Can't lock line length or rotation

[Jennifer]

I need to draw a bunch of equal length lines. I created one and then locked the length and rotation. I double checked that those settings were accepted. But the line could still be rotated and lengthened.

What am I doing wrong?

[vojo]

you can use protection   Developer mode ==>protections

or

can go into shapesheet and user guard for the lines
- let beginx and beginy free float
- set endx = guard(beginx +30mm)      endy = guard(beginy +20mm)

[Jennifer]

you can use protection   Developer mode ==>protections

That's what I did use. See attached screenshot.

or

can go into shapesheet and user guard for the lines
- let beginx and beginy free float
- set endx = guard(beginx +30mm)      endy = guard(beginy +20mm)

I've never used shapesheets much, so am hesitant. Why doesn't the lock (protection) setting work?

[Jennifer]

PS: I just noticed that this was saved as a .vsd document. I just resaved it as a .vsdx document. Same result.

PPS: Why do we now have a separate section for Office 365 "Perpetual" issues?

[vojo]

1D shapes, regardless of orientation is a width....not a height.
should try to lock width.

[Paul Herber]

PPS: Why do we now have a separate section for Office 365 "Perpetual" issues?

Because problems like this are often specific to one version of Visio.

[wapperdude]

First, controlling a line segment, like you want, ought to be simple, but it's not.  Plus, the solution isn't simple, as I recall.   I'm not at my computer, so, can't verify this.  I also remember that JuneTheSecond did develop a solution.  Have you searched the Forum?  ...

Ah.  Here...http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=6979.msg29169#msg29169

[Jennifer]

1D shapes, regardless of orientation is a width....not a height.
should try to lock width.

Bingo. That works.

Interestingly, locking width also locks rotation. I unlocked both length and rotation, but with width locked, the line cannot be rotated.

I'd love to have the developer who made that choice explain it to me. Maybe because most lines are horizontal? I still think it's stupid.

[vojo]

there is a lot in visio that spawns the observation of "well, that is one way to go!!"

moreover, on teams, MS pushes patches that change the GUI, hence always chasing the GUI approach of the hour.
Some of these GUI changes seem to be more like "I got too much time on my hands, hey redo this a different way"