Visio 2007 AutoConnect

[Scott]

AutoConnect works nicely in the Visio 2007 flowchart template.

I haven't been able to locate documentation telling me how to add this
capability to my own shapes. Are there special shapesheet cells that control
this behavior as there are for Data Grahpics functions? Can I add this
feature via stencil/template changes alone? Or do I have to write code also?

 

[Al Edlund]

found this in v2007 help as something to try
Enable or disable AutoConnect in the current drawing
a.. On the Standard toolbar, click the AutoConnect tool.
Note If clicking the AutoConnect tool does not enable AutoConnect, make
sure the Enable AutoConnect check box is selected in the Options dialog box.

al

 

[David Parker]

It's automatic - just draw a rectangle, for example, and you should find it
has the ability.
Check that Tool / Options / General / Enable AutoConnect is on

 

[Scott]

Thanks to both of you -- I can't believe I missed both the toolbar button and
the reference in the help text.

But now it gets more interesting: I have have two problems with the way
AutoConnect works with my shapes.

1) Autoconnect uses the generic dynamic connector. Can I tell it to use my
custom dynamic connector instead? (I can do this with Visio's Connector Tool
by clicking the tool button then immediately clicking my dynamic connector on
my stencil. From that point on, dynamic connections happen with my connector
and not the default one.)

2) AutoConnect uses shape-to-shape connections rather than gluing to
specific connection points. Any chance I can tell it to use a specific
connection point?? Or am I left to write code to do this? The Visio 2007 help
text does make it sound like AutoConnect only does shape-to-shape...
(Naturally, I'm hoping to take advantage of innate capabilities of Visio
rather that having to do it myself.)

Thanks again...

 

[Mark Nelson [MS]]

AutoConnect uses the current connector, which is usually the Dynamic
Connector master. As you point out you can temporarily have your own
connector selected in the Shapes window to override. It is also possible to
edit the Dynamic Connector master in the document. Go to File > Shapes >
Show Document Stencil and double-click on Dynamic Connector. Format this
shape the way you want it and close the window.

AutoConnect also uses dynamic glue (shape to shape) for its connections.
Check out this article for more information on dynamic glue including how to
get it to behave more like static glue (point to point).

http://blogs.msdn.com/visio/archive/2006/09/15/756352.aspx


--
Mark Nelson
Office Graphics - Visio
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Scott]

Good suggestions, as usual, Mark. But a couple of further questions. I don't
want to change the attributes of the default dynamic connector in the doc
stencil because we already have a customized dynamic connector of our own. It
has shape data and other attributes. So my goal would be to tell Visio to use
my connector as the default for AutoConnect purposes. Is there, perhaps a
registry setting for this purpose?

Thanks also for the link to the blog posting. There are defintely some good
ideas here but once again, it doesn't meet my goal. Setting ShapeFixedCode =
64 does tie the connectors to connection points but once connected, I want
them to stay connected to the same points, i.e., not move to new cnx points
as the shapes are moved. Any further tweaks to nail them down?