Positioning in Visio

[Dubya007]

hi,
i have made an application that will open visio and put some drawings in it, from VB6. it works like i want it too but the only problem is that i can not position the drawings from VB6. i was doing some research and i found the Glueto and GlueToPos methods, and i think that is what i am looking for. but i am unsure of how to use them from VB6 so i was wondering if maybe some one knows how to use them?

[RobDog888]

Hey Dubya007, I don't think those are methods you want to be
using to position a shape object. What they do is create a
connection point between two shape objects. Let me bring up my
old example and modify it to position a shape object.

[Dubya007]

okay that sounds good. the reason that i wanted to do that was because i read in the help files that you can glue a shape to a guide line but i haven't been able to do that so i think that i will wait for you. thanx man.

[RobDog888]

Ok, here is what I got. If you import a image and set it to a shape
object, I could figure out how to move it. But if you drop another
instance of the imported image shape and delete the original,
you can position the dropped shape within the drop method. May
not be elegant, but it works.

Option Explicit
 
Dim VS As Visio.Application
Dim vsd As Visio.Document
Dim vsp As Visio.Pages
 
Private Sub cmdExit_Click()
    frmMain.Visible = False
    If TypeName(VS) <> "Nothing" Then
        If VS.Visible = True Then
            VS.Quit
        End If
    End If
    Set VS = Nothing
    Set vsd = Nothing
    Unload Me
End Sub
 
Private Sub cmdRun_Click()
    
    Dim vso As Visio.Application
    Dim vsd As Visio.Document
    Dim vsp As Visio.Page
    Dim shp1Obj As Visio.Shape
    
    Set vso = New Visio.Application
    Set vsd = vso.Documents.Open("D:\Development\VB_Visio\VB.vst")
    vso.Visible = True
    Set vsp = vsd.Pages.Item(1)
    Set shp1Obj = vsp.Import("D:\Development\work03.gif")
    
    'Show the grid if its a drawing
    If vso.Application.ActiveWindow.Type = visDrawing Then
        vso.Application.ActiveWindow.ShowGrid = True
    Else
        'Tell the user why you're not showing the grid.
        MsgBox "Current window is not a drawing window.", vbOKOnly
    End If
    
    vsp.Drop shp1Obj, 2, 5.5 'Drop shape on page at position 2, 5.5
    shp1Obj.Delete 'Remove original imported reference
    Set shp1Obj = vsp.Shapes(1) 'Re-Set object to dropped shape
    
    'Stretch image
    shp1Obj.Cells("Width") = 2 'Unit is Inches
    shp1Obj.Cells("Height") = 2.5
    
    'Set coordinate system ?
    shp1Obj.Cells("BeginX") = 0
    shp1Obj.Cells("EndX") = 0
    shp1Obj.Cells("BeginY") = 0
    shp1Obj.Cells("EndY") = 0
    
    'Info on shape
    MsgBox "Width Units: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Width").Units & vbNewLine & _
    " Width Row: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Width").Row & vbNewLine & _
    " Width Column: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Width").Column
 
    MsgBox "Height Units: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Height").Units & vbNewLine & _
    " Height Row: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Height").Row & vbNewLine & _
    " Height Column: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Height").Column
 
    MsgBox "Angle Units: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Angle").Units & vbNewLine & _
    " Angle Row: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Angle").Row & vbNewLine & _
    " Angle Column: " & shp1Obj.Cells("Angle").Column
    
End Sub

VB/Outlook Guru!

[Dubya007]

check this out. i was able to move the shape by setting the cells formulas.
i found a way to did it that takes only 2 lines of code. if it is not a good thing to do let me know.

Private Sub cmdVisio_Click()
    Dim Xcoordinate As Long
    Dim Ycoordinate As Long
    Dim shape1 As Visio.Shape
    Dim YCell As Visio.Cell
    Dim XCell As Visio.Cell
    
If OpenAlready = True Then
    GoTo KeepGoing
End If
    
    'Open the Visio File
    Set VisioApplication = New Visio.Application
    Set VisioDocument = VisioApplication.Documents.Open("H:\SAMDrawing\SAMDraw\Test.vsd")
    OpenAlready = True
    VisioApplication.Visible = True
    Set VisioPage = VisioDocument.Pages.Item(1)
   
   
KeepGoing:
    'Getting the coordinates from the user
    Xcoordinate = InputBox("Enter the X coordinate for the Drawing", "X Coordinate")
    Ycoordinate = InputBox("Enter the Y coordinate for the Drawing", "Y Coordinate")
    Debug.Print Xcoordinate
    Debug.Print Ycoordinate
    Debug.Print FName
    'The shape is set so that it is in Visio, then it imports a picture into the
    'shape
    Set shape1 = VisioPage.Import(FName)
    'Setting the coordinates for the picture
    Set YCell = shape1.Cells("PinY")
    Set XCell = shape1.Cells("Pinx")
    'Setting the picture to the coordinates
    XCell.Formula = Xcoordinate
    YCell.Formula = Ycoordinate
    'Kill the File as it is no longer needed and another drawing can be added
    Kill (FName)
    Debug.Print "Killed " & FName
    'The shape is cleared from memory so that another shape can be added.
    Set shape1 = Nothing
End Sub

[RobDog888]

Yes, thats better. I thought I tried the PinX and it didnt exist in the
cells collection. Oh remember, I tried "PinPos" and "Pin Pos". Oh
well I figured out how to use the Drop method anyways. Its cool
too. Good job! You may want to use a Double for Xcoordinate
and Ycoordinate.

[Dubya007]

thanx. double would be better?

[RobDog888]

Yes, in case someone wants precise positioning with decimal points.
Check out these other property settings.

vsd.Creator = "RobDog888"
vsd.Company = "RobDog888"
vsd.Title = "VB Visio Automation"
vsd.Description = "A Visual Basic automation of Microsoft Visio 2002"

[Dubya007]

didn't think of that but i will change them. thanx for all the help man i have gotten alot of this done because you've helped me on this project.

vsd.Creator = "RobDog888"
vsd.Company = "RobDog888"
vsd.Title = "VB Visio Automation"
vsd.Description = "A Visual Basic automation of Microsoft Visio 2002"

this is put in under the opening of the document right?

[RobDog888]

Yes, after opening the document, but you can use your information.

No prob. I always like a challenge.

vsd.Application.ActiveDocument.Pages(1) = "VB Visio-1" 'Or such

[Dubya007]

yeah it was a challenge. i have been given my new challenge now i have to put a table into the visio doc. and try to fill "cells" values from an excel spreadsheet.

[RobDog888]

Maybe it would of been easier to use Excel, given the new addition.

[Dubya007]

like an ole object?

[RobDog888]

No, was thinking if we had started out using Excel to import
the images into and now that you need an Excel like chart, it
would of been easy. But I dont know all the other aspects of your
program so was just wondering? And never thought about if Visio
could contain an ole object from excel.

[Dubya007]

well i was instructed by my boss to make it in visio, why she is stuck on visio i donno, but i was thinking this. fill the values into Excel then copy and paste it as an ole object into the Visio. but it all has to be done with code.(i think that this is possible)

[RobDog888]

Sounds good. Probably make a new thread for it if there are any problems.

Later.

[Dubya007]

ok thanx