Shape Data Positioning

[Bryce]

I'm a bit new to Visio 2007 and have successfully linked shapes to an
external xls data file. Using the data graphics to display this
information seems like the best way to do this but I've encountered a
problem that I can not seem to find a fix for! All I want to do is
rotate the data graphics themselves (not with the shapes!) so that
they will be easily readable across the page. I also would love to
know if there is any way to maintain data and shape links while
unattaching the data graphics and positioning it wherever I would like
on the page. I would also like to be able to resize just the data
graphic after I've moved it. Surely all of this is possible, I just
can't seem to find anywhere in Visio where I can do this. Please help.

 

[Al Edlund]

I'd check over here for a lot of datagraphics information

http://blogs.msdn.com/visio/

al

 

[Bryce]

I'd check over here for a lot of datagraphics information

http://blogs.msdn.com/visio/

al

Yeah, I've read a lot of that information and really haven't found a
clear-cut solution to how to do this. I'm no master at Visio, but it
really shouldn't take one to be able to do this - something that seems
would be useful to almost anyone using Visio for data linking and etc.

 

[Al Edlund]

Datagraphics are still pretty new and a lot is being learned about how users
function with them. David Parker just published a book on data integration,
but I am unsure on how he may have approached this type of an implementation.
You can have multiple shapes attached to the same datarecord, which would
allow you to create your own shape and link it to the same record and move it
wherever you'd like.

Al

 

[Aaron Rykhus [MSFT]]

In regards to rotating the data graphic and not the shape....I agree this
would be a useful feature. However, since the data graphic is grouped to
the shape and there's ShapeSheet logic involved I don't think there is a
way to do this from the user interface other than ungrouping the data
graphic and taking protection off of each ungrouped shape, which I don't
recommend for many reasons but mostly because it would involve a lot of
work and it would sever the link from the object on the page to the master.

In a nutshell, this looks like a limitation of data graphics. That's not to
say that you couldn't create your own custom data graphic that is already
rotated. If you're willing to learn more about creating custom data
graphics you could check out the following article at
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa468596.aspx.


As for the issue with unattaching data graphics and moving them anywhere on
the page, I'm not quite sure what you mean by "unattaching". Could you give
more info?



Best Regards,

Aaron Rykhus, MCP, MCDST
Online Support Engineer
Microsoft Corporation

 

[Mark Nelson [MS]]

Hi Bryce,

You might be able to do this by creating your own data graphic with an
ability to rotate. Since you also want detached graphics, you may want to
consider a different approach. Why not create a separate shape for
displaying data on and link to that shape instead? There is no restriction
on the number of shapes a row can be linked to. Just link to your main
shape and link again to your remote data display shape.

--
Mark Nelson
Office Graphics - Visio
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Aaron Rykhus [MSFT]]

Each individual shape in a data graphic is protected from rotation by
default so if you have say for example a Data Bar graphic for a field if
you select just that data bar shape, righ-click/Format/Protection...,
uncheck Protection, click OK; you should then be able to rotate the Data
Bar.


Aaron Rykhus
Online Support Engineer - Visio