FlowChart Editor Main Menu

The main menu of the editor window includes the following items:

File

Open
Loads flow chart contents from a file. The file that stores flow chart contents may be a file saved earlier using the Save As menu
item.

Save As
Saves flow chart contents to a file. You can load data from this file into another flow chart control.

Edit

Use this menu to modify a selected item.

Undo
Use this menu item to undo most recent changes to the flow chart.

Copy
Copies selection to the clipboard.

Cut
Cuts selection and places it onto the clipboard.

Paste
Pastes clipboard contents to the flow chat.
Select All
Selects all items within the flow chart.
Clear Selection
Cancels any selection in a flow chart control.

Bring To Front
Brings selected objects in front of other objects in the flow chart window. If you apply BringToFront to a selected object, then that
selected object overlaps other items on screen.
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Send To Back
Places selected objects behind other objects to the end of Z-buffer.

View

Zoom In
Enlarges a flow charts view.
Zoom Out
Lessens a flow charts view.

Fit
Changes a flow charts zoom ratio in order to show all chart items within the flow chart window.

Actual Size
Resets the zoom ratio of the flow chart window to 100% (no zoom).

Union

New Union
Creates a new union. The selected object becomes the main object of the union. Double-click the main object to select all objects
that belong to the union. This item is enabled only when several objects are selected.

Add To Union
Adds selected object(s) to a union. If a selected object is already in the union, it is not added to it.

Remove From Union

Removes an object from a union. This item is enabled only when a selected object is the member of a union. The Remove From
Union item is disabled when the selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear Union
Removes all objects from a union. This item is enabled only when a selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear All Unions

Removes all objects from all existing unions.

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FlowChart Editor Toolbar

The flow chart editor includes a toolbar with the following sections:

Create Section

Use buttons of this section to create a new item within the flow chart.
In order to draw a new object or a connection:

1. Click
or
button on the toolbar to create a new object or a connection.
2. Drag the mouse pointer diagonally in the direction you want.

The default background and foreground colors are displayed on the lower-left corner of the editor screen. Use the left mouse button
to draw with the foreground color or the right mouse button to draw the background color.

Object Section

Use buttons of this section to customize object formatting.

1. To change object shape use the

button.

2. To change the border width of an object, first select the object, then use the
3. Use the

button to change the font of object text.

4. Use the

button to change text layout within the flow chart window.

5. Use the

button to change image layout within the flow chart window.

Connection Section

Use the buttons in this section to customize the look of a selected connection.

Change the connection type by clicking the

button.

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button.

Change the connection type by clicking the

Use the

button.

button to change the font used for connection text.

Use the

and

buttons to specify the style of source and destination edges of a connection.

Use the
and
buttons to change the size of source and destination arrows. Generally, a connection can have arrows with
arbitrary size, but the dropdown menu within the flow chart editor allows you only predefined sizes. Use the Properties popup
menu item to change the arrow size of the connection.
Use the
and

Zoom Section

buttons to specify to linked source and destination objects.

Use the buttons within this section to change the scale of the flow chart.

1. Use the
button to zoom a flow charts view. First, toggle this button, then zoom in the flow chart view area. To zoom
out, use the ALT key when zooming.
2. Use the

button to fit a flow charts contents in the flow chart window.

Palette Section
Use this palette to change the color of a current object or connection.

Use the left mouse button to change the foreground color. Use right mouse click to change the background. Double click the
current foreground or background boxes in order to specify a color that differs from available palette colors.
To change the border color of an object, selected it and then specify a new foreground. To fill an object with a particular color, first
select the object and then specify a new background color.
To change the color of a connection line, first select the connection, then specify a new foreground color. To specify the color of
connection arrows, first select the connection then specify a new background color.

Note: If there are no selected objects or connections within the editor, setting a new background color changes the
flow charts background color.

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FlowChart Editor Popup Menu

The popup menu appears when clicking the right mouse button on an item within the flow chart editor. The popup menu contains
the number of standard operations, such as Copy, Cut, Paste, and options, specific for flow chart items.

Use Properties to edit flow chart item properties. If a selected item is a flow chart object, the object customizing form activates. If
a selected item is a connection, the connection customizing form activates.

The edit section contains items for modifying objects or connections:

Undo
Use this item to undo the last changes to the flow chart.

Copy
Copies selection to the clipboard.

Cut
Cuts selection and places it into the clipboard.

Paste
Pastes clipboard contents to the flow chart.

Remove Point
Deletes the intermediate point of a connection. This item is enabled only when you click the right mouse button on the
intermediate point.

Select All
Selects all flow chart items in a flow chart.

Clear Selection
Removes selection of all items within a flow chart.

Bring To Front
Places an item in front of all other flow chart items.

Send To Back
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Send To Back
Places an item behind other flow chart items.

The popup menu of the flow chart editor has a union section. Its items are enabled only if the selected item is a flow chart object.
Objects of the same union move together, even if a user moves only one object comprising it. Items of the union section perform
the same actions as the Union item of the main menu.

New Union
Creates a new union. The selected object becomes the main object of the union. Double-click the main object to select all objects
that belong to the union. This item is enabled only when several objects are selected.

Add To Union
Adds selected object(s) to a union. If a selected object is already in the union, it is not added to it.

Remove From Union

Removes an object from a union. This item is enabled only when a selected object is the member of a union. The Remove From
Union item is disabled when the selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear Union
Removes all objects from a union. This item is enabled only when a selected object is the main object in a union.

Clear All Unions

Removes all objects from all existing unions.

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Connection Customizing Form

The connection customizing form provides a visual interface for connection properties.

Text
Enter connection text into this edit box. Use the
button to change text font in the Text box

The Source and Destination sections determine respectively the source and destination connection edges.

Source section
Destination section

Arrow Type
Type of source connection Arrow Type
Type of destination connection
edge.
edge.

Arrow Size
Specifies size of source
Arrow Size
Specifies size of destination
arrow edge. Use this
arrow edge. Use this property
property to define unique
to define unique arrow sizes.
arrow sizes.

Linked Point
Determines the linked point Linked Point
Determines the linked point of
of a source object.
a destination object.
Connection is linked to the
Connection is linked to the
source object at this point.
destination source object at
this point

Color
Represents connection color. Double click the color box to activate a color selection dialog. Use this color dialog to specify a new
color for a connection

Arrow Color
Represents the color of arrows. Double click the color box in order to choose a new color from the color selection dialog.

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Object Customizing Form

The object customizing form provides easy configuration of objects properties. The object customizing form contains three pages:

General Page
Contains edit controls for most object properties.

Height - Specifies the vertical size of an object in flow chart coordinates.

Width - Specifies the horizontal size of an object in flow chart coordinates.
Text - Determines object text. Use the
button to the right of the text edit box in order to change text font.
Text Layout - Specifies text layout.
Shape Type - Specifies object shape.
Line Width - Determines border width of an object.
Shape Color - Specifies border color. Double clicking the color box activates the color selection dialog.
Background Color - Specifies the background color for an object.
Transparent - Determines whether an object is transparent.

Image Page
This page provides image selection for an object. Simply select an image from the window.

Image Layout - Specifies image position within a flow chart object.

Use the Clear Image button to remove a link between an image and object. After clicking the Clear Image button an object has
no associated image.

Frame Page
The intent of this page is to configure the object frame. These settings are meaningful only for objects of type fcsRectangle.
Options of this page are similar to parameters of the DrawEdge funtion (see Win32 API help).

Edge Style section

RaisedIn

Raised inner edge

RaisedOut

Raised outer edge

SunkenIn

Sunken outer edge

SunkenOut

Sunken inner edge

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Frame Style section
Flat

Flat border of an object

Mono

Object has a one-dimensional rectangle border

Left

Left side of border rectangle

Top

Top of border rectangle

Right

Right side of border rectangle

Bottom

Bottom of border rectangle

Soft

Soft edges instead of tiles

Adjust

The border rectangle to be adjusted to leave space for

client area

Middle

Interior of rectangle to be filled

Diagonal

Diagonal border

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