Ecomap connections
Connection lines link the subject to each system and carry the meaning of an ecomap: how strong the bond is, and which way energy flows.
Draw a connection
Select a node to show its connection bubbles, then drag a bubble onto another node to link the two - the same gesture as connecting people in a genogram. A connection can run between any two nodes, so you are not limited to spokes from the center. Click a line to select it and edit it in the side panel.
Connection types
The line style shows the quality of the relationship, following the standard ecomap conventions:
- Strong - a thick solid line for a close, supportive tie
- Normal - a thin solid line for an ordinary connection
- Weak - a dashed line for a tenuous or distant tie
- Stressful - a hatched line (perpendicular ticks) for a strained or conflicted relationship
Energy-flow direction
Arrows on a connection show which way energy, resources, or support move between the subject and a system. Set the direction in the side panel:
- None - no arrow
- Out - flowing from the subject toward the system
- In - flowing from the system toward the subject
- Reciprocal - flowing both ways
The Ecomap Key
The Ecomap Key panel lists the categories and connection types in use, with counts, so a reader can decode the diagram. Select a row to highlight the matching nodes or lines on the canvas. It mirrors the Genogram Key covered in Arranging the canvas.