TMG-L Archives

Archiver > TMG > 2005-04 > 1112411088


From: "Donald W. Range" <>
Subject: RE: [TMG] Having VCF Problem
Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 19:04:48 -0800
In-Reply-To: <5.1.1.6.2.20050402103017.01df9e28@mail.internode.on.net>


Robin,

Thank you so much for your help. Using Shift-click I see that I don't even
need to group the boxes to change the colors in one step. And no more
problem with the lines jumping up. Ctrl-click is used to select
non-adjacent items in TMG elsewhere, such as adding multiple witnesses from
the picklist, and in other programs like Excel, so it didn't occur to me
that it might be different in VCF. And now (belatedly) I see the proper
procedure is covered in the help file. Problem solved.

Don


> Don,
>
> There several issues here.
>
> Firstly, adding to or removing an item from a selection
> collection is done with SHIFT+Left-click. Sometimes
> CTRL+left-click will appear to work but if you happen to be
> on a line segment then it will add a control point or if you
> are on a line control point that will remove it. Always use
> SHIFT+left-click to toggle a selection status. (NOTE: only
> use this when
> the mouse cursor shows a 4-headed NESW cross arrow - if the
> object is not big enough to get this cursor form you will
> need to zoom in until you can get this form of cursor.)
>
> Firstly, if you group a set of objects that have some types
> of connecting lines that have one end within the group and
> their other end outside of the group, when you ungroup the
> collection then the these lines may not redraw themselves in
> the way that you expect.
>
> Secondly, making a change via Detail Properties of a group of
> objects may change less than you expect or have side effects.
>
> If I want to change the box border (not the connecting lines)
> or box fill colour of a group of selected boxes, individually
> select those boxes by
> SHIFT+left-click. Then on one of the selected boxes, use right-click >
> Properties (not Detail Properties). Make you changes on the
> Fill or Line tabs and all boxes will change the same. Beware
> if you are using a box shadow - the change in the line colour
> will also be applied to the shadow border.
>
> Now changing the connecting line colour of a group of lines
> is much more difficult to achieve. If you left-drag out a
> marquee (dashed rectangle) to sect a group of objects you
> will see that there are invisible objects at junction points
> of the lines and that the lines are generally made up of two
> linked pieces. (You can use SHIFT+left-click to add or reduce the
> selection.)
>
> Now right-click > Properties, change the line colour, has the
> effect of changing *all* line colours in *all* the objects
> selected - that is the box borders, box shadow borders and
> the inter-connecting lines. If you want to change the colour
> of a line from child to parent (line of descent, etc) then
> you will need to carefully select _just_ the line segments
> for that line and then right-click > Properties, to change
> the line colour.
>
> Try this and see whether you can make it work for you. Make
> sure that you periodically save your partly edited VC2 files
> as new filenames as you make these edits (I usually increment
> a number at the end of the name). It is very easy for
> something go wrong. And "Undo" does always return the chart
> to exactly the same state as before (some automatic redrawing
> actions can disturb the flow). Once you have the chart result
> that you want you can then delete all the unwanted
> intermediate VC2 files.
>
>
> Robin Lamacraft (Adelaide, Australia)
>
>
> ==== TMG Mailing List ====
> The Wholly Genes FAQ page
> <http://www.whollygenes.com/faq1/fom-serve/cache/1.html>; has
> information not only about TMG and how to obtain it, but
> helpful hints on using it.
>


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