This screen allows you to set properties specific to the Terminator, Connector, and Decision shapes as well as Flow Lines.
Terminator and Connector Nodes
Terminators are the oval flowchart symbols used to designate the start or end of a process boundary. Connectors come in two types - On-Page and Off-Page. the On-page Connectors are labeled circles used to designate a jump from one part of the flow diagram to another. Similarly, the five-sided Off-Page Connectors are used to designate a jump to a process step on another page (assuming a multi-page flowchart). The available settings for these symbols are:
Prompt to add an end Terminator: If this setting is enabled, FlowBreeze will prompt you to add a an end Terminator. The prompt window allows you to enter the text and select the location to place the terminator symbol. Note, when you click the Stop Flowcharting button FlowBreeze will scan the symbols on the drawing and look for any terminators already labeled "stop", "end", or "done". If it finds one, it will not prompt you to add another one.
Entries with 1-2 capitalized characters default to On-Page Connector: If checked entries such as A, B, AA, A1 will generate an On-Page Connector symbol.
Numeric entries default to Off-Page Connector: If checked entries such as 1, 2, 3, 1000, etc. will generate an Off-Page Connector symbol. If the Off-Page Connector field is unchecked, then numeric entries will generate an On-Page Connector.
Decisions
Decisions are the diamond-shaped symbols used to indicate branches in the process. They often have multiple flow lines coming out of them - one for each possible decisions. It is considered good flowcharting style to keep the directions consistent, e.g. "Yes" always going down and "No" always going to the right.
Automatically add branch labels: Branch labels are added to Decision symbols without prompting.
Prompt for branch labels: Every time a Decision symbol is generated, you will be prompted for the branch labels.
Don't add branch labels: No branch labels will be added.
Default branch label text: The top, right, bottom, and left branch label entries are the default labels to add to their respective sides. If you choose the "Automatically add branch labels" option above, these labels will be added. If you choose the "Prompt for branch labels" option above, these values will be pre-filled on the prompt window. If the text box for a side is empty, no label will be added.
Branch label position: You can choose to have the branch labels centered over the flow line, or offset to the side.
Group branch labels with Decision shape: Grouping the labels with the Decision will treat them as a single drawing object. If you need to move them, this will make it easier to do so. However, grouping causes some undesirable effects as well. The grouped shapes don't align to grid as easily, and the shapes need to be ungrouped before you can properly route flow lines to or from them.
Flow Lines (Connector Arrows)
Add flow lines automatically: FlowBreeze will automatically add flow lines when from the last symbol if this is checked. Also, if you restart flowcharting, or if the new shape is not aligned or adjacent to the last shape, then FlowBreeze will prompt you to select the shape that you want to route a flow line from. If this setting is unchecked, no flow lines are added.
Use dashed lines for Alternate process symbols: Some processes have alternate paths. To indicate this, you can check this setting to make flow lines routed to or from Alternate process symbols be dashed.
Flow line type: You can select straight, elbow, or curved as the default type of flow line. By default FlowBreeze sets this to the elbow type because they will render as straight lines if the symbols are aligned. Also, they produce a cleaner looking layout if the symbols are offset.
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