I cannot ungroup diagrams

[chalkie]

Word (XP pro) crashes when I attempt to ungroup previously grouped graphics.
Most recently I have been drawing number lines (one horizontal with 10-15
vertical ticks, together with text boxes and arrows). I can group the graphic
so that I can move it around and copy and paste it but when I ungroup it to
make adjustments I lose any work not previously saved.
Any ideas?

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?Y2hhbGtpZQ==?=,

Word (XP pro) crashes when I attempt to ungroup previously grouped graphics.
Most recently I have been drawing number lines (one horizontal with 10-15
vertical ticks, together with text boxes and arrows). I can group the graphic
so that I can move it around and copy and paste it but when I ungroup it to
make adjustments I lose any work not previously saved.

If you copy or cut such a grouped graphic into an empty document and ungroup it
there, do you still get the problem?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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[George Czernuszka]

Hi =?Utf-8?B?Y2hhbGtpZQ==?=,

If you copy or cut such a grouped graphic into an empty document and ungroup it
there, do you still get the problem?

For what it's worth, I have also had this problem, but I think I know
how to avoid it. I tried the above suggestion, to no avail.

The problem I had was:
- place autoshapes onto a canvas
- group them together
- drag them off the canvas, delete the canvas
- can do nothing more with the picture group.

I have not investigated further, but I think the problem is:
- Using connectors, which are only supported on a canvas

I think (again, no real evidence) that the answer is:
- for a particular diagram, draw the diagram either with a canvas or
without one, *and stick to it*.
- do not drag a diagram off a canvas and expect to further modify it

Hope this helps someone

George Czernuszka

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi George,


Hmmm. It could be some corruption in the
document itself as well. I tried the steps
you mentioned, using the active connectors in
a drawing canvas. The connectors change to
'regular' autoshapes when the glob is ungrouped
outside of the canvas, but the ungrouping was
possible.

Was there more than one layer of grouping within
the final object?

Was this a fairly complex
object? Had the connectors done an automatic
'reroute' from moving autoshapes around within the
diagram?


Going back and forth with graphics on and off the
canvas can sometimes produce some unexpected results
though, as you mentioned : )

======
For what it's worth, I have also had this problem, but I think I know
how to avoid it. I tried the above suggestion, to no avail.

The problem I had was:
- place autoshapes onto a canvas
- group them together
- drag them off the canvas, delete the canvas
- can do nothing more with the picture group.

I have not investigated further, but I think the problem is:
- Using connectors, which are only supported on a canvas

I think (again, no real evidence) that the answer is:
- for a particular diagram, draw the diagram either with a canvas or
without one, *and stick to it*.
- do not drag a diagram off a canvas and expect to further modify it

Hope this helps someone

George Czernuszka >>

 

[George Czernuszka]

Hi George,


Hmmm. It could be some corruption in the
document itself as well. I tried the steps
you mentioned, using the active connectors in
a drawing canvas. The connectors change to
'regular' autoshapes when the glob is ungrouped
outside of the canvas, but the ungrouping was
possible.

Was there more than one layer of grouping within
the final object?

Hi Bob. Thanks for your posting. Yes, there are 'several' layers of grouping.

Was this a fairly complex object?

Not particularly.

Had the connectors done an automatic
'reroute' from moving autoshapes around within the
diagram?

No, I don't think so.

Going back and forth with graphics on and off the
canvas can sometimes produce some unexpected results
though, as you mentioned : )

I'll try and keep it simple in future!