How can I bend lines?

[Will]

When I first loaded Visio I was able to hold the cursor over an object and
several points around the object appeared and a text box saying "bend"
appeared. I was then able to bend the straight line. I seem to have lost this
ability and was wondering how to get it back?

 

[Chris Roth [ Visio MVP ]]

This happens when you pause the pointer tool over a shape that you have
drawn directly on the page. If the shape comes from a master, which comes
from a stencil (the green window), then you don't get this functionality.

The thinking is that masters are pre-defined and should be used as the
designer intended for them to be used. They shouldn't have their details
changed by end-users.

--

Hope this helps,

Chris Roth
Visio MVP

 

[Billyjoe Jimbob]

Chris,

Sounds like it's the thinking that's bent here. I use Visio to create
engineering sketches and the like.

Many times I want to be able to do just what it seems that Will's trying to
do. I'll need a thing that looks so very much like something in my stencil,
but just a little different. Maybe I can bend this or re-route that. Ain't
gonna happen. One then ends having to draw the #@%!$#% thing out just to get
the idea across.

I can understand preserving the integrity of the Master, but once it's on
the page, it oughta be MINE!!! to do with as I need to get the job done.
We're talking tools here. One can disassemble the shape, but the constituent
pieces (down to the line level) are still protected. Way wierd!