Issue: Shape protection, container, and/or layer properties

[Bones]

I have received a pre-existing Org Chart file created in Visio 2010. It consists of pictures and text.

When the previous person working on the file needed to change a photo, he right-clicked on the group and selected "replace picture". This added an additional new picture rather than replacing the picture. Thus, there are several layers of photos on top of each other and the file size has become very large.

I have been trying to delete the photos underneath to reduce file size and the health of the file. I receive this message after I hit delete on a photo “Shape protection, container, and/or layer properties prevent complete execution of this command.”.

We have tried several things, unsuccessfully, in both 2010 and 2013:

-- Turned on the developer ribbon.
-- Clicked photos and groups and then selected Shape Design/Protection. Nothing was protected.
-- Drawing Explorer window, right-click the name of the drawing, and nothing was protected
-- Turned the "Protection" properties in the shapesheet to "0" and that didn't work either
-- Note: Unable to ungroup items

Any ideas?

[Paul Herber]

I'd suggest getting someone to look at the diagram for you, just to get step-by-step instructions on how to do this with your diagram.
Send it to me if you like. No charge.
paul at pherber dot com
If possible send a diagram that hasn't been "played with"!

[Paul Herber]

P.S. never ungroup shapes.

[Paul Herber]

Here is what to do:
In the drawing explorer window, expand to show the shapes, you will see which ones have multiple photos (there will be more than one of the small yellow photo icons). They will have names like sheet.90. The old, unwanted photos will probably have the lower number.
The protection that needs to be removed is in the position.xxx shape, so select this in the drawing explorer, right-click, Show Shapesheet, scroll down to Protection turn off Lock Group. Now click on the photo that needs to be removed and delete it. It's probably best to go back and restore the Lock Group protection (not sure how important this is).
Repeat.

[Paul Herber]

Actually, I'm interested in how this diagram managed to get more than one photo per position. I've just tried insert/replace image from the menu and when a new image is added the old one gets deleted.

[Bones]

Thanks for your help! Myself and another person tried the steps you provided. We cannot get the information on the shapesheet to save under the Lock Group and the Lock Delete. So, we can't get the photos to delete.

Actually, I'm interested in how this diagram managed to get more than one photo per position. I've just tried insert/replace image from the menu and when a new image is added the old one gets deleted.
It only happens when you right-click on most of the groups and then select replace photo. The menu item for replace photo works fine. The bad news is... the previous person used the right-click method.

There are about 800 people and 35+ tabs in this file. And probably about an additional 500 hidden photos. Would your reccommendation be to start with a new file or to unprotect each photo. Or is there a way to unprotect a batch?

[Paul Herber]

We cannot get the information on the shapesheet to save under the Lock Group and the Lock Delete. So, we can't get the photos to delete.

Not sure what to make of that, doesn't quite make sense. Are you sure you are working with the correct part of the shape? You have to work with the group shape, not the image.

[Paul Herber]

It only happens when you right-click on most of the groups and then select replace photo. The menu item for replace photo works fine. The bad news is... the previous person used the right-click method.

Shouldn't make any difference. I've just tried it, it works the same way.

[Bones]

It only happens when you right-click on most of the groups and then select replace photo. The menu item for replace photo works fine. The bad news is... the previous person used the right-click method.

Shouldn't make any difference. I've just tried it, it works the same way.

I'm not sure. It happens for 3 different users here, only when we right-click replace on the group. (Clicking on the text area, not photo.)

[Bones]

We cannot get the information on the shapesheet to save under the Lock Group and the Lock Delete. So, we can't get the photos to delete.

Not sure what to make of that, doesn't quite make sense. Are you sure you are working with the correct part of the shape? You have to work with the group shape, not the image.

Thank you so much! It works!   

I noticed that I have to change the protection on the group and then sometimes individual images also.

[Paul Herber]

 

[BarrysWorld]

I have received a pre-existing Org Chart file created in Visio 2010. It consists of pictures and text.

When the previous person working on the file needed to change a photo, he right-clicked on the group and selected "replace picture". This added an additional new picture rather than replacing the picture. Thus, there are several layers of photos on top of each other and the file size has become very large.

I have been trying to delete the photos underneath to reduce file size and the health of the file. I receive this message after I hit delete on a photo “Shape protection, container, and/or layer properties prevent complete execution of this command.”.

We have tried several things, unsuccessfully, in both 2010 and 2013:

-- Turned on the developer ribbon.
-- Clicked photos and groups and then selected Shape Design/Protection. Nothing was protected.
-- Drawing Explorer wi
-- Note: Unable to ungroup itemsndow, right-click the name of the drawing, and nothing was protected
-- Turned the "Protection" properties in the shapesheet to "0" and that didn't work either

Any ideas?

Select the item you want to remove and then:  Developer>Operations>Subtract

[vojo]

send top picture to back, delete next or repeat send to back