Customized Connector Shape - D-Tools Forum

09-08-2007, 01:52 AM

Is there any existing shape or a way to modify an existing shape with the following properties:

Basically I'm looking for a curved connector with only one centered adjustment, so basically you have a symetrical curved line with a single adjustment that controls the amount of curvature, basically an arc. Any ideas on where to even begin, or what shapesheet fields control the number and spacing of the adjustment points?

Thanks,

Bryn

Visio Guy · 09-09-2007, 01:59 PM

Hey Bryn

Have you found the extra connector shapes in Visio. You can get to them via this menu-path:

File > Shapes > Visio Extras > Connectors

Let us know if any of them help. The curvy ones are down the stencil aways, so you'll want to scroll a bit.

09-19-2007, 01:21 AM

Thanks! The line-curve connector does exactly what I need

09-19-2007, 02:04 AM

You can also drag that connector into one of the Visio Stencils in your Stencil tree...

Makes it easier to access, and gives you the ability to assign it to a wire

09-21-2007, 11:59 PM

I found an even better one - the line-arc connector.

Originally Posted by SIFanatic

You can also drag that connector into one of the Visio Stencils in your Stencil tree...

Makes it easier to access, and gives you the ability to assign it to a wire

Good idea, I've been playing with making my own master shapes and adding them to the existing D-Tools stencils. What is the deal with shapes linked to D-Tools? Sometimes I create a copy of a master shape and it's not available in the drop down stencil list but shows up in the stencil tree. Other times I would like to be able to take a D-Tools shape and be able to drop it on a page without assigning any product to it. It also seems like the shapes have some hidden properties where only certain ones are available for certain types.

Is there an easy way to link or unlink a stenil from D-Tools?

Head Tool · 09-22-2007, 04:26 PM

In SI5 store any custom stencils here if you want them to show up in the stencil tree. Consult your user guide if you are storing the stencils on a server though. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\D-Tools\SI5\Visualizations\Stencils

In you want to "unlink" a D-Tools SI5 shape from the database drop the shape on a page assign whatever data you want to to the shape. Open the shapesheet on that shape, go to the custom properties section, right click on the Prop.ComponentID and Prop.Category and choose delete row for each one.

You now have a shape that is not linked to the database. Careful though, one of the core values of the D-Tools process is that everything is linked. Once you start mixing linked and non linked shapes it can get confusing.