Auto-connect Lines Object

Function Description

The auto-connect feature allows snapping one line object (A) to another line object (B) and connecting these two line objects at the snapping position (the start point or end point of object B) into a single line object based on the draw order. This function is useful during vectorization of line objects, as it can connect multiple line objects drawn separately at node snap positions, resulting in a new line object and improving the user's vectorization speed. The line objects to be connected can be of different types, such as polylines, arcs, rectangles, etc.

The following figure shows a schematic diagram of a river section. Using the autoconnect function, the individual line objects can be connected at the endpoint snap locations (green squares) as indicated by the numbers in the figure during the drawing process, forming a new object.
  • The Auto-connect Lines object function applies to line layers and CAD layers.
  • The Auto-connect Lines checkbox is only available when there is an editable line layer in the current map.
  • The auto-connect lines object function is applicable not only to simple objects but also to compound objects.

Feature Entry

  • Features tab -> Objects group -> Drawing Settings drop-down menu -> Auto-connect Lines.

Operation Instructions

  1. Set the layer settings in the map where you want to enable the Auto-connect Lines object feature to be editable.
  2. In the Objects group of the Features tab, click the Drawing Settings drop-down button, and select the Auto-connect Lines option from the drop-down menu to enable the Auto-connect Lines object feature; or use the Shift+J shortcut to enable the feature. To disable the Auto-connect Lines object feature, simply click the option again.
  3. Draw a line object anywhere on the map. It can be any type of line object, such as a polyline.
  4. Enable the snapping function and snap to the location (the start point or end point of the snapped object) where the next line object is to begin drawing, then start drawing the new line object. The newly drawn line object can be any type, such as a multi-segment polyline. For details on the snapping function, please refer to Enabling Layer Snapping.
  5. Right-click the mouse to finish drawing. At this point, the newly drawn line object and the first drawn line object are automatically connected into a single object. The properties of this object remain consistent with those of the first object.
  6. To connect more line objects, repeat steps 4 and 5.
Notes:
  • The line objects for autoconnect can be any type of line object, such as polylines, free curves, ellipses, etc.
  • Connection can only be made at the endpoints of line segments. If the starting point for drawing is at a non-endpoint node of the source line object, the source object and the current drawing objects will not be automatically connected.