Rotate Angle Connectors

[vojo]

guard(85 deg) or use the gravity function

[Yacine]

it depends upon which of all the previously posted suggestions did you use.
Typically for a controls based configuration, you would bind the y position of the control point to a formula depending of x.
eg. BOUND(123,false,0,controls.row_1*sin(85deg),controls.row_1*sin(85deg)).
For more infos on the bound function, pse read this article.

[wapperdude]

It might be helpful if you post an example of your implementation.  There could several solutions/issues depending upon how you've structured things.

Wapperdude

[Darryll]

I think I've come up with a possible solution. I've only been able to test it on the 2-line connector at the moment. Need to test the theory against the 3-5 line connectors.

I added an extra control point at the point of the angle to act as my 90 deg corner to make a triangle and used this on the Controls.Row_1.X entry:
(TAN(85)*((Controls.Row_2.Y-Geometry1.Y1)*0.5))/10

I've attached the stencil. I'm currently working on Connect 2. The test will be on the other line connectors. Is there a neater solution?

P.S. The Bound article was very helpful. Thanks!

[vojo]

Looked at stencil connector 2...what exactly are trying to do here??

Seems like you are doing an awful lot for what appears to be a pretty simple action.

What does the second control point do?   (tip says repo text....but you have not tied the text transform to this control point).

Are you trying to do something like "if its not a right angle...stair step down / over to it"?   That is much more complex....with the key point being
that, without VBA, you would be limited to the number of stair steps (could set geometry for say 10 steps and spoof the values based on
some user cells that uses the angle to determine which steps are "visible"....it would be tricky in shapesheet but could be done).

I guess I am missing the point.....if all you are looking to do is to enforce a right angle (either in 2 or 3 or 4 leg connector) that can be done
pretty straight forward.

[Darryll]

If you look at Connect 2&3, you'll get an idea of what I'm trying to create. I've also attached a pic of what I'm attempting. The 2-line connector works fine. When I try for 3, you'll see that the formula doesn't seem to want to work for the 3rd leg.

[vojo]

still dont see the point here???     Are you doing all this because you want a 5 degree slant???

What exactly can you not accomplish with the more std approach to such "elbows"

You really should look at June's stuff!!!

[Darryll]

The diagram is not a conventional diagram. It is being built to show high-level processes for management. Purely aesthetics. I've been doing the same thing but with grouped lines in the past but I'm trying to utilise Visio in a different way. the 5 degree slant looks aesthetically pleasing on a massive A0 print out when it is done. I just set all vertical vertices in my connector to 5 degrees. I understand the concept and have been able to do it for Connector 2 in the previously attached stencil but once I have more than 2 lines in the connector, the formula doesn't work anymore even though the trig formula is correct.

[Yacine]

Hi Darryll,
I am not sure, whether this is what you need and this post is quite long (sorry for my lazyness  ), but I got playing with the figure shown on the left bottom corner of your posted screenshot...

...my connector should be enhanced with some hiding capabilities to allow the user to use less than the 5 connectors.
Also, you might want to let the user chose from a fixed angle and the free movable control point.

Let me know your opinion.

Yacine

[Yacine]

More esthetical than this and you're from the other border  . Sorry!

[Darryll]

Thank you both for the examples and they are truly genius! I will certainly be taking the time to inspect the formulas behind them. The use of multiple Geometry Sections is a new one for me.

To better express what I'm trying to do and the reason why, I've attached a example image of what the final product looks like. There are multiple business units with multiple applications and multiple processes in the depiction showing their process flow which is why everything doesn't connect to each other. I hope this makes sense.

[Yacine]

So basically you are trying to replicate visio's connector tool, but sheared.

Check the attachment. What I did, was to draw a regular diagram, exported it and sheared it in the GIMP. that is so much easier. 

the background shapes however offer a lot of potential (see the visio file)

[Darryll]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! 

Believe me when I say that I could do this quite easily in Photoshop (graphic app of choice).....but....
what I'm doing is creating a template stencil so that others can create these same kind of diagrams just using Visio. Its supposed to be created by Business users. If I was the only one needed to create these diagrams, I'd do in Photoshop. The 1st few I did were in Photoshop but that isn't the requirement.

Is there a way to do the same thing in Visio with such simplicity?

[vojo]

I am trying to hold back on this....but you really really really  need to look at Junes stuff.
You are better off tweaking his (change the angle from 30 to 5) than trying to build from scratch.

I know I have beat this to death...so wont chime in again

[Darryll]

I'll check it out, but won't that mean there will be a white background to all of the connectors? With my multi-coloured backgrounds, I'm not sure how that will look. I'll have a play and see what happens.