Connecting lines to lines and keeping the connection?

[Nikolay]

Dear all,

Recently came across a question, I hope you could help...
Is it possible in Visio to glue one line to another line, and keep the glue "strong" (so that it does not break, even if you move either first or the second shape)?
Please check the GIF. First line is glued to the second with connection point.

I'm assuming that the lines are just normal lines created with the "pencil". So I just want the connection not to break in case I move "X". Possible?

[vojo]

connection points - either discrete in the middle of 1 line or end of the other line

[Nikolay]

Yes, you can see the connection point on the gif (and in the file attached) - the bottom line has it in the middle. But if you move line "X" (as a whole), it gets disconnected..

I.e. if I move horizontal line (which has connection point in the middle), the lines stay glued. But if I move the line "X" (connected to the horizontal), the glue breaks.
Not sure how could Visio accomplish that, but the desired behavior is that it keeps the glue.

[wapperdude]

What the gif shows is normal and expected behavior.  Grabbing the X line has to unglue it.  How else would the shapes ever become separated?  It's analogous to separating 2 glued 2-D shapes. 

[Nikolay]

Yes, I kind of understand that this is normal and expected...

What I'm after is probably not the default behavior. For example, the first connector could "bend" somehow at that point where the second one is connected, or "break" (producing an angle), so it can be stretched out. "Disconnecting" can be theoretically even manual. Like this 



Am I looking for something that does not exist?

[wapperdude]

This might meet your need...
Working with the "non-X" line:
Shapesheet: 
1) add control point that can glue
2) geometry1 section:  Add one more lineto row.
    >the 1st lineto should have x & y set to the control point
    >the 2nd lineto should end at the end.

Basically you have two segmented line, the junction of the segments is the control point.  The control  point can  be moved to glue to the end of line X.  Move line X and the control point goes with it and the jcn pt follows.  It's not great, but might work for you.

[Nikolay]

Well, I think I might need to go into some details.

Imagine a map of roads, or maybe a graph with tiny vertexes.

And now you want to edit that thing, but you don't want the connections to break, ever. Unless they are broken explicitly.
You may want to add/remove new fragments. Move some fragments. So editing ShapeSheet of a single shape does not look good actually.

It could be an option probably to have a small 2d shape at "junction" points though...
But that will prevent moving lines ("roads") freely, you'll need to move every single junction then by hand in case you move a line which has multiple connections to it...

[wapperdude]

That would be a nightmare.  I don't think Visio will be the best choice for something like this.  Probably some sort of cartography program.  Visio doesn't have a keep glued option, plus a specific unglue.  Would be nice to have though.

[vojo]

Nikolay...if you move X as a whole, you defeat the whole point since you are telling visio you want to disconnect X
(i.e. if you put in the wrong place on first attempt, you want to disconnect the whole X to try again)
Just move the other end point

The advantage of connection points is that you can precisely target the connection point where you want it.
(Y shape sheet connection cells).

If this is more of artistic discussion, could try split/join...it will statically lock in the T intersection forever but you
don't need to get bogged down in the precision efforts

[Yacine]

I had a try with "glue at geometry" and the glued line stayed stick at its glued to line.
Would you prefer a "harder glue", or am I missing the point?