Keeping arrows anchored when calling ArrangeDiagram really limits your chance of getting something user friendly but the way things work ATM it's easy to find you between a rock and a hard place.

Let be give you an example.

I'm looking at creating a GUI for viewing WorkFlow processes. One of the 'rules' we're trying to use means that a 'decision' node cannot have the 'yes' arc and the 'no' arc flow from the same point. If we use your 'Decision2In2Out' AnchorPattern as a reference then the 'yes' arc must flow from the point at 6 o'clock and the 'no' arc from the point at 3 o'clock. Still with me?

Now, when creating my diagram I can enforce this rule, but if I call ArrangeDiagram without first setting ArrowAnchoring to ancKeep there is a better than good chance that the system will move the out-going arcs to flow from the same point (this always happens with my examples).

Obviously, I can set ArrowAnchoring to ancKeep but that then applies to all nodes and, as I've already said, this really messes up the Layout class's ability to generate something that you'd want to look at.

FWIW, it seems to me that what is lacking is an ArrowAnchoring property on the node. By default this would be set to ancIgnore for all new nodes. However, if it was set to ancKeep on a node then, regardless of the setting of ArrowAnchoring on the layout object, the anchors on that object would not be changed.

With this option, I get to give the Layout classes the best chance of producing something worth looking at whilst maintaining the rules we have in place.

Given that I'm just using the demo version, my diagrams are pretty limited, but I'm sure that there will be similar issues with other elements when I'm able to explore further.

Obviously, this is just a thought of mine and, given that I've not even bought anything from you yet, you are free to ignore it, but I do hope you at least consider this.

I'm not too sure I understood that.

Sorry.

Yes, indeed.

Playing around with the layout properties and by automagically calling RouteAllArrows immediately after calling ArrangeDiagram has given me a much better result to be starting from...