Is something wrong with Word diagrams?

[Stephen Riley]

I'm just trying to construct a simple organisational (heirarchical) chart.
My problems are:

(a) I want to be able to move a diagram element to another place in the same
level (i.e. another place on the page, but not another logical place in the
heirarchy). The instructions given in help say to click on "move shape
forward/backward button". But (i) on the diagram toolbar the buttons are
greyed out. Also (ii) rather than a forward and a backward button, there is
only a forward button which appears twice. Also (iii) if you customise
toolbars and drag the Move Backward command onto the toolbar, it appears as
Move Forward button. Can this really be Microsoft programming or just some
two-bit operation?

(b) When I click Insert Shape, it just sticks a new shape, plonk, right over
the last shape, making both diagram elements unreadable. Which I can't see
would be of any use to any conceivable use to anyone. In fact who would find
this to be anything other than a real aggravation? Again, can this really be
the work of the extremely highly paid programmers and designers at one of
the biggest software companies in the world?

Microsoft Windows XP has already wasted enough of my time. I've just lost an
hour being messed around by this diagram feature. I used to be a loyal
Microsoft customer for over 10 years. I'm now thoroughly disenchanted.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Have you tried turning off Auto Layout?

 

[Stephen Riley]

Sorry - Yes I have. It still doesn't work.

Have you tried turning off Auto Layout?



really lost

 

[Paul]

-----Original Message-----
I'm just trying to construct a simple organisational (heirarchical) chart.
My problems are:

(a) I want to be able to move a diagram element to another place in the same
level (i.e. another place on the page, but not another logical place in the
heirarchy). The instructions given in help say to click on "move shape
forward/backward button". But (i) on the diagram toolbar the buttons are
greyed out. Also (ii) rather than a forward and a backward button, there is
only a forward button which appears twice. Also (iii) if you customise
toolbars and drag the Move Backward command onto the toolbar, it appears as
Move Forward button. Can this really be Microsoft programming or just some
two-bit operation?

(b) When I click Insert Shape, it just sticks a new shape, plonk, right over
the last shape, making both diagram elements unreadable. Which I can't see
would be of any use to any conceivable use to anyone. In fact who would find
this to be anything other than a real aggravation? Again, can this really be
the work of the extremely highly paid programmers and designers at one of
the biggest software companies in the world?

Microsoft Windows XP has already wasted enough of my time. I've just lost an
hour being messed around by this diagram feature. I used to be a loyal
Microsoft customer for over 10 years. I'm now thoroughly disenchanted.


.
I am also struggling with the "new and improved" Org

chart program. This thing used to be easy to use -- now
it is a total disaster. The fonts resize to 1pt. when you
have more than 10 subordinates or so, the boxes print on
top of eachother obstructing the hierarchy lines and the
subordinate positions, and the move feature is inactive.
I have to believe that there is a fix for this somewhere.
I can't imagine MS shipping something with such an
incredibly reduced amount of functionality from the 98
version. Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Stephen Riley]

Yes. I've found all this too... Except I can all too easily imagine MS
shipping dodgy software out.