How to Create an Organizational Chart
To create an organizational chart in SmartDraw, select an Org Chart template from the Org Charts category under New Document on the dashboard.
Every SmartDraw template has set of tool palettes docked to the left of your workspace called the SmartPanel. This SmartPanel contains all the tools, libraries, and shortcuts you'll need to build and edit your organizational chart.
Alternatively, you can add an organizational chart to any other diagram by choosing Org Chart from the Add Diagram BluePrint palette. You can access this by clicking on the plus sign in the Left Bar, the controls to the left of the SmartPanel of any open diagram.
SmartDraw's workspace can contain multiple diagrams simultaneously. The SmartPanel and its associated tool palettes dynamically adjust to show the tools you need for the type of diagram selected in the workspace.
To add a peer at a specific level, select an existing employee at that level and press [CTRL] and the right arrow. Alternatively, hover over any employee until you see yellow arrows, also known as quick action controls, appear. Click the arrow in the direction you want to add another peer.
When you add a peer, between two existing peers, the remaining boxes will move to accommodate it and SmartDraw will reformat the entire chart for you, automatically.
Add a direct report under any selected level by pressing [CTRL] and the down arrow. Alternatively, hover over any employee until you see yellow arrows, also known as quick action controls, appear. Click the down arrow to add a new direct report.
You can easily add more reports under a specific manager by hitting the [ENTER] key as long as one report is already selected. This will add more peers at the same level.
You can continue building your org chart just by using your keyboard, adding reports and peers where necessary and SmartDraw will format the chart automatically for you.
Note that there is no need to draw lines. SmartDraw draws them for you as you add positions. The boxes are all perfectly sized, spaced and aligned. Your chart is presentation-quality from the beginning. Moving and inserting positions is automatic, too.
When you create an organizational chart or mind map with SmartDraw, new shapes are automatically connected to other shapes at regular intervals using a special line we call an "automatic connector."
Even as you move or delete shapes, the chart will heal itself and rearrange the remaining shapes automatically.
If you need to adjust this automatic spacing to create less or more space between branches there are new controls to help you.
When you select a shape, you'll now see green icons in the upper left corner. One will have an up and down arrow and the other left and right arrow. Click on either icon and without letting go of your mouse drag them up or down or left or right to adjust the spacing of that particular branch relative to the other branches either above or to the side of the selected shape.
SmartDraw automatically applies professional design themes for you, but also gives you complete control to customize your org chart in any way you want.
Change the entire look of your chart by applying a new design theme with just one click.
Or change the look of individual shapes instantly by selecting a new Quick Style. Choose from more than 40 pre-set designs.
