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User.msvSDContainerExcludedCategories does not seem to prevent the wrong objects becoming a member of a list.

Hi there,

User.msvSDContainerExcludedCategories does not seem to prevent the wrong objects becoming a member of a list.

I am creating a template for a standard type of drawing on Visio. I would like to create a list with two columns however this is not possible. To get around this I have taken some excellent advice from Scott Helmers and put two lists inside a container instead. This should just about do the trick but almost every time I try to drag and move the container, it ends up accidentally dropping into one of its lists and this messes up the document.

Please see the attached example and tell me where am i going wrong? I bet I've overlooked something very basic?! I have assigned the container the User.msvShapeCategories category of "Cubicle" and then excluded the "Cubicle" category from entering the lists using User.msvSDContainerExcludedCategories.

List-issue.vsd

Thanks for taking the time to look at my problem.

Dan.

Scott Helmers

As long as you mentioned my name, I thought I'd jump in!

Interestingly, I don't see the problem, by which I mean that every time I drag the container, it behaves properly. There were a few occasions on which it appeared that it was leaving a list behind as I dragged it, but when I let go of the mouse, everything was fine. Can you record a short video perhaps to show the problem? Or describe more completely what's happening, e.g., does the behavior you describe happen every time? Or only sometimes? Does it matter what part of the container you click and drag? Is there any significance to the direction you drag it? Because I am not seeing it happen, I'm grasping at straws a bit.

BTW, here's an unrelated tip: when you have two shapes in a list you see the list text in the background. You can hide the text anytime there is a shape in the list by using this function in the HideText cell -- in case it's useful. (The cell expects true or false and a list count of zero is evaluated as false.)

Daniel Hill

ASKER

Thanks Scott, I have added the hide text rule - good tip.

The video below shows the issue I'm having with the container joining the lists that its containing.

List-issue.mp4

Incidentally I've also realized a problem with using an instance of a this container when I create a master with it, any ideas? This would really prevent me from using this shape as I'd like to in my design template.

Container-Master-issue.mp4

Thanks again.

Daniel.

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Scott Helmers

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Daniel Hill

ASKER

Excellent, thanks Scott thats done it! I will have a go at the code too, it cannot be that hard to do.

Daniel Hill

ASKER

Hi Scott,

Just to let you know I found a way around having to code a way to ungroup the container when I drag and drop it from the stencil It was quite simple but took me way too long to figure out.

If you go into the stencil and group the container and its contents, then assign DOCMD(1052) to the group's EventDrop cell. This will ungroup it when you drop it on the page!

Scott Helmers

Excellent detective work! That's a great idea.

BTW, I fiddled with a couple of ideas yesterday on another question of yours but don't have a good solution. I'll try to get back to it today.

Daniel Hill

ASKER

Thanks Scott, I look forward to seeing what you come up with.