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Visio Guy Website & General Stuff => Data Visualization & General Graphics Topics => Topic started by: fonz55 on November 05, 2014, 11:49:57 AM

Title: Evenly spread sunray beam
Post by: fonz55 on November 05, 2014, 11:49:57 AM
Hello,

For the Project Office I need to create a project portfolio map as layed out in the attachment. I know there are different format options to visualize this, but this is what the organization already uses.
My question is simple but can not think of an answer: How do I spread the sunray beams evenly across the total amount of subjects on the top and right (now 7 subjects; this might change).
Kind regards.
Title: Re: Evenly spread sunray beam
Post by: vojo on November 05, 2014, 02:22:48 PM
Decent amount of shapesheet work

Option 1:

1. Set up a connection point in the center of the quarter circl
2. Set up connection points on the circle evenly spaced
    connection.X1 = user.radius*sin(15 deg)      connection.Y1 = user.radius*cos(15 deg)
    connection.X2 = user.radius*sin(30 deg)      connection.Y2 = user.radius*cos(30 deg)
    connection.X3 = user.radius*sin(45 deg)      connection.Y3 = user.radius*cos(45 deg)
3. Draw lines from center point thru edge connection point to where ever you want

Option 2

1. create a square and a line over top
2. group them
3. delete square
4. edit line
      Move to...start at width*0 and height * 0
      line.........guard(width*0+ user.length*cos(user.angle)).....guard(height*0 + user.length*sin(user.angle))
      <BTW....can make user.length and user.angle props properties so you can show them on GUI>
5  Line up all shapes (align horizontal and veritcal)
6. for each line, edit (props via GUI via doc(1312)) or shapesheet....to set user.length and user.angle

Option 3

Basically option 2 but a single shape with multipe geometries using multiple lengths and angles
(Down side is that you cant vary the line thickness or color for each line...upside is that is simpler to build)

Title: Re: Evenly spread sunray beam
Post by: fonz55 on November 05, 2014, 03:57:28 PM
Thank you for this quick reply. I will try all of these options later on this day. Totally forgot about the powerfulness of the shapesheet. Sorry, but it had been quite a while since I had to use Visio.
Title: Re: Evenly spread sunray beam
Post by: wapperdude on November 05, 2014, 04:58:14 PM
Assuming that:
  1. The size of the "end" shapes are identical (as shown)
  2. The shapes are arranged around a rectangular border (as shown)
  3. The ray beams terminate on the end shapes.

Then making the ray beams equally spaced will produce an undesirable positioning/spacing of the end shapes.  It would be visually better to have equal spacing of the horizontal shapes, and equal spacing of the vertical shapes.  The horizontal and vertical spacing generally will not be identical as that is both a function of shape size, number of shapes per horizontal (or vertical) sides.  In addition, because the distance of the end shape to the center of your sun is not constant, i.e., the upper left shape is closer and the upper right is furthest, that also tends to make the angles un-equal.

The alternative would be that the ray beams don't necessarily terminate on the end shapes or, if you're lucky, at least not on the same spot.

HTH
Wapperdude
Title: Re: Evenly spread sunray beam
Post by: vojo on November 05, 2014, 07:03:42 PM
hence the comment about props.length and props.angle for each line segment....space how you want / distance how you want

Below is a simple example...double click the circle
Title: Re: Evenly spread sunray beam
Post by: fonz55 on November 05, 2014, 08:12:45 PM
@Vojo: thank you for the practical example with props.length and angle. I definitely need to do more reading about the shapesheet.
@wapperdude: You are absolutely right! For convenience reason I attached the end shapes to the ray beams. It is indeed better to have them attached to the border and put the labels around the border. This makes equally spacing so much easier.
Thanks for getting me on the right track. By getting technical help as well as an other graphic design view the result will be stunning.
Title: Re: Evenly spread sunray beam
Post by: wapperdude on November 05, 2014, 09:45:02 PM
"Aaaaeeeyyy!"    8)