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Smart Shapes?

Started by tearepa, September 24, 2008, 03:02:16 AM

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tearepa

I'm in the TV Industry, we use things like splitters and cable and work out inherent signal loss. Now, if I join 2 shapes, for example two splitters together (string shapes), with a connector representing the cable, can I pop in a value on Splitter A with a signal loss variable attached to the cable to get an end result value on splitter B? Sorry for the complex question, I'm new at Visio but it looks good.

Lars-Erik

Think this is doable, though it might require some tweaking using VBA.
To make it somewhat easier I think you should keep some input, where to look for data, as user input.

For example:

1- You run the macro, it asks you what the "input" is, the user clicks the shape where the signal is comming from, in your example splitter A.

2- You get asked what cables it runs true, visio will grab the signal loss from the data in the custom properties, this could be made as complicated as required, the properties can be the signal loss quantity, or cable type and length, and it could calculate it (im not into this but i guess thats what determine the signal loss).

3- You select the connector that is the signal out (Spliter B). Visio will shoot the data into the splitters custom properties.

then ofcourse you can have it displayed etc in anyway you see fit etc...

I think i saw some topics around this forum where shape to shape communications are discussed, but as with all macro's I guess you can make this as complex as you want, less automation, like in my example where the user has to give 3 inputs atleast, is however a nice place to start, and you can step up to complexity of it after the basics are up and running, but that's just my idea.

So in short:
Possible, yes
VBA required, I think so, yes

Lets see if someone else has any thoughts about this.

- Lars

Visio Guy

Junichi Yoda's shapes for visual calculation might help:

http://www.geocities.jp/visualcalculation/english/index.html

I think these perform tasks similar to what you are trying to do. They'll at least give you some shapes + VBA code to look at and tear apart.
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Paul Herber

Sounds like an application for vojo's message pipe code.

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Lars-Erik

Quote from: Paul Herber on September 24, 2008, 08:59:17 AM
Sounds like an application for vojo's message pipe code.

That's what I ment with:
"I think i saw some topics around this forum where shape to shape communications are discussed"

But to be honestly I didn't keep track of where that topic went.. just noticed it was there

wapperdude

Tearepa's request is a rather common need for "signal flow" applications where there is a cascade of elements and the output of the last is dependent upon characteristics of the preceding shapes.  Vojo's piping solution might work, but I didn't quite follow it.  I'm just not fluent enough to catch everything he was proposing.   :P  The VBA code that catches connectivity would work with some additional development, but it seems like there is a need for a robust, "canned" solution.   ::)  Like I said, this is a common need, examples:  connectivity, cascaded gain / loss, signal levels thru the chain.  Applications would be audio industry, video industry, electronics in general, hydro-dynamics where piping size affects volume/flow rate, pressure, etc.  All of these share a common mechanization.  The Org Chart phenomena is a good example of a "canned" solution.  I'm not suggesting complex mathematical analysis, but just simple passing parameters from one shape to the next connected shape. 

Thanks.
The soapbox is now available again.   ;D
Wapperdude
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