using the tab key to navigate sheet to sheet on a page

jebuxx · July 22, 2015, 04:30:13 PM

I have a admin entry form and would like to be able to use the tab key to move from sheet to sheet. The office people are really want this. Now the sheet order are not sequentially numbered meaning i.e. sheet 66 and next would be sheet 107 by tabbing.
I know, I know, I should have thought about planning this out sequential to begin with in the layout but did not think of this at the time and now it would be a huge rebuild to do. So my question is how can this be accomplished? VBA? Macro? I have tried recording a macro and mousing tab to tab to see the code but no luck.
I hope this is viewed as an awesome challenge.
Thanx all!!

Jim

Surrogate · July 22, 2015, 07:35:14 PM

Sheet.66 probably is group shape and contain a lot of sub-shapes. When you press TAB key all sub-shapes are skipped!

Yacine · July 22, 2015, 08:40:56 PM

Would be something like catching the keypress event, when Tab-key go to the next shape. Next shape being identified by a number in a user or prop field.
The number would be set manually or clicking all relevant shapes in the right order???

jebuxx · July 23, 2015, 01:35:32 PM

none of the shapes (sheets) are grouped. Please see the attached screen shot. We never thought of have this tab action until we rolled out the pilot to be tested by the account managers and they requested this. We would like to tab in order meaning Poject Manager to Requested By, Customer Name and so on.
I will try what Yacine suggested and let you know. If anyone has a suggestion please let me know.
Thanx again!!!

Surrogate · July 23, 2015, 01:44:25 PM

in visio when you add new shape to page, each shape get their ID in order. In your picture you at first add some shapes, and later place these shapes as you need.
Sorry but i don't know how help you

jebuxx · July 23, 2015, 01:55:18 PM

Yea, as mentioned when we started this project we did not think of keeping the shapes (sheets) in numeric order for tabbing. Now to go back and re-order would be a huge undertaking. Looks like the navigating will need to be done by mouse. I was hoping to find maybe a VBA code that would state that when the tab key is used to move onto the next shape that would be in the code. (tab 66, tab 107 on so on.) a simplistic description I know.
This is way beyond my skill level.
Thank you for your reply!

Jim

Surrogate · July 23, 2015, 02:11:24 PM

simply way:
1. just delete shapes that you need to fill by text
2. add new shapes in required order
3. select another shapes and protect it from selection
in Developer ribbon Developer -> Protection -> From selection

jebuxx · July 23, 2015, 02:16:28 PM

Most all the shapes have formulas. Will doing this void those?

Surrogate · July 23, 2015, 02:27:04 PM

these shapes have formulas, or other shapes depends from these shapes ?

jebuxx · July 23, 2015, 02:36:40 PM

A bit of both

wapperdude · July 23, 2015, 02:41:51 PM

Why not do this in Excel? What you're showing is just a form. I've not searched recently, but there must be some programs out there that specialize in building forms.

Wapperdude

Surrogate · July 23, 2015, 03:26:02 PM

Why not do this in M$ Access?

jebuxx · July 23, 2015, 04:09:24 PM

both great questions. I am building an admin page in Excel as a data link that will populate all the sheets in Visio and it does work well.
However, because this project is in the testing phase with the office staff and we are not using the Excell file mentioned I was hoping to find a
solution for ease of operation being that they testers are accustomed to tabbing to entry fields. Look like there is no solution.
Our Visio file is far more complex that just this admin entry page. What we have is a product editor meaning that there is ever a
BOM page that once completed creates templates for graphics, job tickets and visual aids.
This site and all the help we have received has been a great benefit to us in building this!
I truly apperciate all the help!!

wapperdude · July 24, 2015, 05:45:46 PM

Idea...within Visio, you could add hyperlinks from one shape to the next. Not as convenient as <TAB> approach, but, it would send you to the next desired shape. Probably easier to just mouse over and select desired shape though.

Yacine · July 25, 2015, 04:56:10 PM

Jim,
what version are you working with?
Just tried it in my new 2013 and noticed that the tab-key behaves completely differently.
It's a top-down and left-right rather than an ID suite.
Wonder if Google says something about it.