Connection angle

[Chelmite]

I'm trying to create an adder shape in Visio 2003 Professional.
It looks like a trapezoid with an inward notch on the longest side. This
divides that longest side into two smaller line segments.
I want connection points in the middle of each of those smaller line segments.
I attached connection points there and saved the shape. When I try to
connect to those connection points, the connectors don't attach at 90 degress
to the line segment. Instead they are 90 degrees from where they should be,
and lie on top of the line segments.

The only way I could find in the Visio 2003 book was to enable Developer
Mode (pg 79-80). Allegedly, this will show connection angle arrows when you
click on a connection point. It does not show any such arrow.

If the connection arrow feature doesn't work, is there another way to get
the connection angle to be what I want it to be?

 

[Chris [Visio MVP]]

The connection arrow UI stuff was removed due to potential law suits, which
reallly sucks.

If you open the ShapeSheet (Window > Show ShapeSheet), you'll see in the
"Connections" section two cells for each connection point (row).

Dir X / A and Dir Y / B.

These are simply delta-x and delta-y values. So, if you want 90deg, enter
+1, 0. For 45deg: +1, +1

The fifth cell, Type / C sets the type of connector: inward, outward, or
both.

 

[Chelmite]

I right-clicked on the offending shape and selected Show ShapeSheet. There is
no Connection Points section. I right-clicked in the gray area on the
ShapeSheet and selected View Sections. Connection Points is grayed out.
If I edit the Master Symbol, there's no Connection Points section, even
though there are several connection points in my shape.
If I ungroup all the items in my shape (I group them so that the pieces of
my symbol won't be accessible, deletable, changeable, etc when they're used
in a drawing.), the polygon that has the connection points does have the
appropriate shapesheet.connection_points section. Why isn't this accessible
when the symbol is used in a drawing?

 

[Chris [Visio MVP]]

It is, but you need to go inside the group.

Try Edit > Open Group (or Open Shape_Name)


- Chris

 

[Chelmite]

I tried editing a shape Master. I found every place where there was a
connection, and edited the corresponding shapesheet so that every connection
pointed the way I wanted it to. I saved the master. Then I dragged an
instance of the master onto a page and looked at its shapesheet. It doesn't
have a connection point section!
Why don't the connection points in the master show up in the instances?

 

[Paul Herber]

I tried editing a shape Master. I found every place where there was a
connection, and edited the corresponding shapesheet so that every connection
pointed the way I wanted it to. I saved the master. Then I dragged an
instance of the master onto a page and looked at its shapesheet. It doesn't
have a connection point section!
Why don't the connection points in the master show up in the instances?

They should do so. Which master are you editing in which stencil?
Or are you editing the Document Stencil? If you are then that won't
work.

 

[Chelmite]

I have a stencil that I created a long time ago. I don't remember how.
The Properties say Type=Microsoft Visio Stencil. It's stored in a .vss file.
I can enter File/Shapes/Show Document Stencil, and I get a Document Stencil,
which is not the same as the one I'm working in.
I'm editing a shape that I created: A rectangle with some connection points
on the perimeter.

 

[Paul Herber]

I have a stencil that I created a long time ago. I don't remember how.
The Properties say Type=Microsoft Visio Stencil. It's stored in a .vss file.
I can enter File/Shapes/Show Document Stencil, and I get a Document Stencil,
which is not the same as the one I'm working in.
I'm editing a shape that I created: A rectangle with some connection points
on the perimeter.

Ok, sounds like the connection points section is hidden.
Open the shapesheet (as per my previous response) and
Menu --> View Sections
and enable connection points.

 

[Chelmite]

This is taking a long time to resolve, so let me document what I'm trying.
Maybe I'm doing something wrong along the way.

Microsoft Visio Office 2003 SP2 (11.5509.6568) on Windows XP SP2.

In my stencil, I right-click on the stencil bar and click Edit Stencil.
I then right click on the shape whose master I want to edit and select Edit
Master/Master Properties. Under Behavior, "Match master by name on drop" is
checked. Close the popup.

Right click on the shape and select Edit Master/Edit Master Shape. The
ShapeSheet window opens for the master.

Selecting Window/Show ShapeSheet opens the ShapeSheet for the page. I don't
think this is what I want. If I right click on the ShapeSheet and select
"Insert Section", "Connection Point" is grayed out, indicating that it's not
an option.

If I select a line segment in my shape that has a connection point and then
right-click select Show ShapeSheet, I get the ShapeSheet for that line. It
includes a Connection Points section with a DirX/A=1in and a DirY/B=0in, and
Type/C=0=Inward. I'm pretty sure that this indicates a connection westward to
the connection point. (Is that right? Or 1,0 a connection eastward to the
point?)

If I group all the sub-shapes, then the Connection Point section of the
ShapeSheet doesn't appear on any instance of the master.

What do you have to do to propagate the Connection Points and their
directions in a master to the instance of that master?

Thanks

 

[Paul Herber]

Selecting Window/Show ShapeSheet opens the ShapeSheet for the page. I don't
think this is what I want. If I right click on the ShapeSheet and select
"Insert Section", "Connection Point" is grayed out, indicating that it's not
an option.

Just means that it's not an option for "Insert Section" which would be
true if the section already exists.