Visio Stencil Data Fields Centre When Making Changes

[Brason]

I have a number of stencils that I used for making drawings for submittals for my work. I'm fairly new to Visio but I've modified some existing ones that my co-worker had previously made but everytime I attempt to add a new data field all the existing data fields go to the centre of the stencil and resets my text formatting to defaults. I've attached the before and after of what is happening.

Thanks in advance for any advice!!

[Brason]

Here's the stencil in question.

[wapperdude]

First, proper terminology is shape, not stencil.  A stencil is a special Visio file that contains master shapes, typically 1 or many.  What you're editing is the shape that is in the stencil.

So, can you explain the process that you're doing to modify the shape?

[Brason]

Ah well that's good to know! Thanks.

Currently what I do when I want to modify the shape is I click the data I want to include in the shape, in this case I want whats in F5. I do as follows:

-I click the check box for F5 and at that point it scrambles the existing shapes with data attached to them.
-If the data has not been used I then I right click the shape and select edit graphic data.
-I then format the item how I want through Edit Item. Typically heading 2 with 8 pt font size.
-I then layout the shape how I want by right clicking the shape and selecting Group>Open Group and making adjustments there.
-Lastly I pull that shape into my stencil drawer so I can just click the stencil and drag from data sheet so it all auto populates the proper values.You cannot view this attachment.

[wapperdude]

The issue is how the datagraphics are applied.  They belong to the Group toplevel.  So, when you make a change, it effectively changes all of the datagraphics as thehy are members of a single shape.

That's about as far as I've gotten with this for now.  But, I did replicate everything going to group center.

[wapperdude]

You may want to go to this link to get a discussion about DataGraphics:  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/visio/Concepts/about-displaying-data-graphically-visio

Basically, as I recall, the DataGraphics Can be linked to individual subshapes.  That should solve formating problems.  But, if subshape is deleted, then that link is broken. 

However, if DataGraphics are, indeed, applied to the toplevel shape, then make them not visible.   That way, the "global" formatting goes unnoticed.  Easiest way is to select the group text and delete it. Then, each data entry, e.g., Prop._VisDM_F1, is field inserted into the desired subshape.  Since the subshape owns the visibility, formatting is local to the subshape...such as position, justification, font, text color, etc.  Your shape is not setup that way.