Creating a 1D connector with a label at both ends: HOW?

[Bryan]

I want to create a copy of the "Side To Side 1" connector, with the
connector text at BOTH ends.
I assumed that the way to do this was to edit the master, add a label, move
the text box that already exists, and add some VBA to set the text of the
new label when the connector text changes.

Problem is, when I edit the master it becomes 2D. If I set it back to 1D
with Format Behaviour, the label becomes detached.

Heeeelp!

Bryan

[Graham Wideman, Visio MVP]

Bryan:

Basic strategy:

1) Yes, you need to create a group. You can work on it as a master, but
it may be easier to develop the shape on the drawing page, then copy it
to stencil later. You might start with a connector having desired
geometry behavior (routing or not), and use the convert-to-group
function (assuming V2K or V2002), then add member shape(s) to that
group. So the geometry is at the group level, while one or both of your
labels are member shapes.

2) Your idea to put the group's label at one end, and a member shape at
the other end is OK. Often people want the shape to have a label in the
middle and annotations at each end, which would be done by having two
member shapes (with text but no geometry), one at each end. This has the
added benefit that you can orient and position the end annotations
separately.

Putting annotations on ends of dynamic connectors is a little tricky
since Visio rewrites the geometry formulas. Hence, to be able to track
the end-leg orientation a standard trick is to attach a connection point
near (but not at) each end -- use a 2-D outward conn pt so other lines
don't glue to it.

3) You indeed need the group's behavior set to 1-D. This should not make
the member shapes "become detached". If you are not sure about the
group's overall structure, look at it in Drawing Explorer to see and
select the group or the member shapes.

4) If you want two or more texts to update in concert, the easiest way
to achieve this is by a single common cell into which the text is
entered, and then text fields in the actual label strings to show the
common text -- no VBA required.

I realize the above is a bit sketchy -- hopefully this is close enough
to do some good!

Graham

--
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Graham Wideman
MS MVP for Visio
Books:
Visio 2000 Developer's Survival Guide
Visio 2002 Developer's Survival Pack (with Tools)
... and resources for programmable diagramming at:
http://www.diagramantics.com
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grah...@diagramantics.com.nospam
(Remove the obvious to email me)
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