Line of Connectors

[toepferjoshua]

I have a din rail that I would like a line of connectors in the middle evenly spaced every 1/4 inch.  The din rail is growable, but I have not figured out how to get a line of connectors that is evenly spaced right down the middle of it.

I have seen this done with a commercial stencil, but could not reverse engineer this part of the design.

[wapperdude]

Placing connection points can be done with macro, see this post:  http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=7543.0

The code can be adaptable for your needs.

Wapperdude

[toepferjoshua]

I am looking for a non-macro way of doing it as they really frown on macros in my company (fed gov).

[wapperdude]

First, my apology, I misunderstood your meaning for connectors.  Failed to look at your attachment.  So, forget my link.

Is it the goal that as the din rail grows, the number of connectors grows with it?  Seems likely, but want to verify.

Without code, it is do-able, but, very clumsy.  Basically, you need to use multiple geometry sections in the connector shape.  You might have some minimum height, and so, a baseline number of connectors.  That would be your 1st geometry section.  Then, you need an additional section for each connector that might be added as the rail expands.  Let's say, for minimum height, there's 10 connectors.  The 1st geometry section would have 10 connectors, much like you do now.  Then, assume the max rail is 2X the minimum size, which allows total of 20 connectors.  Your connector shape would have to have an addition 10 geometry sections.  These are normally not shown, and may be default placed at bottom location.  Then, as rail expands, presumably in increments of connector heights, each succeeding geometry section is made visible and it's location correctly set.  A lot of to manage the hiding/viewing/placing of these shapes.

Wapperdude

[toepferjoshua]

You are correct in that the rail would needed to be grown.  If you pull the right side of the bar it will grow that direction.  The height will always be the same size.  the length would be the only growing portion.  The connectors would presumably grow along with it.

Would you have any examples of the geometry sections you referenced?  I am new at the visio shape design and the back end of the shapes / copnnections.

Thanks for the help.

[wapperdude]

Here's an example very similar to your needs.  See first reply by John Goldsmith for Visio implementation.  http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=4570.msg17907#msg17907

I know there are other examples, I've even made some, but cannot track them down at the moment.

Wapperdude