Creating shapes from lines

[Lyn]

I have a floor plan that contains a number of lines to make what appears to
be a shape. However, I'm unable to fill this 'shape' with colour. Does
anyone know how I can achieve this. Lyn

 

[wr]

Hi Lyn,

select the lines which you want to colour and the either group them or
combine
Combine works the best (shape/operations/combine)
After you combine the shapes open the shapesheet for the shape
and set each geometry.nofill cell to FALSE
after that you can apply color

Rene

 

[Andra]

hi
it's interesting and sometimes really needed. But for my Visio 5.0c it any
way does not fill color.
I set Fill Pattern 1, Foreground 2 (Red). The figure remains transparent. If
I edit figure's text then edit box is shown red.


wr wrote

 

[wr]

Hi Andra,

I am sorry I cannot check it for Visio 5.0 as I don't have that version on
the pc
I know that the core of the shapesheet haven't changed much after visio 5

what you can do is you select the line tool and draw one line over one of
the lines of the structure
then you use the shape operation 'fragment' and after that you should be
able to color the shape

René

 

[Michel LAPLANE]

Your line probably not join together and it is probably not a closed
polygon. To see that you must select your shape, zoom on a corner, choose
the pencil tool and you will see the extremity of the lines check that there
is only a summit or if there is two summit check there is a line between
them.

You can also look at the geometry section of the shape that each line
beginning to the end of the previous line in the geometry section.

 

[Andra]

geometry x,y points are ok.
I drew a triangle using 3 lines. Shape > Operations > Combine. ShapeSheet
for combined shape shows Geometry1, Geometry2, Geometry3. For each
..nofill=false.
Another way I tried to set .nofill=false before combine, it's all the same.
Shape no filling. Text edit box for shape filled.
Sorry.


Michel LAPLANE wrote

 

[Michel LAPLANE]

Hey you must use join instead of combine, that's the clue.
Remember that the first group of operation best suit for the 2d shape and
closed shape and the second group best suit for the 1D shape and non closed
lines.

 

[wr]

Hi Andra,

When you draw 3 lines to create a triangle it is best if you don't release
the mouse when
you create the triangle
If you look in the redo sequence you will three actions:
add segment (third action)
add segment (second action)
add 1D shape (first action)
The result is that you now have a shape that can be filled with color
If you have draw 3 lines and the second line you draw without releasing the
mouse
but for the third line you have released the mouse then you get a sequence
like this:
add 1D shape
add segment
add 1D shape
now whether you do combine or join or set NoFill to false
the shape will not be filled with color
you can now either recreate the shape or put a line over one of the lines of
the triangle
select the triangle with this line and then do the shape operation fragment
after this the shape will be coloured

René

 

[Andra]

yes, with join it works. Thanks!

Michel LAPLANE wrote

 

[Andra]

3 lines and a triangle was just a trial to see how it works.
Overdrawing lines is for simple figures.
It works with join, see Michel's reply.

wr wrote

 

[wr]

Hi Andra,

I am glad that you could overcome the problem by using 'join'
and I have to admit that using 'join' works in more cases than 'combine'
joins alters the NoFill property to True whereas combine doesn't do that
allways

there are cases where join doesn't work as expected and as example I used
the triangle structure that you described and explained that in some
scenarios of adding lines join doesn't work but adding a line over an
existing line and then choose fragment will
and that is for complex structures as well
because if the difference in pinx/piny between the elements is too much join
gives up and doesn't adjust the NoFill property
again using fragment will help you here

René