HELP! Unlocking Properties

[Bettina]

HELP!

How can I unlock the properties on shapes? This relates to generic charts
Visio gives you. In other words, you enter how many rows and columns and it
gives you a chart but doesn't allow you to ungroup any elements.

This is the error message I get:
"Shape protection and/or Properties prevent complete execution of this
command."


Thank you very much!

 

[David Parker]

You are free to bypass the security by setting the relevant Protection
section cell to 0 in the ShapeSheet.
You may spoil the integrity of the shape by entering inapproriate values
though, but that is your call.

 

[Paul Herber]

HELP!

How can I unlock the properties on shapes? This relates to generic charts
Visio gives you. In other words, you enter how many rows and columns and it
gives you a chart but doesn't allow you to ungroup any elements.

This is the error message I get:
"Shape protection and/or Properties prevent complete execution of this
command."

Warning, the whole shape could fall apart by doing this. If you really
need to ungroup the shape then it may be best initially to set the
menu Format -> Properties
in the Group properties section, set to select group first
and also
View -> Drawing Exprolorer Window

 

[Bettina]

I don't understand what you are saying here.

I have chosen a cross functional org chart and it will not allow me to
ungroup any part of it.

The error message I receive is >"Shape protection and/or Properties prevent
complete execution of this command"

In visio, is there any way to ungroup charts provided by Microsoft?

Thank you.

 

[Paul Herber]

Ok, let's try this by another route.
Select the shape you wish to ungroup, from the menu
Window -> Show Shapesheet
in section Protection, set cell "Lock Group" to 0
Now you can ungroup the shape without getting that warning.
You will get a different warning though and the whole shape may fall
apart.

It may be easier to tell us what you wish to achieve.

 

[Bettina]

Thanks so much Paul.

I am actually trying to delete an unneccessary row in the chart and I'm
still having problems. Thanks to you, I have been able to ungroup and add
elements as well.

Please advise when you can.

 

[J Kallay]

Bettina, what Paul is suggesting is that you make your changes without
ungrouping the shape. The shape's "smart" behavior may be programmed into
the group shape, so if you ungroup it that smart behavior will be destroyed
(in other words, the effects of grouping are not reversed by regrouping).

After unlocking the group, you can delete shapes from it without ungrouping
and then regrouping, in two ways. You can edit the group by selecting
Edit>Open XXX where XXX is the name of the group shape, which will open the
group in a new window. Or you can subselect group members when you have the
group's selection behavior in the lower right corner of the Behavior dialog
(accessible from the Format>Behavior menu item) set to anything other than
"Group only."

Thanks so much Paul.

I am actually trying to delete an unneccessary row in the chart and I'm
still having problems. Thanks to you, I have been able to ungroup and add
elements as well.

Please advise when you can.

 

[Bettina]

Thank you.
I will definitely try what you are suggesting and I understand your point.