transmissions or your other activities.
Disclaimer Of Warranty. All Content and other information and materials
received or available through SmartDrawNet and any Image Site are provided
on an "As Is" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied,
including, but not limited to, any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness
for a particular purpose, title and non-infringement. Neither SmartDraw.com
nor any other supplier of information, products or services at SmartDrawNet
makes any warranty that SmartDrawNet or any products or services at
SmartDrawNet will be available without interruption, timely, secure, or error
free, nor that SmartDrawNet or any products or services at SmartDrawNet is
free of viruses or other harmful software, data or materials.
Assumption of Risk. You understand that your access to and use of SmartDrawNet,
or any Content, products or services at SmartDrawNet, is entirely at your own risk. If
you are dissatisfied with or injured by any of SmartDrawNet's Content, products or
services, your sole remedy is to discontinue your access to and use of such Content,
product or service.
Third Party Sites. You acknowledge that SmartDraw.com has no control
whatsoever over the contents of third party web sites that link to or from
SmartDrawNet or any Image Site. SmartDraw.com makes no assurance whatever
that such third party content will be accurate, legal and/or inoffensive. Furthermore,
SmartDraw.com does not endorse the content of any third party web site, whether or
not it is linked to SmartDrawNet, nor can SmartDraw.com warrant that such third
party sites and/or content will not contain viruses or otherwise impact your
computer. You understand and agree that neither SmartDraw.com, nor its owners,
executives, employees or affiliated entities shall be responsible for damages or losses
resulting from your use or accessing of any third party web sites or any of the
content, services, products or features contained therein.
Damage to Equipment or Data. Neither SmartDraw.com nor its owners,
executives, employees, officers, directors or affiliated entities shall be responsible for
any of the following: (a) damage caused to your computer or viruses which may
affect your computer as a result of accessing SmartDrawNet or any Image Site, or
utilizing any of the services, data or products at SmartDrawNet; or (b) any damage or
loss to any of your data, files or correspondence posted, housed, or stored on
SmartDraw.com's computer systems or servers.
User Generated Content. SmartDraw.com is not responsible to any third party for
any injuries or damage caused by user generated Content, including but not limited
SmartDraw 7 Help
to all Image Sites and all Content on Image Sites. You acknowledge that: (a) none of
the user generated Content on SmartDrawNet, including without limitation web
pages, photos, artwork, images, articles, text, links, and data files, necessarily
represents the view or opinions of SmartDraw.com, and (b) SmartDraw.com has no
policy or business practice of previewing of user generated Content prior to its
appearance on SmartDrawNet.
Limitation of Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, under
no circumstances shall SmartDraw.com be liable to you, or anyone claiming
under or through you, for any indirect, incidental, special or consequential
damages, including, but not limited to, damages for loss of profits, use, data or
other intangibles, even if SmartDraw.com has been advised of the possibility of
such damages, that result from the use, or inability to use, SmartDrawNet or
any products or services at SmartDrawNet, from any changes to SmartDrawNet
or any products or services at SmartDrawNet, from information, data or other
materials available on SmartDrawNet, or from alteration of, or any access to,
your transmissions, data, or information regarding your activities at
SmartDrawNet or any Image Site. Some jurisdictions do not allow the
limitation or exclusion of incidental, consequential or other types of damages, so
some of the above limitations may not apply to you.
Indemnity. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless SmartDraw.com
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SmartDraw 7 Help
SmartDraw Tutorials
The Easy Solution for Business Diagramming

SmartDraw is the perfect tool for creating all kinds of business diagrams, from
flowcharts and org charts to floor plans, calendars and technical diagrams. With
built-in libraries containing thousands of symbols and ready-made templates,
SmartDraw helps you get started fast and draw professional looking charts and
diagrams in no time.
Check out the following tutorials to learn how SmartDraw can help you with your
business diagramming needs:
Click for Tutorials:
Creating Flowcharts with SmartDraw
Creating Organizational Charts with SmartDraw
Creating Gantt Charts with SmartDraw
Creating Calendars with SmartDraw
Creating Floor Plans with SmartDraw
Creating Software Design Diagrams with SmartDraw
Creating Network Design Diagrams with SmartDraw
Creating Engineering Diagrams with SmartDraw
Creating Flowcharts with SmartDraw
Flowchart Basics
A flowchart is a diagram that illustrates the steps in a process. By allowing you to
visualize the process, a flowchart can quickly help identify bottlenecks or
inefficiencies where the process can be streamlined or improved.
Example: Two Flowcharts for the Same Process
The following whimsical example illustrates the basic use of a flowchart.
Two Flowcharts for the Same Process

The two flowcharts show at a glance that you omit two decisions and two order steps
by using the streamlined order process.
Basic Flowcharting Shapes
Flowcharts use special shapes to represent different types of actions or steps in a
process. Lines with arrowheads indicate the flow of the process from one step to
another.
SmartDraw 7 Help
SmartDraw Tutorials 219
A Simple Flowchart
A complete flowchart always identifies the starting and ending points of a process,
the sequence of actions in the process, and the decision or branching points along the
way.
The Flowchart Wizard

When you open any flowchart template, the Flowchart Wizard appears in The Left
Panel.
SmartDraw 7 Help

The Wizard provides shortcuts to the most frequently used flowcharting tools and
offers tips on how to use them.
Simply click on any of the buttons at the top of the Wizard, such as Add Shapes or
Add Lines to find the tools and tips you need for your task.
Exclusive Wizard Functions
Two important functions found only in the Flowchart Wizard are Auto Flow and
Line Hops, which are not available from the standard program menu bar.
Hiding the Wizard
You can switch back and forth between the Wizard and the Symbol Explorer by
clicking on the tabs marked Wizards and Symbols near the top of the panel.
If you need to hide the Left Panel entirely, you can close it by clicking on the X box
in its upper right corner. To get the Left Panel (and the Wizard) back again, choose
Show Left Panel from the View menu.
Adding Shapes to Your Flowchart

You can add shapes to your chart by dragging them directly from the toolbar or
symbol libraries, or by using The Flowchart Wizard.
Adding a Shape with the Wizard
The Flowchart Wizard opens in The Left Panel any time you open a flowchart
template. Just choose the Add Shapes button in the Wizard, and follow the
directions to add a shape to your drawing.

After adding a shape, you can use the black handles to resize or rotate the symbol in
your drawing, if necessary.
If you prefer, rather than use the Wizard, you can simply drag shapes from the
standard Shape buttons on The Drawing Toolbar, or from libraries docked in The
Left Panel or The Document Toolbar.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Dragging a shape from the Drawing Toolbar

Specialized Flowchart Symbols
Some businesses or disciplines, such as banking or TQM, use specialized flowchart
shapes for their unique processes. SmartDraw contains some of these in its Symbol
Libraries.
You can find additional libraries of flowchart symbols by browsing through the
Flowcharting category in The Explorer Panel. To speed your search, you can type
the name of the symbol, or of the business field (such as TQM) in the search box
and let SmartDraw find matching libraries for you.
Connecting Your Flowchart Shapes with Lines

The shapes in your flowchart are connected by lines, which show the direction of the
process flow.
Flowchart shapes can be connected by Straight Lines, Segmented Lines, or even
Auto Connectors (although this last connector is an advanced technique, and should
not be confused with the Auto Flow feature for flowcharts.)
To connect two shapes with a straight line, click on the Straight Line Tool
on the toolbar and release.
Now your cursor looks like a pencil. Touch the pencil to the edge of one shape and
click down with the mouse (you'll see black dots on the edge of the shape). Drag the
pencil to the edge of another shape, and release.
Start drawing the line from the edge of the first shape
And anchor the line to the edge of the second shape
The black dots are called Connection Points. These points mark the places where a
shape can be attached to a line or another shape. When you see Connection Points,
you know your shape is ready to be attached to something. The Anchor Symbol
appears when a line is anchored to the edge of a shape.
Once connected, lines and shapes stay connected, even if they are moved or
stretched.
Shapes stay connected even when one is moved

To detach a line from a shape, click on the line and drag the round black handle
away from the shape.
Drag the round handle to detach a line

See also What is Linking?
Using Automatic Line Connection (Auto Flow) in

Flowcharts
The SmartDraw Flowchart Edition contains a special feature known as Automatic
Line Connection, or Auto Flow. When Auto Flow is turned on (as it is by default in
flowchart templates), SmartDraw will automatically draw segmented lines between
your shapes as you add them to your drawing.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Auto Flow Lines are drawn when the following conditions are met:
1.
The feature is turned on by clicking the checkbox in the Add Lines panel in
the The Flowchart Wizard.
2.
You drag a shape from a SmartDraw library (or toolbar) into the drawing,
while the previous shape is still selected.
3.
The shapes do not overlap or lie within 24 pixels of each other.
The properties of Auto Flow lines in flowcharts are as follows:

4.
The line is created with the segmented line shape currently selected in the
toolbar (curved or straight). The line appears with the current default properties for
lines specified in your diagram.
5.
If arrowheads are turned on, the arrowhead should ALWAYS point to the
newly created shape, no matter which direction the default is.
Using the Auto Flow feature allows you to rapidly draw a flowchart step-by-step
without having to manually link the shapes with lines.
Adding Arrowheads to Your Flowchart Lines

SmartDraw can automatically add arrowheads to your flow lines. Just select any line
in your drawing (by clicking on it), and then choose Arrowheads from the Lines
menu. Choose the style of arrowhead you want, and SmartDraw automatically adds
it to your line and to any future lines in this drawing. (Until you change the
setting again).
Choose a type of arrowhead from the Arrowheads dialog
Creating Line Hops In Flowcharts

Line hops indicate flow lines that cross without intersecting. A well-designed
flowchart requires as few line hops as possible.
Line hops work only for lines created with the straight line, arc, and segmented
line tools on the toolbar. (Not for Automatic connectors or shapes created with the
Freehand Drawing tools.)
You can create a line hop by right-clicking on the line to bring up the Line Hops
dialog. (You can also access this feature from the Add Line Hops button in the The
Flowchart Wizard.)
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Line Hops Dialog

For line hops to appear, the Line Hops feature must be turned on for the whole
document (by choosing the Show button), and for the individual line you have
clicked on (by checking Show hops where this line crosses over other lines.)
The style (round or square) and size (small, medium, or large) of the line hops are set
for the entire document, not for individual hops.
If the line being hopped over is a double line (from the Line Style menu), or simply
two single lines drawn close together, the hopping line will make just one hop
spanning both lines.
Line hops rely on the Front-to-Back order to know which one is on top. The line in
front will have the hop (bend) in it. If your preferred line does not have the hop,
youll need to bring it to the front by selecting it and choosing Bring to Front from
the Arrange menu. See Changing the Front-to-Back Order.
A line may have no more than 32 hops. If the position of a line hop conflicts with an
arrowhead, the arrowhead overrules the hop.
Entering Text in Your Flowchart Shapes

To enter text in a shape, simply select any shape in your drawing (by clicking on its
border) and start typing. It's that easy!
SmartDraw shapes are designed to automatically contain your text and carry it with
them wherever they go. They also control the size of the text, to keep it from spilling
out of the shape.
If you enter more text than will fit in the shape, the text will start to shrink to
accommodate more.
See Automatic Text Resizing for more details.

Your text can be edited and its style modified using the commands on the Text menu
or the buttons on the text toolbar, as in any other Window program.
See also Text Entry Properties.
Arranging and Aligning Flowchart Shapes

SmartDraw helps keep your shapes aligned by snapping them to an invisible grid that
lies behind the drawing area. But frequently, you'll want to adjust or reposition your
shapes, and SmartDraw helps you do that with several alignment tools.
First, select the objects you want to arrange. Do this by clicking on each object in
turn (while holding down the Shift key).
The last object you click displays black selection handles and is called the Target
Object. When you use the Align or Make Same Size commands all the selected
objects will be aligned or sized to match the target object.
When you choose the Space Evenly command, the objects at each end of the series
stay fixed, and the others are spaced evenly between them.
See Arranging Objects for more details
Making Fine Adjustments to the Position of

Flowchart Shapes
To move any line or object in the smallest possible increments (1 pixel at a time)
select the object you want to move, and nudge it with the arrow keys. This technique
is much more precise than moving objects with the mouse.
To correct a crooked connecting line, the shape on the right is nudged upward using
the arrow keys.
Using Tables for Flowchart Swimlanes

Flowcharts that use swimlanes are often called Deployment Flowcharts. These charts
show how the steps of a process are divided among various departments or people.
They can be drawn on top of a table in which each column (swimlane) represents a
person or a department involved in the process.
SmartDraw 7 Help
A Deployment Flowchart using Swimlanes

For a complete discussion of tables, see What are Tables? in the Reference Guide.
Adding Flowchart Shapes to Your Swimlane Table
Once your table is laid out, you can start adding flowchart shapes as you would for
any other flowchart. Note: Your shapes will lie on top of the table, not actually inside
the cells. If you move or adjust your table, you will also have to readjust the shapes
separately.
Start creating your flowchart on top of the table

Before adding text to the shapes, you will want to prohibit text entry in the table
itself, so it doesnt try to interact with the flowchart that lies on top of it.
You may also want to lock the entire table using the Lock Object command under
the Arrange menu to prevent your flowchart symbols from interacting with the table.
For more information see:
What are Tables?

Locking Objects
Changing the Appearance of Objects in Your

Flowchart
Your first flowchart will probably start out as simple black-and-white lines and
shapes. Maybe that is all you will ever need.
But SmartDraw can also help you create dramatically colored shapes, shadows,
fancy line styles, and even entire, automatic color schemes for your chart.
Changing the Appearance of Lines
Flowcharts can use a variety of line styles to represent different relationships
between steps. For example, you may want to use a dashed or dotted line to show a
conditional or unknown process. You can create thick lines, thin lines, dashed lines,
double lines, colored lines, or any of a variety of styles using the commands under
the Lines menu. See Changing the Appearance of Lines for more details.
Changing the Shape of Lines
SmartDraw offers two kinds of segmented lines for drawing flowcharts, one with
square corners, and one with curves. You can instantly switch from one to the other
using the Segmented Line Tool on The Drawing Toolbar.
You can change the shape of lines that have already been drawn by right-clicking on
the line and choosing the Change Line Shape command.
As with lines, SmartDraw can change the appearance of your flowchart shapes. You
can change the fill color, border color, border thickness, border style (dotted, etc),
shading and other attributes using the commands under the Shapes menu. You can
also change these properties for an existing shape by right-clicking on it and using
the commands on the right-click menu. See Changing the Appearance of Shapes for
details.
Applying a Style (Color Scheme) to Your Flowchart

You can instantly make your flowchart look polished and professional by choosing
one of the ready-made SmartDraw color schemes.
SmartDraw 7 Help
To color your flowchart, just choose Colors and Shadows from the View menu and
select one of the ready-made styles. Your whole drawing will be instantly converted
to the new style.
For details on using these styles see Colors and Shadows.
Tips for Drawing Effective Flowcharts

1) Put a title on each chart identifying the process that it illustrates. (For example:
"Order Entry Process").
2) Put the author's name and the date on each chart.
3) Clearly indicate the starting and ending points of the process, using the standard
terminator symbols.
4) Keep the direction of flow consistent. Avoid confusion by keeping your flow lines
moving from top to bottom and left to right. Don't reverse the direction in the chart
unless the flow reverses itself in reality.
5) Number your steps.
6) Break the steps down to a consistent level of detail. Don't include trivial sub-steps
of one task while treating another equivalent task as a whole. If a single step or task
needs to be analyzed in detail, make a separate chart illustrating that sub-process. (In
SmartDraw, you can hyperlink the shape representing a sub-process to a separate
chart that illustrates it, allowing users to "drill down" for more detail.) See
Hyperlinking to Files and Web Pages.
7) Avoid crossing flow lines if possible. In a well-designed chart, flow lines will
seldom cross each other. By rearranging a chart you can usually get rid of crossed
lines. If two lines must cross, use a Line Hop to show that the lines do not intersect.
8) Make sure there are at least two outcomes from every decision diamond.
9) Label your flowchart components. Use active verbs to label activity steps and
questions to label decisions. Clearly label the lines that flow out from your decision
diamonds in terms that answer the question, whether its a simple Yes or No or a
more complex output, such as Dissolves in Acid, Dissolves in Base or Dissolves
in Water.
10) Try to design and label your chart so clearly that it could be read and understood
by a new employee, five years from now, without you or anyone else to explain it to
them.
Flowchart Examples
Click here to see examples of flowcharts created with SmartDraw. (This will open
your web browser and take you to the SmartDraw.com web site). Or just visit
SmartDraw.com and explore the Flowchart Learning Center in the Resources
section.
Creating Organizational Charts with SmartDraw
Org Chart Basics

Organizational charts, also known as organization charts or org charts, are
hierarchical diagrams that illustrate the relationships among personnel, departments,
or divisions in an organization.
They are drawn as either horizontal or vertical trees with labeled geometric shapes
representing personnel or business units.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Basic Organizational Chart Shapes

Org charts consist of simple geometric shapes (usually rectangles) and connecting
lines as illustrated below.
Organizational Chart Terminology

In this guide we will refer to parts of the organizational chart using the terms below:
The Org Chart Wizard

When you open any org chart template, the Org Chart Wizard appears in The Left
Panel.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Org Chart Wizard

The Wizard provides shortcuts to the most frequently used org charting tools and
Simply click on any of the buttons at the top of the Wizard, such as Add Shapes or
Add a Connector to learn how to accomplish that task.
Exclusive Wizard Functions
The following exclusive org chart functions are found only in the Org Chart Wizard
and are not available from the standard program menu bar.
1) Make Equal Sized Boxes
2) No Overlap
3) Org Chart Import
4) Org Chart Export
Hiding the Wizard
Using Automatic Connectors to Create Org Charts

The Automatic Connector is a special line in SmartDraw that arranges the objects
connected to it into pre-configured patterns. This line will form the backbone of all
your SmartDraw org charts.
SmartDraw offers dozens of pre-configured org chart connectors from the
Connector tool on The Drawing Toolbar.
Selecting an Org Chart Connector
When you open an Org Chart template, you will find the most commonly used of
these automatic connectors in a symbol library docked at the top of the drawing area.
This is called a Document Toolbar.
A Docked Symbol Library of Connectors

If you open an org chart template that contains a ready-made chart, you will
already have an Automatic Connector on your page to work with.
On the other hand, if you start with an Empty template, youll need to add a new
Automatic Connector to your drawing. Simply drag and drop one of the preconfigured connectors from the document toolbar, or the drawing toolbar, onto the
page. Choose the one configured most like the chart you want to create.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Adding, Moving, and Rearranging Org Chart Boxes

Adding a New Box to the Connector
You can add additional boxes to an org chart connector by simply
dragging them from the Shape buttons on the toolbar.
When you move a box near the hot zone of an automatic connector, the connector
will try to grab it, and dashed outlines will indicate the position where the box will
rest if you release it.
Releasing the mouse allows the connector to grab the box. The connector
automatically expands to accommodate the new box.
Linking a new box to an Automatic Connector

Dragging a box away from the automatic connector detaches it, and then the
remaining boxes move together to fill the space.
Dragging a box from one connection point to another changes the order of the boxes.
Re-arranging boxes linked to an Automatic Connector
Adding a New Branch to Your Org Chart

To add an entire new branch below a position (box) in your chart, select a branch of
the desired configuration from the Automatic Connector menu, and drag it to your
drawing area.
Dragging an Org Chart Branch

Drop it on the page below the place where you want to attach it. If you need to move
it, click on the connector line and drag it with the mouse.
When you have the branch positioned below the box you want to attach it to, drag
the black handle at the top of its main stem up to that box and link it to one of the
Connection Points.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Attaching a new branch to a box in an org chart

Attaching Connectors to Each Other
You can also link one automatic connector to an existing one above it to create a
hierarchy of connector branches. See Creating Hierarchical Org Chart Trees for
details.
Org Chart with two linked connectors
Changing an Org Chart Connectors Shape

If you want to change the shape (configuration) of your org chart connector line,
right-click on the connector and choose a new shape from the Change Connector
Shape menu.
You can continue to change the shape of the connector until you find the one that
suits your needs. The Flip command under the Arrange menu can also be used to
create mirror-image variations.
Adjusting the Spacing of an Org Chart Connector

You can adjust nearly every parameter of the spacing of lines and boxes on your org
chart using a variety of adjustment handles that appear when the Automatic
Connector is selected (clicked on).
The illustration below identifies the various control handles on an organization
branch.
Even Spacing
Normally, the automatic connector maintains even spacing between the edges of all
boxes attached to it. The size of these spaces is controlled using the grow handles at
each end of the main connector line.
To change the spacing between the boxes, select the connector by clicking on it,
move your mouse over the grow handle until you see the resizing cursor, and then
drag the grow handle to expand or shrink the connector spacing.
By reducing the spacing between boxes, you can make your organization chart more
compact:
SmartDraw 7 Help
Uneven Spacing
You can also change the spacing between individual subordinate boxes using the
adjustment diamond-shaped adjustment handles that appear on the main line near the
stem of each box.
If a person or division in your chart has more subordinates than another, uneven
spacing between the branches will create a better-looking chart.
When the No Overlap option is turned on, SmartDraw will automatically adjust the
spacing of the branches so they cant overlap.
Resizing the Stems
You can also adjust the stem length the distance between the boxes and the main
line by clicking and dragging on the grow handles located where the stem meets
the box.
By adjusting the length of the main line and the stems, you can make your
organizational chart more compact.
Tucking Away Loose Ends

Some connector arrangements have two lines that stick out at each end of the main
line. You can use these side arms to connect the main line to other boxes or other
branches. To hide these side arms, grab the end handle and tuck it under the main
line. If you want the side arm back later, just select the connector, then grab the end
handle and pull it back out.
Tucking Away a Side Arm
Attaching a Branch to Other Objects

The top stem of your branch has a handle that allows you to connect the entire
branch to a parent box or a parent connector. For your branch to connect to
something else, you must have the Allow Lines to Link setting turned on under the
Arrange menu. It is turned on by default.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Position your branch below a parent object, then grab the grow handle and stretch it
until it attaches to the link points of the object above.
Stretch the top grow handle until it attaches to the parent object
Once the branch is attached, you can close the space between the parent object and
the branch by clicking and dragging the grow handle where the main stem meets the
main line.
Bringing the main line closer to the parent box
Org Chart Connector Hot Zones

Automatic connectors are programmed to grab objects that come near them. This
area is called the connector's hot zone. You can think of this hot zone as an invisible
rectangle around the connector you see on the page. When an object enters the hot
zone, the connector grabs it.
An Automatic Connector Hot Zone
When there is more than one connector on the page, it may be hard to predict which
connector will grab your object. To help you understand how this works, you can
think of the objects in your drawing as a vertical stack of blocks. Objects drawn
earlier are on the bottom of the stack while objects drawn later are at the top of the
stack. The connector drawn last is the connector that's on top.
When you move an object over the page, the top hot zone will grab it. To allow a
connector lower in the stack to grab your object, click on the top connector and go to
the Arrange menu and choose Send to Back. This will send the top connector to the
back and allow the object to be grabbed by the next connector in the stack.
Locking a Connector
Sometimes an automatic connector will try to grab an object (or another connector)
that you are trying to place independently on the page. To prevent this, you can
temporarily lock the grabbing connector. This turns off its hot zones and allows you
to move or position your other objects freely.
To lock a connector, select it by clicking on it, then choose Lock Object from the
Arrange menu. This will turn the connectors handles from black to gray, and you
will no longer be able to resize or otherwise adjust it until you unlock it again.
While locked, the connector will not try to grab objects dragged near it.
A locked connector has gray handles
Creating Hierarchical Org Chart Trees

Automatic connectors can be linked to each other to create elaborate charts with any
number of branches. Just drag an entire branch (by dragging the connector line itself)
into the appropriate hot zone and drop it into place.
SmartDraw 7 Help
To represent organizational hierarchy, you can attach a branch to a box that hangs
from another branch. To do this, move the new branch as close to the box as possible
without crossing the main connector's hot zone. If you find yourself fighting the
connectors hot zone, lock down the main connector so that it cant grab anything.
Place the subordinate branch outside the hot zone

To attach the subordinate branch, grab the grow handle on the top stem and stretch it
toward the box above. When you see the anchor cursor, let go and the branch will
attach.
Attach the subordinate branch using the grow handle on the stem
Using Columnar Branches to Save Space
To save horizontal space, instead of inserting horizontal branches, you can use
columnar branches to represent groups of peers.
Columnar branches facing left should be attached at the three-fourths point on the
box and columnar branches facing right should be attached at the one-fourth point on
the box. That way the subordinates are tucked under their supervisors.
Unhooking Branches
To unhook a branch, click on the connector line to select it, then grab the grow
handle at the end of the stem, where it is connected to its parent object, and pull it
away.
Unhooking a Branch
Adding Staff or Assistants
Staff positions such as those of secretaries and administrative assistants are typically
not included in the vertical hierarchy of an organizational chart. Instead, they are
attached horizontally to a stem below their supervisor.
SmartDraw 7 Help
An example of a side staff branch

Sometimes as you try to move the staff branch into position, you will find the
automatic connector trying to grab it before you can position it properly. To avoid
this problem, you can do the following:
1) Unhook the branch from the box above it.
Unhooking the main branch from the supervisor box

2) Once it is unhooked, move the main branch away from the supervisor box so you
can bring the staff branch closer without activating the connectors hot zone. Using
the line tool, draw a vertical line from the supervisor box, mimicking a branch stem.
Drawing a fake branch stem

3) Extend the staff branch using its grow handle so that it attaches to the newly
drawn stem.
Attaching the staff branch

4) Reattach the main branch to the box using the grow handle at the top of the main
connector stem. To avoid accidentally attaching the main branch to the staff branch,
lock the staff branch from the Arrange menu.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Reattach the main branch to its supervisor after adding side staff
Adding Text to Your Org Charts

To enter text in a shape (usually a box) on your org chart, simply select any shape
(by clicking on its border) and start typing. It's that easy!
SmartDraw shapes are designed to automatically contain your text and carry it with
them wherever they go. They also control the size of the text, to keep it from spilling
out of the shape.
If you enter more text than will fit in the shape, the text will start to shrink to
accommodate more.
See Automatic Text Resizing for more details.

You change the alignment or style of the text using the commands on the Text menu
or the buttons on the text toolbar, as in other Windows programs.
Creating Multiple Text Entry Areas with Tables
If you want to enter more than one row or column of text in a box, you can convert
your box into a table. Select the box by clicking on it and from the Table menu
choose Convert to Table.
When you use the Org Chart Import feature, SmartDraw automatically makes each
box a table and puts the data from each imported field in separate cells stacked one
atop another.
Equal Sized Boxes in Org Charts

SmartDraw can automatically make all the boxes in your org chart the same size. To
use this function choose Equal Sized Boxes in the Clean up the Chart panel found
in The Org Chart Wizard.
SmartDraw finds the largest box in the chart and resizes all the other boxes to match.
Before Equal Sizing
SmartDraw 7 Help
After Equal Sizing

The Equal Sized Boxes function is only available from The Org Chart Wizard and
cannot be found on the program toolbars.
If you want to make only some of the boxes in your chart the same size, but not all of
them, use the Make Same Size command under the Arrange menu.
No Overlap in Org Charts

No Overlap is a property of an Org Chart document that prevents subordinate
branches from overlapping each other. By default, this property is turned on in Org
Chart Templates, to prevent your chart from looking messy. If you try to overlap
branches while this feature is turned on, SmartDraw wont let you.
If you want complete control over the position of the branches in your chart, you can
turn off No Overlap in the Clean up the Chart panel found in the The Org Chart
Wizard.
If a chart was created with No Overlap turned on, then turning it off can implode the
chart into an overlapped state. Therefore turning it off is generally not recommended
except when a chart was created with No Overlap turned off, or in special cases
where an unusually compressed structure is needed.
Importing Org Charts from Data Files

SmartDraw can automatically draw (or update) an org chart from an imported data
file. This function is available only from the Import Org Chart button in the The
Org Chart Wizard.
You can import a file having either of two structures:
1) A tab-indented text file
2) An ID-formatted text file (where hierarchy is indicated by supervisor names or ID
numbers). This is the format used by Org Plus.
In either of these file types, the fields can be separated by any one of a number of
delimiters, including tabs, commas, colons, dashes and many others available from
the Field Separator drop-down list in the Import Org Chart dialog. A line break
(CR/LF) indicates the end of each record.
The text file can have any extension, but SmartDraw will automatically browse for
*.TXT and *.CSV (the default Excel comma-separated format).
Automatic Chart Updating
SmartDraw can automatically update your existing org chart by re-importing an
updated data file. All formatting in the existing chart (color scheme, style, font, etc.)
is preserved during an update.
How to Import an Org Chart from a Data File
When you click on Import Org Chart in the The Org Chart Wizard, the Org Chart
Import dialog appears.
The Org Chart Import Dialog

Field Parsing Options
Get Field Labels from First Row: If your chart has labels such as Name Title
etc., in the first row, SmartDraw can use them to identify the fields in the chart. If it
does not have field titles, uncheck this option.
Show Labels in Org Chart Allows you to display or hide the field labels (if any)
in the finished chart.
Field Separator Allows you to specify the character that separates the fields in
your data file, such as comma, tab, etc. (If the list of records to be imported, at
the bottom of this dialog, looks jumbled, be sure to check that the right separator is
chosen here.) You can place quotes around field data if you need to use your
delimiter character (such as a comma) in that field.
Record Sorting Options
SmartDraw will try to detect the hierarchical sorting and select the appropriate
option for you. If it cannot, you can specify the sorting manually. The two options
are:
1) Assume Hierarchy from Indentation If your file uses indentation (by any
delimiter) to indicate hierarchy, select this option. Example:
A file using Tab indentation
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2) Create Hierarchy by Matching This is the traditional Org Plus method, in

which a name or ID number in each record is matched to a supervisor name or ID
number in another record. Example:
Matching Fields
If you choose Create Hierarchy by Matching you must indicate which fields match
to with which. SmartDraw will try to figure this out for you. If it cannot, you can
manually specify the field matching using the drop-down lists.
Choosing Fields to match for Import
Matched fields ready for import
Field Import Options

You can choose whether any given field will be imported and, if so, whether it will
be visible in the org chart.
Field Import Options

Click on the colored arrow next to the field name on the gray header buttons to
choose one of the three options for that field:
View Field in Org Chart
Hide Field in Org Chart
Do Not Import Field

Right-Click Menu: Assign Field
Each box in an imported org chart is a Table containing one cell for each imported
field (unless the field is hidden). The cells are stacked one atop another.
If you right-click on any cell in the table, the Assign Field command allows you to
specify which data field occupies that cell in that box. Other boxes in the chart are
not affected.
Right-Click Menu: Field Name
If you right-click on any cell in the box, the Field Name command allows you to
specify the appearance of all the field names in that box at once. If None is selected,
field names are hidden.
Full Label places the field name to the left of your field data in the cell. Top Label
places the field name in the upper left corner of the cell.
You can also specify the font and color of the field names using the controls on this
menu.
Rules and Behavior of the Org Chart Import Function

The Org Chart Import function interprets the data file according to the following
rules:
1) When updating an existing chart, if more than one Connector tree exists in the
document, SmartDraw updates either the one selected (if any) or the one that was
created first.
2) The import will delete any non-shape objects (such as images or symbols) linked to a
Connector.
3) If no Connector line is found in the document, SmartDraw will create a new one
using a default box shape to contain the data records.
4) The fields in each data record (unless hidden or not imported) will be stacked one
atop another in the boxes. Each box is a Table, and each field occupies a separate
cell in the table.
5) An imported Org Chart always has the No Overlap option turned on.
Exporting Org Charts to Data Files

The Org Chart Export function relies on many of the same features found in the
Org Chart Import function (only in reverse), so a careful reading of that section will
help you understand the export behavior.
Rules and Behaviors of the Org Chart Export:
1) Exporting creates a text file with tab-indented hierarchy, commas as field separators,
and a line break (CR/LF) at the end of each record.
2) Each position (box) in the chart produces one record.
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3) Field Names are exported to the first record of the text file if any box in the chart has
visible field names.
4) All data fields are exported, with the following exceptions:
a.
If a field was globally hidden on import, it will be invisible in the chart, but
appended as the last field in each record on export.
b.
If a visible field has been Unassigned from a particular table cell in a particular box,
that instance of the field data will not be exported.
5) If a box contains multiple rows of text with line breaks (CR/LF) between rows, each
row will be exported as a separate field, as if it were in a table cell. If the text is
simply one long string wrapped into several rows, it will export as one field.
6) Empty table cells (fields) are exported as a delimiter.
7) If a box contains no text and no table, it is skipped.
8) If a document contains two or more separate org charts (separate Automatic
Connector trees), only one will be exported at a time, either (a) the chart containing
an object that is selected, or (b) if nothing is selected, the chart that was created first.
Changing the Appearance of Your Org Chart

SmartDraw gives you complete control over the colors, line styles, arrowheads,
background color and all other visual aspects of your chart.
You can change the appearance and properties of your Connector lines using the
commands under the Lines menu. See Changing the Appearance of Lines for more
details.
You can add arrowheads to your Connector lines using the Arrowheads command
under the Lines menu.
Color Schemes
You can instantly make your entire org chart look polished and professional by
choosing one of the ready-made color schemes that SmartDraw offers.
An Org Chart with a color scheme applied

To color your entire org chart all at once, just choose Colors and Shadows from the
View menu and select one of the ready-made styles. Your whole drawing will be
instantly converted to the new style.
For details on using these styles see Colors and Shadows.
Adding Graphics to Org Charts

You can create a sophisticated org chart by adding graphics or photos. You can add
your company logo, photos of employees, and other bitmap graphics by using the
Insert Object command under the Edit menu, or by pasting them in from other
programs.
A SmartDraw Org Chart Using Imported Graphics
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Organizational Chart Examples

Click here to see examples of org charts created with SmartDraw. (This will open
SmartDraw.com and explore the Org Chart Learning Center in the Resources
section.
The Easy Solution for Gantt Charts & Calendars

SmartDraw is the perfect tool for creating all kinds of
diagrams, from Gantt charts, timelines and project charts to calendars and planners.
With built-in libraries containing thousands of symbols and ready-made templates,
SmartDraw helps you get started fast and draw professional looking charts and
calendars in no time.
business diagramming needs:
Gantt Chart Basics
SmartDraw is ideal for creating Gantt Charts (also referred to as project timelines)
quickly and easily.
Gantt charts are essentially bar graphs that help plan and monitor project
development, resource allocation, or event scheduling on a horizontal time scale.
Typically, Gantt charts indicate the duration of project tasks, but they can also be
used to indicate, for example, the relationship between tasks, the cost of each task,
the person or persons responsible for each task, and the milestones in a project's
development.
Gantt charts are often used by supervisors to schedule employee work shifts, easily
indicating at a glance how many workers are on duty at any given time.
Similarly, Gantt charts can show the demand for resources over time:
Gantt Chart Elements

The basic graphic elements required to make a Gantt chart include tables, Gantt bars,
milestone markers, and link lines.
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The Gantt Chart Wizard

When you open any Gantt Chart template, the Gantt Chart Wizard appears in The
Left Panel.
The Gantt Chart Wizard

The Wizard provides a step-by-step guide to creating Gantt Charts, along with
shortcuts to the most frequently used tools and tips on how to use them.
Simply click on any of the buttons at the top of the Wizard, such as Change Colors
or Add a Symbol to learn how to accomplish that task.
Hiding the Wizard
Using Tables for Gantt Charts

The basic structure of a Gantt Chart is a table.
You can create a new table by clicking on the Table button on the toolbar or by
picking Add New Table from the Table menu.
Formatting Your Gantt Table

You can set the number of rows and columns in your table with the Format Table
command under the Table menu. (SmartDraw will present this dialog box when you
create your new table.) You can also choose from a list of ready-made table formats.
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After creating the table, if you need to add or delete rows or columns, just select the
appropriate area in your table and choose Insert Cells or Delete Cells in the Table
menu. You can select an entire row or column by moving your cursor to the table's
edge until you see a thick, black arrow, as shown below, and then clicking once.
Selecting an Entire Table Column

To avoid problems later on, you should try to determine the number of rows and
columns in your table before joining and splitting cells, or fine-tuning the formatting.
See Inserting Rows, Columns and Cells.
Joining and Splitting Gantt Table Cells

Your table need not be a simple grid. You can join and split cells to create complex
structures suited to your particular needs.
To join cells into one larger cell, select the table cells and choose Join Cells from the
Table menu. To split a cell into two equal-size cells, choose Split Cells from the
Table menu.
Joining Cells in a Gantt Chart Table

After the Join Cells operation above, the table looks like this:
You can keep joining and splitting cells until you find the format that suits your
needs.
See Joining and Splitting Cells in the Table section for more details.
Changing the Appearance of Your Gantt Table

You can change nearly every aspect of the appearance of your Gantt table, from the
style of the lines, to colors of the cells, to the typeface of the text. See the following
topics in the Table section for details:
Changing the Appearance of a Table
Applying Changes to Selected Cells
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Formatting Gantt Chart Rows and Columns

You can customize the height or width of any individual row or column by simply
dragging the grid lines to their desired position.
Dragging a grid line to change the height of a row

See:
Adding Text to Your Gantt Chart

To add text to any cell, click once inside the cell. When you see the text editing
cursor, you can simply start typing. If you type more text than will fit in the cell,
SmartDraw will allow the text to shrink to a set size before increasing the size of the
cell to accommodate your growing text.
To add text to any cell, click once inside the cell and type
You can change the growing and shrinking behavior of your text in the Text Entry
Properties dialog. You can change the attributes of the text (such as the font, color,
size, and alignment) of the text in your Gantt table using all the familiar text
commands found on the text toolbar.
See also:
Auto Fill
The row and column headers in a Gantt table are frequently a series of days, months,
or years.
Auto-filled column headers

SmartDraw can create these series for you, with the AutoFill command under the
Table menu. See AutoFill for details
Adding Task Bars to Your Gantt Chart

Horizontal task bars indicate the duration of the tasks or project steps in a Gantt
chart. Gantt chart task bars can appear in an infinite variety of styles and colors.
They may be thick, thin, dotted, or dashed. They may have arrowheads or round
ends. They may be filled with patterns. Whatever works to convey your message is
the right style.
SmartDraw provides a library of ready-made Gantt Bars configured for easy use in
your Gantt charts.
To add a task bar to your Gantt chart, click on that button in your Gantt Bar symbol
library and drag the bar into your table.
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As you drag your bar over the table, the link point at one end (indicated by a black
dot on the dashed outline of the moving bar) will try to snap itself to the table cells.
When the bar is in approximately the position you want, release it.
Line ready to link to Table Cell

Now one end of your bar, marked by a round black handle, is linked to the table.
The other end (with the square handle) will link when you grab it and stretch it to the
point you want.
One end linked to table
After stretching, both ends linked to table
The ready-made Gantt bars are designed to stretch horizontally. To stretch the bar,
click on the round black handle at either end and drag it. You can also drag it up or
down and link it to a cell in a different row. If you want to move the entire bar to a
different row, drag first one end and then the other to that row.
Stretching a bar to show task duration
Positioning the Ends of the Task Bar

The endpoints of the task bar can be linked at three different vertical positions with
respect to a table row: the top, center, or bottom of the row. (Linking to the top or
bottom places the task bar directly on the row divider line).
Within the columns, the endpoints of the task bar can be linked to any position along
the horizontal axis (in other words, the horizontal linking points are continuous).
The Task Bars Move with the Table Cells

Once linked to cells, the bars stay linked, even if the configuration of the table is
changed.
In the example below, the red line with the arrowhead was drawn on top of the table
and the line was allowed to link to the table cells.
A line linked to table cells

Then the Insert Column command was used to add a new column to the left of the
middle one. The line automatically stretched to stay attached to the original cells to
which it was linked.
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The same table after Insert Column
Changing the Appearance of the Bar

You can change the color, style, thickness and arrowhead status of your bar by using
the commands under the Lines menu. See Changing the Appearance of Lines for
details.
See also:
Adding Milestone Marker Symbols to Your Gantt Chart
Linking Gantt Bars with Lines to Show

Relationships
To show the relationship between two task bars, you can connect them with a Link
Line.
Two Gantt bars with a Link Line
Youll find ready-made Link Lines in the Gantt Bars symbol library.
Link lines in the Gantt Bar Library

To draw a Link Line, click on its button in the library window, and then draw the
line with the cursor using the pencil method. It may flop around while youre
drawing, as it tries to attach itself to cells in the table, but it should settle down when
you release it. (You may find it easier to first drop the line in the background of your
drawing, outside the table, and then drag its endpoints to their positions).
After releasing the line, its endpoints may not be quite where you want them. Just
click on the handles at either end of the selected line and drag them to where you
want them.
Using Table Cells as Gantt Bars

For schedules that begin and end at regularly delimited times (such as an employee
schedule where shifts begin and end on the hour), you can create a quick and
effective Gantt chart by simply coloring the table cells instead of linking Gantt bars
to the table.
Using Table cells themselves as Gantt bars

You can quickly adjust the schedule by right clicking on the cells to change the
color.
Adding Milestone Marker Symbols to Your Gantt

Chart
As with Gantt Bars, you can also link certain shapes or symbols directly to cells in a
Gantt chart table.
The Gantt Milestones symbol library contains ready-made symbols for this purpose.
The Gantt Milestone Library

To use a milestone symbol in your Gantt chart, simply drag it from the symbol
library window and place it on the chart where you want it. The symbol will link
itself to the table cell.
As with Gantt Bars, the symbols can be linked at three different vertical positions
with respect to a table row: the top, center, or bottom of the row. (Linking to the top
or bottom places the symbol directly on top of the row divider line).
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Within the columns, the symbols can be linked to any position along the horizontal
axis (in other words, the horizontal linking points are continuous).
Milestone symbols can be linked on, above, or below the Task Bar
Tips for Creating Effective Gantt Charts

Gantt Chart Tips
1) Make your Gantt chart easy to read by color-coding your task bars. For example,
if all the marketing tasks are blue and all the production tasks are red, it will be
easier to identify department responsibilities at a glance.
2) Annotate your Chart with a Legend
Include a legend below your chart (or on a separate page) explaining the colors of the
bars and the meaning of any milestone markers.
Use a legend to annotate your Gantt Chart

2) Keep your Gantt chart concise by excluding trivial sub-steps. If a task needs to be
analyzed in greater detail, create a second Gantt chart and hyperlink to it from the
main chart. You can do this by selecting the object you want to link from and
choosing Hyperlink to Another File from the Tools menu. Once the object is
hyperlinked, a small plus sign will appear on its upper right hand corner.
The task bar for Task C is linked to another SmartDraw file or a web page.
4) Give a copy of the Gantt Chart to each team member and review responsibilities
and milestones. To preserve your formatting and text as your chart passes from
person to person, you can turn off the text editing property in the Table menu or
under the Shapes menu.
5) Update the chart periodically to reflect the realities of your ongoing project. You
can draw a vertical line down your Gantt chart to indicate the present time and
identify which tasks are ahead of schedule and which tasks are behind schedule.
This review bar shows that Task B is behind schedule.

6) You can create a polished-looking chart by adding shadows and graphics, such as
your company logo. You can choose from a number of ready-made color schemes in
the Edit menu under Colors and Shadows, or you can create your own. You can
import your company logo in nearly any graphical format and place it on your chart
for a professional-looking result.
7) Share your Gantt chart with others using the web. With one click, you can publish
your chart to your free SmartDrawNet web space and share it with your colleagues.
Any hyperlinks in your chart become working hyperlinks on the weband
interlinked pages become interlinked web sites!
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You can also export your Gantt chart as a JPEG or a GIF image for the web, or you
can save your chart as an HTML document (with working hyperlinks) and publish it
on an Intranet or over the World Wide Web. See Three Ways To Publish to the Web
for details.
8) Create a professional presentation using SmartDraw and PowerPoint. You can
copy/paste your drawing into any of the programs in the Microsoft Office Suite.
If you paste your chart into another program (such as PowerPoint), you can edit it by
simply double-clicking on the chart in the other program. This automatically opens
the chart in SmartDraw for editing, and your changes will be updated in the other
program. See The Microsoft Office Companion.
Gantt Chart Examples

Click here to see examples of Gantt charts created with SmartDraw. (This will open
SmartDraw.com and explore the Gantt Chart and Timeline Learning Center in
the Resources section.
SmartDraw lets you quickly create personalized calendars and planners for all
occasions.
Just open up any of the ready-made calendar templates by choosing Gantt Charts
and Calendars in the SmartDraw New Document window.
You can also find ready-made templates for the current calendar year on this page
of the SmartDraw.com web site.
Opening the Calendar Templates

First, open one of the Calendar templates by choosing Gantt Charts and Calendars
in the SmartDraw New Document window.
Here youll find blank calendar templates that you can modify to suit any month or
year. You can modify them by hand, or you can have SmartDraw automatically
create a calendar for any particular month using ready-made templates from the
Month Builder Wizard. See The Month Builder Wizard for details.
The Calendar Wizard

When you open any Calendar template, the Calendar Wizard appears in The Left
Panel.
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The Calendar Wizard

The Wizard provides a step-by-step guide to creating Calendars, along with shortcuts
to the most frequently used tools and tips on how to use them.
Simply click on any of the buttons at the top of the Wizard, such as Change Text or
Add an Appointment to learn how to accomplish that task.
Hiding the Wizard
The Month Builder Wizard

Need a calendar for February 2025? SmartDraw can create it for you instantly with
the special Month Builder Wizard.
The Month Builder Wizard works with special blank templates that allow you to
specify the month and year of the calendar you want to create. SmartDraw then
automatically fills in the dates of the calendar for you.
Just open one of the ready-made Month Builder templates found in the Calendars
section of the New Document dialog:
SmartDraw 7 Help
Open a Month Builder Template

The Month Builder Wizard will open in The Left Panel. Type the month and year
into the Wizard, and SmartDraw will build your calendar.
For the Month Builder Wizard to work, the starting template must be in standard
calendar format, with the days of the week across the columns, and days numbered
sequentially, etc.
Adding Text to a Calendar

You can add text (days, month, appointments, etc) to a blank calendar, or modify the
text in an existing one.
The calendar is essentially a Table, and the text fields are table cells. To add text to
an empty cell, just click once in it, and start typing.
Typing in a SmartDraw calendar template

To modify existing text, click once and then drag your cursor to highlight the
existing text as you would in a word processor. Then type to replace or change the
text.
If you type too much text, it will shrink to fit in the cell. You can control the
minimum size that your text will shrink to using Text Entry Properties controls.
To move from day to day, you can use the Tab key.
Changing the Appearance of Your Text
Once your text is in place, you can change its color, font, and alignment using the
commands under the Text menu.
Changing text alignment
Locking Your Text

If you share your calendar with other people (or if you just want to avoid
accidentally changing your own text), you may want to protect some or all of your
text by locking it. You can allow or prevent text editing on a cell-by-cell basis by
putting your cursor in that cell and choosing the Do Not Allow Text Editing
command under the Table menu.
If you want to lock the whole calendar you can select it by clicking on its border,
then choose Do Not Allow Text Editing from the Table menu.
Changing the Colors in a Calendar

Each day on your calendar can have its own unique background color. To change the
background color of a day or a group of days, select the cells with your mouse, and
then select Cell Background Color from the Table menu.
You can also change the color of the calendar's header the same way.
See Applying Changes to Selected Cells in the Tables chapter for more details.
Changing Calendar Borders and Grid Lines

You can change the grid and border style for your entire calendar, or just change
them for selected days. To change the border of the entire calendar, click on the edge
of the calendar to select it, then choose one of the options from the Border
commands under the Shapes menu.
Changing the Appearance of Calendar Grid Lines
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To change the gridlines around a day, or a group of days, select those cells with your
mouse, then right-click on the selected area and choose Grid Line Style, Grid Line
Thickness, or Grid Line Color from the pop-up menu.
Changing the appearance of grid lines around a day

If you select None from the Grid Line Thickness sub-menu, your chosen grid lines
will become invisible. This can create a very clean-looking calendar.
To edit one specific grid line, (instead of the lines around a whole day), move your
cursor over the grid line until your cursor changes to the Grid Line Selection
Cursor.
Selecting a grid line

Click once on the grid line to select it. Then go to the Table menu and choose Grid
Line Style, Grid Line Thickness, or Grid Line Color to customize the line. (Note: If
you want to select only the segment of the gridline adjacent to a single cell, hold
down the Alt key when clicking on the grid line).
How to Add Clip Art to a Calendar

SmartDraw offers hundreds of ready-made clip art images and graphics that you can
drag and drop onto your calendar to customize it.
You can add holiday or seasonal decorations, or icons to represent appointments or
business functions. SmartDraw includes a ready-made library of Calendar Sticker
symbols, but you can also open any of the other symbol libraries, or even create your
own, for additional clip art and symbols.
To add an image to a calendar, open the appropriate symbol library, click down on
the desired image with the left mouse button, drag it to the position of your choice in
your calendar, and release.
Adding clip art to a calendar
To download additional SmartDraw seasonal clip art art visit this page at the
SmartDraw.com web site.
You can also import images, such as a company logo or personal photo, from other
programs and add them to your SmartDraw calendar.
How to Create Photo Backgrounds for Calendars

You can customize your SmartDraw calendar templates to use any photo of your
choice for the background.
SmartDraw 7 Help
A SmartDraw calendar with a photo background

For a complete tutorial on creating custom photo backgrounds for your calendars
visit this page or see the Calendars tutorial in the Learning Centers at
http://www.smartdraw.com/.
Creating Floor Plans with SmartDraw
Before You Create a Floor Plan

A floor plan is a diagram of a room or building as seen from above.
A floor plan created with SmartDraw

Before Starting Your Floor Plan
Creating a floor plan requires careful preparation. You can save yourself trouble later
by taking accurate measurements and thinking through the following issues before
you start drawing.
1) When measuring existing spaces, lay your measuring tape flat on the floor and
measure room dimensions in several places, especially where furniture will be a tight
fit. Don't assume your walls are parallel.
2) Before laying out furniture, look for projecting windowsills, and note the location
of electrical receptacles, light switches, vents and thermostats.
3) When placing a desk, ask yourself "What do I want to be looking at when I sit
there?"
4) When planning an office, first determine whether the occupant's back will be
toward the door. Some people feel very strongly about this. Other design decisions
will flow from this basic choice.
5) To reduce glare, try to avoid having computer monitors directly facing windows.
6) Leave enough empty space in front of filing cabinets to fully extend the drawer,
plus at least 18 additional inches if the drawers will be accessed by a person standing
in front of them. (Check your local building codes for requirements in your area).
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7) Allow adequate working space at desks or cubicles. The distance from the
working side of a desk to the nearest wall or furniture should be at least 42 inches
(and most people find 54 or 60 inches more comfortable).
8) The walkway between a piece of furniture and a wall should be at least 30 inches
in a residential space, with 36 inches preferred. In a public space it should be at least
36 inches, with 42 inches preferred. (Check your local building codes for
requirements in your area).
9) To get a feel for the width of a walkway before placing furniture, put a tape line
on the floor to see how different dimensions would feel.
10) When placing furniture on a residential plan, remember that most furniture will
actually sit 2 or 3 inches from the wall.
11) Don't line all the furniture up along the walls. Break up spaces by placing pieces
out in the room. Setting rugs, sofas, or other furniture at angles can help avoid an
overly rigid feel.
Choosing a Floor Plan Template

Every SmartDraw drawing begins with a template. When you create a new
document, SmartDraw will prompt you to choose a template from the New
Document dialog.
Choosing a Floor Plan Template

You can choose one of the ready-made floor plans that provide some basic walls as
a starting point, or you can choose one of the Empty templates (in English or metric
scale) to start from scratch.
See Selecting a Template for more details.
Using the Floor Plan Wizards

When you open any floor plan template, the Floor Plan Wizard appears in The Left
Panel.
The Floor Plan Wizard
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The Wizard provides shortcuts to the most frequently used floor planning tools and
Simply click on any of the buttons at the top of the Wizard to start the selected task.
Some buttons, such as Add Rooms & Walls or Add Furniture will open a
specialized sub-wizard devoted to just that topic.
You can open any of the Floor Plan Wizards at any time by clicking on its title bar at
the top of The Wizard Panel.
Hiding the Wizard

Choosing a Scale for Your Floor Plan

Floor plans accurately depict the sizes of real-world objects such as buildings,
furniture, and appliances in relation to each other. This requires scaling down the
dimensions of all the objects by a common proportion, known as the floor plan's
scale.
Scales are usually specified as a ratio, like 1:4. The first number represents units of
measurement on the floor plan and the second number represents the equivalent
measurement in the real world.
A scale commonly used on floor plans is 1": 48" or 1": 4'. This means that one inch
on paper equals 48 inches or 4 feet in real life.
This scale is also called the quarter-inch scale (" : 1 foot). SmartDraw's built-in
standard floor plan templates are set to the quarter-inch scale by default (metric
templates are set to a 1 cm : 0.5 m scale). If you want to change the scale, choose
Define Rulers and Grids from the View menu.
Floor Plan Settings
Before you start drawing, you may want to confirm that the settings in the Arrange
menu match those shown below.
Proper settings for Floor Plans under the Arrange Menu

These settings should be automatic if you start with one of SmartDraw's built-in
floor plan templates.
You may also want to turn on the Grid to make drawing easier. Choose Show Grid
from the View menu.
Drawing a Room Outline in a Floor Plan

You can outline a room in either of two different ways: 1) Draw a custom outline
using SmartDraw's Wall tools, or, 2) Drag-and-drop a pre-configured room layout
from the symbol libraries. Let's start by looking at how to create an outline from
scratch using SmartDraw's wall tools.
Working with the Wall Layer

First, make sure you're working on the Walls Layer of your floor plan template. Each
SmartDraw floor plan template has two layers: one for walls, and one for furniture,
indicated by the tabs at the bottom of the window. To select a layer, simply click on
its tab (the selected layer has the light-colored tab).
Choosing the Walls Layer
SmartDraw 7 Help
Anything you draw will be created in The Active Layer. Keeping the walls and
furniture on separate layers helps you avoid accidentally attaching furniture to walls
or inadvertently moving walls around on the page.
See also:
The Layer Tabs
The Active Layer
Drawing a Wall
At the top of your floor plan template, you should see a docked library of Wall
Tools. (Alternately you can open these libraries manually by finding them in The
Explorer Panel).
To outline a room, select the Room Outline Tool by clicking on it once.
Your cursor should now look like a pencil. Begin drawing by clicking in the drawing
area at the point you want your wall to begin.
Continue clicking to draw additional wall segments. A wall segment is automatically
added to your outline for each point that you click.
The room will close automatically as the last line segment nears the starting point.
To indicate that the room is ready to be closed, your pen cursor will show a circle at
the end.
Note: The Room Outline Tool draws a standard 4" wall using a filled line. If you
need a different type of wall, select your room outline by clicking on it, and choose
Border Style>Filled from the Shapes menu to see a list of other wall options.
Editing a Room Outline in a Floor Plan

If you are unsatisfied with the room outline youve drawn, you don't have to start
over. You can adjust it. After closing a room shape, you'll see two types of
adjustment handles along its border: black squares and hollow diamonds. You can
use these to change the shape of your wall segments
For example, if you click on a hollow diamond adjustment handle (located at the
center of each wall segment) you can bend your wall into a curve.
Likewise, you can adjust the corners of your room by dragging the black square
handles at the end of each wall segment.
You can even delete an entire wall segment by deleting one of the black square
adjustment handles. Simply hold down the Ctrl key as you select it (this will turn the
handle green) and then hit Delete.
SmartDraw 7 Help
To add a new wall segment to the outline, hold down the Ctrl key and click
anywhere on the outline of the room.
When you are satisfied with the outline, click in the background to exit the Shape
Editing Mode. If you need to edit your room outline again, right click on the outline
and select Edit Shape Outline from the pop-up menu.
See also:
Reshaping a Room Outline in a Floor Plan

Earlier we discussed Editing a Room Outline in a Floor Plan, which allowed you to
add, remove, or bend wall segments.
SmartDraw also allows you to Reshape a room outline, which modifies the
proportions of its spaces.
When you click on an existing room outline, youll see black diamond Reshaping
Handles in the middle of each side.
You can use these to stretch or shrink one part of the room without affecting other
parts of the outline. For example, imagine an L-shaped room where you want to
expand only one "arm" of the outline. Click on the reshaping handle in the wall that
you want to move, and drag it to lengthen or shorten just the arm.
Similarly, you can use the square adjustment handles at the corners to change the
proportions of the entire room. You can make your entire room bigger or smaller just
by clicking and dragging any one of these handles.
See also:
Showing Dimensions in Floor Plans

Showing the Length of Wall Segments
If you're using SmartDraw's Room Outline Tool, the length of each wall segment
will be displayed above your line as you're drawing it.
If you want your walls to always display their length, click on the room outline and
choose Shape Properties from the Shapes menu.
Here you can set your room to display its dimensions: "Always," "Only when
selected", or "Never."
Showing the Area of a Room
SmartDraw 7 Help
To display the area of a room, click on its outline to select it, choose Shape
Properties from the Shapes menu, and check the box labeled Show Area.
Setting a Room's Dimensions Manually

To set the exact height and width of a room numerically, click on the room outline to
select it, then choose Position and Size in the Arrange menu. You can specify the
room's exact dimensions in the units specified by your scale.
Adding a Wall Divider to a Room in a Floor Plan

To add a wall divider, select the Wall Tool and click on the room outline where you
want your divider to attach. Next, drag your mouse to draw your new wall and
release it to complete the divider.
Drawing the new divider

If you want to move the divider, simply grab it with the mouse and slide it along the
room outline. To stretch the divider, click on the black square adjustment handle at
its end and drag it to lengthen it.
Moving a room divider
Adding a Ready-Made Room Outline to Your Floor

Plan
SmartDraw offers a number of ready-made room outlines that you can simply drag
into your floor plan as a starting point.
You can find these rooms in the Room Outlines symbol library in The Explorer
Panel.
Just drag one of the room outlines from the library onto your page to begin you
drawing. You can edit and reshape the ready-made room outline just as you could
with one you created yourself.
Dragging a ready-made room outline from a library

See also:
Editing a Room Outline in a Floor Plan
SmartDraw 7 Help
Adding Doors and Windows to a Floor Plan

The easiest way to add doors and windows is by opening the Room Wizard (by
clicking on its title bar in The Wizard Panel) and selecting "Add Windows and
Doors" from the buttons at the top.
The Room Wizard

Then youll see several symbol libraries containing doors and windows docked in the
bottom of The Left Panel. (Alternately you can open these libraries manually by
finding them in The Explorer Panel).
Choose one of these docked libraries by clicking on its title bar, and then drag a door
or window from the library into your drawing.
Dropping a door from a symbol library onto a wall

When you move the door or window over one of your room walls, its attachment
point (seen as a black dot) will try to snap to the wall. Simply release the mouse to
let the window or door attach to the wall.
Note: You can use the Flip command under the Arrange menu to reverse the
direction of a door.
Reversing the director of a door with the Flip command
Adding Furniture to a Floor Plan

You can quickly add furniture and other fixtures to your floor plan by dragging
symbols from one of the SmartDraw floor plan symbol libraries.
The easiest way to get started is to open the Furniture Wizard, by clicking on its
title bar in The Wizard Panel and following the instructions there.
Selecting the Furniture Wizard

Youll see several symbol libraries containing furniture docked in the bottom of The
Left Panel. (Alternately you can open the furniture libraries manually by finding
them in The Explorer Panel).
Using the Furniture Layer

If you started with a floor plan template, your drawing has two layers, Walls and
Furniture, each indicated by a tab at the bottom of the drawing area.
When you created your room outline, you probably worked on the Walls Layer. To
add furniture, first select the Furniture Layer by clicking on its tab.
Select the furniture layer

Adding furniture on a separate layer from the walls helps you avoid accidentally
attaching your furniture to the walls or moving the walls.
Drag and Drop Furniture
When you open the Furniture Wizard, you should see a few libraries of office
furniture docked below it in The Left Panel. To switch between these libraries,
SmartDraw 7 Help
simply click on any library's title bar. (You can find additional furniture libraries in
The Explorer Panel).
To add a piece of furniture to your drawing, click on its button and drag it to the
drawing area.
Dragging a chair from a furniture library

Moving and Rotating Furniture
You can move furniture and other objects in your floor plan by dragging them with
the mouse, or by selecting (clicking on) them and then typing the arrow keys.
Moving a chair by dragging it

Every shape has a Rotation Handle, which appears as a small black circle. By
dragging the rotation handle with the mouse, you can rotate a shape to any angle.
You can also specify the degree of rotation using the Rotate command in the
Arrange menu.
Setting an exact Rotation angle in the Arrange menu
Finding Floor Plan Furniture Symbols

SmartDraw has dozens of additional furniture symbol libraries in addition to the ones
docked below the Furniture Wizard. You can browse or search these libraries by
clicking on the Symbols tab in the Left Panel.
The Explorer Panel shows the SmartDraw symbol libraries organized into categories
represented by folder icons.
This panel is your table of contents for symbols. You can browse the categories as
you do folders on your computer. For example, you can click on a plus sign next to a
folder to expand the tree. When you mouse over a library name, youll see a preview
of the symbols contained inside.
Using the Symbol Search Function
You can search for specific kinds of objects (such as a chair) by name. The Search
Bar is located at the top of the Symbol Explorer panel. Type a word or phrase into
this bar and press Go.
Search results
SmartDraw 7 Help
SmartDraw will locate symbol libraries containing items that match your phrase and
place them in the Search Results folder at the top of the Explorer Panel.
See also:
Searching the Symbol Libraries
Symbol Library Windows
Creating Your Own Symbol Library

Whether you have created your own custom symbols, or just want to collect a set of
frequently used SmartDraw symbols for easy reference, you can create your own
symbol library to store them.
See also:
Changing the Properties of Floor Plan Symbols

Objects in floor plans should be accurately sized according to the scale of the
drawing. You can specify the exact size of any object in your drawing with the
Position and Size command from the Arrange menu.
Setting the Size of an Object

Note: Use the object's "real world" measurements. The floor plan will automatically
scale the object proportionately to other objects on the page.
Specifying How an Object Grows
You can specify how any floor plan object grows by clicking on it in the drawing
and selecting Shape Properties under the Shapes menu. Most floor plan objects are
designed to grow proportionally.

Also in the Shape Properties dialog, you can specify whether your object should
automatically show its dimensions or area.
Permanently Changing the Properties of Symbols
You can also change the basic properties of any symbol by changing it in the library
itself, as opposed to on the page. You may want to create a copy of the symbol to a
new library of your own, so that you dont change the original copy of the symbol.
For details see Changing the Settings for a Symbol.
Using Layers in Floor Plans

Each floor plan drawing starts out with two basic layers: Walls and Furniture. But
you can create as many layers as you like.
Its common to put different elements of the building job, such as plumbing and
electrical wiring, each on its own separate layer. This way you could, for example,
print one layer for the plumbing contractor and a different layer for the electrical
contractor.
SmartDraw 7 Help
A floor plan with layers for HVAC, Furniture, and Walls

Using layers in floor plans is no different than using them in any other kind of
SmartDraw drawing, so for details you can read the Layers chapter in the general
reference part of this Guide.
Creating Landscape Plans

In addition to furniture and other floor planning symbols for the interiors of rooms
and buildings, SmartDraw offers libraries of landscaping elements.
A library of landscaping trees and shrubs

Youll find these libraries in the Landscape and Outdoor Living folder within the
Floor Plans category in The Explorer Panel.
A house floor plan with landscaping

You can use these symbols to create garden or landscape plans, or simply to illustrate
potential landscaping around a house or building floor plan.
Printing or Publishing Your Floor Plan

You can print your finished floor plan (whether in its entirety, or in separate layers),
or you can share it as an electronic document in any number of file formats.
To print your floor plan, simply choose Print from the File menu. Your floor plan
will automatically print to your selected printer at the drawing's inherent scale. For
example, if you print a drawing with a 1 foot=1/4" scale, then a one-inch line on the
print-out will represent 4 feet. SmartDraw can even print a large version of your
drawing to a printer or plotter.
SmartDraw 7 Help
If your drawing spans more than one page, SmartDraw will tile the pages so that you
can assemble them into one drawing.
If you want to fit your plan on a single page, you may need to scale it down to fit. Do
this using the Print to Scale feature found in the Print dialog. Here you can enter a
new scale to use for printing, or have SmartDraw calculate the scale for you based on
a percentage, or on a specified number of pages.
You can also use the Print on One Page option in the Print dialog, and SmartDraw
will automatically scale your drawing down to fill a single page. However, you will
not know the scaling factor, so if it is important to you to know that, use the Print to
Scale function described above.
See also:
Printing
Printing Large Diagrams and Posters
E-mailing Your Floor Plan to Others
You can share your floor plan with other SmartDraw users as a native SmartDraw
file. Simply click on the e-mail icon on the toolbar to attach your floor plan to an email message. A link to the free SmartDraw Viewer will be included in the body of
the e-mail, so even a recipient who does not have SmartDraw will be able to view
and print your drawing.
Publishing Your Floor Plan on the Web
You can share your drawing with others by uploading it to your free SmartDrawNet
web space, where you can then invite others to view it. The floor plan displayed on
the web will be a bitmap (JPG) file, not a native SmartDraw file.
Floor plans published in the free SmartDrawNet web space

To upload your floor plan, choose Publish to the Web from the File menu. Your
SmartDrawNet account is your own personal web space for sharing your drawings
with friends and colleagues. It is included at no additional charge when you purchase
a copy of SmartDraw.
Exporting Your Floor Plan to Other File Formats
You can also export your floor plan in many common graphic file formats, including
bitmap formats (such as GIF or JPG) or vector formats, such as AutoCAD (DXF),
Postscript (EPS) and many others. Exporting your drawing to one of these formats
may make it easier for a third party to print the drawing, for example on a plotter at a
commercial printing facility.
For details and a list of export formats, see Exporting Drawings.
Floor Plan Examples

Click here to see examples of floor plans created with SmartDraw. (This will open
SmartDraw.com and explore the Floor Plans Learning Center in the Tutorials
section.
The Easy Solution for Technical Drawing

SmartDraw is the perfect tool for creating all kinds of
technical diagrams, from engineering, to computer networks, to software design.
With built-in libraries containing thousands of technical symbols, and special
templates to make technical drawing easy, SmartDraw helps you get started fast and
draw professional looking diagrams in no time.
technical drawing needs:
Using SmartDraw for Software Diagrams

SmartDraw is the perfect tool for creating professional software diagrams, giving
you the power to quickly design and easily revise any software project. With built-in
libraries of software design symbols for disciplines ranging from UML and ERD,
to Web Site Maps and GUI design (among others) SmartDraw helps you get
started fast and draw professional looking diagrams in no time. And if you need a
refresher course, or even need to learn software diagrams from the ground up, youll
find helpful tutorials at the Software Design Learning Center at SmartDraw.com,
which cover all the popular design methodologies and teach you how to draw them
with SmartDraw.
Software Design Diagrams: Examples and

Tutorials
See Examples of Software Diagrams
SmartDraw 7 Help
See hundreds of educational examples of software diagrams created with SmartDraw

by visiting the examples gallery located here:
Software Design Examples
Specific UML Examples
Learn Everything You Need to Create Software Diagrams
Learn exactly how to create software diagrams in SmartDraw, from UML to Data
Flow to ERD and more, by reading the tutorials in the Software Design Learning
Center located here:
Software Design Learning Center
The UML Learning Center
Topics of Special Interest for Creating Software

Design Diagrams
Starting with a Software Diagram Template
Every SmartDraw drawing begins with a template. All templates are configured with
settings for a specific diagram type, so make sure you select a starting template from
the correct folder such as Software Design or Engineering.
SmartDraw offers dozens of ready-made software templates to help you get started
with your software design diagram. See Selecting a Template.
Finding Software Design Symbols

The SmartDraw Symbol Libraries contain hundreds of specialized symbols for all
kinds of software design diagrams, from UML to ERD and many others.
A UML Symbol Library

Youll find access to some of these symbols in the Software Design Wizards that
appear when you open a Software Design template. Youll find more in the Symbol
Explorer located in the Left Panel of the drawing area.
See also:
Using the Software Design Wizard

When you open any software design template, the Software Design Wizard appears
in the Left Panel.
The Software Design Wizard

The Wizard provides shortcuts to the most frequently used software design tools and
Since UML is such a popular methodology, when you open a UML template, you get
a custom Software Wizard specifically tailored to UML diagrams.
Linking Symbols with Lines

The flow of logic in software diagrams is usually depicted by lines flowing from one
function symbol to another.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Lines link to symbols and stay connected

SmartDraw makes it easy by providing special connection points on the software
design symbols where lines can attach, and they stay attached even if the symbols are
moved.
See:
Line Hops in Software Design Diagrams

If two flow lines cross in your software diagram, it can be difficult to know whether
they intersect or simply pass over each other. You can solve the problem by using a
Line Hop to indicate lines that do not intersect.
Just right-click on one of the lines and choose Line Hops from the right-click menu.
Arranging Objects Automatically

SmartDraw can automatically arrange and align the objects in your software
diagrams for a neat professional appearance. Using the commands under the
Arrange menu, you can line up the tops, bottoms, or sides of your objects, make
them all the same size, rotate them, group them, and keep them organized in many
other ways.
See also:
Arranging Objects
Using Grid Snaps
Grouping
By grouping software design objects you can quickly move them all as a unit. You
can also nest groups, one inside another, and then ungroup them into their subgroups or individual objects. Learn how to save time and effort in Grouping and
Ungrouping Objects.
Automatic Connectors
SmartDraws powerful Automatic Connector is a special line that arranges objects
attached to it into pre-configured patterns. Its great for creating hierarchical
diagrams such as web site maps.
A web site map using Automatic Connectors

See:
Arrowheads for Software Design

Nearly all software diagrams indicate the flow from one process to another using
arrowheads on lines. SmartDraw makes it easy by providing automatic arrowheads
in dozens of different styles, including the special styles used to indicate One-toMany (and similar) relationships in ERD diagrams. For details see Arrowhead
Styles.
Special Arrowhead for ERD diagrams
Setting text properties for objects

Many objects that represent processes in software design contain text.
A UML Class diagram with text
SmartDraw 7 Help
SmartDraw gives you full control over not only the way the text behaves in the
object, but also: how it looks, where it lies, how it grows or shrinks, and how you or
another user can edit it. See Text Entry Properties under the Shapes menu for
details.
Placing Text on Lines

SmartDraw allows you to place a text label on a line. The labels stays attached to the
line even if you move it. This is perfect for labeling data flow paths in software
diagrams.
You can position the text label on, above, or below the line, and you can configure
its alignment and other properties in a number of ways. For details see Attaching
Text to Lines.
Using Tables to Create Software Design Shapes

Many software diagrams (such as UML) contain structured text fields in separate
sections of a shape. You can convert a SmartDraw shape into a Table, which allows
easy formatting of these data fields.
A table shape from a SSADM diagram containing 3 data cells that can be
edited individually
SmartDraw offers hundreds of ready-made software design symbols in its symbol
libraries, but you can also make your own to fit any needs.
See also:
Changing a Normal Shape into a Table
Software Design Examples

Click here to see examples of Software Design Diagrams created with SmartDraw.
(This will open your web browser and take you to the SmartDraw.com web site). Or
just visit SmartDraw.com and explore the Software Design Learning Center in the
Tutorials section.
Using SmartDraw for Network Diagrams

SmartDraw is the perfect tool for designing your computer and communication
networks. With built-in libraries of network equipment images including
thousands of manufacturer-specific models SmartDraw helps you get started fast
and draw professional looking diagrams in no time.
Whether youre a beginner or an expert, youll find useful ideas, examples, and a
complete step-by-step tutorial in the SmartDraw Network Design Center, just a click
away at SmartDraw.com.
Network Design Diagrams: Examples and Tutorials

See Examples of Professional Network Diagrams
Visit the example gallery to see dozens of professional network diagrams created
with SmartDraw.
See Network Diagram Examples
Learn Everything You Need to Create Network Diagrams
View this step-by-step tutorial to learn exactly how to create network diagrams in
SmartDraw.
See the Network Design Tutorial
Topics of Special Interest for Creating Network

Design Diagrams
Starting with a Network Diagram Template
the correct folder such as Network Design or Engineering.
Selecting a Network Design Template

When you create a new drawing, youll choose a template from the New Document
dialog. See Selecting a Template.
Using the Network Design Wizard

When you open any network design template, the Network Design Wizard appears
in The Left Panel.
SmartDraw 7 Help
The Network Design Wizard

The Wizard provides shortcuts to the most frequently used network design tools and
offers tips on how to use them. Just click on the buttons at the top of the Wizard to
learn how to accomplish a particular task.
Finding Network Design Symbols

The SmartDraw Symbol Libraries contain thousands of specialized symbols for
network layouts, including over 700 stylized symbols for conceptual network design,
plus over 2200 detailed images of vendor-specific equipment.
A Network symbol library and one of its components

Youll find access to some of these symbols in the Network Design Wizard that
appears when you open a Network Design template. Youll find more in the Symbol
Explorer located in the Left Panel of the drawing area.
See also:
Linking Lines to Network Symbols

Lines are commonly used in two ways in network diagrams: 1) to represent cables
connecting network equipment, or 2) to represent data flow in more abstract or
conceptual network plans.
Lines link to equipment symbols and stay connected

SmartDraw makes it easy by providing special connection points on the network
design symbols where lines can attach, and they stay attached even if the symbols
are moved. If needed, you can modify the connection points to get exactly the
linking-position that you want (see below).
Setting Connection Points on Equipment Symbols

Every SmartDraw network symbol has ready-made connection points where lines
(representing cables or information flow) can connect to it.
Connection Points on a network component

To change the connection points, right-click on the symbol in your drawing and
choose Connection Points from the pop-up menu. Youll see the Connection Points
dialog where you can make the adjustments.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Setting the Connection Points for a Symbol

If you want to permanently change the Connection Points for a library symbol, you
can right-click on it in the library window and use the Edit Symbol dialog to change
all future instances of that symbol.
Modifying Connection Points using Edit Symbol

See also:
Line Hops in Network Design Diagrams

If two cables cross in your network diagram, it can be difficult to know whether they
intersect or simply pass over each other. You can solve the problem by using a Line
Hop to indicate cables that do not intersect.
Arranging Network Objects Automatically

SmartDraw can automatically arrange and align the objects in your software
diagrams for a neat, professional appearance. Using the commands under the
Arrange menu, you can line up the tops, bottoms, or sides of your objects, make
them all the same size, rotate them, group them, and keep them organized in many
other ways.
Before auto-arranging
After auto-arranging with Align, Make Same Size, and Space Evenly
commands
See also:
Arranging Objects
Using Grid Snaps
Automatic Connectors
SmartDraws powerful Automatic Connector is a special line that arranges objects
attached to it into pre-configured patterns. Its great for creating neatly organized
network topologies.
A network design using Automatic Connectors

The entire connector tree and its objects can be moved as a unit. The Connector
automatically expands to accommodate new objects or contracts to close the gap
when objects are removed.
See:
SmartDraw 7 Help
Setting Text Entry Properties of Network Design Objects

You can add text labels (such as Server A or Tape Drive) to any of the objects in
your drawing. You can type text inside (i.e., visually overlaying) the object, or, more
commonly, you may want to add a text label that appears below or above the object,
and that stays with it when you move the object. To add a text label to an object, just
click on the object to select it and start typing.
Text labels above and below network design objects

Many of the network design symbols are pre-configured so that any text typed while
the object is selected goes below it as a text label. You can change the default
location of text for any symbol using the Edit Symbol dialog
See:

line even if you move it. This is perfect for labeling cables or information flow paths
in network diagrams.
To add text to a line, just click on the line and start typing. You can position the text
label on, above, or below the line, and you can configure its alignment and other
properties in a number of ways. For details see Attaching Text to Lines.
Using Hyperlinks in Network Design Diagrams

You can hyperlink any object in your drawing to (a) a SmartDraw drawing, (b) a
web site, or (c) a document, or (d) a program executable file. Just right-click on the
object and choose Insert Hyperlink from the menu.
The hyperlink appears as a blue + sign on the object. When someone clicks the
hyperlink in your drawing, the linked file is automatically launched.
Some network administrators use this feature to document their equipment by linking
to a file, such as an Excel spreadsheet, that contains each objects name, serial
numbers, and other specs. When a user clicks on the hyperlink, the spreadsheet is
opened to the row that represents that object.
A hyperlinked spreadsheet with network equipment information
Learn more with online Tutorials and Examples

These are just a few of the powerful features make it easy to create Network
Diagrams with SmartDraw.
See Examples of Professional Network Diagrams
Visit the example gallery to see dozens of professional network diagrams created
with SmartDraw.
See Network Diagram Examples
Learn Everything You Need to Create Network Diagrams
View this step-by-step tutorial to learn exactly how to create network diagrams in
SmartDraw.
Learn more at the Network Design Learning Center.
Using SmartDraw for Engineering Diagrams

SmartDraw is the perfect tool for creating electrical and mechanical engineering
diagrams without the difficulty, cost, or learning curve of a large CAD program.
With built-in libraries of engineering symbols, and special features for drawing
SmartDraw 7 Help
technical schematics, SmartDraw helps you get started fast and draw professional
looking diagrams in no time.
Engineering Diagram Examples

See what other engineering users have been creating with SmartDraw by visiting the
Examples section of the SmartDraw web site:
Engineering Examples
Topics of Special Interest for Creating Engineering

Diagrams
Starting with a Engineering Template
the correct folder such as Software Design or Engineering.
Selecting an Engineering Template

When you create a new drawing, youll choose a template from the New Document
dialog. See Selecting a Template.
Using the Engineering Wizards

When you open any engineering template, one of the Engineering Wizards appears
in The Left Panel. Youll find separate Wizards for Electrical, Mechanical, and
Mechanical-HVAC drawings.
The Electrical Engineering Wizard

The Wizards provide shortcuts to the most frequently used engineering tools and
offer tips on how to use them. Just click on the buttons at the top of the Wizard to
learn how to accomplish a particular task.
Finding Engineering Symbols

The SmartDraw Symbol Libraries contain thousands of specialized symbols for
electrical and mechanical engineering, from schematic symbols for electronics and
HVAC, to factory and manufacturing equipment.
An electrical engineering symbol library and one of its components
SmartDraw 7 Help
Youll find access to some of these symbols in the Engineering Wizards that appear
when you open an Engineering template. Youll find more in the Symbol Explorer
located in the Left Panel of the drawing area.
See also:
Linking Engineering Symbols to Lines

Typically, the wires or pipes, etc., in engineering diagrams are represented by Lines.
The engineering symbols (such as electrical circuit components) have specific
connection points at their ends where lines can attach to them, and stay attached even
when the components are moved.
Two electronics symbols linked by lines

If needed, you can modify the connection points to get exactly the linking-position
that you want (see below).
Setting Connection Points for Schematic Symbols

You can move, add, or delete connections points on any symbol to make it attach to
lines at only the points that you specify.
A connection point on a symbol

To change the connection points, right-click on the symbol in your drawing and
choose Connection Points from the pop-up menu. Youll see the Connection Points
dialog where you can make the adjustments.
Setting the Connection Points for a Symbol

If you want to permanently change the Connection Points for a library symbol, you
can right-click on it in the library window and use the Edit Symbol dialog to change
all future instances of that symbol.
Modifying Connection Points using Edit Symbol

See also:
Linking Shapes to Lines
Line Hops in Schematic Diagrams

If two lines cross in your schematic, it can be difficult to know whether they intersect
or simply pass over each other. You can solve the problem by using a Line Hop to
indicate wire or circuits that do not intersect.
Arrowheads in Engineering Diagrams

Many diagrams indicate the flow of materials or current from one point to another
with arrowheads. SmartDraw makes it easy by offering automatic arrowheads in
dozens of different styles.
You can add arrowheads to any line by right clicking on it and choosing Arrowheads
from the menu. For details see Arrowhead Styles.
Arranging Objects Automatically

SmartDraw can automatically arrange and align the objects in your drawings for a
neat, professional appearance. Using the commands under the Arrange menu, you
can line up the tops, bottoms, or sides of your objects, make them all the same size,
rotate them, group them, and keep them organized in many other ways.
SmartDraw 7 Help
Before auto-arranging
After auto-arranging with Align, Make Same Size, and Space Evenly
commands
The objects are rearranged and repositioned to match the target object.
See also:
Arranging Objects
Using Grid Snaps
Grouping
By grouping software design objects you can quickly move them all as a unit. You
can also nest groups, one inside another, and then ungroup them into their subgroups or individual objects. Learn how to save time and effort in Grouping and
Ungrouping Objects.
Setting Text Entry Properties of Engineering Objects

You can add text labels (such as 6.8kW or Check Valve) to any of the objects in
your drawings. You can type text inside (i.e., visually overlaying) the object, or,
more commonly, you may want to add a text label that appears below or above the
object, and that stays with it when you move the object. To add a text label to an
object, just click on the object to select it and start typing.
Text labels above and below pipe schematic objects

Many of the engineering schematic symbols are pre-configured so that any text typed
while the object is selected goes below it as a text label. You can change the default
location of text for any symbol using the Edit Symbol dialog
See:

line even if you move it. This is perfect for labeling circuit lines, pipes, or other flow
paths.
To add text to a line, just click on the line and start typing. You can position the text
label on, above, or below the line, and you can configure its alignment and other
properties in a number of ways. For details see Attaching Text to Lines.
Drawing Freeform Objects

You can create your own custom shapes and symbols using the freeform drawing
tools.
There are two freeform drawing tools on the toolbar.
The stepwise tool creates a new line segment each time you click in the drawing.
The continuous tool draws a freeform line like a pencil. With either tool, you can
create a closed shape by bringing the line back to the starting point.
Freeform shapes drawn with the Stepwise and Continuous tools

These closed shapes behave as native SmartDraw polygons, so they can be filled
with color, have their border styles changed, and so on. You can create new personal
libraries to contain your custom-designed shapes and symbols.
See:
Using Freeform Drawing
Showing Dimensions and Area

You can cause SmartDraw to display the dimensions of any line, or the area of any
closed shape, in your drawing. To show the dimensions of a line, right click on it
and choose Show Length from the menu.
Showing line dimensions
SmartDraw 7 Help
To show the area of a shape, right click on it, then choose Shape Properties from the
menu and check the box labeled Show Area.
Displaying the area of a shape
Using Layers in Engineering Drawings

Your SmartDraw drawings have multiple layers.
Layers are like stacked transparent pages

Layer tabs appear at the bottom of the drawing area when you have more than one
layer.
By clicking on a layer tab, you make that layer active. Any objects added to the
drawing are added to the active layer.
To add a new layer to your drawing, select Layers from the arrange menu, and then
choose Define Layers.
You can selectively hide and show layers on the screen and in print. In engineering
drawings, layers may typically be used to separate different schematic systems that
may cause visual confusion by overlying each other. For example, in a building
diagram, you could put the electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems on separate
layers to make it easy to view or print any one of them separately.
See Using Layers for details
Learn from Examples

See what other engineering users have been creating with SmartDraw by visiting the
Examples section of the SmartDraw web site:
Engineering Examples

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SmartDraw

Draw Anything Easily

Welcome to SmartDraw! ......................................................................................................... 10

The Left Panel

The Left Panel.......................................................................................................................... 20

Drawing with SmartDraw

Changing the Appearance of a Drawing

Changing the Appearance of Shapes ....................................................................................... 50

Changing the Texture Properties ............................................................................................. 52

Working with Text

Entering Text in Objects .......................................................................................................... 67

What are Tables? ..................................................................................................................... 88

Selecting Cell Dividers ............................................................................................................ 93

Arranging Objects.................................................................................................................. 103

Using Layers.......................................................................................................................... 109

Linking Lines and Shapes

What is Linking?.................................................................................................................... 113

Automatic Connector Lines

Using Automatic Connectors................................................................................................. 121

Adding Connectors to a Drawing .......................................................................................... 122

Symbol Library Windows...................................................................................................... 127

Drawing Freeform Shapes and Lines

Using Freeform Drawing ....................................................................................................... 141

Viewing and Printing

The SmartDraw Drawing Area .............................................................................................. 150

Publishing To The Web With SmartDraw

Three Ways To Publish to the Web ....................................................................................... 162

Using Hyperlinks ................................................................................................................... 172

Using Digital Photos in SmartDraw

Adding Photos to Your Drawings.......................................................................................... 173

Using SmartDraw with MS Word, PowerPoint and Other Programs

Inserting Drawings into to Microsoft Word........................................................................... 175

Creating SmartDraw Templates............................................................................................. 186

SmartDraw Licenses.............................................................................................................. 193

Technical Support and Troubleshooting

SmartDraw Tech Support Knowledge Base .......................................................................... 195

How to Order SmartDraw

How to Order SmartDraw...................................................................................................... 196

Order Internationally ............................................................................................................. 198

SmartDraw License Agreement

SmartDraw Software License Agreement (Purchased Copy) ................................................ 199

The Easy Solution for Business Diagramming ...................................................................... 218

Auto Fill .................................................................................................................. 265

SmartDraw Flowchart Edition

SmartDraw Org Chart Edition

SmartDraw Floor Plan Edition

SmartDraw Gantt Chart and Calendar Edition

SmartDraw Technical Edition

SmartDraw Suite Edition

Each of these editions is custom-tailored to create a particular type of diagram, and

By downloading over the Internet.

Installing SmartDraw on a Network

The Welcome Dialog

The Welcome Dialog

Creating a New Drawing

Closing and Saving Drawings

The Save Dialog

Drawings and Windows

Right Mouse Button Menus

The Program Toolbar

The Program Toolbar

Microsoft Office Companion These buttons allow you

The Drawing Toolbar

The Drawing Toolbar

SmartDraw User's Guide2

SmartDraw User's Guide2