Author Topic: Manually routing connections in Visio 2016  (Read 31608 times)

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PeteG

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Manually routing connections in Visio 2016
« on: July 27, 2016, 03:51:44 AM »
Hi.

As an electronics designer I am used to being able to dictate the routing of interconnections between components when using circuit design CAD etc. Now though I want to use Visio for wiring diagrams but I can't find an easy way to counter Visio's insistence on "finding the best route" for my wires across the diagram, which needless to say is often not how I want it! I don't have time to hunt through all the threads on here but a quick search hasn't revealed much in the way of answers.

So, my apologies if this has been asked/answered before and I've just missed the relevant thread(s), but is there a built-in way to manipulate interconnections, or activate manual routing? So far the only workaround I've found is to put extra connection points on floating shapes as staging points along connections so that no point-to-point wire has more than one right-angle in it. I've used small coloured circles which I can make fully transparent so they don't show when printing. This results in a single connection from component to component often consisting of more than one individual wire, each joined end to end with a staging point, but it does mean I have some control of the route around the diagram by simply moving these staging points.

I am just hoping there is an easier way as this is quite laborious!
« Last Edit: July 27, 2016, 04:17:38 AM by PeteG »

wapperdude

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Re: Manually routing connections in Visio 2016
« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2016, 06:42:59 PM »
The dynamic connector is Visio's token attempt  at auto-routing.  It's quite unmanageable.  You can set the connector to never re-route...think it's a page property.

There's nothing that prevents  using a line shape for inter-connects.  Set gluing property to include shapes.

Wapperdude
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PeteG

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Re: Manually routing connections in Visio 2016
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2016, 03:50:14 AM »
Ok, after some more experimentation I have a few answers for this in case anyone else is similarly struggling. Apologies to anyone who knows this already but I thought I'd write down my findings in case it's useful for others who like me have yet to find much written down for anything other than the more obvious stuff in the built-in Help features!

To recap, when adding a point-to-point connection on a wiring diagram or similar (where connection points have been properly added and attached to so it is a connection and not just a random line), Visio will try to route it as best it can, which is often not great! Having added it though, its route can be edited, as can that of an already-drawn connection.

To do this all you have to do is make sure the connection in question is highlighted first. If you've just drawn it then it probably will be already, but if not then simply click anywhere on it. You should see dots (like connection points) appear on all the corners and midpoints of all the lines involved in that connection. Move the mouse pointer to any of these, it should change to a 4-pointed cross at a corner or endpoint, or a two-ended arrow for a midpoint, and after a second or two a message should pop up next to it saying either "Adjust Corner", "Move Midpoint" or "Move Endpoint". The message will look like a small square speech bubble. If no dots are visible or no messages pop up then the connection is not properly selected or it's not a real connection. If you're zoomed in for detailed drawings then it sometimes helps to zoom out at this point as the line will reduce in width but the dots won't, making them much more visible.

Assuming the pop-ups appear then you can click and drag them around quite merrily. If you click and drag a midpoint near to an endpoint which is attached to a connection point then Visio will generate an extra couple of corners so as not to disconnect that endpoint.

I'm sure this info must be available elsewhere but I haven't found it yet! Either way I hope it's useful to someone out there :-)
« Last Edit: August 04, 2016, 04:58:14 AM by PeteG »

RudySchneider

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Re: Manually routing connections in Visio 2016
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2016, 07:50:30 AM »
Pete ---
Since you didn't mention it, perhaps you're unaware of it --- layouts can be sometimes unforgiving, and you may need to add some "looping" to your connections.  In this case, you can Shift-Click-and-Drag a dot.  And if for some reason you need to deviate from strictly right-angle connectors, there's Ctrl-Click-Drag.
There are no problems, only opportunities

PeteG

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Re: Manually routing connections in Visio 2016
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2016, 10:23:40 AM »
Haha thank you, I knew someone would know something about this out there!

Just tried those two tips - very useful they are too, thanks Rudy :-D

ThirdDimension

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Re: Manually routing connections in Visio 2016
« Reply #5 on: August 12, 2016, 12:37:00 PM »
Hi Pete,

I use Visio for Electrical Design work as well.  I ended up turning off the auto route, and manipulating the blue dots to position the wire.  I also made most of my own shapes to drag and drop on to the work surface.  For example, I made right click options so I could change the wire from single conductor, to dual, triple, or quad conductor, depending on my needs.

3rd D