Can not get the connecting line to align with label in desired place in QGIS 3

Question

I have labelled a points layer by defining a line between points and labels, so as I could remove the label to outside the map area (Figure 1). Using additional columns in the points layer attributes table ("x" and "y"), I can move the labels manually.

To make a line from the point to the label, I have added a 'Geometry Generator' in the Style section of the layer's Properties dialog. To define the geometry generator, I have used the following expression where $x and $y are the features' coordinates and "x" and "y" are the labels' coordinates:

make_line(make_point($x,$y), make_point("x","y"))

My issue is that labels do not align with the line connecting them to features. The labels are basically where I want them, but the line heads elsewhere (see Figure 1). How do I get these lines to basically be positioned from the first letter of the town name to the point?

Image shows map with points being towns and the labels their town name. The lines are supposed to connect the town name label (e.g. Warrnambool) to the point (the town location), but the lines are fixed in odd directions

Answer 1

Proposed expression for the Geometry Generator:

-- algorithm inspired by https://github.com/haubourg/EasyCustomLabeling/blob/master/EasyCustomLabeling/EasyCustomLabeling.py line 260 and next

case
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" < $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" > $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) < abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x-abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y),"auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" < $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" > $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) >= abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x,abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)+$y),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" < $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" < $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) < abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x-abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y),"auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))  
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" < $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" < $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) >= abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x,$y-abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" >= $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" > $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) > abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x) --quadrant ur alternatif
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x,"auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony")) 
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" >= $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" > $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) < abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x+abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y),"auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))  
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" >= $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" <= $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) > abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x,$y-abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))  
 when "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" >= $x and "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony" <= $y and abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y) < abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx"-$x)
  then make_line($geometry, make_point($x+abs("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"-$y),"auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"),make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx", "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))  
end 

and for label position (horizontal alignment) :

CASE 
   WHEN "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx" < $x THEN 'right'
   ELSE 'left'  
END

Answer 2

Short answer: use the expression below.

make_line($geometry, 
          make_point("auxiliary_storage_labeling_positionx",
                     "auxiliary_storage_labeling_positiony"))

---

[Background]

It is not stated in your question, but the captured image suggests that these labels were moved using Easy Custom Labeling function. Because QGIS 3 does not show the leader lines (connectors) automatically, Geometry generator approach seems to be the good workaround.

[Steps]

(1) On your point layer, move your labels to desired locations.

(2) Duplicate your point layer and open Layer properties

(3) Switch it to Geometry generator and select LineString/MultiLineString

(4) The expression is the one on top of this answer.

Then you will get lines, as expected:

NB. If you move your labels afterwords, you need to redo these steps again.

Answer 3

It could be caused by your labeling option, try to change the label alignement and/or placement (offset from point should give you best result)