Unable to re size shape, for me weird problem.

[RobertS]

I'm sure this has been asked many times but I have no idea how to put this in the search. (I tried didnt find it)

I'm making a network rack, so I downloaded stencils from Cisco, APC etc.
The problem is I cannot re size the shapes. Only in the width not the height, and it remains its aspect ratio. I get the error "Shape protection, container and or layer properties prevent execution of this command" error.
So I go to protection and unmark the height. then the 'drag' square on the shape shows up, but still unable to resize it.

Then I noticed all the shapes are a group. And the background layer or whatever it is, is causing this. When I ungroup the shape it says "this action will sever link to its master". The background thing controls the shape data and connection points. When ungroup anyway I can move around the resize the shape freely. But I lose the shape data and connection points.

I would just make the network rack fit the equipment but it seems the different vendors use different sizes of shapes and it doesn't fit the aspect ratio.

How can I edit this background shape layer of whatever it is?

Thanks in advance.

[Jumpy]

The "Background layer" as you call it, is the group:
When you group some shapes together, the group is in itself a shape ,too. And the shapes now inside the group are so called subshapes. Because Visio sees the group as any other shape, it can contain ShapeData and so on.

I don't do much network-shapes, so I don't know if it is unwise, what you want to do. Normally the shape developers had a reason to protect cetrain aspects of a shape. But if you want to go on with this, you have to look into the ShapeSheet of your rack-shape(s). In the cells for Width and Height could be formulas, that are protected with the GUARD-Function, so they can't be edited with the GUI, you have to manually alter such values in the ShapeSheet.

hth Jumpy

[RobertS]

Thanks Jumpy. Its indeed not ideal to change the aspect ratio, because it changes the looks a little but its not too much so still looks good.

I found the guard indeed in the Shapesheet, guess gonna mess around with to see if can get it to my liking. Such big Shapesheets those shapes contain like 30 different parts.
So far can't get it to work, I can resize the group now but the real image doesn't resize with it and I can't select it.

One quick question, how can I sort the Shapedata? Now its all random :/

[Jumpy]

There is a menu option "shape-behaviour" somewhere (I have german Visio so I don't know the location and real name of that menu in english). In this menu is an combobox Group-Selection or sth. like that, where you can define what happens, when you click on a group:
a) First click group, second click subshape
b) vice versa
c) only group selectable

I guess in your case the 3rd option is active, so you can't select the subshapes. If you change that and select a subshape, you can look at it's shapesheet, too. Probably you'll find Guard-functions there, too.

------------
Your ShapeData Question: In the ShapeSheet is the section "Propertys". That are the ShapeDatas.
Here each row represents one ShapeData entry and you can find a column "SortKey" or sth. like that.
Here you can enter a number or string and the rows will be displayed according to their values here.

It's a good practice, to give it values like "10","20","30" and so on. This way if you got a new entry, that has to be somwhere in between other entrys, you have lots of free numbers to do so, for example "15".

[aledlund]

Those shapes are 'guarded' because they are intended to be locked. That is a characteristic of a 'scaled' drawing.  They are intended to be inserted into a rack where the holes are (typically) 19in apart. The vendor supplied rack drawings are also guarded so that the components will snap into the drawing correctly.
al

[RobertS]

Thanks Jumpy, sorting the Shapesheet like this works great.

Took me a bit found to other thing also its called "SelectMode" in the tab "Group Properties", it was on 0 set it to 2 now I can freely resize

Those shapes are 'guarded' because they are intended to be locked. That is a characteristic of a 'scaled' drawing.  They are intended to be inserted into a rack where the holes are (typically) 19in apart. The vendor supplied rack drawings are also guarded so that the components will snap into the drawing correctly.
al

Yeah, I know but I'm using shapes from like 5 different vendors and they differ a little from vendor to vendor. I only have to change it a little so the drawings still look good and the overall drawing will look much better.