2D Shape.Connection Points : multiple Type2 Inward/Outward restriction?

Started by bossi, December 30, 2022, 06:35:57 PM

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bossi

Quote from: wapperdude on September 01, 2016, 03:05:00 PM
Visio has 3 types:  Inward, Outward, and "Inny/Outty". 
Select a shape, e.g., the "glue to shape", the select the Connection Point tool. 
Hover tool over the connection point on the right side and right click. 
A pop-up will appear showing the 3 connection point options. 
Choose either Outward or the Inward/Outward. 
Now, drag the shape to the target shape, overlapping the connection points. 
The connection point should turn red indicating it's glued. 
Now select target shape and move it.  It will drag the other shape around.
Wapperdude
When updating multiple Connection Points on a Shape from Type 0->2  , only the last updated works as Type 2 , the other ones fall back to Type 0 behaviour , but ShapeSheet shows all as Type 2. Is this by design ?

wapperdude

Not sure what you mean by "multiple" connection points.  If you mean selecting a single point, changing it, then go to another connection point and repeat process, that ought to work.  If you mean 1st selecting several connection points, then changing all selected, I don't think that's even possible.  But, the 1st case works fine for me.  It is the normal way to do it.  Or, alternatively, open the shapesheet and make the changes there.
Visio 2019 Pro

bossi

this one Column [Type/C]
If I write value "2" on multiple rows , only the last edited gets updated , other ones display as 2 but behave as 0 on the sheet , after some digging it seems to be by design ...

Surrogate

Hi, bossi!
Quote from: bossi on January 02, 2023, 03:57:51 AMIf I write value "2" on multiple rows
You do it via code ?
Quote from: bossi on January 02, 2023, 03:57:51 AMonly the last edited gets updated , other ones display as 2 but behave as 0 on the sheet , after some digging it seems to be by design ...
Which Visio version do you use?

wapperdude

I made a simple shape and added 4 connection points.  All had default value of "0".

Opened shapesheet and scrolled to the Connection Points section.  Column C has zeros as expected.  I then went to a row, any row, put value 2 in the "C" cell.  Hit enter.  Another row and repeat.  Continued until all four rows had "2" in the C column.  At this point went back to the drawing page (i had the two windows tiled, but the shapesheet could be closed or left open, doesn't matter.

examination of the shape, shows that each connection point was changed from "Inward" to "Inward/Outward" as expected.  If you don't hit "enter" after each row is edited, you can get erroneous results.
Visio 2019 Pro

Yacine

It is not the last edited one that gets the in/out behavior. It is that only one point can act as outward connection. A shape can be glued to any other entity by only one point.
Depending on where you grab your shape and where you pull it, the one or the other will take the task.
Looking at the picture you posted it seems to make little sense to put as much outward points so close together. At least by mouse, you'll never be able to make a controlled connection to another shape.
I'd advice to rethink the necessity of the double behavior.
Yacine

wapperdude

@Yacine:  Good point... it triggered a dormant memory cell...

As I understand it, the inny/outty connector was intended for 1D shapes.  That way, the 1D shape could connect to either an inward or outward connection point on a 2D shape. 

To amplify Yacine's comment, two, 2D shapes will only glue @ 1 single point per side. Visio choses the point of gluing as the one closest to the location where the mouse "grabs" the shape being dragged.  For example,  consider a square with multiple c-points on left & right sides, and you want to glue this shape to the right side of a previously placed shape.  The shape being moved would ideally have its left side as the side of interest.  But, when grabbing the shape, the mouse was close to the top right side.  Visio will think that the nearest right side c-point is the priority point for gluing.  Thus, it will try to glue right edge to right edge.

The "rule of thumb" (which is more like a suggestion) is that inward connectors are along top and left edges, and outward are on right and bottom edges.  In the electrical world, it was important physically for active devices like opamps.  But with the advent of BGA's, where the connects are populating the bottom surface, physically it's meaningless, but schematic-wise, it makes consistent drawings.

One more note, power and ground pins generally are bi-directional, but that was not the rationale for the inny/outty connector point...as I understand.
Visio 2019 Pro