SmartArt Issue: Horizontal Hierarchy to connect across swimlanes

SmartArts are great - as long as you do exactly what they want you to do. As soon as you try anything that they didn't foresee, then they'll fight you, kicking, biting and screaming all the way. 

The lane crossover thingy isn't something SmartArts like to do, so I suggest setting up the diagram as close as you can get, then select the "Covert to shapes" command. You can't undo this and go back to a SmartArt, but once you have shapes, ungroup them and you can add any bits you like.

Good way to do achieve strange effects not part of the SmartArt logic.

Cheers, Blackadder

No, you don't have to... You COULD also start off by drawing straightforward shapes and so on. The advantage (or one advantage) of using SmartArts is that they adapt to your input to a certain degree, so you can get something looking pretty good easily. And then when it starts to get freaky, you can convert the entire SmartArt to shapes, so the behaviour of the elements is more easily controllable.

We teach Office and students are usually surprised that it is possible to go from a SmartArt to shapes...

:-)

Cheers, Blackadder

I have a Horizontal Hierarchy that maps a bunch of processes however there is crossover between swimlanes. How do I connect say 9 to 11 WITHIN the same swimlane OR how do i connect from number 5 to 13. How do I connect even like 1 to 7 or 2 to 8. Does that make sense? I cannot seem to find a way.

Thanks

Do you have to use SmartArt?

Really not sure if this helps.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/create-a-hierarchy-HA010336065.aspx

http://www.presentation-process.com/organization-chart-powerpoint.html

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/descriptions-of-smartart-graphics-HA010057065.aspx