How to route edges
Farkitect routes the relationship edges on a diagram for you, and lets you take manual control when you need it. The routing style is set per diagram from the diagram toolbar, and individual edges can carry manual bend points.
Choose a routing style
Section titled “Choose a routing style”The routing-style control in the diagram toolbar sets how edges are drawn on the current diagram:
| Style | Path |
|---|---|
| Direct | A straight line between the two nodes. This is the default. |
| Custom | The edge follows the manual waypoints you place (see below). |
| Vertical Lateral | Right-angle (orthogonal) routing that leaves and enters nodes vertically. |
| Horizontal Lateral | Right-angle routing that leaves and enters nodes horizontally. |
| Vertical Tree | Hierarchical right-angle routing for top-down trees. |
| Horizontal Tree | Hierarchical right-angle routing for left-to-right trees. |
The Lateral and Tree styles are produced by the orthogonal connector engine, which keeps segments at clean right angles and re-routes automatically as you move nodes. When you move a node, edges flip to the shorter side where appropriate to keep the layout tidy.
Use Snap all right angles in the diagram toolbar to tidy an existing diagram by squaring up its edges in one step.
Add a waypoint (Custom routing)
Section titled “Add a waypoint (Custom routing)”Manual bend points — waypoints — give you full control over a single edge’s path:
- Click on an edge to select it
- A draggable point appears along the edge
- Drag the point to create a waypoint — a bend in the edge path
- The edge now routes through the waypoint
Adding a waypoint switches that edge to Custom routing so your bends are preserved.
Add multiple waypoints
Section titled “Add multiple waypoints”Repeat the process to add additional bends. Each drag creates a new waypoint. This lets you route an edge around other elements or lay out a specific path by hand.
Move a waypoint
Section titled “Move a waypoint”Click and drag an existing waypoint to reposition it.
Remove a waypoint
Section titled “Remove a waypoint”- Select the waypoint (click on it)
- Press Delete
The edge straightens through that section.
- Waypoints are saved with the diagram layout — they persist across sessions.
- For most diagrams, a Lateral style gives clean right-angled routing without placing waypoints by hand.
- Reach for Custom waypoints when you need to route a specific edge around an obstacle that automatic routing can’t avoid.
- To reconnect an edge to a different node, see Retarget an edge.