Disable connection to "outer" shape

Started by c4brian, February 05, 2015, 04:56:14 PM

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c4brian

I apologize if this has already been covered, but I don't even know what to search:

I have an outer "border" shape (which is just a big rectangle), with several smaller shapes inside of it, and several arrows connecting these smaller components. 

Whenever I try to connect two small shapes and I mouse over the center point of the outer border rectangle, my arrow goes flying off and tries to connect to the outer border.

Is there a way to disable this "center point" connection behavior? 

As you see in the picture, as I draw the end of my arrow from the drv to the mon, as soon as I get near the mon, suddenly the outer border turns red, indicating it's connecting it to the outer border.   >:(

Yacine

High Cabrian,
I would also be interested in an answer to this issue.
Meanwhile you can help yourself by opening the group in a separate window and editing the group there.
This is lost of time, but it works.
(setting to be found under under "format/behaviour/double click")
Yacine

Nikolay

You could:
Option1. Use a "container" instead of the "rectangle" (Visio 2010+).
Option2. Assign your rectangle shape to some layer and disable snap and glue for that layer.

wapperdude

The "flying off" is expected, because as the mouse moves over the various shapes, those whose centers are under the mouse get activated and steal the focus.  As long as you hold down the mouse, you should be able hover over the desired subshape and release the mouse to make connection. 

If one of the subshapes is centered on the group shape center, then, that will be a problem.  Nikolay's suggestions ought to work; haven't tried them, especially #1 as I have V2007.

Wapperdude
Visio 2019 Pro

c4brian

Quote from: Nikolay on February 05, 2015, 07:16:30 PM
You could:
Option1. Use a "container" instead of the "rectangle" (Visio 2010+).
Option2. Assign your rectangle shape to some layer and disable snap and glue for that layer.

I also have 2007.  Option 2 worked beautifully, thanks!   ;)  I wished I had known about layers years ago.

TheBori

I just moved up to Visio 2016 and I too am getting this Snap to the Outer Shape behavior (I didn't experience this in Visio 2013).  Expected or not,  the snapping is killing me.  I use a custom stencil...lots of special shapes.  I also have the need to place shapes inside other shapes (the Container selection is not sufficient for my needs) and, when I try to connect those "inner" shapes I have to battle the center and edge connection points of the "outer" shape. 

I'll keep my button down and get the focus of one end of the connector on one "inside" shape and when I release the connector (in order to grab its other end to extend it to the other "inside" shape), I lose my battle and the exposed connector end goes off to the center or edge connection point of the "outer" shape.  I can't be off fetching the other ends of connectors all the time. It is just this side of infuriating.

My desired behavior would be to have the ability to set the behavior of the connectors such that, when dropped anywhere (inside a shape, or outside) one connector would snap to the connection point I place the connector end over and patiently wait until I drag its other end to the connection point of my choice.  If I don't drop the connector onto a shape connection point, it should sit, perfectly happy, disconnected from any shape at all.

I've been through the entire Shape Sheet looking for any cell I could adjust to allow my desired behavior...to no avail.

I thank you in advance for your gracious help.