Align shapes with data graphics

[rnicolle]

Hi,

I've read this website and forum quite a lot, and thank you for all the information we can find here.

However, I didn't find anything regarding my problem :

I've built a custom stencil with custom shapes for processes . They have a data graphic on them by default, which is hidden until the related data shape is fulfilled.

But when I try to add a new process shape with the blue arrow below the previous process shape, the data graphic makes the alignment quite wrong. My arrows are not straight, because the width of the shape is bigger with the data graphic. My goal is to have only the process shapes align, to keep the arrows straight.

In fact I see two solutions : specify that the alignment by default is a left align, or a way to tell to the data graphic to not be taken in account in the alignment process.

Anyone knows how to do this ? In shapesheet for example ?

Here is a screenshot :

[aledlund]

What you appear to be running into is that datagraphics are implemented as sub-shapes. In other words when you assign a datagraphic to an object it becomes a part of the object, and as you've observed it can change the height and width of the object. The circumvention of doing a 'left align' will only work if the datagraphic is on the right hand side of the shape.
al

[rnicolle]

Yes, that's it.

Is there a way to specify in the shape sheet that the default alignment is left ?

Or to specify that the width to consider is only the width of the rectangular shape ?

[aledlund]

There's no way to specify in the shapesheet to ignore sub-shapes. Specifying align to the left would be at the page level. I'd probably just record a macro to align the shapes.
al

[rnicolle]

There must be a way to do that in the shape sheet isn't it ?

Anyway I have an other question : I made a custom connector, and I would like to use it when we click on the little arrow below the shapes to add new shapes.

Is it possible ? If yes, how ?

Thanks for your help

[aledlund]

AFAIK there isn't a way to change the default shapes that Visio offers for that function. Perhaps somebody else is aware of it.
al

[rnicolle]

I have found the solution to use custom connectors with the blue arrow, you have to edit the master of the dynamic connector in the document stencil, and it is reused automatically to draw following connectors.

But my question about alignment is still there

[rnicolle]

Anyone ? 

[scott]

Try this:

Edit your master in the stencil, open the shapesheet and then set
User.msvLayoutIncludeSubshapes= FALSE