Another basic question - about shape handles.

[ogg130]

I have searched online using every combination of keywords that I can think of to try and find a way to be able to resize shape handles.

I see images in visio tutorials with rectangular shapes made, and the shape handles fit snugly along the geometry of the shape. Im importing and converting some autocad blocks and after conversion, if I select the shapes, the 'shape handle box' has 'padding' around the shape. I can find no way to remove this padding and make the shape and shape handle box fit snugly. Any pointers?

Thanks!

[ogg130]

Forgot to mention, I am using Visio 2003

[Visio Guy]

Hi ogg,

Try Shape > Grouping > Ungroup and see if that gets you closer. It sounds like your AutoCAD import is still a "foreign object"...

[ogg130]

Heres the process I take:

1) Open the autocad dwg file in visio.
2) Convert the CAD drawing under the CAD drawing right click menu
3) Select all items and drag them to my stencil for use as a master shape -> this is when I have the extra padding around all text and lines. Most of the blocks I am converting are a rectangularish shape with text inside of it. After I do this and click to select just the shape, there is no padding. After adding the text to the selection, the padding is added around the shape.

If im doing it wrong, perhaps you could steer me in the right direction

Is there no way to simply adjust the size of the selection handle box thingy?

[Visio Guy]

I wonder if when you "select everything and drag to the stencil", if you're not selecting some invisible stuff that is making your shape "bigger than it is".

I know that if you import metafiles (wmf, emf), often the selection box of the shape will be a little bit bigger than the shape - ie: it looks like there's some space around the edges. You can see this with a quick test:

1. Draw a rectangle
2. Copy (Ctrl+C)
3. Paste special (Alt + E, S)...as metafile
   Note how there's space around the outside

I think this might have something to do with the fact that Visio draws lines on-center. So Visio shape's lines actually extend by LineWeight/2 outside of the selection box. But a foreign object can't do that, so it gets encapsulated inside of the funny looking box you're seeing.

But since you're converting the AutoCAD drawing to Visio, these problems should go away...unless you're selecting some invisible shapes that are "too big".

[ogg130]

The example that you posted seems to match what im getting.

It boggles me that there is no way to move the shape handles around, effectively 'cropping' a shape. Wierd. I guess ill have to redraw everything.

[wapperdude]

I don't believe this is an Autocad conversion issue, but rather a normal Visio process.   

Take a blank page, draw 3 rectangles, and then select all three.  The selection box will surround the shapes with a "padding" zone.     Now group the shapes.  The selection box now shrinks, no padding zone around the borders of the shape's borders that define the maximum perimeter of the group.    Now create some text such that the text box is smaller than the group.  Place the text on top of the group and completely within the group's border.  Select the group and the text.  The selection box now has padding again.    Group the text and the group.  Padding gone. 

I believe this is what you're experiencing. 

Wapperdude

[ogg130]

You got it....

I didnt even think to check grouping since when I right clicked on the converted drawing, it registered as being grouped....

Well, there was mupltile groups of items within the drawing I converted... when all selected and grouped, the 'padding' went away.

Thank you very much!