Connector Display Options

Ribbon

Start > Desktop > Preferences > Preferences > Links

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Ctrl+F9 | Links

Edit Connector on New

Select the checkbox to automatically open the connector 'Properties' dialog each time you create a new connector on a diagram.

Deselect the checkbox to simply create connectors without displaying the 'Properties' dialog to assign a name or properties.

Association default = source -- > target

Select the checkbox to automatically set the direction of new Associations, flowing from source to target element (that is, with an arrow head at the target end).

Deselect the checkbox to create Associations with no direction (no arrowhead on the connector line.)

Generalization link style Default = Tree

Select the checkbox to show Generalizations in vertical tree-style, forming a hierarchy where multiple links to elements exist.

Deselect the checkbox to create Generalizations in Auto Route style.

Shade Qualifier boxes

Select the checkbox to lightly shade all Qualifier boxes on Associations in the diagrams you open (see Suppress Qualifier Boxes).

Deselect the checkbox to prevent shading of the Qualifier boxes.

Draw Aggregations Reversed

Select the checkbox to draw Aggregate and Composite connectors from target element to source element (the diamond on the source end of the line).

Deselect the checkbox (the default), to draw these connectors from source to target (the diamond on the target end of the line).

Prompt on connector deletes

Select the checkbox to display a prompt before deleting connectors, offering the choice of hiding the connector on the diagram or deleting it completely.

If you deselect this option, the delete operation defaults to the last-set option on the dialog.

Suppress Link Constraints

Select the checkbox to hide any constraints set on connectors in the diagrams you open.

Deselect the checkbox to allow the constraints to display on the connector lines.

Suppress Qualifier boxes

Select the checkbox to hide the qualifiers (in their boxes) on Association connectors.

Deselect the checkbox to show the qualifiers on the diagrams you open.

Show Uses arrowheads

Select the checkbox to show an arrowhead on the target end of each Use connector in a Use Case diagram.

Deselect the checkbox to show the connector as a simple line.

Show 'Override Operation' dialog on new connector

Select the checkbox to show the 'Override Operation' dialog automatically when adding Generalization and Realization connectors between Classes and Interfaces, if the target element has features that can be overridden.

Suppress ' + ' Role Scope

Select the checkbox to hide the 'Public' indicator (+, when Access = Public in the connector role properties) of the source and/or target role on a connector.

Deselect the connector to allow the + symbol to display.

When changing this setting, you might need to reload the diagram to see the change take effect.

Strict Connector Syntax

Select this checkbox to check that each new connector complies with UML, BPMN 2.0 and SysML 1.2 & 1.3 syntax as you add it, and to enforce compliance.

Pen Width

Click on the drop-down arrow and select the default connector line width (between 1 and 4 pixels).

Routing

Click on the drop-down arrow and select the default connector style for new connectors (Direct, Routed or Custom).

Enable

Select the checkbox to enable the Quick Linker, showing the Quick Linker arrow when you click on an element on the diagram.

Deselect the checkbox to hide the Quick Linker arrow and make the Quick Linker unavailable.

Show Help

Select the checkbox to add a 'Help' option at the end of the Quick Linker menu, to display the Quick Linker Help topic.

Center to center

Select this radio button to set the orientation of the dashed guide line for new connectors to anchor on the center of the source element and, as you approach the target element, the center of that element.

The guide line displays both when you are dragging the Quick Linker arrow and when you have dragged a connector icon from the Diagram Toolbox.

Exact placement

Select this radio button to set the orientation of the dashed guide line for new connectors to the exact point on the element you drag from and the exact position of the cursor as you drag to the target element.

This option enables the 'Force perpendicular line' checkbox.

Force perpendicular line

Select this checkbox to set the orientation of the dashed guide line for new connectors to a perpendicular line between the source and target element edges, wherever this is possible.

You can toggle between this effect and the Exact Placement effect by holding [Ctrl] as you move the cursor between the source and target elements.

Close

Click on this button to save the changes you have made, and to close the 'Preferences' dialog.