Editing Connections
Once a Connection exists, you can change everything about it from a small toolbar that appears above it: its name, which way it points, how strong the line is, and where the label sits.
Select a Connection
Click the line or its label. The line is easy to hit: you don't need to click exactly on it.
The selected Connection shows its toolbar, and the hint Double-click to edit appears under the label. Click anywhere else to deselect.
The selected toolbar
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Relationship name | Opens the Manage relationships menu: every Relationship between this pair, sort order, Add relationship. See Relationships. If the pair has more, it says "N more…". |
| ‹ / › | Step to the pair's previous or next Relationship. The line shows it while it's selected. The tooltip names it. Only shown when the pair has more than one. |
| Pin-off icon | Puts a label you dragged back in its automatic position. Only shown after you've moved the label. (The tooltip currently reads "Rest to auto position".) |
| Open property | For a Connection that comes from a Relation property: opens that Property. See Embeds. |
| Scissors (Disconnect) | Removes this Relationship. |
| ⋮ (Connection settings) | Opens Canvas Settings with the Connection Labels and Connection Wires rows highlighted. See Connection appearance. |
Edit a Connection
Double-click the label or the line (or click Edit next to a Relationship in the Manage relationships menu). The toolbar switches to edit mode and the name field opens.
The edit toolbar
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Name | Click to rename. Press Enter to close the field, Esc to undo your typing. |
| Toggle source arrow | Turns the arrow pointing at the source on or off. |
| Flip direction | Swaps source and target, so the arrow points the other way. |
| Toggle target arrow | Turns the arrow pointing at the target on or off. |
| Toggle connection style (1 / 2 / 3) | Cycles the line style: 1 → 2 → 3 → 1. |
| X (Cancel) | Leaves edit mode without saving anything. |
| ✓ (Confirm) | Saves all your changes as one step, so one ⌘Z undoes them. |
You can't give a Connection the same name as another Relationship on the same pair. The ✓ is disabled and the hint says Another relationship here is already "…".
Arrows: source and target
Every Connection has a source end and a target end, even when no arrow is drawn. Which end is which matters for:
- Arrows. One arrow always points from source to target.
- The name read from the other end. A Card that's the target of "supports" lists the Connection as "supported by" (see Relationships).
Not sure which end is which? Hover Toggle source arrow, Flip direction or Toggle target arrow. Small Source and Target tags appear over the two objects.
Arrows sit next to the label, in the middle of the line, not at the objects.
| Arrows | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| None | Related, no direction | "Photosynthesis" — connects — "Respiration" |
| One | Points from source to target | "Sunlight" → causes → "Photosynthesis" |
| Both | Goes both ways | "Mitochondria" ↔ similar-to ↔ "Chloroplast" |
Line styles
| Style | Looks like | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solid, full strength | Your strongest, most important Relationships |
| 2 | Solid, half strength | Secondary Relationships |
| 3 | Dashed, half strength | Loose or tentative links. New drafts and connects start here. |
Line style isn't just looks: it also decides which Relationship shows first when a pair has several (see Priority).
Move the label
Drag a label along its line to move it out of the way of other objects. It stays on the line, between 10% and 90% of the way along. Moving a label can be undone with ⌘Z.
To put it back, select the Connection and click the pin-off button in the toolbar.
Disconnect
Removing a Connection doesn't ask for confirmation, because you can undo it with ⌘Z. Any of these works:
- Select it and click the scissors (Disconnect) in the toolbar.
- Open Manage relationships and click the scissors next to one Relationship. Only that one goes; the others on the pair stay.
- Click the Connection badge, hover the object in the list and click Disconnect (see Viewing Connections).
Disconnecting only removes the Connection. Both objects stay as they are.
What you can't edit here
- Embeds (
embeds) and Relation property Connections can't be renamed, restyled or disconnected from the Canvas. Their toolbar has no edit controls. Change the text or Property they come from instead. See Embeds. - You can't move an end of a Connection to a different object. Disconnect it and connect again.
- Colour and curve are not per Connection. They're set for all Connections in Connection appearance.