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How to set up a flowchart with the LibreOffice Draw
5 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Flowcharts arediagramsthat system designers and software developers design IT systems and programs with. There are numerous diagram software applications you can set up flowcharts with.
The open-sourceLibreOffice Drawis one diagramming application that you can utilize for flowcharts.
It includes all the basic, and some more advanced, options and tools you’ll need to set updiagramsfor system design or software algorithms.
This is how you can set up a flowchart with Draw.
1. Download the LibreOffice Draw flowchart designer tool
If you don’t already have theLibreOffice suiteinstalled, you can save its wizard fromthis webpage. Select eitherWindowsX86 (32-bit platform)orWindowsX86_64 (64-bit platform)from the drop-down menu.
Press theDownloadbutton to save LibreOffice’s installer. Open LibreOffice’s Installation Wizard window to add the suite toWindows. Then open Draw’s window.
2. Adding Shapes to Flowchart Diagrams
First, add some shapes to the flowchart. Draw’s toolbar includes aFlowchartsbutton you can press to select shapes more specifically for flowchart diagrams.
Press that button’s small arrow to expand its list of shapes as shown directly below.
Now select the first flowchart shape to add to thediagramfrom there. Hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor on the diagram sheet to expand the shape.
Then you can resize the shape by selecting it and dragging its border points.
To alter shapes’ colors, selectColorfrom the Area/Styling drop-down menu. Then select a color from the adjacent drop-down menu.
Alternatively, you can add a gradient effect to the shape by selectingGradientfrom the Area Style drop-down menu as shown in the snapshot directly below.
Shadowis another shape formatting option that adds flat shadows to the symbols. Select a shape to add the shadow to. Then press theShadowbutton to add a shadow effect to the symbol as below.
3. Connecting Flowchart Symbols
When you’ve added and positioned more flowchart symbols on thediagram, you’ll need to connect them with arrows. Although you can add them with theLines and Arrowoption, it’s better to press theConnectorbutton.
This will ensure that the arrows connect to the shapes. When you pressConnector, you’ll see four connection points on the flowchart’s shapes as in the snapshot directly below.
Click the small arrow beside theConnectorbutton, and select theStraight Connector ends with arrowoption.
Then hover the cursor over a connector point on one shape, hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor to a connector point on the second shape.
That will connect your flowchart’s shapes with straight-line arrows as shown in the shot directly below. As you’ve added connector lines to thediagram, the arrows will move if you alter the shapes’ positions.
You can choose alternative arrow styles by selecting an arrow on thediagramand then clicking the small arrow on theArrow Stylesbutton.
That will open the drop-down menu below from which you can choose alternative arrowheads. Select an arrowhead listed there to alter the selected arrow.
To select an alternative color for an arrow, first, click an arrow on thediagram. Click the small arrow on theLine Colorbutton to open the palette below.
Then you can choose another arrow color from the palette.
4. Adding Text to Flowchart Diagrams
5. Add 3D to Flowchart Symbols
To give your flowchart a little more visual impact, you can convert the2Dsymbols to 3D shapes. Then you can rotate the shapes and add extra 3D effects to them. This is how you can add 3D shapes to flowchartdiagramsin Draw.
So you can set up flowcharts with Draw’sText Box,Flowcharts,andConnectortools and add some groovy effects to them with the application’s 3D options. The application probably has most of the tools and options you’ll need for flowcharts.
However, you can also set up flowcharts with the diagram software included inthis software guide.
More about the topics:LibreOffice,windows software
Matthew Adams
Windows Hardware Expert
Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles on various topics related to technology. His main focus is the Windows OS and all the things surrounding it.
He is passionate about the tech world, always staying up-to-date with the latest and greatest. With an analytical view, he likes problem-solving, focusing on errors and their causes.
In his free time, he likes to read and write about history and tries to always develop new skills.
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Matthew Adams
Windows Hardware Expert
He is passionate about everything surrounding Microsoft’s OS, focusing on troubleshooting guides & tips for everyday problems.
