cotton9
asked on
Solution or Visio bug? - Adding an image to a shape with external data fields kills auto-populating the fields?
Hi,
I have a custom shape that includes a text box with multiple data fields that display external data. When I drag a row from the external data window to the page, the shape is created and the fields reflect the correct data. However...
I'm trying to add a small image to the master shape. When I edit the Master shape and add a small image to it, dragging a data row onto the page creates the shape, but the data doesn't show up. I have to manually refresh the data before it will show up. The shape's data set contains the correct data, it just doesn't populate the fields.
I've even tried creating a new master shape (rectangle), inserting an image, then adding a single data field. It doesn't auto-populate. When I delete the image though, it starts working.
This seems really weird to me. Is it a bug, or am I doing something wrong? (Visio 2016)
I have a custom shape that includes a text box with multiple data fields that display external data. When I drag a row from the external data window to the page, the shape is created and the fields reflect the correct data. However...
I'm trying to add a small image to the master shape. When I edit the Master shape and add a small image to it, dragging a data row onto the page creates the shape, but the data doesn't show up. I have to manually refresh the data before it will show up. The shape's data set contains the correct data, it just doesn't populate the fields.
I've even tried creating a new master shape (rectangle), inserting an image, then adding a single data field. It doesn't auto-populate. When I delete the image though, it starts working.
This seems really weird to me. Is it a bug, or am I doing something wrong? (Visio 2016)
ASKER
Thanks for your comment,
I'm aware of that feature, but the auto-refresh interval is in minutes, and I don't understand why it's even necessary in this case. My concern is that the newly created shapes initially show up with the wrong data (or nothing, if I eliminate the data field placeholders) before things refresh - but only when an image is included in the shape. A full minute is a long time to look at wrong/no data. Everything works fine, as long as the master shape doesn't contain an image.
To clarify: I drag a row from the external data onto the page to create the shape. The master shape is setup to display the data. As long as there's no image in the master shape, the linked data field values populate immediately. If there's an image in the master shape, the newly created shape won't display the data until refreshed.
I'm aware of that feature, but the auto-refresh interval is in minutes, and I don't understand why it's even necessary in this case. My concern is that the newly created shapes initially show up with the wrong data (or nothing, if I eliminate the data field placeholders) before things refresh - but only when an image is included in the shape. A full minute is a long time to look at wrong/no data. Everything works fine, as long as the master shape doesn't contain an image.
To clarify: I drag a row from the external data onto the page to create the shape. The master shape is setup to display the data. As long as there's no image in the master shape, the linked data field values populate immediately. If there's an image in the master shape, the newly created shape won't display the data until refreshed.
When you're in the 'Configure Refresh' menu, is the box for 'Overwrite user changes to shape data' checked or not?
ASKER
It's not checked.
(Just for kicks, I tried checking it - which didn't change the behavior at all. This makes sense, since I'm not editing any of the data.)
(Just for kicks, I tried checking it - which didn't change the behavior at all. This makes sense, since I'm not editing any of the data.)
ASKER
Here's a video showing what's going on: https://youtu.be/Fd77404ae5g
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
Wahoo! Worked like a charm!
Thanks for the very detailed solution. I scoured the web, and talked to multiple geeks about it, trying to figure out what was going on. An understanding of how data is tied to shapes/groups was the missing ingredient.
Thanks for the very detailed solution. I scoured the web, and talked to multiple geeks about it, trying to figure out what was going on. An understanding of how data is tied to shapes/groups was the missing ingredient.
Open the drawing that contains the data that you want to refresh.
On the Data menu, click Refresh Data.
In the Refresh Data dialog box, select one or more data sources.
Select the Show this dialog box on file open check box.
Click Configure.
In the Configure Refresh dialog box, under Automatic Refresh, select the Refresh every check box, and then click the arrows to choose an interval.