Ethernet shape moves with attached computer (Newbie!)

Started by tim, August 17, 2009, 08:01:20 AM

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tim

Hi folks,

This is really giving me a headache (!) and would much appreciate some help.

I have an ethernet shape,to which is attached some basic computers and a router. When I move some of the attached computers and routers (drag) the ethernet shape moves as well. When I move other attached computers, the ethernet shape stays put.

How do I make the ethernet shape stay put when I move ANY attached computer?

So far I have tried shape properties/behavior/protection/layers and Google all to no avail. Obviously I am doing something wrong....

Virtual Beer for anyone who can help me out :-)

Visio Guy

Hi Tim,

It sounds like you've got a problem that involves one of the following:

1. Something to do with grouping
2. Something to do with 2D connection points (ie: a computer is somehow glued to the Ethernet shape's connection points)
3. ShapeSheet formula references in the PinX/PinY cells of the errant computer shapes
4. Some sort of mysterious guide problem

Please check your e-mail, I've asked you to e-mail me your file, or a portion thereof.
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Visio Guy

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wapperdude

Visio Guy --
Of course you will post the solution here!!!   :)

The behavior seems odd.  The ethernet shape, at least the Visio supplied one, seems very well behaved, and this problem seems atypical.  It is difficult to replicate the described behavior without doing some modification to the basic shape, as you "suggest" with your connection comments.  Could it be that this is a modified shape, or part of a previous drawing, or a non-Visio shape?   ???

Anyway, looking forward to a solution!   :D
Visio 2019 Pro

aledlund

another possible thought from the side, since multiple shapes are connected to the ethernet, is it possible that some are using the standard dynamic connector from the original shape and some have been attached with a line (thus no dynamics)?
al

Visio Guy

Update: Tim sent me his drawing with the mysterious Server-following Ethernet shape.

What I discovered were very odd formulas in the Shape Transform of the Ethernet shape. Normally, one would expect to find constant values, such as ( 3.4 in, 8 in ) for a shape located at x = 3.4, y = 8 in on a U.S.-inch formatted diagram.

Instead, Tim's Ethernet had these formulas in the PinX/Y cells:

  PinX = PNTX(LOCTOPAR(User.visConPt,ThePage!PageWidth,Width))+User.visDeltaX
  PinY = PNTX(LOCTOPAR(User.visConPt,ThePage!PageWidth,Width))+User.visDeltaX

Since PinX/Y specify where the shape is on the page, these are very odd formulas indeed! They follow the first control handle around, (which seems somewhat circular to me, since the Ethernet owns the connection point in the first place!) And this control handle is glued to the server, which explains why the Ethernet follows the Server when the Server is moved.

This looks suspiciously like somebody has been playing with the examples in the developer reference for the SETATREF function. The formulas aren't quite the same, as they follow the location of the connection point and don't use SETATREF at all, but regardless, they cause odd behavior. The developer help uses User.visDeltaX and User.visDeltaY in one example, which is where my suspicion comes from.

It is possible that some add-on that I am not aware of is capable of setting these formulas, or perhaps Tim was playing around with the ShapeSheet, or even had some code that set a bunch of formulas, and accidentally set his own Ethernet shape!

Anyway, the fix is pretty simple (on my machine, anyway). Just move the Ethernet shape, and those PinX/Y formulas will be blasted by the values for the new location. Thereafter, the Ethernet won't follow the File Server around anymore.
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verylisa

4 years later, I have almost exactly the same problem as described in the question above ... BUT! Moving the ethernet shape does not seem to fix the problem.

I don't know what a Shape Sheet is so cannot tinker with it. I'm creating some Visio network diagrams. Noticed the jumping Ethernet shape problem a few days ago when I started this piece of work, but it seemed to fix itself (perhaps the 'moving the shape' fix?). Then all was fine for a few days, until today when the jumping Ethernet shape problem is back and I cannot fix it.

How can I get to the Shape Sheet formula references? Maybe i can fix this myself.

verylisa

Aha! I found the ShapeSheet tools and have investigated a recalcitrant Ethernet shape.

PinX =PNTX(LOCTOPAR(User.visConPt,ThePage!PageWidth,Width))+User.visDeltaX
PinY =PNTY(LOCTOPAR(User.visConPt,ThePage!PageWidth,Width))+User.visDeltaY

... which is the same as Tim's example above.

I have tried simply clearing out the PinX and PinY fields, which moves the Ethernet shape some wild distance a page or two away, and then resets to the crazy values.

verylisa

I still don't know what went wrong, but I found a workaround. I created a new Visio document, and copied all the diagrams from the old document into the new. The new document does not have the same problem (so far, crossing fingers).

vojo

LOCTOPAR, PARTOPAR, etc are real tough functions to get your mind around

one would think, at least me, that LOCTOPAR would translate a given point to the parent framework....however, its really taking the local point and framework and translating to parent.   E.g if local is 0.2*width....then its translated to 0.2*width of parent....not 0.2*width =38mm so where is 38mm on parent framework.


GreenManX37

This is happening to me as well, on Visio 2016. I've tried clearing out the PinX/PinY data, copying and pasting into a new drawing, etc. But I still can't figure this one out. I have some shapes that I can freely move around without affecting the position of the Ethernet shape. But when connecting the Ethernet legs to others, it immediately changes position. What's weird is that this seems inconsistent as well. I've copied and pasted a 'good' shape and found that the second instance behaves differently than the first.

Has anyone figured this out yet? I can make my example file available to anyone that is curious enough to take a peek.

wapperdude

Sure, upload it.  In addition to he VSDX file, can you include a VSD file...I have Visio 2007, so cannot access newer format.

Wapperdude
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