Error 339, Resulting shape is too complex

[Croc]

but it may be possible to add  15000/5 = 3000 holes.

Round holes are drilling easier. You can make 5000 round holes.
Much more holes! 

[wapperdude]

@croc:  not sure I understand what you mean.  Tried round holes using normal shape operations (combine or subtract) and ran into the limit, as explained by Paul.

@Junichi:  agree with Yacine, very clever.  Looks like it would get around the limitation.  But, this process is very tedious to implement, especially for many, many holes.  Needs some code to automatically add the holes.  (I'm not suggesting that such code be written, as Jennifer has indicated that the need has come and gone.) 

Circular holes require fewer line entries, but must use two lines, elipticalarcto, to make a complete circle.  That is, a total of 3 lines per circle when the moveto line is included.  (Using the ellipse row type only allows a single line entry per geometry function.) 

Wapperdude

[vojo]

so why dont you make a smaller rectangle with say 20 holes....do the subtract / union / whatever...then us the resulting shape say 10
times....they either subtract/union/whatever....or....just group them and make group first in format.

FWIW....using the group method, I have not seen limitations on complex shapes (complex as in "not enough memory to
copy / paste into powerpoint"...have to use bitmap for that....so not talking about trival shapes).

[Croc]

A small example...
Macro "ttt" in file "Holes.vsd" draws 1000 holes. Number of holes depend on constants MaxHigh = 10 and MaxWidth = 100.
There are some problems with transparency. I still do not understand what the problem is.

[Croc]

@croc:  not sure I understand what you mean.

wapperdude, I just wanted to say that for the circle requires fewer rows than for the square (3 instead of 5). Nothing important.

[Yacine]

Fair enough. I withdraw my appreciation from Junichi and give it to you.
You were first .

[wapperdude]

@Yacine:  Wait!  What   You can't do that.    That means I'd have to withdraw my agreeing with you.     Oh bother Christopher Robin.

[Croc]

But I drew a bad holes 

[Croc]

The process of drilling the bad holes looks like this (step by step). (Animated GIF).
But I picked the correct drill. In one section Geometry should placed only one row of holes. Then they are displayed without debris.
Example is placed in new file Holes.vsd.
Macro AllLinesOneSection puts all the holes in one section. The result looks bad.
Macro OneLineOneSection makes a lot of sections Geometry. One section for each line of holes. The result is significantly better.
Macros can be run one after the other, since the previous result is discarded.

[JuneTheSecond]

I think you can avoid this problem by adding 2 lines of Moveto to return to certain point.

[Croc]

Yes!!
Flash of inspiration of grand master?!
Two spells for fixing bug of  Microsoft 
More. For each row of holes is needed 2 spells.
The picture shows the sequence of their usage.
----
I put the latest version Holes.vsd in the dropbox. https://www.dropbox.com/s/bpk8xsaudp7418i/Holes.vsd?dl=0
Older versions will try to remove from the topic.

[Croc]

Sorry. I was wrong.
It was found that even small deviations from the line are also violate the image. Figure shows this.
Rule "for each row of holes is needed 2 spells" is a mistake.
More accurate is another rule: If "Geometry" section has some MoveTo (some holes), then end of section need have a snap back through all MoveTo. Otherwise, there may be problems with filling.
"Geometry" section must be constructed as follows:

Code Select Expand

MoveTo 1, LineTo, LineTo...
  MoveTo 2, LineTo, LineTo...
    MoveTo 3, LineTo, LineTo...
    MoveTo 3
  MoveTo 2
MoveTo 1
This construction works properly in one section and in several sections.
The file with the program in DropBox was updated.
---
This behavior should not be considered as a bug in Visio. The Problem has the normal solution. The only bad thing that I have not seen this in the documents.

[vojo]

I dont know guys....
I think you would be better using a combination of smaller subsets (say 100 holes) and groups (say 10 subsets in group)

Below has 4000+ circles...all shapes (circles==>column==>10 col==> etc etc etc = group)....did it in 5 min
Certainly trivial to wrap a rectangle around column of 30....do the union/join/whatever....then use that 10==>100==>1000 times

Looks like you guys are spending more time debating/debugging this thing than it would take to muscle.

[Jennifer]

I dont know guys....
I think you would be better using a combination of smaller subsets (say 100 holes) and groups (say 10 subsets in group)

Below has 4000+ circles...all shapes (circles==>column==>10 col==> etc etc etc = group)....did it in 5 min
Certainly trivial to wrap a rectangle around column of 30....do the union/join/whatever....then use that 10==>100==>1000 times

In your combo shape, are the "holes" really holes? That is, if I put another shape behind the combo shape, will it show through the holes? That's what I am trying to accomplish. I tried downloading your image and then importing it into Visio. The holes were opaque.

I've attached a sample document showing what I tried to do and where I ran into the 339 error.

Looks like you guys are spending more time debating/debugging this thing than it would take to muscle.

Hey, what's the fun of doing something the practical way, when there is an obsessive-compulsive way to do it? 

Never let the practical be the enemy of the excessive.

[Yacine]

@Vojo,
That's a pure academic problem.
It makes no sence to debate about the purpose (specially as Jennifer has already written, that she solved the problem for herself).