I was recently asked how a control handle can be added to a Visio shape so that it can be used to re-position the text block. Fortunately, it is extremely easy to setup, and requires just two formulas to be updated in the ShapeSheet. This is a great use of the SETATREF(…) function.
This short video shows how easy this is to do in Visio. Of course, you do need to be in Developer mode to be able to open the ShapeSheet.
The TxtPinX and TextPinY cell formulas could also have had the formulas =Controls.Row_1 and =Controls.Row_2, but the Text Block tool would break these, unless the formulas were surrounded with a GUARD(…) function. The SETATREF(…) example looks simpler to me.
Of course, you are not limited to just one Text Block, but any more than one needs to be part of another shape. This short video shows how you need to make the shape a group shape, and then insert other shapes inside of it. Then these shapes or their Text Blocks can be moved with a Control Handle on the parent shape. Alternatively, you can use one of the Insert/Diagram Parts/Callout shapes and insert a formula like =CALLOUTTARGETREF()!Prop.MyProp :
You can use desktop Visio to design these shapes, and then Visio for the web can use them. The ShapeSheet fomulas still work there!
Related articles
Grid Snapping Revisited
I have previously tackled the subject of snapping to grids in Visio desktop (see https://bvisual.net/2018/06/19/really-snapping-to-grids-in-visio/ ) but a recent project required me to improve the example because it did not respond to all cursor arrow keys. The problem was that the previous solution could not understand which arrow key had been clicked, therefore it did…
Synchronizing Visio Shape Fill Color (or almost any cell) across pages
I was recently asked how the color of one shape can be changed and for other shapes to be automatically updated to the same color … even if they are on different pages! Well, it is possible with Microsoft Visio’s awesome ShapeSheet formulas. In fact, this capability is not limited to the FillForegnd cell ……
Understanding Segments of Visio Geometry
I recently had to revise my understanding of the POINTALONGPATH(…) function in Visio because I was getting a #REF! error in some cases. My particular scenario requires a line with a number of vertices that are initially all in a straight line but can be moved by dragging controls around that each vertex is bound…
Custom Color Themes in Visio?
I was recently looking into custom color themes for corporate branding in desktop Microsoft Visio and became re-aware how different Visio still is from the rest of the Microsoft Office applications. A Visio page or document does not need to have any theme applied, but the documents of the other Office applications always have a…
When is a Visio Callout not a Callout?
I have been a Visio user/developer since the mid-1990’s and seen the word “callout” used as part of the name of many master shapes in Visio. The images below show five ways that the term “callout” has been applied to the name of Visio master shapes. Generally, each evolution has been an advance on the…
Using Visio Color by Value on Connectors
Data Graphics in Visio Plan 2 and Visio Professional is great, but it only enables us to use them with 2D shapes in Visio, i.e. not on connectors. So, what if you want to change the line colour of the connectors between the 2D shapes because of the data flowing between them? Well, it is…
Leave a Reply