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Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows®
© Copyright 1996-2021 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.

One way to do this is to create a text box with the callout text label and a graphic line, and put both of them inside another (borderless) text box. The latter box acts as a "container" for the callout and line. It "groups" them together. The container box can then be dragged into position and anchored to a paragraph so it will move with the associated text. Here are the steps:

• Choose Insert, Text Box. A small, horizontally shaped box appears with a hatched border.
• Click outside the text box. The hatched border should change to a solid line with eight small squares ("drag handles") around the perimeter. These can be used to drag the box into a different shape. Also, when the mouse cursor changes to a four-headed arrow, you can drag the box to a new location.
• Right-click on the box to select it and simultaneously display the text box context menu.
• From the context menu, choose Size and make the box big enough to hold the callout image and the callout line. (You can also resize it later.) For now, set the height and width to the same amount to create a square "container" box.
• Left click in the container box so that you can edit it. While inside this box, you will create another text box (perhaps with a border that has rounded corners) to hold the callout text. Simply choose Insert, Text Box and another text box -- the callout box -- should appear inside the first one.
• Enter the desired label text in the callout box, and resize the callout box as desired with the drag handles. To give the callout box rounded corners, right-click it and choose Border/Fill, then Advanced (tab), then check the box, "Rounded corners." Set the "Corner radius" to the desired amount. (You can set the radius to a larger amount to make the callout box into a circle.)
• Drag the callout box into proper (relative) position inside the container box. That is, you want to take into account where the callout line will be placed relative to the callout label. Repositioning the callout box inside the container box will leave you room for the callout line.
  • While still inside the container box, append a graphic line to it with Insert, Shapes, Lines and choose a line with an arrowhead. (Choose just a simple line if you don't want the arrowhead.)
  • Draw the line starting from the callout box to the desired end position. (For earlier versions of WordPerfect, you'll need to add the arrowhead to the end of the line using the Arrow End button on the property bar.)
  • When the line appears, right click it and choose Position. Set the position to Paragraph, and you will be able to drag the line around inside the container box so that it points in the proper relative direction. The drag handles surrounding the line will let you change (rotate) the direction of the line.
• Exit all boxes by clicking anywhere in the document area.
• Right-click the container box to select it. From the context menu choose Wrap. Set it to wrap "In front of text" to make it "transparent."
• Right-click the container box to select it, and drag the container box into postion over your body text. Or, right-click the container box and choose Position. While in the Box Position dialog, Attach ("anchor") the box to Paragraph or Page. (Paragraph may be preferable since the container box will move if body text is added or deleted above the current paragraph.)
• Right-click the container box to select it. From the context menu choose Border/Fill and make it borderless by clicking on the blank space in the "Available border styles" list, then clicking OK. The border should disappear.
• Click outside the box to return to the document.