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ianhgsy
Inspiring
June 3, 2026
Answered

How to anchor a line to a spot on a document and a frame

  • June 3, 2026
  • 6 replies
  • 97 views

I have the main photo on a A3 document.  Around the side will be detailed photos or text of a particular spot on the main photo.  I will have line going from the selected spot on the main photo going to the relevant frame.  


is there a way of anchoring the line to the spot on the main photo and the frame, whereby when I move the detail frame the line remains ‘attached’ to it?  Currently, if I have to move the detail photo, I then have to select the appropriate line and move the end of it.  That is a real pain and, hopefully, there is a solution.

 

 

 

 

    Correct answer FRIdNGE

    Choose the right tool!

     

    (^/)  The Jedi

    6 replies

    I
    ianhgsyAuthor
    Inspiring
    June 4, 2026

    Thank you.  The Force is certainly strong within you.

    FRIdNGE
    FRIdNGECorrect answer
    June 4, 2026

    Choose the right tool!

     

    (^/)  The Jedi

      Peter Kahrel
      Community Expert
      Peter KahrelCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 4, 2026

      Nice one. Care to explain this, Michel?

      I
      ianhgsyAuthor
      Inspiring
      June 4, 2026

      Scripting is way out of my comfort zone. Thanks for everyone’s suggestions so I’ll continue doing it manually. 

      TᴀW
      TᴀW
      Legend
      June 3, 2026

      I don’t think it can be done automatically, but it could theoretically be scripted. Even then, there are few complications. But it could be done...

      id-extras.com | InDesign tools & scripts for typesetters, form designers, and translators
      rob day
      Community Expert
      rob dayCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 3, 2026

      Hi ​@ianhgsy , Can you share a sample page?

       

      If you group the objects as ​@BobLevine suggests you can use the Selection tool (black arrow tool) to move the group, or the Direct Selection tool (white arrow tool) to select an anchor point with in the group and move the anchor:

       

       

       

      I
      ianhgsyAuthor
      Inspiring
      June 3, 2026

      Hi Rob,

      Unfortunately, that is the end I need to stay.  In the attached sample; the text and tower are grouped.  I can group the pointer with them as well but, if I have to adjust the position of the text and tower, the direct selection tool doesn’t work on the text and tower.  I already use the Direct Selection tool to adjust the start of the pointer but I am trying to avoid that extra work.  

      Thanks for the suggestion, I am likely to have a few of these to do and want to minimise the ‘fiddley bits’.   I am not familiar enough with Illustrator to know if this may be possible in that.

      Cheers

      Ian

      BobLevine
      Community Expert
      BobLevineCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 3, 2026

      Group them. But it seems to me that the best course of action would be to add those line as the final step in your document.

      I
      ianhgsyAuthor
      Inspiring
      June 3, 2026

      Sadly, that doesn’t work.  Grouping moves everything. 

       

      In basic terms, I am after a line where the start is fixed but the end is ’attached’ to a frame.  As I move the frame, the line moves but the start point remains fixed.  MSWord manage it with what they refer to as “Call outs”.

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