Outlandish graphics functionality sought?

["RDP@ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM" <"RDP%ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM %ALAN.KAHUNA.DECNET.LOCKHEED.COM"@WARBUCKS.AI.SRI.COM>]

Date: Wed, 26 Jul 89 15:34 PDT
From: Robert D. Pfeiffer <RDP@ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM>
Subject: Outlandish graphics functionality sought?
To: SLUG@ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM
Message-ID: <19890726223430.8.RDP@ALAN.LAAC-AI.Dialnet.Symbolics.COM>
 
I'm working on a user interface programming problem (built on the
"latest and greatest" functionality under Genera 7.2) and would welcome
any comments on the following idea:
 
I'd like to be able to draw lines and arrows where the first endpoint's
coordinates are specified relative to one window pane, and the second
endpoint's coordinates are specified relative to another window pane.
 
Now, before you decide that I've gone completely crazy (in fact, I have
-- but I'm not letting on), let tell you why.  So far I've got two
reasons:
 
1) In the application I'm developing, I've got a number of display
panes.  Each pane contains a collection of displayed objects and the
panes change size and position depending upon which window configuration
the user has selected.  One view I'd like to support would display
"graphical links" (lines and arrows) between objects in different panes.
 
2) I would also like to develop a nice, interactive tutorial for the
application.  The idea is to pop up a "dialog window" over the
application and use arrows to point at what is being described.
 
Does this seem feasible?  Has anyone done anything similar?  Is there a
better way to approach this problem?  Do I need a lobotomy?
 
Thanks in advance for any suggestions, examples, critcisms,
psychotherapy, etc.