microsoft visio 2016 step by step

MicrosoftVisio2016StepbyStepScottA.Helmers

PUBLISHEDBYMicrosoftPressAdivisionofMicrosoftCorporationOneMicrosoftWayRedmond,Washington98052-6399

Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthecontentsofthisbookmaybereproducedortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeanswithoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublisher.

LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2015936021ISBN:978-0-7356-9780-5

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Contents

Introduction

Whothisbookisfor

TheStepbyStepapproach

Sidebar:Adaptproceduresteps

Downloadthepracticefiles

Ebookedition

Getsupportandgivefeedback

Errataandsupport

Wewanttohearfromyou

Stayintouch

Part1:CreateVisiodiagrams

1GetstartedwithVisio2016

IdentifytheeditionsofVisio2016

DiscovernewfeaturesinVisio2016

GetstartedinVisio2016

Sidebar:Understandshapes,masters,stencils,andtemplates

ExploretheBackstageview

TheInfopage

TheNewpage

TheOpenpage

TheSavecommand

TheSaveAspage

ThePrintpage

TheSharepage

TheExportpage

TheClosecommand

TheAccountpage

TheVisioOptionsdialogbox

Understandtooltabsandadd-intabs

Usetooltabs

Useadd-intabs

Beginquicklybyusingstarterdiagrams

Explorethedrawingwindow

Sidebar:HowdoIscrollthroughpagenametabs?

ManagetheShapeswindow

Panandzoominthedrawingwindow

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

2Creatediagrams

PlaceshapesbyusingtheDynamicGrid

Selectshapes

Copy,paste,andduplicateshapes

Positionshapesbyusingrulersandguides

Userulerstoalignandsizeshapes

Useguidestoalignandsizeshapes

Resize,reposition,andreorientshapes

Usecontrolhandles

UsetheSize&Positionwindow

Connectshapesbyusinglines

Sidebar:Create2-Dshapesbyusingthelinetools

Connectshapesbyusingdynamicconnectors

Connecttoshapesthatcontainconnectionpoints

Connecttoshapesthatdonotcontainconnectionpoints

Changeconnectorstyleandsegmentation

Sidebar:Identifying1-Dshapesandtypesofglue

UseAutoConnectandQuickShapes

UseAutoAddandAutoDelete

UseAutoAdd

UseAutoDelete

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

3Managetext,shapes,andpages

Manageshapetext

Addtexttoshapes

Repositionandresizeshapetext

Orientshapetext

Createandformattextboxes

AddScreenTipsandcomments

Insertpictures

Replaceshapes

Groupshapes

Understandanduselayers

Managepages

Workwithforegroundpages

Configureforegroundpages

ManageAutoSize

Workwithbackgroundpagesandborders

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

4Createbusinessprocessdiagrams

Selectaflowcharttemplate

VisioStandard

VisioProfessional

Sidebar:Verticalorhorizontal?

Createflowcharts

Sidebar:Dynamicorstaticglue?

Understandswimlanediagrams

Sidebar:Add-intabs

Buildswimlanediagrams

UnderstandBPMN

DesignBPMNdiagrams

Createsubprocesses

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

5Createorganizationcharts

Understandorganizationcharts

Reviewnewfeatures

Useorgcharttemplates

Buildorganizationchartsmanually

Useexistingdatatocreateanorganizationchart

UsetheOrganizationChartWizardwithnewdata

Alterlayoutandappearance

Changethelayout

Arrangeshapes

Changeshapeappearance

Sidebar:Thenameskeepchanging!

Workwithpictures

Applythemes

Importphotographsasyoucreateorganizationcharts

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

6Addstyle,color,andthemes

Alignandspaceshapes

Alignshapes

Sidebar:What’sinfront?

Spaceandorientshapes

Alignandspaceshapesautomatically

Understandthemeconcepts

Sidebar:Hand-drawnthemes

Applythemesandvariants

Choosethemesandvariants

Customizethemesandvariants

UseeffectsandQuickStyles

Highlightshapesbyusingeffects

EmbellishshapesbyusingQuickStyles

Applysolid,gradient,andpatternfills

Applylinecolorsandpatterns

UsetheFormatPainter

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

7Createnetworkanddatacenterdiagrams

Buildbasicnetworkdiagrams

Builddetailednetworkdiagrams

Use3-Dequipmentshapes

Sidebar:WherecanIfindmorenetworkshapes?

Createrackdiagrams

Sidebar:Whatisascaleddrawing?

Changethedrawingscale

Sidebar:Enhanceyournetworkdiagrams

Runcomputerandnetworkreports

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

Part2:Adddatatoyourdiagrams

8Workwithshapedata

Understandshapedata

Viewshapedata

Sidebar:Anotherwaytoviewshapedata

Sidebar:FindingtheShapeDatawindow

Editshapedata

Modifyshapedatafieldattributes

Viewshapedatafieldattributes

Changeshapedatafieldattributes

Defineshapedatafields

Insertfields

Runpredefinedreports

Createormodifyreports

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

9Visualizeyourdata

Enhancediagrameffectiveness

Viewnetworkanddatacenterperformance

Improveprocesses

Managecasinooperations

Manageemployeeperformance

Assessrisks

Createdatagraphics

Applydatagraphics

Editdatagraphics

Createdatagraphiclegends

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

10Linktoexternaldata

Understanddatalinking

UseQuickImport

UseCustomImport

Linkyourdiagramtodata

Linkdatatoyourshapes

Managelinkeddata

Identifylinks

Changecolumnsettings

Unlinkdatafromshapesanddiagrams

Usedatagraphicoptionsforlinkeddata

Refreshlinkeddata

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

Part3:Enhanceandsharediagrams

11Addandusehyperlinks

Followhyperlinks

Enhancediagramsbyaddinghyperlinks

OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox

LinktoanotherVisiopage

Sidebar:Whatisashapename?WheredoIfindit?

Linktoawebsite

Linktoadocument

Linktoaspecificlocationinadocument

Editanddeleteexistinghyperlinks

Addmultiplehyperlinks

Understandrelativeandabsolutehyperlinks

Setthehyperlinkbase

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

12Print,reuse,andsharediagrams

Previewandprintdrawings

Removepersonalinformation

Sidebar:WhatisInformationRightsManagement?

Creategraphics

Savedrawingsinotherfileformats

Createtemplates

Sidebar:WheredoIstorecustomtemplates?

SharediagramsbyusingtheVisioViewer

Publishdiagramstotheweb

Viewweb-publisheddiagrams

Setpublishingoptions

Sidebar:What’sinaVisio-generatedwebsiteandwhereisitstored?

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

13Addstructuretoyourdiagrams

Understandcontainers,lists,andcallouts

Comparegroupsandcontainers

Organizeshapesbyusingcontainers

Usecontainers

Formatcontainers

Sidebar:Ontheborder

Organizeshapesbyusinglists

Addshapestolists

Formatandsizelists

FindcontainersandlistsinVisio

Exploreswimlanes

Buildwireframes

Insertdatagraphiclegends

Annotateshapesbyusingcallouts

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

14Validatediagrams

UnderstandVisiorules

Validateflowchartsandswimlanediagrams

Validateflowcharts

Validateswimlanediagrams

ValidateBPMNdiagrams

Reuseexistingvalidationrulesets

Listtherulesinaruleset

Createnewvalidationrules

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

15Collaborateandpublishdiagrams

UnderstandVisioServicesinSharePoint

StorediagramsinSharePoint

Viewdiagramsbyusingawebbrowser

RefreshdiagramssavedinSharePoint

Collaborateondiagrams

Commentondiagrams

Coauthordiagrams

Skillsreview

Practicetasks

AppendixA:Lookbehindthecurtain

AppendixB:KeyboardshortcutsforVisio

Glossary

Abouttheauthor

Giveusfeedback

TelluswhatyouthinkofthisbookandhelpMicrosoftimproveourproductsforyou.Thankyou!http://aka.ms/tellpress

Introduction

Welcome!ThisStepbyStepbookhasbeendesignedsoyoucanreaditfromthebeginningtolearnaboutMicrosoftVisio2016andthenbuildyourskillsasyoulearntoperformincreasinglyspecializedprocedures.Or,ifyouprefer,youcanjumpinwhereveryouneedreadyguidanceforperformingtasks.Thehow-tostepsaredeliveredcrisplyandconcisely—justthefacts.You’llalsofindinformative,full-colorgraphicsthatsupporttheinstructionalcontent.

WhothisbookisforMicrosoftVisio2016StepbyStepisdesignedforuseasalearningandreferenceresourcebyhomeandbusinessusersofMicrosoftOfficeprogramswhowanttouseVisiotocreateavarietyofdiagramsforbusinessandpersonaluse.ThecontentofthebookisdesignedtobeusefulforpeoplewhohavepreviouslyusedearlierversionsofVisioandforpeoplewhoarediscoveringVisioforthefirsttime.

TheStepbyStepapproachThebook’scoverageisdividedintopartsrepresentinggeneralVisioskillsets.Eachpartisdividedintochaptersrepresentingskillsetareas,andeachchapterisdividedintotopicsthatgrouprelatedskills.Eachtopicincludesexpositoryinformationfollowedbygenericprocedures.Attheendofthechapter,you’llfindaseriesofpracticetasksyoucancompleteonyourownbyusingtheskillstaughtinthechapter.Youcanusethepracticefilesthatareavailablefromthisbook’swebsitetoworkthroughthepracticetasks,oryoucanuseyourownfiles.

Adaptproceduresteps

Thisbookcontainsmanyimagesofuserinterfaceelements(suchastheribbonandtheappwindows)thatyou’llworkwithwhileperformingtasksinVisioonaWindowscomputer.Dependingonyourscreenresolutionorappwindowwidth,theVisioribbononyourscreenmightlookdifferentfromthatshowninthisbook.(IfyouturnonTouchmode,theribbondisplayssignificantlyfewercommandsthaninMousemode.)Asaresult,proceduralinstructionsthatinvolvetheribbonmightrequirealittleadaptation.

Simpleproceduralinstructionsusethisformat:

1.OntheInserttab,intheIllustrationsgroup,clickthePicturesbutton.

Ifthecommandisinalist,ourinstructionsusethisformat:

1.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheLayersarrowandthen,intheLayerslist,clickLayerProperties.

Ifdifferencesbetweenyourdisplaysettingsandourscauseabuttontoappeardifferentlyonyourscreenthanitdoesinthisbook,youcaneasilyadaptthestepstolocatethecommand.Firstclickthespecifiedtab,andthenlocatethespecifiedgroup.Ifagrouphasbeencollapsedintoagrouplistorunderagroupbutton,click

thelistorbuttontodisplaythegroup’scommands.Ifyoucan’timmediatelyidentifythebuttonyouwant,pointtolikelycandidatestodisplaytheirnamesinScreenTips.

Multistepproceduralinstructionsusethisformat:

1.DisplaytheBackstageview.

2.IntheleftpaneoftheBackstageview,clickNew.

3.OntheNewpage,clickCategories,clicktheBusinessthumbnail,andthendouble-clicktheOrganizationCharttemplate.

Onsubsequentinstancesofinstructionsthatrequireyoutofollowthesameprocess,theinstructionsmightbesimplifiedinthisformatbecausetheworkinglocationhasalreadybeenestablished:

1.OntheNewpageoftheBackstageview,clickCategories,clicktheBusinessthumbnail,andthendouble-clicktheOrganizationCharttemplate.

Theinstructionsinthisbookassumethatyou’reinteractingwithon-screenelementsonyourcomputerbyclicking(withamouse,touchpad,orotherhardwaredevice).Ifyou’reusingadifferentmethod—forexample,ifyourcomputerhasatouchscreeninterfaceandyou’retappingthescreen(withyourfingerorastylus)—substitutetheapplicabletappingactionwhenyouinteractwithauserinterfaceelement.

InstructionsinthisbookrefertoVisiouserinterfaceelementsthatyouclickortaponthescreenasbuttons,andtophysicalbuttonsthatyoupressonakeyboardaskeys,toconformtothestandardterminologyusedindocumentationfortheseproducts.

Whentheinstructionstellyoutoenterinformation,youcandosobytypingonanexternalkeyboard,tappinganon-screenkeyboard,orevenspeakingaloud,dependingonyourcomputersetupandyourpersonalpreferences.

DownloadthepracticefilesBeforeyoucancompletethepracticetasksinthisbook,youneedtodownloadthebook’spracticefilestoyourcomputerfromhttp://aka.ms/Visio2016sbs/downloads.Followtheinstructionsonthewebpage.

Important

Visio2016isnotavailablefromthebook’swebsite.Youshouldinstallthatappbeforeworkingthroughtheproceduresandpracticetasksinthisbook.

Youcanopenthefilesthataresuppliedforthepracticetasksandsavethefinishedversionsofeachfile.Ifyoulaterwanttorepeatpracticetasks,youcandownloadtheoriginalpracticefilesagain.

Thefollowingtableliststhepracticefilesforthisbook.

EbookeditionIfyou’rereadingtheebookeditionofthisbook,youcandothefollowing:

Searchthefulltext

Copyandpaste

YoucanpurchaseanddownloadtheebookeditionfromtheMicrosoftPressStoreathttp://aka.ms/Visio2016sbs/details.

GetsupportandgivefeedbackThistopicprovidesinformationaboutgettinghelpwiththisbookandcontactingustoprovidefeedbackorreporterrors.

ErrataandsupportWe’vemadeeveryefforttoensuretheaccuracyofthisbookanditscompanioncontent.Ifyoudiscoveranerror,pleasesubmitittousathttp://aka.ms/Visio2016sbs/errata.

IfyouneedtocontacttheMicrosoftPressSupportteam,pleasesendanemailmessagetomspinput@microsoft.com.

ForhelpwithMicrosoftsoftwareandhardware,gotohttp://support.microsoft.com.

WewanttohearfromyouAtMicrosoftPress,yoursatisfactionisourtoppriority,andyourfeedbackourmostvaluableasset.Pleasetelluswhatyouthinkofthisbookathttp://aka.ms/tellpress.

Thesurveyisshort,andwereadeveryoneofyourcommentsandideas.Thanksinadvanceforyourinput!

StayintouchLet’skeeptheconversationgoing!We’reonTwitterathttp://twitter.com/MicrosoftPress.

Part1:CreateVisiodiagramsCHAPTER1GetstartedwithVisio2016

CHAPTER2Creatediagrams

CHAPTER3Managetext,shapes,andpages

CHAPTER4Createbusinessprocessdiagrams

CHAPTER5Createorganizationcharts

CHAPTER6Addstyle,color,andthemes

CHAPTER7Createnetworkanddatacenterdiagrams

1.GetstartedwithVisio2016

Inthischapter

Practicefiles

Forthischapter,usethepracticefilesfromtheVisio2016SBS\Ch01folder.Forpracticefiledownloadinstructions,seetheintroduction.

MicrosoftVisioisthepremiereapplicationforcreatingbusinessdiagramsofalltypes,rangingfromflowcharts,processmapsandorganizationcharts,todatacenterlayouts,floorplans,andbrainstormingdiagrams.

Muchmorethanjustadiagrammingapp,Visiomakesiteasytoconnectdiagramstolivedatasources,andthenpublishtheresultstoMicrosoftSharePointtocreatenear-real-timedashboards.Ontopofallthat,youcanuseVisiotocreateapatternforaquiltortodesignanewkitchenforyourhouse!

Visio2016includesmanynewfeatures,includingonethateliminatesthecurseoftheblankpagewhenyou’restartinganewdiagram.Betweenthatfeatureandthetechniquesyouwilldiscoverinthischapter,you’llbeofftoarunningstartwithVisio.

ThischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtogettingstartedinVisio2016,exploringtheBackstageview,beginningquicklybyusingstarterdiagrams,exploringthedrawingwindow,managingtheShapeswindow,andpanningandzoominginthedrawingwindow.

IdentifytheeditionsofVisio2016Visio2016isavailableinthreeeditions.ThefirsttwoeditionsusethetraditionaldesktoppurchaseandinstallationmodelandmirrorthetwoeditionsthatwereofferedinmostpriorVisioreleases.ThethirdeditionispartoftheMicrosoftOffice365suiteofsubscription-basedapplications.

VisioStandard2016ThisisthestartereditionofVisio.Itprovidessignificantcapabilityforcreatingbusinessdiagramsandincludes26templatesthataredividedintosixcategories.

VisioProfessional2016ThiseditionexpandsontheStandardeditionbyofferingmorethanfourdozenadditionaltemplates,foratotalof76acrosseightcategories.Inaddition,VisioProofferstheabilitytolinkdiagramstoawidevarietyofdatasources,andincludesadiagramvalidationcapabilitythatisespeciallywellsuitedfortheexpandedsetofbusinessprocessdiagramsitsupports.

VisioProforOffice365ThiseditionofVisioprovidestheidenticalfeaturesandtemplatesasVisioProfessional2016.Thekeydifferencesinthiseditionareinpackaginganddelivery.AspartofOffice365,thereisnoup-frontlicensefee.Instead,youpayamonthlysubscriptionfeeandcaninstallthesoftwareonuptofivecomputers.

DiscovernewfeaturesinVisio2016Visio2016issleek-looking,colorful,connected,portable,collaborative,andhelpsprotectyourdocumentcontent.

ThefollowinglistdescribeskeynewcapabilitiesofVisio2016:

StarterdiagramsCreatingadiagramfromablankpagecanbedaunting,especiallyifyou’reworkingwithanewdiagramtype.Visio2016helpsyougetstartedmorequicklybyprovidingdozensofstarterdiagrams.

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutstarterdiagrams,see“Beginquicklybyusingstarterdiagrams”laterinthischapter.

ModernizedshapesDozensofVisioshapesreceivedmakeoversforVisio2016.Theupdatedshapeslookmodern,asshowninthecomparisonofVisio2013furnitureshapes,ontheleftinFigure1-1,withtheequivalentshapesfromVisio2016ontheright.Inadditiontochangesinappearance,somenewshapesexhibitsmartbehavior.Forexample,ifyouincreasethelengthorwidthoftheVisio2016tableinFigure1-1,additionalchairsappear!

Figure1-1ManyVisio2016shapeshaveafresh,newlook

Youwillfindupdatedmastersinstencilsassociatedwithtemplatesforofficelayouts,siteplans,floorplans,homeplans,andelectricaldiagrams.

TellMeTheMicrosoftOfficeTellMefeaturemakesfindinganyoneofthe800commandsinVisioaseasyasenteringawordorphrase.TellVisiowhatyouwantto

do,anditrespondswithalistofexecutablecommands.

Somecommandsintheresponselistmightbedimmed(unavailable)becausetheTellMefeatureiscontext-aware.Forexample,ifyoustartenteringthewordcontainerwhenacontainerisnotselected,mostcommandsareunavailable,asshownontheleftinFigure1-2.However,ifacontainerisselected,additionalcommandsareavailable,asshownontheright.

Figure1-2TellMeprovidesinstantaccesstorelevantcommands

InformationRightsManagement(IRM)InVisio2016,youcanassignaccessrightssoonlyauthorizedpeoplecanreadormodifyyourdiagram.

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationaboutIRM,seethesidebar“WhatisInformationRightsManagement?”inChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams.”

High-resolutiondevicesupportAllbuttons,menus,andfeaturesofVisio2016nowoperateproperlyonhigh-resolutiondisplaysliketheMicrosoftSurface.

SupportforstandardsThreetypesofdiagramsincludedwithVisioProfessional2016havebeenupdatedtocomplywiththelatestversionsoftherelevantinternationalstandards.

•TheBasicElectricaltemplateintheEngineeringtemplategroupcomplieswithstandardsfromtheInstituteforElectricalandElectronicEngineers(IEEE).

•TheBPMNDiagramtemplate(availableonlyinVisioProfessional)intheFlowcharttemplategroupconformstoBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)2.0.

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationaboutBPMN,seeChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams.”

•ThesixUMLtemplatesintheSoftwareandDatabasetemplategroupcomplywithUnifiedModelingLanguage(UML)2.4.

QuickImportThenewQuickImportwizard(availableonlyinVisioProfessional)

linksadiagramtoexternaldata,linksdatatoindividualshapes,andthenappliesadatagraphictoeachshape—allinasingle,seamlessoperation.

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationaboutQuickImport,seeChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata.”

GetstartedinVisio2016TheVisioStartscreenisshowninFigure1-3.Inadditiontoalistofrecentlyopeneddiagrams,theStartscreendisplaysthumbnailsofavailabletemplates.

Figure1-3Featuredtemplatesappearbydefault,butyoucanviewtemplatecategories

TheNewpageoftheBackstageview,whichisshowninFigure1-12inthefollowingtopic,presentsthesametemplateoptionsastheStartscreen.WhenyoufirststartVisio,youcancreateadiagramfromtheStartscreen.IfVisioisalreadyrunning,youcancreateonefromtheNewpage.

Important

TheStartscreenalwaysdisplaysfeaturedtemplatesfirst.It’seasytooverlooktheCategoriesbuttonthatpresentsamoretraditionalviewoftemplatesorganizedintologicalgroups.

Understandshapes,masters,stencils,andtemplates

BeforeyouexploretherestofVisio,it’shelpfultounderstandanumberofcommonlyusedterms:

ShapeAnobjectonaVisiodrawingpage.

Ashapecanbeverysimple,suchasaline,apolygon,oranimage.Ashapecanalsobeasophisticatedobjectthatchangesappearanceorbehaviorasdatavalueschange,asitspositiononthepagechanges,oraspropertiesofanothershapechange—thepossibilitiesareendless.

Usually,youcreateshapesbydraggingamasterfromastenciltothedrawingpage;however,youcancreateshapesinotherways.YouwilllearnmoreaboutshapesinChapter2,“Creatediagrams,”andthroughoutthisbook.

MasterAnobjectinaVisiostencil.

MostpeoplewhocreatediagramsbyusingVisiouseeitherthemastersthatshipwithVisioormastersthattheydownloadfromtheInternet.Youcanalsocreateyourownmasters,andyou’llfindenoughinformationtogetstartedinAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

StencilAcollectionofmasters.

VisioincludesbothmetricandUSunitversionsofmorethantwohundredstencils.Eachstencilcontainsseveral,orseveraldozen,relatedmasters.ExamplesincludestencilsnamedFurniture,TransportationShapes,WorkflowShapes,NetworkLocations,andTimelineShapes.AppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain,”describeshowtocreateacustomstencil.

TemplateAVisiodocumentthatincludesoneormoredrawingpageswithpresetdimensionsandmeasurementunits.

Atemplategenerallycontainsoneormorestencils,anditmightincludebackgroundpages,themes,shapes,ortext.Atemplatecanincludespecialsoftwarethatonlyoperatesinthattemplate.

WorkspaceAcollectionofVisiowindowsandwindowsettings.

Atminimum,theworkspaceconsistsofthedrawingwindowandthezoomsettingsforthepagesinthedrawing.Frequently,itincludesaShapeswindowcontainingoneormorestencils.TheworkspacecanalsoincludetheShapeData,Size&Position,andPan&Zoomwindows,inadditiontotemplate-specificwindows.

Unlessyouchangethedefaultaction,Visiosavestheon-screenworkspacewheneveryousaveadocument.Consequently,thenexttimeyouopenthedocument,Visiorestorestheworkspace.

Despitethedistinctionmadeinthislistbetweenamasterandashape,manypeoplerefertoanobjectinastencilasashape.Indeed,whenyouthinkaboutit,thewindowthatdisplaysstencilsiscalledtheShapeswindow!Consequently,unlessthedistinctionisimportantinaspecificcontext,thetextinthisbookwillusuallyrefertoobjectsinstencilsandonthedrawingpagethesameway—asshapes.

Tobeginadiagrambasedonanexistingtemplate,youcandoanyofthefollowing:

SearchonlinefortemplatesbyenteringkeywordsorbyclickinganywordintheSuggestedSearcheslist.

Important

Searchingwithakeywordwillnotproducethesameresultasselectingatemplatecategorythatmatchesthekeyword.Forexample,clickingtheFlowchartsearchtermyieldssomeofthesametemplatesthatyoufindinthetemplatecategorynamedFlowchart.However,italsoreturnsalistofseveral—orseveralhundred—templatesthatislikelytoincludebothVisiotemplatesandtemplatesforotherappsintheOfficesuite.

UseatemplateintheFeaturedsection.Thepresentationofthumbnailsinthissectionisdynamic:thetemplatesyouusemostfrequentlyrisetothetop.

TheBlankDrawingtemplateshowninFigure1-3opensthedrawingpagebutdoesnotopenanystencils.

UsetheCategoriesviewtolocatetemplatesthatareorganizedintogroups.VisioStandarddisplayssixcategories:Business,Flowchart,General,MapsandFloorPlans,Network,andSchedule.VisioProfessionaladdstwocategories:Engineering,andSoftwareandDatabase.

AttheendofthetemplatecategorieslistisanadditionalentrycalledNewFromExisting,asshowninFigure1-4.Whenyouclickthisthumbnail,youcanselectanyexistingVisiodiagram.Visiothenopensacopyofthediagramasanewdocumentandleavestheoriginaluntouched.

Figure1-4TheNewFromExistingbuttonhelpsprotectyourdiagram

Clickinganytemplatecategorydisplaysthumbnailsforthetemplatesinthatcategory.Figure1-5showsseveralofthetemplatesintheMapsAndFloorPlanscategory.

Figure1-5Sampletemplatethumbnails

Ifyouclickonceonadiagramthumbnail,Visiodisplaysinformationaboutthattemplate,asshowninFigure1-6.Ifyoudouble-clickadiagramthumbnail,Visiolaunchesanewdiagram.

Figure1-6Thetemplateinformationpanelincludesadescriptionofthetemplate

Important

ManyVisiotemplatesincludestarterdiagramsthatprovideadditionaloptionsforcreatingdiagrams.See“Beginquicklybyusingstarterdiagrams”laterinthischapterformoreinformation.

Whenyoucreateanewdiagram,VisionamesitDrawingn,wherenisasequencenumberthatisincrementedforeachnewdrawingcreatedwithinoneVisiosession.ClosingandrestartingVisioalwaysresetsthesequencenumberto1.

Visiotemplatesareprovidedintwosetsofmeasurementunits:

MetricMetricdrawingsarebasedonpapersizesspecifiedbytheInternationalOrganizationforStandardization(ISO);thedefaultsizeisusuallyA4.MetrictemplatesalsoincludeotherISOdrawingandpapersizes.Allmeasurementsareinmillimetersorothermetricmeasurementunits.

USUnitsDiagramscreatedwithUSUnitsusethe8.5-by-11-inch,letter-sizedpaperthatiscommonintheUnitedStatesandpartsofCanadaandMexico.TemplatescreatedforUSUnitsalsoincludeadditionaldrawingandpapersizesthatarecommoninthosecountries/regions.Thedefaultmeasurementunitsareinchesandfeet.

Dependingonyoursystemconfiguration,youmightbeofferedachoicebetweenthetwo,asshowninFigure1-6.

SeeAlso

MicrosoftprovidesaQuickStartguideforVisio2013(andotherOffice2013apps)atoffice.microsoft.com/en-us/support/office-2013-quick-start-guides-HA103673669.aspx.Asofthiswriting,thereisnoVisio2016guide;however,themajorityoftheVisio2013guideiscorrectforVisio2016.

Toopenarecentlyuseddiagram1.IntheRecentcolumnontheStartscreenoftheBackstageview,clickthenameofthediagramyouwanttoopen.

ToopenadiagramthatisnotontheRecentlist1.IntheRecentcolumn,clickOpenOtherDiagrams.

2.OntheOpenpageoftheBackstageview,clickthelocation,andthenopenthediagramyouwant.

TouseaFeaturedtemplate1.IftheFeaturedtabisnotalreadyactive,clicktheFeaturedbuttonabovethethumbnailsontheStartscreen.

2.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Double-clickatemplatethumbnail.

•Clickthethumbnailforthetemplateyouwant,andthenclicktheCreatebutton.

Tousetemplatecategories1.IftheCategoriestabisnotalreadyactive,clicktheCategoriesbuttonabovethethumbnailsontheStartscreen.

2.Clickthethumbnailforthecategoryyouwant.

•Double-clickatemplatethumbnail.

•Clickthethumbnailforthetemplateyouwant,andthenclicktheCreatebutton.

Tosearchforatemplate1.OntheStartscreen,doeitherofthefollowing:

•EnterkeywordsintheSearchforonlinetemplatesbox,andthenpresstheEnterkey.

•ClickoneofthekeywordsintheSuggestedsearcheslist.

Touseanexistingdiagramasatemplate1.IftheCategoriestabisnotalreadyactive,clicktheCategoriesbuttonabovethe

thumbnailsontheStartscreen.

•Double-clicktheNewfromexistingthumbnail.

•ClicktheNewfromexistingthumbnail,andthenclicktheCreatebutton.

3.IntheNewFromExistingDrawingdialogbox,navigateto,andthenopenthediagramyouwant.

ExploretheBackstageviewTheBackstageviewisthecentrallocationformanagingfilesandsettingtheoptionsthatcontrolhowVisio2016operates.YouaccesstheBackstageviewbyclickingtheFiletabontheleftendoftheribbonintheVisiowindow.

Ofthe11commandsintheleftpaneoftheBackstageview,onlyfour—New,Open,Account,andOptions—areavailableifyoudonothaveadiagramopen.Theremainingsevenappearwhenyouopenadiagram.

IfyouareintheBackstageviewandhaveadiagramopen,youcanreturntothediagrambyclickingtheleft-pointingarrowintheupper-leftcorneroftheVisiowindow.Ifyoudon’thaveadiagramopen,clickingthearrowwillreturnyoutotheStartscreen.

MostofthecommandsandaccompanyingpagesintheBackstageviewwillbefamiliarifyouhaveusedotherappsintheOfficesuite.Inthistopic,youwillexploretheBackstageview,withanemphasisonfeaturesthatareuniquetoVisio.

TheInfopageWhenyouhaveadiagramopenandclicktheFiletab,VisiopresentstheInfopageshowninFigure1-7.

Figure1-7YouusetheInfopagetoviewandchangedocumentattributes

Thecentersectionofthepageincludesfivebuttons:

ProtectDiagramYouwillexplorethisbuttoninthesidebar“WhatisInformationRightsManagement?”inChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams.”

RemovePersonalInformationYouwilllearnaboutthisbuttoninChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams.”

ReduceFileSizeYoucanclickthisbuttonifdocumentsizeisamajorconsiderationandyouwanttocreateasmallerfile.

CheckCompatibilityThisbuttonidentifiesfeaturesinthecurrentdiagramthatarenotcompatiblewithpreviousversionsofVisio.

PublishOptionsYouwilllearnabouttheSharePointpublishingsettingsbehindthisbuttoninChapter15,“Collaborateandpublishdiagrams.”

Therightsideofthepageprovidesinformationabouttheopendocument,alongwithaPropertieslistthatyoucanusetoviewandsetdocumentattributes.YouwillworkwiththePropertieslistinseveralplacesinthisbook,includingChapter11,“Addandusehyperlinks,”andChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams.”

TheInfopagecancontainadditionalbuttons,suchasthefollowing:

Ifyouopenadocumentinread-onlymode,theSaveAsbutton,showninFigure1-

8,willappearatthetopoftheInfopage.

Figure1-8Alteredread-onlydocumentsmustbesavedasnewdocuments

IfyouopenafilecreatedinVisio2010orearlier,itwillopenincompatibilitymode,andtheConvertbutton,showninFigure1-9,willappearatthetopoftheInfopage.

Figure1-9YoucanupgradeolderdiagramstotheVisio2016format

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationaboutcurrentandformerVisiofileformats,see“UnderstandtheVisio2016fileformats”inAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

WhenadocumentisstoredinSharePointorOneDrive,theCheckOutandViewVersionHistorybuttons,showninFigure1-10andFigure1-11,willappear.

Figure1-10Youcanprotectdocumentsfromsimultaneouseditsbyotherauthors

Figure1-11SharePointcantrackeachtimeadocumentissaved

AsthedescriptionnexttothebuttonshowninFigure1-10suggests,youusetheCheckOutbuttontopreventothersfrommakingchangestoadocumentyouareediting.WhenyouclicktheCheckOutbutton,itisreplacedbyaCheckInbuttonthatyouusetomarkthedocumentasavailable.

YouusetheViewVersionHistorybuttontoviewandmanagethecurrentandpreviousversionsofadocument.

TheNewpageTheNewpage,theupperpartofwhichappearsinFigure1-12,isverysimilartotheStartscreenshowninFigure1-3intheprecedingtopic.OntheNewpage,youhaveaccesstothesamefeaturedtemplates,templatecategories,andonlinetemplatesearchoptionsthatweredescribedfortheStartscreen.

Figure1-12TheNewpageshowsbothfeaturedandcategorizedtemplates

Important

TheNewpagealwaysdisplaysfeaturedtemplatesfirst.It’seasytooverlooktheCategoriesbuttonthatpresentsamoretraditionalviewoftemplatesorganizedintologicalgroups.

TheOpenpageAsitdoesthroughouttheMicrosoftOfficesuite,theOpenpage,showninFigure1-13,displaysalistofbothonlineandlocallocationswheredocumentscanbestored.Youcanclickanylocationintheleftcolumntoseerecentlyuseddiagramsstoredinthatlocation.Youcanalsoaddmoreonlinelocationstothelist,orbrowsetolocatethediagramyouwant.

Figure1-13Openingonlinedocumentsisaseasyasopeninglocaldocuments

TheSavecommandClickingSaveforanunsaveddiagramdisplaystheSaveAspagethatisdescribedinthefollowingtopic.ClickingSaveforapreviouslysaveddiagramsavesthechanges.

TheSaveAspageOntheSaveAspage,showninFigure1-14,youcanchoosealocaloronlinelocationandthenselectarecentfolderorclicktheBrowsebuttontonavigatetothelocationyouwant.

Figure1-14YoucansavelocallyortoOneDriveandSharePointsites

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutstoringVisiodiagramsinotherformats,seeChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams”andChapter15,“Collaborateandpublishdiagrams.”

ThePrintpageThePrintpageprovidesaprintpreviewandprintingoptions.YouwillexploreprintoptionsinChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams.”

TheSharepageYoucanshareyourdiagramtwowaysbyusingtheSharepage.

YoucanclickShareWithPeopletosendpeoplealinktoyourdiagramviaemail.YourdiagrammustbestoredinSharePointorOneDrivetousethesharefunction.Ifitisnot,youwillbeaskedtosaveitinoneofthoselocationsfirst,asshowninFigure1-15.

Figure1-15Sharingdiagramswithotherpeoplerequirestwosteps

Afterthediagramisavailableonline,youcanusetheformshowninFigure1-16tosendlinkstooneormorepeople.

Figure1-16Youcanenteroneormoreemailaddressestoshareadiagram

YoucanclicktheEmailbuttontoshareyourdiagramusinganyoftheoptionslistedontherightsideofthepageshowninFigure1-17.

Figure1-17OneoptionforsharingbyemailautomaticallycreatesaPDFofyourdiagram

SendALinkisavailableonlyifyourdiagramisstoredonlineorinasharedfolder.

TheExportpageYoucanusetheExportpagetocreateaPDForXPSdocumentandtosaveinavarietyofotherfileformats.YouwillexploreotherfileformatsinChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams”andChapter15,“Collaborateandpublishdiagrams.”

TheClosecommandClickingCloseclosestheactivediagrambutdoesnotexitVisio.

TheAccountpageTheAccountpage,showninFigure1-18,summarizesinformationabouttheMicrosoftAccountthatyouhavelinkedtoVisio.YoucanclickthelinksintheUserInformationareatochangeyourMicrosoftAccountdetailsandtoswitchtoanotherMicrosoftAccountifyouhavemorethanone.

Figure1-18Bothuserprofileandapplication-levelsettingsareontheAccountpage

ThesameareaprovideslistsyoucanusetoaltertheOfficeBackgroundandOfficeThemeusedforVisioandallotherOfficeapplications.

IntheConnectedServicesareaisalistofOneDriveandSharePointsitestowhichyouarecurrentlyconnected.YoucanclicktheAddAServicebuttontolinktoadditionalOneDriveandSharePointsites.

ClickingtheAboutVisiobuttonintheProductInformationareaopenstheAboutMicrosoftVisiodialogbox(seeFigure1-19),whichdisplaysversioninformationandyourproductID.

Figure1-19TheAboutMicrosoftVisiodialogboxdisplaysimportantinformation

TheAboutMicrosoftVisiodialogboxdoesnotindicatewhetheryouarerunningVisioStandardorVisioProfessional;thatinformationislocatedbelowtheProductActivatedheadingintheProductInformationarea.

TheVisioOptionsdialogboxTheOptionsbuttonopenstheVisioOptionsdialogbox,whichcontainsdozensofsettingsyoucanusetocustomizetheoperationofVisio.ManypeopleuseVisiowithouteverneedingtochangeanyoftheseoptions,butit’sagoodideatoexaminetheoptioncategoriesshowninFigure1-20forpotentialfutureuse.

Figure1-20TherearedozensofwaystocustomizeVisio

YoucanusetheoptionsintheVisioOptionsdialogboxtoperformmanyactions,afewofwhicharementionedinthefollowinglist:

GeneralEnteryourusernameandinitials,andsetvariousglobaloptions,includingLivePreviewandcolorchoicesforallOfficeapps.

ProofingSetautocorrect,spelling,andgrammaroptions.

SaveEnableAutoRecover,setthedefaultVisiosaveformatfromamongthreechoices(VisioDocument,VisioMacro-EnabledDocument,andVisio2003-2010Document),andsetapersonaltemplateslocation.

LanguageSetediting,display,help,andScreenTiplanguageparameters.

AdvancedSetdozensofoptionsinfivecategories:Editing,Display,Save/Open,

ShapeSearch,andGeneral.

CustomizeRibbonAddandrearrangecommandsonbuilt-inribbontabs;createnewtabsandcommands.

QuickAccessToolbarAddandremovecommandbuttonsfortheQuickAccessToolbar.

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationaboutcustomizingtheQuickAccessToolbar,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Add-insView,add,anddeleteVisioadd-ins.

TrustCenterViewandeditmacrosettingsandothertrust-relatedoptions.

TodisplaytheBackstageview1.ClicktheFiletab.

Understandtooltabsandadd-intabsMosttabsontheVisioribbonarevisible100percentofthetime.However,twotypesoftabsappearonlywhennecessary.

SeeAlso

ForinformationabouttheDevelopertab,whichmightnotbevisibleinyourcopyofVisio,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

UsetooltabsAtooltabgroupappearsonlyinaparticulardrawingcontext,usuallywhenaspecifictypeofshapeisselectedonthedrawingpage.TooltabgroupsusuallyappeartotherightoftheViewtabandarenotalwaysactivatedautomaticallywhentheyappear;thatis,youmightneedtoclickthetabtoviewitscontents.Atooltabgroupincludesacoloredheaderandmightcontainoneormoretooltabsundertheheader.

Forexample,thePictureToolstabgroup,showninFigure1-21,appearswheneveryouinsertorselectagraphiconaVisiodrawingpage.ThegreenPictureToolstabcontainsaFormattooltabthatincludesbuttonstocrop,rotate,andotherwisemodifyapicture.

Figure1-21YoucanusetheFormattooltabinthePictureToolstabgrouptoeditimages

Anotherexample,theContainerToolstabgroup,showninFigure1-22,appearswheneveryouinsertorselectaVisiocontainer.TheorangeContainerToolstabgroupcontainsaFormattooltab,whichincludesbuttonstosizeandstylecontainers,andtocontrolcontainermembership.

Figure1-22YoucanusetheFormattooltabintheContainerToolstabgrouptocustomizecontainers

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutcontainers,seeChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Useadd-intabsAdd-intabsareassociatedwithsoftwarethataddscapabilitiestoVisio.Someadd-insarepackagedwithVisiobyMicrosoft,andothersaresoldbythird-partysoftwarevendors.

Unliketooltabs,add-intabslookandbehaveexactlylikepermanentVisiotabs,withoneexception:theyappearwhenanadd-inapplicationisactiveanddisappearwhenitisnot.

Forexample,theOrgChartadd-inisincludedwithVisioandisactivatedwheneveryoucreateoreditadrawingthatuseseitheroftheVisioorganizationcharttemplates.TheOrgChartadd-intabisshowninFigure1-23.

Figure1-23YoucanchangethelookandlayoutofanorganizationchartbyusingtheoptionsontheOrgCharttab

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutorganizationcharts,seeChapter5,“Createorganizationcharts.”

Anexampleofathird-partyadd-inisTaskMap,whichprovideseasy-to-useprocessmapping,analysis,andimprovementfunctions.TaskMapcanbeusedwitheitherVisioStandardorVisioProfessional.TheTaskMapadd-intabisshowninFigure1-24.

Figure1-24TheTaskMapadd-intabincludesfunctionsthatintegrateVisiowithMicrosoftExcel,Project,andPowerPoint

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationabouttheTaskMapadd-in,gotowww.taskmap.com.

BeginquicklybyusingstarterdiagramsVisiotemplateshavealwaysincludedstencilsfullofshapesthatyoucanusetobuildanewdiagram.However,evenwhenyouuseatemplatetocreateadiagram,thenewdrawingpageisblankanditcanbedifficulttoknowhowtobegin.

Visio2016significantlyreducesthechallengebyprovidingseveraldozenstarterdiagrams,eachofwhichincludesaproperlyarrangedandformattedsetofshapesalongwithasetoftips.

Figure1-25showsanexampleofthestarterdiagramsthatareprovidedwiththeTimelinetemplateintheScheduletemplategroup.Youcanclickanyofthestarterdiagramthumbnailstoreadadescriptionofthatsamplediagramandthecircumstancesinwhichitmightbeuseful.

Figure1-25Starterdiagramthumbnailsprovideanaccuratepreviewofdiagramcontent

Inallcases,theblankpageoptionisstillavailablebyselectingthethumbnailintheupper-leftcorner.

Selectingoneofthethumbnailsopensaone-pagedocumentthatincludesthestarterdiagram.Figure1-26showstheExpandedBlockTimelinediagram.

Figure1-26ThefirstpageoftheExpandedBlockTimelinestarterdiagram

Inadditiontothediagramitself,everystarterdiagramincludesatippanethatcontainsbothgeneralanddomain-specifictips.Whenyouarefinishedusingthetipspane,youcandeleteitfromthepage.

StarterdiagramsareavailablefortheseVisioStandardtemplates:

Auditdiagram

BasicFlowchart

BasicNetworkDiagram

Cross-FunctionalFlowchart

GanttChart

OrganizationChartWizard

Timeline

WorkFlowDiagram

Inadditiontothosetemplates,theProfessionaleditionofVisioincludesstarterdrawingsinthesetemplates:

BPMNDiagram

DetailedNetworkDiagram

MicrosoftSharePoint2016Workflow

UMLClass

UMLSequence

UMLUseCase

ValueStreamMap

Touseastarterdiagram1.Clickthethumbnailforanytemplate.

2.Inthetemplateinformationpanel,doeitherofthefollowing:

•Double-clickthethumbnailofthestarterdiagramyouwant.

•Clickthethumbnailforthestarterdiagramyouwant,andthenclicktheCreatebutton.

Toremovethetipspanefromastarterdiagram1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Clickanywhereinsidethetipspane,andthenpresstheDeletekey.

•Right-clickthetipspane,andthenclickCut.

ExplorethedrawingwindowWhenyouopenadocumentinVisio,twowindowsnormallyappearbelowtheribbon,asshowninFigure1-27.

Figure1-27AtypicalviewofVisioincludestheribbon,theShapeswindow,andthedrawingwindow

TheShapeswindowcontainsoneormorestencils,eachrepresentedbyaheaderbarcontainingthenameofthestencil.DependingonthenumberofopenstencilsintheShapeswindow,ascrollbarmightappearattherightoftheheaderswhenyoumovethepointerintotheShapeswindow.YouwillinvestigatetheShapeswindowinthenexttopic.

ThewidthoftheShapeswindowisadjustable.Consequently,theShapeswindowsonyourcomputermightbenarrowerorwiderthanthosethatappearinthisbook.

Thelargerwindowontherightiscalledthedrawingwindowbecauseitcontainsthedrawingpage.Thedrawingwindowisboundedonthetopandleftbyrulersthatdisplayinches,millimeters,orwhateverunitsyou’veselected(oryourtemplatehasselected)formeasuringpagedimensions.Thegrayareabetweenthedrawingpageandtherulersisreferredtoasthecanvas;shapesonthecanvasarevisibleinthedrawingwindowbutdonotprint.

AllversionsofVisiopriortoVisio2013displayedanalignmentgridonthedrawingpagebydefault.InVisio2016,theoppositeistrue.Tomakethegridvisible,selecttheGridcheckboxintheShowgroupontheViewtab.

Atthelowerleftofthedrawingwindowisasetofpagecontrols,asshowninFigure1-28.

Figure1-28Pagecontrolsarelocatedatthebottomofthedrawingwindow

Thesecontrolsprovidethefollowingfunctions:

PageNametabsThesedisplaythenameofeachpage;thenameoftheactivepageisdisplayedinadifferentcolor.Clickanytabtoswitchtothatpage.Right-clickanypagenametabtoaccesspagemanagementfunctions,includingtheDuplicatePagefunction.

AllPagesbuttonClickthisbuttontodisplayalistofallpagesinthediagram.Thenameoftheactivepageishighlightedinthelist.

InsertPage(+)buttonClickthisbuttontoaddanewpage.

BelowtheShapesanddrawingwindowsisastatusbarthatcontainsavarietyofindicators,buttons,andcontrols.Thebuttonsandindicatorsontheleftendofthestatusbararecontextsensitive,sotheyshowdifferentinformationdependingonthestateofthedrawing.

Ifnothingisselectedonthedrawingpage,theleftendofthestatusbarlooksliketheimageshowninFigure1-29.

Figure1-29TheleftendoftheVisiostatusbarwhennoshapeisselected

Theseareasofthestatusbarprovidethefollowingfunctions:

PageNumberThisshowswhichpageisactiveanddisplaysthetotalnumberofpagesinthecurrentdrawing.ClickthisbuttontoopenthePagedialogbox.

LanguageThisareadisplaysthelanguageofthecurrentdrawing.ThedrawinglanguageisnormallyderivedfromWindowsorVisiolanguagesettings.

MacrosClickthisbuttontostartthemacrorecorder.

Ifyouhaveselectedashapeonthedrawingpage,theleftendofthestatusbarappearsasshowninFigure1-30.

Figure1-30TheleftendoftheVisiostatusbarwhenashapeisselected

TheWidthandHeightbuttonsdisplaythedimensionsoftheselectedshape.TheAnglebuttondisplaysitsangleofrotation.ClickinganyofthesethreebuttonsopenstheSize&

Positionwindow.

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutusingtheSize&Positionwindow,seeChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”

Therightendofthestatusbar,showninFigure1-31,containsbuttonsandcontrolsthataffecttheviewofyourdiagram.

Figure1-31Zoomandwindowcontrolfunctionsarelocatedonthestatusbar

PresentationModebuttonClickthistoviewtheactivediagraminfull-screenpresentationmode.

ZoomsliderMovethistozoominorout.

ZoomLevelbuttonThisdisplaysthecurrentzoompercentage.ClickittoopentheZoomdialogbox.

FitPageToCurrentWindowbuttonClickthistoresizethedrawingpagesotheentirepageisvisibleinthedrawingwindow.

SwitchWindowsbuttonClickthistoswitchtoanotherVisiowindow.

MostOfficeapplicationsrequiretheuseofabuttonontheViewtaboftheribbontoswitchamongmultipleopenwindows.TheVisiodevelopmentteamhadtheforesighttoincludetheSwitchWindowsbuttononthestatusbarwhereitismuchmoreconvenient.

Ifyouright-clickanywhereinthestatusbar,theCustomizeStatusBarmenuappears.Youcanusethismenutoturnonoroffthedisplayofanyofthebuttonsandcontrolsonthestatusbar.

Toviewalistofallpagesinadiagram1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Totherightofthelastvisiblepagenametab,clicktheAllPagesbutton.

•Attheleftendofthestatusbar,clickthePageNumberbutton.

Toviewadifferentpage1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Clickthepagenametabforthepageyouwant.

•Openthelistofallpages,andthenselectthenameofthepageyouwant.

Toswitchwindows1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Ontherightendofthestatusbar,clicktheSwitchWindowsbutton.

•OntheViewtab,intheWindowgroup,clicktheSwitchWindowsbutton,andthenclickthenameofthewindowyouwant.

HowdoIscrollthroughpagenametabs?

VersionsofVisiopriortoVisio2013includedfourpagenavigationbuttonsinthelower-leftcornerofthedrawingwindowthatyoucouldusetoscrollthroughthepagesinyourdiagram.Twoofthebuttonsscrolledpagenametabsleftandright,andtwojumpedtothefirstorlastpage.Thenavigationbuttonswereespeciallyhelpfulwhenthenumberofpagesorthelengthofthepagenamesmeantthatsomepagenameswerenotvisible.

AlthoughthosecontrolsarenotpresentinVisio2016,thereisaninvisiblebuttonthatyoucanusetoscrollpagesfromlefttoright—touseit,clickinthespaceimmediatelytotheleftofthefirstvisiblepagenametab.Youcanscrollpagesintheoppositedirectionbyclickingtheright-mostvisiblepagenametab.

Unfortunately,therearenobuttonsyoucanusetojumptothefirstorlastpagewithasingleclick.However,youcanjumptoanyspecificpage,whetherornotitsnametabisvisible,byusingthetechniquesdescribedintheproceduresattheendoftheprecedingtopic.Asanexample,clickingtheAllPagesbuttonresultsinaclickablelistofpagenames,asshowninFigure1-32.

Figure1-32Thecolorofthecurrentpagenameisdifferentfromallotherpagenames

Twokeyboardshortcutsareveryhelpfulformovingfrompagetopage:

Ctrl+PageDownMoveonepagetotheright.

Ctrl+PageUpMoveonepagetotheleft.

ManagetheShapeswindowTheupperpartoftheShapeswindowcontainsthetitlebarsofallopenstencils,andthelowerpartdisplaystheshapesfromthecurrentlyselectedstencil,asshowninFigure1-27intheprecedingtopic.Youcanswitchtoanyopenstencilbyclickingitstitlebar.Whenyouclickthetitlebarofanystencil,thetitlebarsremainstationary,andthestencilalwaysopensinthesameplace,belowalltitlebars.ThisisasignificantimprovementinbehavioroverversionsofVisiopriortoVisio2010.

Bydefault,theShapeswindowisdockedtotheleftofthedrawingwindow,anditusuallydisplaysoneortwocolumnsofmasters.However,youmightfindthatyouwanttoadjustorrepositiontheShapeswindow,dependingonthediagramyouarecreatingorediting.

YoucanminimizeorexpandtheShapeswindowbyusingarrowbuttons.TheminimizebuttonisshownontheleftinFigure1-33,andtheexpandbuttonisshownintheimageontheright.TheminimizedviewoftheShapeswindowismostusefulwhentheiconsdepictingthemastersinthestencilareeasilyrecognizable.

Figure1-33YoucanviewaslittleorasmuchoftheShapeswindowasyouwant

YoucanundockandfloattheShapeswindowatanytimeifyouwouldlikeittobeinadifferentpositionwithinthemainVisiowindow.YoucanalsoclosetheShapeswindowentirely,asshowninFigure1-34.

Figure1-34TheShapeswindowhasbeenhidden

YoucanadjustthewidthoftheShapeswindowonecolumnatatimebydraggingtherightedgeofthewindow.However,it’snotaseasytolocatetherightedgeasitusedtobe.AuserinterfacechangeintroducedinVisio2013causeswindowedgestofadeintothebackgroundsotheydon’tinterferevisuallywiththecontentofthedrawing.Consequently,whentheShapeswindowisdockedontheleft,therightedgeisnotvisibleunlessthepointerispositioneddirectlyaboveit.

Makingtheboundaryvisibletypicallyrequiresmovingthepointerslowlyacrosstherightsideofthewindowuntilthepointerchangestoawindowresizetool.TheresizetoolisvisibleintheimageontheleftinFigure1-33.

Thissameuserinterfacechangemeansthatscrollbarsinsmallerwindowsonlyappearwhenthepointerisinsidethewindow.ThiscreatesachallengeintheShapeswindowbecauseyoucan’tdeterminewhetheradditionalmastersarebelowthebottomedgeofthewindowwithoutpointingtothewindow.IntheimageontheleftinFigure1-35,forexample,youcan’ttellthatthereareadditionalfurnitureshapesavailable.Thescrollbarmakestheirpresenceknownwhenthepointerisinsidethewindow,asshownintheimageontheright.

Figure1-35Thepointermustbeinsideawindowforscrollbarstoappear

Youarenotrestrictedtoworkingwiththedefaultsetofstencilsthatopensinany

particulartemplate.Youcanopenoneormoreadditionalstencilsatanytime,asshowninFigure1-36.

Figure1-36CascadingmenusofferaccesstoallVisiostencils

TominimizetheShapeswindow1.ClicktheMinimizetheShapesWindowbutton.

ToexpandtheShapeswindow1.ClicktheExpandtheShapesWindowbutton.

ToadjustthewidthoftheShapeswindow1.MovethepointerintherightsideoftheShapeswindowuntilitchangestoawindowresizetool.

2.Dragthewindowedgetotheleftorright.

ToundocktheShapeswindow1.Dragtheheaderofthewindowontothedrawingpage.

TodocktheShapeswindow1.DragtheheaderofthewindowtooneofthefouredgesofthemainVisiowindow.

ToopenorclosetheShapeswindow

1.OntheViewtab,intheShowgroup,clicktheTaskPanesbutton,andthenclickShapes.

ThevarioussubwindowsthatcanbeopenedorclosedwithinthemainVisiowindowaresometimesreferredtoastaskpanes.

Toopenadditionalstencils1.IntheShapeswindow,clickMoreShapes.

2.Inthelistoftemplatecategorynames,pointtothenameofthetemplateyouwant.

3.Inthelistofstencilnames,clickthenameofthestencilyouwant.

ThestencilopensintheShapewindowassoonasyouclickitsname.

4.(Optional)Clickadditionalstencilnames,withineitherthesametemplatecategoryoradifferentone.

5.Clickanywhereoutsidethetemplateandstencilliststoclosethecascadingmenus.

PanandzoominthedrawingwindowAsyouworkwithVisiodiagrams,youfrequentlyneedtozoominandoutandpan—moveleft-rightandup-down—withinthedrawingwindow.Bothcanbeaccomplishedbyusingavarietyoftechniques,somethatrelyonyourmouse,somethatuseaspecialPan&Zoomwindow,andothersthatentailkeyboardshortcuts.

ThepanandzoomexamplesinthistopicallusethefurniturediagramshowninFigure1-37.

Figure1-37Fourfurnitureshapesinafull-pageview

OneofthefastesttechniquestoviewexactlythepartofthepageyouwantinvolvesdrawingaboundingboxwhileholdingdowntheCtrlandShiftkeys.Whileyoudrawtheboundingbox,Visiodisplayswhat’sshowninFigure1-38.

Figure1-38Themagnifyingglasspointerindicatesthatthisboundingboxwillzoomthediagram

TheresultofthezoomoperationisshowninFigure1-39.Theselectedshapesarecenteredinthedrawingwindow.

Figure1-39Zoomedimageasaresultoftheboundingboxzoomtechnique

Asanalternative,youcandrawarectangleinthePan&ZoomwindowthatisshowninFigure1-40.BydraggingorresizingtherectangleinthePan&Zoomwindow,youcanpanorzoom,respectively.

Figure1-40ThePan&Zoomwindowcontrolswhichpartofthedrawingpageisvisible

Formanydrawings,thePan&Zoomwindowisn’tnecessaryandmightevenbeintheway.However,itisextremelyhelpfulwhenyourdrawingpageisverylarge,whichmightbethecasewhenyouareworkingonengineeringdrawings,floorplans,orofficelayouts.

TheneedtozoominandoutwhileworkingwithadiagramissofrequentthatthereareprobablymoretechniquesandkeyboardandmouseshortcutsforthisoperationthanforanyotheractioninVisio.

ToopenorclosethePan&Zoomwindow1.OntheViewtab,intheShowgroup,clicktheTaskPanesbutton,andthenclickPan&Zoom.

Tozoomin1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•WhileholdingdowntheShiftandCtrlkeys,clicktheleftmousebutton.

•WhileholdingdowntheShiftandCtrlkeys,rollthemousewheelforward.

•PressAlt+F6.

•Onthestatusbar,dragthehandleoftheZoomslider.

•Onthestatusbar,clicktheZoomlevelbutton,andthensetaspecificzoomlevel.

•OntheViewtab,intheZoomgroup,clicktheZoombutton,andthensetaspecificzoomlevel.

•InthePan&Zoomwindow,dragtodrawarectanglethatissmallerthanthecurrentrectangle(ifany).

•InthePan&Zoomwindow,dragtheedgesorcornersoftheselectionrectangletomakeitsmaller.

Tozoomout1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•WhileholdingdowntheShiftandCtrlkeys,clicktherightmousebutton.

•WhileholdingdowntheShiftandCtrlkeys,rollthemousewheelbackward.

•PressShift+Alt+F6.

•Onthestatusbar,dragthehandleoftheZoomslider.

•Onthestatusbar,clicktheZoomlevelbutton,andthensetaspecificzoomlevel.

•OntheViewtab,intheZoomgroup,clicktheZoombutton,andthensetaspecificzoomlevel.

•InthePan&Zoomwindow,dragtodrawarectanglethatislargerthanthecurrentrectangle(ifany).

•InthePan&Zoomwindow,dragtheedgesorcornersoftheselectionrectangletomakeitlarger.

Tofitthedrawingpagetothecurrentwindow1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Onthestatusbar,clicktheFitpagetocurrentwindowbutton.

•OntheViewtab,intheZoomgroup,clicktheFittoWindowbutton.

Topanthediagram1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•Rollthemousewheel(pansupanddown).

•WhileholdingdowntheShiftkey,rollthemousewheel(pansleftandright).

•WhileholdingdowntheShiftandCtrlkeys,clicktherightmousebutton,anddrag.

•InthePan&Zoomwindow,dragtheselectionrectangle.

SkillsreviewInthischapter,youlearnedhowto:

Practicetasks

ThepracticefilesforthesetasksarelocatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch01folder.Youcansavetheresultsofthetasksinthesamefolder.

IdentifytheeditionsofVisio2016Therearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

DiscovernewfeaturesinVisio2016Therearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

GetstartedinVisio2016StartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks.Attheconclusionofeachtask,returntotheStartpage.

1.OpentheGetStarteddiagramintheVisio2016SBS\Ch01folder.

2.ClosetheGetStarteddiagramwithoutexitingVisio.

3.IntheFeaturedsection,clickthethumbnailforanytemplateyouwant.

4.Inthecategorysection,clicktheBusinesscategorythumbnail,andthencreateadiagramfromtheBrainstormingDiagramtemplate.

5.Enterakeywordtosearchonlinefortemplates.

6.ClickaSuggestedsearcheskeywordtosearchonlinefortemplates.

7.CreateadiagrambyusingtheGetStarteddiagramasatemplate.

ExploretheBackstageviewStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Openanydiagram.

2.DisplaytheBackstageviewandexplorethevariouspages.

Understandtooltabsandadd-intabsTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

BeginquicklybyusingstarterdiagramsStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.OpenthetemplateinformationpanelfortheBasicFlowcharttemplate.

2.CreateadiagramfromtheDecisionBranchesFlowcharttemplate.

3.Afterreviewingthetipspane,deleteitfromthediagram.

ExplorethedrawingwindowOpentheExploreDrawingdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Viewseveralpagesinthediagram.

2.Displaythelistofalldiagrampages.

3.InthesameinstanceofVisio,opentheGetStarteddiagramlocatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch01folder.

4.Switchbetweenthetwoopendiagrams.

ManagetheShapeswindowOpentheManageShapesWindowdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.MinimizeandthenexpandtheShapeswindow.

2.MaketheShapeswindowwiderornarrower.

3.DocktheShapeswindowatthetopofthedrawingpage,andthenfloatitoverthedrawingpage.

4.DocktheShapeswindowinitsoriginallocation.

5.HidetheShapeswindow,andthenmakeitvisibleagain.

6.Openseveraladditionalstencils.

PanandzoominthedrawingwindowOpenthePanAndZoomdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.OpenthePan&Zoomwindow.

2.Zoominandoutonseveralpartsofthediagram.

3.Zoomto200%,andthenpantotherightsideofthepage.

4.Pantothelower-leftcornerofthepage.

5.UsethePan&Zoomwindowtozoomoutandviewthecenterofthepage.

6.Fitthediagramtothewindow.

2.Creatediagrams

Inthischapter

Select,copy,paste,andduplicateshapes

Practicefiles

Creatingadiagramfromscratchcanbedaunting.Consequently,Visio2016providesdozensoftemplatesforavarietyofdiagramtypes.TwodozentemplatesaregroupedintosixtemplatecategoriesintheStandardeditionandmorethan70templatesineightcategoriesintheProfessionaledition.

Eachtemplateincludesoneormorestencils,andeachstencilcontainsacollectionofshapesthataresuitableforthespecificdiagramtype.Someoftheshapesareverysimple,whereasotherscontainformulasthatgivethemsurprisinglysophisticatedbehavior.Youwillexamineexamplesofbothsimpleshapesandsmartshapesasyouexplorevarioustemplatesinthisandsubsequentchapters.Regardlessofwhichtemplateyouuse,youshouldunderstandhowtopositionandmanipulateshapes.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtoaligning,positioning,andresizingshapesbyusingtheDynamicGrid;selecting,copying,pasting,andduplicatingshapes;positioningshapesbyusingrulersandguides;resizing,repositioning,andreorientingshapes;connectingshapesbyusinglinesanddynamicconnectors;usingAutoConnectandQuickShapes;andusingAutoAddandAutoDelete.

PlaceshapesbyusingtheDynamicGridThepurposeoftheDynamicGridistohelpyoupositionorsizeashapewithgreateraccuracyasyoudropitonthepageorwhenyourelocateit,therebyeliminatingmuchoftheneedtodragandnudgetheshapeafteryou’veplacedit.Visio2016andVisio2013bothfeatureanenhancedDynamicGridthatprovidesevenmorevisualfeedbackthanearlierversionsofthesoftware.

Unlessotherwiseindicated,theshapesshowninthefiguresinthischapterarefromtheBasicShapesstencilthatopenswhenyouusetheBasicDiagramtemplatethatislocatedintheGeneraltemplategroup.

TheDynamicGriddisplayshorizontalorverticaldashedlinestoassistwithshapealignment.InthethreepartsofFigure2-1,theDynamicGridindicateswhenthecircleisalignedwiththetop,middle,andbottomoftherectangle.

Figure2-1DynamicGridguidelinesappearwhilealigningshapes

TheDynamicGridalsodisplaysdouble-headedarrowsofdifferentlengthstoassistwithshapespacingandsizing.Double-headedarrowsappearwhen:

Theintervalbetweenshapesmatchesthedefaultspacingintervalforthepage.RefertotheverticalarrowtotherightofthespacebetweentherectangleandoctagoninFigure2-2.

Figure2-2DynamicGridguidelinesappearwhilespacingandaligningshapes

Thespacebetweenyournewshapeandanexistingshapematchesthespacebetweentheexistingshapeandanothershapeonthepage,asshownbythehorizontalarrowsbelowthespacesbetweentherectangle,circle,andsquareinFigure2-2.

Youareresizingashapeanditsdimensionsmatchthoseofoneormoreexistingshapesonthepage,asshowninFigure2-3.(Theellipseisbeingresizedinthisfigure.)

Figure2-3DynamicGridguidelinesappearwhileresizingshapes

Whentwoshapesthatyouarepositioningarethesamewidthorheight,VisiodisplaysthreeDynamicGridlinesforthepairofshapes:attheleft,center,andright,oratthetop,middle,andbottom.SeethedashedgridlinesbetweenandalongthesidesoftherectangleandoctagoninFigure2-2foranexample.

Becausesomedouble-headedarrowsreflectthedefaultspacingforapage,itisusefultoknowthatyoucanchangethedefaultinter-shapespacingforanypage.YoucandosointheSpacingOptionsdialogboxshowninFigure2-4.

Figure2-4TheSpacingOptionsdialogbox,inwhichyoucanchangetheverticalandhorizontalspacingintervalsforapage

Thedefaultoptionsinthisdialogboxsettheverticalintervaltomatchthehorizontalinterval.YoucanchangetheverticalintervalseparatelybyclearingtheUseSameSpacingForBothcheckbox.

Figure2-1throughFigure2-3werecreatedbydraggingshapesfromtheBasicShapesstencilthatopenswhenyouusetheBasicDiagramtemplatetocreateadiagram.However,theDynamicGridfunctionsequallywellwithshapesyoucreatebyusingthedrawing

toolsthatareintheToolsgroupontheHometab.TomakeitmoreconvenienttocreatenewshapesinVisio2016,thedrawingtoolswereaddedtoabuttonintheupper-leftcorneroftheminitoolbar,asshowninFigure2-5.

Figure2-5ThedrawingtoolsbuttonhasbeenaddedtotheVisio2016minitoolbar

ThoughtheDynamicGridwashelpfulbeforeVisio2013,it’sevenmoreusefulnowbecauseitreactsmorequicklytopointermovementandshapelocations,andbecauseitprovidesagreatervarietyofvisualfeedback.Inaddition,theDynamicGridismorevitalforaligningshapesinVisio2016andVisio2013becausethebackgroundpagegridisturnedoffbydefaultintheseversions.

IftheDynamicGridlinesdon’tappearasyoumoveshapesnearothersalreadyonthepage,itisprobablybecausethefeatureisturnedoffforthisdrawing.ToactivatetheDynamicGrid,selecttheDynamicGridcheckboxintheVisualAidsgroupontheViewtab.

Toplaceshapesonapage1.Dragashapefromastencilanddropitonthedrawingpage.

ToalignshapesbyusingtheDynamicGrid1.Dragashapetoeithersideof,above,orbelowanexistingshape,andthenpauseuntilDynamicGridlinesappear.

ToalignshapesonbothaxesbyusingtheDynamicGrid1.Dragashapesoitisaboveorbelowatleastoneshape,andatthesametimeisalsoleftorrightofadifferentshape.NotethatbothhorizontalandverticalDynamicGridlinesappear.

TospaceshapesbyusingtheDynamicGrid1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Dragashapetotherightorleftofanothershapeandslowlymoveitleftandrightuntiladouble-headedarrowappears.

•Dragashapeaboveorbelowanothershapeandslowlymoveitupanddownuntiladouble-headedarrowappears.

Tochangethedefaultinter-shapespacingforapage1.OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clickPosition,andthenclickSpacingOptionstoopentheSpacingOptionsdialogbox.

2.IfyouwanttosetdifferentintervalsforHorizontalandVerticalspacing,intheSpacingOptionsdialogbox,cleartheUsesamespacingforbothcheckbox.

3.SeteithertheHorizontalinterval,orboththeHorizontalandVerticalintervals,tothespacingyouwant,andthenclickOK.

Toresizeashapetomatchthewidthorheightofexistingshapes1.Draganyresizehandleononeshapeandnotetheappearanceofthedouble-headedarrows.

Tocreateshapesbyusingthedrawingtools1.Right-clickanywhereonthedrawingpage,clicktheDrawingToolsbuttonontheminitoolbar,andthenclickoneofthetools.

OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clickthedrawingtoolsbutton,andthenclickoneofthetools.

2.Dragtocreateashape.

Tocreateasquarebyusingthedrawingtools1.SelecttheRectangletool.

2.HolddowntheShiftkeywhiledragging.

Tocreateacirclebyusingthedrawingtools1.SelecttheEllipsetool.

2.HolddowntheShiftkeywhiledragging.

YoucanconstraintheRectangleandEllipsetoolssotheydrawonlysquaresorcirclesbyholdingdowntheShiftkeywhiledragging.

Toalignandsizeshapescreatedbyusingthedrawingtools1.Repositionandresizeshapesinthesamewayyouwouldforshapescreatedfromastencil.

SelectshapesYoucanuseseveraltechniquesforselectingshapesinVisio,includingclickingoneormoreshapes,usingAreaSelect,andusingLassoSelect.Youcanalsoselectallshapesonapageatonce,andyoucanremoveshapesfromanexistingselection.

AreaselectionisthedefaultbehaviorinVisiowhenyouclickthedrawingpageanddrag.Onlyshapesthatarefullysurroundedbythegrayboundingboxareselected,unlessyouchangetheVisioselectiondefault.Forexample,inthelefthalfofFigure2-6,therectangleandoctagonwillbeselectedwhenyoureleasethemousebutton.Intherighthalfofthefigure,noshapeswillbeselected.

Figure2-6Aboundingboxusedtoselectshapes

LassoSelectisalesscommontechniquebutprovidesgreaterflexibilitybyallowingyoutosurroundtheshapesyouwantwithafreeformline.Aswithaboundingbox,thedefaultbehaviorinVisioistoselectonlyfullyenclosedshapeswhenyoureleasethemousebutton.ThelassoontheleftsideofFigure2-7willproducetheselectionontheright,inwhichonlytheoctagonandcircleareselected.

Figure2-7Alassousedtoselectshapes

ToensurethatyouselecttheshapesyouwantwhileusingLassoSelect,besuretoreleasethemousebuttonveryclosetothebeginningofthe“rope.”Youaren’trequiredtoendatexactlythesameplace,andinsomecases,apartiallyclosedloopwillstillselectsomeshapes,butitisbesttoendverynearwhereyoustarted.

YoucanchangeselectionbehaviorinVisiosoitwillselectshapesthatarepartiallyenclosedbyaboundingboxorlasso.ClicktheFiletabtodisplaytheBackstageview,clickOptionsintheleftpane,andclickAdvanced.ThenclicktheSelectShapesPartiallyWithinAreacheckbox.

Youcancombineeitherareaorlassoselectionwithclickselectiontoproducetheresultyouwant.

Toselectoneshape1.Clickontheshapeonce.

Toselectmultipleshapesbyclicking1.Clickoncetoselectthefirstshape.

2.HolddowneithertheShiftkeyortheCtrlkeywhileclickingadditionalshapes.

ToselectoneormoreshapesbyusingAreaSelect1.Clickonceonthedrawingpageanddragtocreateaboundingboxaroundtheshapeorshapesyouwant.

TochangefromAreaSelecttoLassoSelect1.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheSelectbutton,andthenclickLassoSelect.

Tocreatealassoselection1.Holddownthemousebuttonanddragalassoaroundtheshapeorshapesyouwant,beingcertaintoendthelassonearitsbeginning.

Toreverttousingboundingboxes1.ClicktheSelectbutton,andthenclickAreaSelect.

Tocombineareaorlassoselectionwithclickselection1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Selectoneormoreshapesbyclickingthem,andthenaddadditionalshapesbyholdingdownShiftorCtrlwhiledrawingaboundingboxorlassoloop.

•Startwithaboundingboxorlassoselection,andthenaddadditionalshapesbyholdingdownShiftorCtrlasyouclicktheshapesyouwant.

Toremoveshapesfromaselection1.HolddowntheShiftkeyortheCtrlkeywhileclickingshapes.

Toselectallshapesonapage1.PressCtrl+A.

Copy,paste,andduplicateshapesPriortothe2010version,Visioalwayspastedshapesintothecenterofthedrawingwindow.Occasionally,thiswaswhatyouwanted,butasoftenasnot,thisplacementrequiredadditionaldraggingandnudging.Visio2016,likeitstwoimmediatepredecessors,worksmorelogically.IfyoucopyoneormoreshapesfromPage-1andthenpastethemontoPage-2,VisiowillpastethemintothesamepositiononPage-2thattheyoccupiedonPage-1,evenifthatpartofthepageisnotvisiblewhenyoupaste.

Pastingshapestothesamepagefromwhichtheywerecopiedworksslightlydifferently:

Ifthecopiedshapesarevisibleinthedrawingwindowwhenyoupaste,thepastedshapeswillbelocatedatasmalloffsetbelowandtotherightoftheoriginalshapes.

Ifthecopiedshapesarenotvisibleinthedrawingwindowwhenyoupaste,Visiowillpastetheshapesintothecenterofthedrawingwindow.

Youcanpasteshapestoaspecificlocation,whetheronthepagefromwhichtheywerecopiedoranotherpage,andyoucanduplicateshapesasanalternativetocopyingandpasting.Duplicatedshapesareplacedatasmalloffsetbelowandtotherightoftheoriginalshapes,asshowninFigure2-8.

Figure2-8Twoshapesthathavebeenduplicatedthreetimes

Youcanbothduplicateshapesandconstrainhowtheyarepositionedbycombiningtwokeyboard-mouseshortcuts.PressingShiftwhiledraggingconstrainsmovementtoeitherverticalorhorizontalsothatshapesremainalignedononeaxis.PressingCtrlandShiftwhiledraggingduplicatesselectedshapesandkeepsthemalignedwiththeoriginals.

Duplicatingshapesoffersoneadvantageovercopying:itdoesn’tusetheClipboard.Consequently,ifyouhaveshapesordataontheClipboardthatyouwanttopreserve,butyoualsowanttocloneoneormoreshapes,theoriginaldatawillremainontheClipboardifyouduplicatetheshapesratherthancopythem.

Tocopyshapes1.Selecttheshapesyouwanttocopy,andthenpressCtrl+C.

TopasteshapesontothesamepageandletVisiochoosetheplacement1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Copytwoormoreshapes,andthenpressCtrl+Vtopastetheshapesontothesamepage.NotethatVisioplacesthepastedshapesatasmalloffsetfromtheoriginalshapes.

•Scrolluntiltheoriginalshapesarenolongeronthescreen,andthenpressCtrl+Vtopastetheshapes.NoticethatVisiopastestheminthecenterofthedrawingwindow.

Notice,also,thatifthedrawingpageisnotlargeenoughtocontainthepastedshapes,VisioeitherexpandsthesizeofthepageifAutoSizeison,orplacesthemonthecanvasifitisnot.

SeeAlso

ForinformationabouttheAutoSizefunctionthatautomaticallyexpandsandcontractsVisiopages,seeChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”

TopasteshapesontoadifferentpageandletVisiochoosetheplacement1.Copytwoormoreshapes.

2.Atthebottomofthedrawingwindow,clickapagenametabtoswitchtoadifferentpage.

ClicktheInsertPagebutton(the+sign)toaddapagetothediagram.

3.PressCtrl+Vtopastethecopiedshapesontothepage.NoticethatVisioplacestheminthesamelocationonthenewpagethattheyoccupiedontheoriginalpage.

Topasteshapestoaspecificlocationonapage1.Right-clicktheplaceonthepagewhereyouwouldlikethecopiedshapestoappear,andthenclickPaste.

Toduplicateoneormoreselectedshapes1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•PressCtrl+D.

•DragtheshapeswhileholdingdowntheCtrlkey,andthenreleasethemousebuttonatthetargetlocation.

PositionshapesbyusingrulersandguidesAsdescribedearlierinthischapter,youcanalignshapesbyusingtheDynamicGridfeatureofVisio2016.However,theDynamicGriddoesn’talwaysdowhatyouneed.Forexample,ifthereareshapesbetweenthetwoyouaretryingtoalign,theDynamicGriddoesn’thelp.Inothercases,youmightwanttoalignshapesinwaysthattheDynamicGridcan’t.

UserulerstoalignandsizeshapesTheVisiorulerprovidesvaluableassistanceforshapepositioningandsizing.Onerulerappearsontheleftedgeofthedrawingwindow,andanotherislocatedacrossthetop.IfyoucreateadiagrambyusingaUSUnitstemplate,whichistheselectedtemplatetypeinFigure2-9,therulerwillbedelineatedinfeetandinches.IfyouclickMetricUnits,showninFigure2-9,therulerwillbemarkedinmeters,centimeters,ormillimeters.

Figure2-9ThedescriptionoftheBasicFlowcharttemplateincludesachoicebetweenMetricUnitsandUSUnits

Iftherulerisnotvisible,orifitisandyouwouldliketohideit,ontheViewtab,intheShowgroup,selectorcleartheRulercheckbox.

Asyoudragshapesonthedrawingpage,Visioprovidesvisuallocationinformationontherulerintheformofdashedlines.ThelinesonthetoprulerinFigure2-10marktheleft,center,andrightoftheoctagon;thelinesonthesiderulerdenotethetop,middle,andbottomoftheshape.

Figure2-10Dashedlinesontheleftandtoprulersshowthepositionofashape

Youcanusethelinesontherulerstopositionshapesasyoumovethem.

Whenyoudragasidehandletoresizeashapeineitherthehorizontalorverticaldimension,asingledashedlinewillappearonthecorrespondingruler.Ifyoudragacornerhandletoresizeashapeinbothdimensions,asinglelinewillappearoneachruler.

Topositionshapesbyusingtheruler1.Whiledraggingtheshapeinanydirection,usethedashedpositionindicatorlinesontheverticalandhorizontalrulerstopositiontheshapeexactlywhereyouwantit.

UseguidestoalignandsizeshapesAguideisatoolforaligningshapes,butitalsoallowsyoutomoveshapesasaunitafteryouhavealignedthem.Youcreateguidesbyclickingarulerandthendraggingtothedrawingpage.Youcanaddasmanyhorizontalorverticalguidestothepageasyouwant.

Guidesareusefulinmanycircumstances,buttheyareespeciallyhelpfulinasituationliketheonedepictedinFigure2-11.ThetwostarsinthisdiagramcannotbealignedbyusingtheDynamicGridbecauseoftheinterveninghorizontalrectangle.Consequently,averticalguidehasbeendraggedontothepage.

Figure2-11Averticalguidecanbeusedtoaligntwoshapes

Ifyoucan’tseetheguidesonapage,oriftheyarevisiblebutyouwouldliketohidethem,ontheViewtab,intheShowgroup,selectorcleartheGuidescheckbox.

Youcanglueashapetoaguideattheshape’sedgesorcenterbydraggingittowardtheguide,asshowninFigure2-12.

Figure2-12Gluingashapetoaguide

InFigure2-13,thetwostarsarenowpreciselyalignedattheircenters,despitetheinterveningshape.

Figure2-13Twostarsgluedattheircenterstoaverticalguide

It’simportanttorealizethatthestarsareactuallygluedtotheguide.Ifyoumovetheguide,thestarswillmovealso.However,ifyounolongerneedtheguide,perhapsbecauseyoudon’tneedtomovethealignedshapesasaunit,youcandeletetheguideasyouwouldanyothershape.

Guidesappearonthedrawingpagebutdonotprint.

Toalignshapesbyusingaguide1.Placetwoshapesonthedrawingpage.

2.Clickeitherruler,andthendragaguideontothepage.

3.Dragthefirstshapetotheguideandglueitatthecenteroranedge.

4.Dragthesecondshapetotheguideandglueitthesamewaythatyougluedthefirstshape.

Tomoveshapesthataregluedtoaguide1.Gluetwoormoreshapestoaguideasdescribedintheprecedingprocedure.

2.Dragtheguidetoanewlocationandnotethatallalignedshapesmovewiththeguide.

Todeleteaguide1.Clicktoselecttheguide,andthenpresstheDeletekey.

Resize,reposition,andreorientshapesAfteryou’veplacedshapesontothedrawingpage,youmightneedtomoveorresizesomeofthem.Visioprovidesavarietyoftechniquesfordoingso.Youcanaltershapesbyusingyourmouseorkeyboard,oracombinationofthetwo.YoucanalsousetheSize&Positionwindow.

TheshapesshowninthefiguresinthistopicarefromtheBasicFlowchartShapesstencilthatopenswhenyouusetheBasicFlowcharttemplatelocatedintheFlowcharttemplategroup.

UsecontrolhandlesWhenyouselectashape,asetofwhitesquaresappear.Thesesquaresarereferredtoasselectionhandles,resizehandles,orjusthandles.PicturedonshapesAandBinFigure2-14,thehandlesallowyoutoalterashapeinthefollowingways:

Figure2-14Comparisonofshapeswithlockedattributesandunlockedattributes

Draggingthesquarehandlesinthecenterofeachedgealtersthewidthorheightoftheshape.

Draggingthesquarehandlesonthecornersadjuststhewidthandheightproportionally.

Occasionally,youmightnoticethatyouareunabletodragoneormorehandlesonashape.Thisisusuallyanindicationthattheshapedesignerhaslockedoneormoreattributesoftheshape.ShapeB,ontherightsideofFigure2-14,displaysdiagonalslashesthroughthetopandbottomhandles,indicatingthattheheightoftheshapeislocked.Note,too,thatthereareslashesthroughthecornerhandles:ifyoucan’tadjusttheheight,youcan’tchangebothdimensionsatthesametimebyusingacornerhandle.

PreviousversionsofVisiodisplayedlockedhandleswithadifferentcolorthanunlockedhandles.InVisio2016,thedistinctionismoresubtleandreliesonthediagonallinesdescribedinconjunctionwithFigure2-14.

Inadditiontothesideandcornerhandles,acirculararrowappearsatthetopcenterofmostselectedshapes.ThisistherotationhandleanditisvisibleaboveshapeBontherightsideofFigure2-14.(ShapeAdoesnotdisplayarotationhandleontheleftsideofFigure2-14becauserotationhasbeenlockedforthatshape.)Clickinganddraggingthe

rotationhandlerotatestheshapearounditspinposition.

Youcancontroltheprecisionofshaperotationbymovingthepointerfartherfrom,orcloserto,therotationhandle.Forexample,ifthepointerisneartherotationhandle,theshapewillrotatein15-degreeincrements.Ifyoumovethepointerout,theshapewillrotateinincreasinglysmallerincrementsuntilyouarerotatingitfractionsofadegreeatatime.Asyourotateashape,youcanviewtheincrementalchangeinrotationangleintheSize&Positionwindow.

SeeAlso

ForinformationabouthowtoviewtheangleofashapeintheSize&Positionwindow,see“UsetheSize&Positionwindow”laterinthischapter.

Inadditiontoresizeandrotationhandles,youmightencounterayellowcontrolhandleonsomeVisioshapes.Controlhandlesallowshapedesignerstogivetheusercontrolofvariousshapeproperties.Youwillfindcontrolhandlesthatadjustthelocationofinteriororexteriorlines,thepositionoftextontheshape,thesizeoftheshape,oranynumberofothershapeattributes.Asanexample,youcanusethecontrolhandleonshapeDinFigure2-15tomovetheinteriorverticallineswithintheshape,asshownintheleftandrightviewsofshapeD.

Figure2-15Acontrolhandlethatadjustsinteriorlinepositioninashape

YellowcontrolhandlesappearonavarietyoftheshapesinVisiostencils.Wheneveryouselectashapeandnoticeayellowhandle,it’sworthexperimentingwithittolearnhowyoucanuseittoaltertheshape’sappearance.Ifyoumakeachangethatyoudon’tlike,simplypressCtrl+Ztoundothemodification.

Toadjustshapeheightandwidth1.Selectashape,andthendraganyofthesideorcornerhandlestoresizetheshape.

Asyoudragaresizehandletoadjustshapewidthorheight,lookforadashedlineonthecorrespondingruleratthesideofthedrawingwindow.Thedashedlineidentifiesthelocationoftheedgeoftheshape.

Torotateashape1.Selectashape,andthendragtherotationhandle.

2.Movethepointercloserto,andthenfartherawayfrom,theshapeasyoudragacrossthescreentoobservethedifferencesinrotationincrement.

UsetheSize&PositionwindowTheSize&PositionwindowservestwopurposesinVisio:youcanuseittoviewthevaluesofsixshapeattributes—Xcoordinate,Ycoordinate,width,height,angle,andpinposition—foratwo-dimensionalshape,andyoucanuseittochangethosesamesixvalues.

Forexample,iftheSize&Positionwindowshowsthatashapeis2incheswide,liketheshapeontheleftinFigure2-16,andyouenter3.5intheWidthcell,theshapewidthwillchangeimmediately.Similarly,iftheYpositionofashapeonapageis50mmandyouenter125intheYcell,theshapewillmoveupthepagetothenewposition.

Figure2-16TheSize&Positionwindowshowsvaluesforselectedshapes

One-dimensionalVisioshapesdisplaypropertiesthatareappropriateforaline,includingthebeginningandendingcoordinatesandthelength,intheSize&Positionwindow,asshownontherightinFigure2-16.

IfyouenteravalueintoacellintheSize&Positionwindowanddonotincludeunits,Visiowilldefaulttousingwhateverunitsweredisplayedforthatcellbeforeyoumadethechange.However,youcanspecifyunitswhenyouentervalues.Forexample,iftheYvalueis60mmandyouentereither12cmor12centimeters,Visiowillconvertandapplythevalue;inthiscasetheresultwilldisplayas120mm.

Visiowillevenconvertacrossmeasurementsystems.Continuingtheexampleinthepreviousparagraph,ifyouentereither3inor3inches,Visiowillmovetheshapeandthen

displaytheresultas76.2mm.

ThepurposeofthefirstfiverowsintheSize&Positionwindowfortwo-dimensionalshapesisreasonablyobvious,butthesixthrowrequiresadditionalexplanation.PinPos,shortforpinposition,isthecenterofrotationforashape.ThedefaultPinPosformostshapesisCenter-Center,asshownfortheshapeinFigure2-16,whichmeansthattheshapewillrotatearounditscenter.

Toenvisionthepurposeofthepinposition,imaginethatashapeisapieceofpaperyou’vestuckonyourwallwithapin.Ifyourotatethepieceofpaper,itwillrotatearoundthepin.

YoucanchangethePinPostorotatetheshapearoundadifferentpoint.InFigure2-17,shapeEisbeingrotatedarounditslower-leftcorner.

Figure2-17Ashapebeingrotatedarounditslower-leftcorner

WhenyouchangethePinPosforashape,thelocationoftheshapeonthepagewillchange.ThisisbecausetheXandYcoordinatesoftheshapeactuallyspecifythelocationofthepinandnotthecoordinatesofthecenteroftheshape.Becauseyouhavemovedthepinwithintheshape,thelocationoftheshapeonthepagewillchange.

Youcanalsoviewthreeattributesofatwo-dimensionalshape,ortwoattributesofaline,withoutopeningtheSize&Positionwindow.VisiodisplayseithertwoorthreeattributesofaselectedshapeonthestatusbaratthebottomoftheVisiowindow,asshowninFigure2-18.Theimageonthebottomisforatwo-dimensionalshape;theoneonthetopisforaline.

Figure2-18Statusbardisplayofshapepropertiesforatwo-dimensionalshapeonthebottomandalineonthetop

ClickingtheLength,Width,Height,orAnglebuttonsontheVisiostatusbaropenstheSize&Positionwindow.

ToopentheSize&Positionwindow1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheViewtab,intheShowgroup,clickTaskPanes,andthenclickSize&Position.

•Withashapeselected,clickeithertheLength,Width,Height,orAnglebuttononthestatusbaratthebottomoftheVisiowindow.

Toviewchangestoshapeattributes1.Selectashape.

2.OpentheSize&Positionwindow(optional).

3.Dragtheshapetoanewlocationonthepage.

Usetheresizehandlestochangetheshape’swidthorheight.

Usetherotationhandletorotatetheshape.

4.Whilemakinganyofthechangesintheprecedingstep,notethenewvaluesthataredisplayedontheVisiostatusbarorintheSize&Positionwindow.

ToadjustshapepropertiesbyusingtheSize&Positionwindow1.Selectashape,andthenopentheSize&Positionwindow.

2.Enteranewvalueforanyshapeattributeandnotethechangeintheshape.

ConnectshapesbyusinglinesVisioshapesareeitherone-dimensional(1-D)ortwo-dimensional(2-D).1-Dshapesactlikelineswithendpointsthatcanbeattachedtoothershapes.2-Dshapesbehavelikepolygonswithedgesandaninterior.However,appearancescanbedeceiving,becausesomeshapesthatappeartobetwo-dimensionalmightactuallybe1-DshapesinVisio;there’sanexampleinthetopictitled,“Addequipmenttorackdiagrams”inChapter7,“Createnetworkanddatacenterdiagrams.”Thereversecanalsobetrue.

Thistopicdescribesacategoryof1-Dshapesreferredtoaslines.Thetopic“Connectshapesbyusingdynamicconnectors”laterinthischapterdescribesaspecialtypeof1-Dshapeknownasadynamicconnector.

OnewaytocreatealineinVisioistousetheLinetool.TheLinetoolisoneofsixtoolsavailablefromthedrawingtoolsbutton,whichisimmediatelytotherightofthePointerToolintheToolsgroupontheHometab.OntheleftsideofFigure2-19,thepointerisontopofthedrawingtoolsbutton,andtheScreenTipdescribestheactivedrawingtool.

Figure2-19TheRectangleandLinetoolsontheHometab

IfyouwanttousetheLinetoolbutitisn’tvisible,clickthearrownexttowhichevertoolisdisplayedonthebutton,andthenselectthetoolyouwant.TheresultofselectingtheLinetoolappearsontherightsideofFigure2-19.

Youcanalsoaccessthedrawingtoolsontheminitoolbar,asshowninFigure2-4.WhenyouselecttheLinetoolbyusingthistechnique,assoonasyou’vedrawnoneline,thepointerrevertstothePointerTool.

WhentheLinetoolisactive,thecursorchangestoaplussignwithadiagonallinetoitslowerright,asshownintheleftgraphicinFigure2-20.Inthatsamegraphicontheleft,therearemultipledarkgraysquares,knownasconnectionpoints.ConnectionpointsonashapearenormallyinvisibleinVisio2016,buttheyappearwheneveryoumovetheLinetoolneartheshape.

Figure2-20TheLinetoolinteractingwithnearbyshapes

Important

Notallshapescontainconnectionpoints.Ifyoudon’tseegraysquaresanywhereonashapewhenyouapproachitwiththeLinetool,theshapemightnotincludeanyconnectionpoints.

Thereisoneotherpossibility:theshapemightcontainconnectionpoints,buttheglobaloptionsettingtoviewconnectionpointsmightbeturnedoff.Toverifywhetherconnectionpointviewingisonoroff,examinetheConnectionPointscheckboxintheVisualAidsgroupontheViewtab.

WhenyoumovetheLinetoolcloseenoughtoaspecificconnectionpoint,agreensquaresurroundstheconnectionpoint,asshowninthegraphicontherightinFigure2-20.Clickingtheconnectionpointgluesthelinetotheshape.

TheimageontheleftinFigure2-21showsalinethathasbeengluedatbothendsandthatthelineisstillselected.Noticethattheleftendoftheline,whichwasthefirsttobeglued,displaysagreencircle.Theoriginatingendofalineisoftenreferredtoasthe“from”end.Thedestinationendoftheline,alsoknownasthe“to”end,displaysawhitecirclewithagreendotinthecenter.

Figure2-21Shapesconnectedbyalineandalinethatisnotgluedtoanyshapes

IntheimageontherightinFigure2-21,alineabovetherectanglehasnotbeengluedtoanyshapes.Thislinedisplaysawhitesquareonthe“from”endandagraysquareonthe“to”end.

ThecolordistinctionbetweenthegluedandungluedlineendsinFigure2-21isanimportantoneinVisio.AlthoughthedifferenceisquiteobviousinFigure2-21becauseyoucanseeexactlywhatisconnectedwhere,theparagraphsthatfollowincludeanexampleinwhichthecolorofthelineendisveryhelpfulindeterminingconnectedness.

Ifyouattempttoglueoneendofalinetoshapethatdoesn’tcontainconnectionpoints,youwillbeabletodroptheendofthelineinsideorontheedgeoftheshape;however,itwillnotbeglued.TheleftsideofFigure2-22isanexampleofthissituation;notethatthe“from”endofthelineisgluedtothecenteroftheoctagon,butyoucantellfromthegraysquarethatthe“to”endisungluedeventhoughitissittingontheedgeofthelong

rectangle.

Figure2-22Alinedrawnfromanoctagontoarectanglebutnotgluedtothelattershape

Youcanprovetoyourselfthatthelineisnotgluedsimplybyrelocatingtherectangle.OntherightsideofFigure2-22,therectanglehasbeenshiftedtotherightandthelineisnolongerconnected.

Fourdifferenttoolsareavailablefordrawinglines:

LinetoolDrawsstraightlines

ArctoolDrawsarcs

FreeformtoolDrawslinesthathaveasmanybendsasyouwant

PenciltoolDrawscurvedandstraightlines,butcanalsobeusedtodeformorreshapeexisting1-Dand2-Dshapes

Figure2-23includesanarcbetweentherectangleandthecircle,andafreeformlinefromthecenterofthecircletotheedgeofthesquare.

Figure2-23Anarcandafreeformline

BluecirclesareatthekeypointsofcurvaturealongthefreeformlineinFigure2-23.Thesecirclesareactuallyhandlesthatyoucandragtoreshapetheline.

Thebluecirclesareonlyvisibleifyouselecttheshapewithoneofthelinetools(Line,Freeform,Arc,orPencil).IfyouselectitwiththePointerToolortheRectangleorEllipsetool,onlytheendpointswillbevisible.

Animportantfeatureofallfourlinetypesisthattheyretaintheirformwhenyoumovethe

shapestowhichtheyareglued.Ifalinebeginsasastraightline,itwillalwaysbeastraightline;ifitstartsasasquigglyline,itwillalwayslookthatway.Thisbehaviorisinmarkedcontrasttothedynamicconnectorthatisdescribedinthetopicthatfollows.

TousetheLine,Arc,Freeform,orPenciltool1.OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clickthedrawingtoolsbutton,andthenselectthetoolyouwant.

Right-clickthedrawingpage,clicktheDrawingToolsbuttonintheupper-leftcorneroftheminitoolbar,andthenselectthetoolyouwant.

2.Dragtocreatealine.

Togluealinetoashape1.Selectthelinetoolyouwant.

2.Movethepointernearashapeuntiltheconnectionpointsappear.

3.Clickaconnectionpoint,andthendragtheotherendofthelineontoaconnectionpointonthesameoranothershape.

ToreturntothePointerToolafterselectingoneofthelinetoolsfromtheHometab

•IntheToolsgroup,clickthePointerToolbutton.

•PressCtrl+1.

Create2-Dshapesbyusingthelinetools

Thevariouslinedrawingtoolsarenotlimitedtocreating1-Dshapes.Youcancreatea2-Dshapesimplybyfinishingwhereyoustart;thatis,eitherdrawasetofconnectedsegmentsordrawacontinuouslinethatendswhereitbegins.Theamoeba-likeshapeinFigure2-24wascreatedbyusingtheFreeformtool.

Figure2-242-DshapedrawnbyusingtheFreeformtool

ConnectshapesbyusingdynamicconnectorsThe1-Dshapesdescribedintheprecedingtopiccancontainbends,curves,orcorners,butonlyifyouplacethemthereoryouuseatoolspecificallydesignedforthatpurpose.Adynamicconnector,alsoreferredtosimplyasaconnector,isa1-DshapetowhichVisioautomaticallyaddsandremovescornersorbendsbasedontherelativepositionsoftheshapestowhichit’sglued.

Asaresult,dynamicconnectorsareanessentialcomponentofmanyconnecteddiagrams—flowcharts,organizationcharts,andnetworkdiagrams,forexample—becauseyoucanusethemtoconcentrateonpositioningthe2-DshapeswhileVisiotakescareoforganizingthe1-Dshapes.Therewill,ofcourse,besituationsinwhichyouwillneedtooverridethechoicesmadebyVisio,orevenchangethesettingsthatcontrolVisiochoices.Muchofthetime,however,lettingVisiopositionandroutedynamicconnectorsworksjustfine.

Youcanelecttouseadynamicconnectorinseveralways,justaswastrueforthevariouslinetools:

ClicktheConnectortoolintheToolsgroupontheHometab.Whenyouusethistechnique,theConnectortoolremainsactiveuntilyouselectadifferenttool.

Right-clickthedrawingpageorashape,andthenclicktheAddOneConnectorToThePagebutton.Justasthenamesuggests,usingtheminitoolbartechniquedrawsexactlyoneconnector,andthenthepointerrevertstothePointerTool.

UsetheAutoConnectfeaturethatisdescribedinthetopic“UseAutoConnectandQuickShapes”laterinthischapter.

ConnecttoshapesthatcontainconnectionpointsWhentheConnectortoolisactive,thepointerchangestoablackarrow;beneathitisanarrowthathastworight-anglebends.BothpartsofFigure2-25includeanactiveConnectortool.

Figure2-25TheConnectortoolinteractingwithnearbyshapes

Aswastruewiththelinetoolsdescribedintheprecedingtopic,whenyoumovetheConnectortoolcloseenoughtoaspecificconnectionpoint,agreensquaresurroundstheconnectionpoint.SeetherightsideofFigure2-25foranexample.

Clickingaconnectionpointgluesthelinetotheconnectionpoint.Whenyouthendragtoadifferentconnectionpointandreleasethemousebutton,youcreatestaticgluebetweenthetwoconnectionpoints.Regardlesswhereyoumovethegluedshapes,theconnectorwillalwaysbeattachedatthesametwopoints.

Visiousesthesamecirclesymbolstoidentifyglueddynamicconnectorsthatwereusedtoidentifygluedlines.

InthegraphicontheleftinFigure2-26,noticethatthe“to”endoftheconnectorincludesanarrowhead.Althoughthearrowheadislargelyobscuredbythegreenhandleinthisimage,whenthedynamicconnectorisdeselected,asitisintherightsideofFigure2-26,thearrowheadisvisible.Althoughyoucanaddarrowheadsandothertypesoflineendstoany1-Dshape,dynamicconnectorstypicallyincludethembydefault.

Figure2-26Shapeslinkedwithaconnectorandaconnectorthatisnotgluedtoanyshapes

Arrowheadsarejustonetypeofformatthatcanbeappliedtoeitheralineoraconnector.Lineformattingisdescribedin“Applycolorsandpatterns”inChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”

IntheimageontherightinFigure2-26isaconnectorabovetherectanglethathasnotbeengluedtoanyshapes.Thisconnectordisplaysawhitesquareonthe“from”endandagraysquareonthe“to”end.Evenifyoutrytodrawtheconnectorasastraightline,noticethatitappearstohaveamindofitsown.Thiswillturnouttobeoneofthemostusefulcharacteristicsofadynamicconnector,asyouwilldiscoverintheremainderofthistopic.

TousetheConnectortool1.OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clicktheConnectortooltoselectapersistenttool.

Right-clickthedrawingpage,andthenclicktheAddOneConnectortothePagebuttoninthelower-leftcorneroftheminitoolbartoselectaone-time-useConnectortool.

2.Dragtocreateadynamicconnector.

Toglueadynamicconnectortoaconnectionpoint(staticglue)1.SelectthepersistentConnectortool.

Selecttheone-time-useConnectortool.

2.Clickaconnectionpoint,andthendragtoanotherconnectionpoint.

ConnecttoshapesthatdonotcontainconnectionpointsWhenyoudraganunglueddynamicconnectorendtowardashapethatdoesnotcontainconnectionpoints,thereactionisverydifferentfromdraggingalineendtothesameshape.

OntheleftsideofFigure2-27,the“from”endofaconnectorisgluedtoaconnectionpointinthecenteroftheoctagon.Whenyoudragtheotherendoftheconnectortowardthewiderectangle,whichdoesnotcontainanyconnectionpoints,theborderoftheshapelightsupinbrightgreen.

Figure2-27Interactionbetweenadynamicconnectorandashapewithoutconnectionpoints

Notethelocationofthepointer(markedbyaplussign)insidethewiderectangleontheleftsideofFigure2-27;youwillnoticeintheimageontherightthatthe“to”endofthearrowhasbeenattachedatadifferentlocation.Infact,Visiohasestablisheddynamicgluetotherectangleandithaschosenacontactpointthatisdirectlybelowthecenteroftheoctagon.

It’simportanttonotethatshapeswithconnectionpointsreactinthesamewaytoanapproachingdynamicconnectorasshapeswithoutconnectionpoints.Consequently,youhavetwochoicesforattachingaconnectortoashapewithconnectionpoints.Youcancreatestaticgluetoaspecificconnectionpoint,oryoucanestablishdynamicgluetotheshapeasawholesimplybypointingtoapartoftheshapewithoutconnectionpointsbeforereleasingthemousebutton.

Toseetherealpowerofthedynamicconnector,moveashapeatoneendandwatchhowVisioaddsandremovescornersorbends.

It’salsoimportanttoappreciatethedifferenceinbehaviorbetweenthereactionsofadynamicconnectorthatisstaticallygluedversusonethatisdynamicallyglued.

Figure2-28illustrateshowVisioadjustsadynamicallygluedconnectortoaccommodate

changesinthepositionofoneorbothshapesatitsends.

Figure2-28Differingattachmentpointsofaconnectorthathasbeenglueddynamicallyonthe“to”end

Ontheleftsideofthefigure,therectangleismovedtotherightfromitspositioninFigure2-27andtheconnectornowtouchestherectangleatadifferentplace.

OntherightsideofFigure2-28,therectangleismovedtoapositionabovetheoctagon,andtheconnectorisnowattachedatthebottomoftherectangle.

Throughbothofthesechanges,theconnectorremainsinthecenteroftheoctagonbecauseitisstaticallygluedthere.

Figure2-29demonstratesacaseinwhichbothendsofaconnectorusestaticglue.Regardlessoftherelativepositionoftherectangleandcircle,theconnectoralwaysexitstherectangleatthemiddleoftherightedgeanditentersthecircleatthemiddleoftheleftside.

Figure2-29Staticallygluedconnectorsremainattachedatfixedpoints

Toglueadynamicconnectortoashape(dynamicglue)1.SelectthepersistentConnectortool.

Selecttheone-time-useConnectortool.

2.Clickanypartofashapewherethereisnotaconnectionpoint,andthendragtoanypartofanothershapewherethereisnotaconnectionpoint.

ChangeconnectorstyleandsegmentationBydefault,dynamicconnectorsuseright-anglebends,asshowninFigure2-29.Youcanchangetheappearanceofadynamicconnectorbyright-clickingitandselectingoneoftheupperthreeoptionsshowninFigure2-30.

Figure2-30Lowerportionoftheshortcutmenuthatappearsafterright-clickingadynamicconnector

Asyoumoveshapesthatarelinkedbydynamicconnectors,Visioadjuststheconnectorsegments.Inaddition,youcanmanuallyadjustindividualconnectorsegmentsbydraggingthebluecontrolhandlesthatappearateachbendandinthemiddleofeachsegmentwhenyouselectaconnector.TheadjustmenthandlesarevisibleinseveralpreviousfiguresbutareespeciallyapparentinFigure2-31.

Figure2-31Adjustmenthandlesappearatintervalsalongaselecteddynamicconnector

Asyoumoveshapesthatarelinkedbydynamicconnectors,Visioadjuststheconnectorsegments.Inaddition,youcanmanuallyadjustindividualconnectorsegmentsbydraggingthebluecontrolhandlesthatappearateachbendandinthemiddleofeachsegmentwhenyouselectaconnector.TheadjustmenthandlesarevisibleinseveralpreviousfiguresbutareespeciallyapparentinFigure2-31.

Ifatanypointadynamicconnectorhastoomanybendsorbecomestooconvoluted,youcanright-clickitandthenclickResetConnector(seeFigure2-30).Visioredrawstheconnectorbyusingtheminimumnumberofbendsandsegmentstofitintherequiredspace.

Asafinalillustrationofthedifferenceinbehaviorbetweenadynamicconnectorandaline,Figure2-32revisitstheshapesfromFigure2-21.

Figure2-32Fixedconnectionpointsasaresultofstaticglue

IncontrasttothedynamicconnectorbehaviorinFigure2-29,therectangleandcircleinFigure2-32arelinkedwithstaticglueonbothendsofaline.Regardlessoftheshapes’positionsrelativetoeachother,thelineremainsgluedatthesamepoints.

Tocreatebendsinadynamicconnector1.Selectashapeatoneendofadynamicconnector.

2.Dragtheshapetoanewlocationonthepage.

Tomovesegmentsofadynamicconnector1.Selectadynamicconnectorthatcontainsatleastonebend.

2.Dragoneoftheblueadjustmenthandlesonthedynamicconnector.

Tochangethestyleofadynamicconnector1.Selectadynamicconnectorthatcontainsatleastonebend.

2.Right-clicktheconnectorandselectRight-AngleConnector,StraightConnector,orCurvedConnector.

Torestoreadynamicconnectortoitssimplestform1.Right-clickthedynamicconnector,andthenclickResetConnector.

Identifying1-Dshapesandtypesofglue

Intheprecedingtopics,youlearnedaboutseveraltypesof1-Dshapesandtwoformsofglue.Thissidebarsummarizesthebehaviorof1-DshapesandidentifiesthevisualcuesVisiousestodifferentiategluedandungluedendpointsof1-Dshapes.

A1-Dshapedrawnwithanyofthelinetools(Line,Freeform,Arc,orPencil)retainsitsoriginalformwhentheshapesattheendsaremoved.

A1-DshapecreatedbyusingtheConnectortooladdsorremovesbendsinthelinetoaccommodateshapemovements.

Alineordynamicconnectorattachedtoaconnectionpointformsstaticglue;the1-Dshaperemainsattachedatthatfixedpointonthe2-Dshapenomatterhowthe2-Dshapeismoved.

Adynamicconnectorattachedtoashapebutnottoaconnectionpointformsdynamicglue;asthe2-Dshapemoves,thepointatwhichthedynamicconnectorattachestotheshapechanges.

A1-Dshapewhoseendpointsarenotgluedappearswithsquarecontrolhandlesthatarewhiteonthe“from”endandgrayonthe“to”end,asshowninFigure2-33.

Figure2-33Unglueddynamicconnector

A1-Dshapewhoseendpointsaregluedappearswithroundcontrolhandles;the“from”endisagreencircleandthe“to”endshowsagreendotinsideawhitecircle,asshowninFigure2-34.

Figure2-34Glueddynamicconnector

InpreviousversionsofVisio,theendpointsof1-Dshapesthatwereattachedbyusingstaticgluelookeddifferentthanendpointsthatwereattachedbyusingdynamicglue.Visio2016nolongerprovidesavisualdistinctionbetweenthetwo.

UseAutoConnectandQuickShapesAutoConnectwasintroducedinVisio2007andprovidesafastmeanstolinkshapesbyusingdynamicconnectors.QuickShapeswereintroducedinVisio2010andbuildonAutoConnectsoyoucancreatedrawingsevenmorequickly.

Formanydiagrams,usingtheDynamicGridissufficientforaligningandspacingshapesasyouaddthemtothepage.However,thecombinationofAutoConnectandQuickShapesinVisio2016isanevenbetterchoiceforcertaindiagramtypes.

TheshapesshowninthefiguresinthistopicarefromtheBasicFlowchartShapesstencilintheBasicFlowcharttemplatelocatedintheFlowcharttemplategroup.

Flowchartsprovideanexcellentexample.IfyoudragasetofflowchartshapesontothepageinaconfigurationliketheoneshowninFigure2-35,youcanuseAutoConnecttoadddynamicconnectorssimplybypointingandclicking.

Figure2-35Thestartofaflowchart,withnodynamicconnectors

AutoConnectarrowsappearasfoursmallbluetriangleswhenyoupointtoanyshapeonthedrawingpage,asshowninFigure2-36.

Figure2-36Threeflowchartshapesthathavethepointerontop,causingAutoConnectarrowstoappear

Important

IftheAutoConnectarrowsdon’tappearwhenyoupointtoashape,it’sprobablybecauseAutoConnectisturnedoffforthisdrawing.ToactivateAutoConnect,selecttheAutoConnectcheckboxintheVisualAidsgroupontheViewtab.

Thereisalsoanapplication-levelsettingforAutoConnect.Consequently,ifthearrowsstilldon’tappearafterchangingthedocumentsetting,youhaveanotherrecourse.IntheBackstageview,clickOptions.IntheVisioOptionsdialogbox,clickAdvanced,andthenverifythattheEnableAutoConnectcheckboxisselected.

Clickingoneofthearrowsfiresadynamicconnectoracrossthegapandgluestheendsdynamicallytobothshapes.Withjustthreeclicks,thesamplediagramlookslikeFigure2-37.

Figure2-37Partiallycompletedflowchart

It’sclearthatAutoConnectmakesshortworkofaddingdynamicconnectorstoexistingshapes.EachAutoConnectarrowseeksoutaneighboringshapeinthedirectionthatthearrowpoints.

ButwhatifyouwanttolinkashapetoonethatisnotdirectlyinlinewithanyofthefourAutoConnectarrows?ItturnsoutthatAutoConnectalsosolvesthisproblemeasily:simplydraganAutoConnectarrowtoanyothershape.

Forexample,inFigure2-37,youmightwanttolinkthedecisiondiamondwiththeprocessshapeinthelower-rightcorner.Todoso,clicktheAutoConnectarrowontherightsideofthediamond,andthendragitontotheprocessrectangle.

Asyoudrag,thescreenwilllooklikethegraphicontheleftinFigure2-38.Whenyoureleasethemousebuttonontopoftheprocessbox,theshapeswillbeconnected,asshownontheright.

Figure2-38AnAutoConnectarrowusedtomanuallylinktoashape

Whenyou’reusingAutoConnectarrows,youmightnoticethattheyseemtoappearmorequicklysometimesthanothers.That’sbecauseVisiowantsthemtobeavailabletoyoubutonlywhenyouwantthem.Ifyou’veusedAutoConnectrecently,thearrowsappearmuchmorequicklywhenyoupauseonashape.However,ifyouhaven’tusedthemrecently,thereisadelaybeforetheyappearsotheydon’tgetinyourway.

Onoccasion,youmightnoticethatAutoConnectarrowsappearonsomesidesofashapebutnotonallsides.Thisisbecausethearrowsonlyappearonthesidesthatarenotyetconnectedtoanearbyshape.

AsyouuseAutoConnect,you’llnoticethatifyoupointtoanAutoConnectarrowforamomentbeforeclicking,alivepreviewgivesyoualookattheresult,asshowninFigure2-39.Inaddition,aminitoolbarthatcontainsfourshapesappears.AlthoughtheQuickShapesminitoolbarisoflimitedvaluewhenyouareusingAutoConnecttolinkexistingshapes,itisofsignificantvalueforaddingshapestothepage,asyouwilldiscoverintheremainderofthistopic.

Figure2-39AlivepreviewandtheQuickShapesminitoolbar

Figure2-40containsoneshape—astart/endshape—onthedrawingpage.PointingtotheAutoConnectarrowontherightofthestart/endshaperevealstheQuickShapesminitoolbar.IfyouleavethepointerovertheAutoConnectarrow,alivepreviewshowsapreviewoftheshapethatiscurrentlyselectedinthestencil.

Figure2-40AselectedmasterinthestencilandtheQuickShapesminitoolbaronthedrawingpage

Ifyouwanttoaddanotherstart/endshapetothecurrentdrawing,asingleclickwillaccomplishthatandthenewshapewillbeautomaticallyspacedatthedefaultintervalforthispage.

However,ifyouwanttoaddadifferentshape,QuickShapesprovideaninstantsolution.EveryopenstencilinVisio2016includesaQuickShapessectionatthetopofthestencilwindowpane,andmoststencilsincludepreselectedQuickShapes.IfyoulookcloselyattheBasicFlowchartShapesintheShapeswindow,you’llnoticeafinegraylinebetweentheDocument/DatashapesandtheDatabase/ExternalDatashapes.

TheshapesthatappearintheminitoolbararethefirstfourshapesintheQuickShapessection.IfyouwantdifferentshapestoappearontheQuickShapesminitoolbar,simplydragthemtobeamongthefirstfourshapesintheQuickShapessectionofthestencil.

YoucanchangetheorderofappearanceofmastersineithertheQuickShapessectionorinthemainpartofastencilmerelybydraggingamastertoanewlocation.

PointtoanyoftheshapesintheQuickShapesminitoolbarandnoticethatthelivepreviewchangestoreflectthatshape,asillustratedinFigure2-41.

Figure2-41QuickShapeswithalivepreview

Startingwithasingleshapeonthepage,asshowninFigure2-40,threeclicksontheQuickShapesminitoolbarwillbuildthediagramshowninFigure2-42.

Figure2-42DiagramcompletedwithQuickShapes

Whenyou“shoot”shapesontothedrawingpagebyusingAutoConnectbyitselforinconjunctionwithQuickShapes,newshapesarepositionedbyusingthedefaultspacingintervalforthepage.Forinformationaboutchangingthedefaultspacingintervals,seeFigure2-4.

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutcreatingflowcharts,seethe“VisioBlog,”writtenbytheVisioproductteamatMicrosoft,whichcontainstwopoststhatwerewrittenforVisio2010butstillapplytoVisio2016:blogs.msdn.com/b/visio/archive/2009/09/22/autoconnect-in-visio-2010.aspxandblogs.msdn.com/b/visio/archive/2010/12/08/flowcharts-in-under-a-minute.aspx.

AutoConnectandQuickShapesarefabuloustools—whenyouwantthem.Therearetimes,however,whentheygetintheway.RememberthatyoucanturnAutoConnectoffbyclearingtheAutoConnectcheckboxintheVisualAidsgroupontheViewtab.

TouseAutoConnecttolinkadjacentshapes1.Withtwoshapespositionedside-by-sideonthedrawingpagebutnotconnectedtoeachother,pointtooneoftheshapesuntiltheAutoConnectarrowsappear.

2.ClicktheAutoConnectarrowthatpointstothesecondshape.

TouseAutoConnecttolinknon-adjacentshapes1.Withtwoshapespositionedanywhereonthedrawingpagebutnotconnectedtoeachother,pointtooneoftheshapesuntiltheAutoConnectarrowsappear.

2.DragoneoftheAutoConnectarrowsontopoftheothershape.

TouseAutoConnecttoaddashapefromthestenciltothepage.

1.Inthestencil,selectthenextshapeyouwant.

2.ClickoneoftheAutoConnectarrowsonanyshapethatisalreadyonthedrawingpage.

TouseAutoConnectandQuickShapestoaddashapetothepage1.PointtoashapeonthepageuntiltheAutoConnectarrowsappear.

2.PointtooneoftheAutoConnectarrowsuntiltheQuickShapesminitoolbarappears.

3.Clickanyshapeontheminitoolbartoaddthatshapetothepage.

TochangewhichmastersappearontheQuickShapesminitoolbar1.Openastencilthatcontainsmorethanfourmasters.

2.DraganymastersoitisoneofthetopfourshapesabovetheQuickShapeslineatthetopofthestencil.

3.VerifythattheQuickShapesminitoolbarincludesyourmaster.

UseAutoAddandAutoDeleteVisio2016offerseasywaystoforyoutoaddanddeleteshapesinaconnecteddrawingandthenhaveVisioperformtheworkofrearrangingthediagramtoaccommodatetheneworremovedshapes.

WhenyouaddashapebyusingAutoAdd,Visiorearrangestheexistingdrawingtomakethenewshapefit.Sometimesthechangesitmakesareminor;othertimestheyaremoresignificant.

Whenyoudeleteashapethatislinkedtoanothershapewithadynamicconnector,AutoDeleteautomaticallyremovesthenowsuperfluousconnector.Inaddition,ifyoudeleteashapethatisbetweentwoothershapes,Visiowilldeleteonedynamicconnectorandreconnecttheremainingonetobothsurvivingshapes.

TheshapesshowninthefiguresinthistopicarefromtheBasicFlowchartShapesstencilthatopenswhenyouusetheBasicFlowcharttemplatelocatedintheFlowcharttemplategroup.

UseAutoAddTotakeadvantageofAutoAdd,yousimplydropashapeontoanexistingdynamicconnector.Whenyoumovethenewshapeintopositionoveradynamicconnectorpriortodroppingit,VisionotifiesyouthatAutoAddisactivebyaddingsolidgreensquaresatbothendsoftheconnector,asshowninbothpartsofFigure2-43.

Figure2-43VisualfeedbackalertsyoutoAutoAdd

Figure2-44showsasamplediagramthatwillbemodifiedbyAutoAddandAutoDeleteinthefollowingparagraphs.Notethepositionoftheunconnectedshapeintheupper-rightcorner.

Figure2-44Flowchartsamplediagram

Figure2-45showstheresultofdroppingasubprocessshapeontheconnectorbelowthedecisiondiamond.

Figure2-45AutoAddmovesashapedownthepage

Figure2-46showsamoresubstantialrearrangementafterdroppingasubprocessshapeontheconnectorbetweenthestart/endshapeandtheadjacentprocessshape.Inordertomaintainthepositionoftheunconnectedprocessshapeintheupper-rightcorner,Visiomovedmultipleshapesdownandtotheright.

Figure2-46AutoAddmovesshapesdownandtotheright

TouseAutoAdd1.Connecttwoshapesbyusingadynamicconnector.

2.Dragashapefromastencilontothedynamicconnector.

UseAutoDeleteYoucanuseAutoDeletesimplybydeletingaconnectedshape.Forexample,ifyoudeletethebottomprocessshapeinFigure2-46,Visioalsodeletesthedynamicconnectorthatwasbetweentheshapes,producingtheresultinFigure2-47.

Figure2-47AutoDeletehasremovedadynamicconnector

Ifyouthendeletethesubprocessshapeintheupper-leftcornerofFigure2-47,Visio“heals”thenowbrokenlinks,asshowninFigure2-48.

Figure2-48AutoDeletehashealedabrokenpairofconnectors

Ifyoudon’tliketheresultsofanAutoAddorAutoDeleteoperation,asingleUndocommandwillresetallchangesmadebytheshapeadditionordeletion.

TouseAutoDelete1.DeleteashapethatislinkedtotwoothershapesandnotethatVisiocombinestheconnectorsthatareleftbehindintoasingleconnector.

Select,copy,paste,andduplicateshapes

Practicetasks

PlaceshapesbyusingtheDynamicGridStartVisio,clicktheGeneraltemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Dragseveralshapesfromthestencilontothedrawingpage,andthenusetheDynamicGridtoaligntwoshapeseitherhorizontallyorvertically.

2.Addoneormoreadditionalshapestothepage,andusetheDynamicGridtoalignoneshapewithtwoothershapes,onehorizontallyandonevertically,atthesametime.

3.UsetheDynamicGridtosetseveralshapesatthedefaultspacingintervalforthepage.

4.Changetheinter-spaceshapedefaultsforthecurrentpage,andthenrepositionseveralshapestomatchthenewinterval.

5.Changethewidthsandheightsofseveralshapesonthepagesotheyhavevariousvalues,andthenusetheresizehandlesononeshapetoseehowyoucaneasilymatchthewidthand/ortheheightofothershapesonthepagebyusingtheDynamicGrid.

6.Usethedrawingtoolstoaddadditionalshapestothepage,andthenrepositionandresizethembyusingtheDynamicGrid.

SelectshapesOpentheSelectShapesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.CreateaselectionthatconsistsofshapesAandEbyclickingthem.

2.Clickthedrawingpagetodeselectallshapes.

3.SelectshapesAandDbyusingaboundingbox.

4.UseLassoSelecttocreateaselectionconsistingofshapesA,C,andE.

5.ChangetheselectiontoolbacktoAreaSelect.

6.SelectshapeDbyclickingit.

7.AddshapesAandBtotheselectionbyusingaboundingbox.

8.Deselectallshapes.

9.Selectallshapesatonce.

Copy,paste,andduplicateshapesOntheNewpageinVisio,clicktheGeneraltemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Dragacircle,triangle,octagon,andsquarefromthestencilontothedrawingpage.

2.Copythetriangleandoctagon,andthenpastethemtoadifferentpage;noticethatVisioplacestheminthesamerelativepositiononthedestinationpageastheywere

onthesourcepage.

3.Returntothesourcepage,andthenpastetheshapes.Noticethattheyareoffsetfromtheoriginals.

4.Copythecircleandsquare,andthencreatethreesetsofduplicates.

5.Selecttheoctagon.WhileholdingdowntheCtrlkey,dragtheshapetothelower-rightcornerofthepage,andthenreleasethemousebuttontoduplicateit.

PositionshapesbyusingrulersandguidesOpenthePositionShapesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DragshapeDupsothemiddleisalignedat3inches.

2.DragshapeCaboveshapeAandusetheDynamicGridtoalignitattheleftendofshapeA.

3.DragaverticalguideontothepageandpositionitsomewhereintherighthalfofshapeA.

4.DragshapeCtotherightandglueitscentertotheguide.

5.AlignthecenterofshapeEwiththecenterofshapeCbygluingitscentertotheguide.

6.DragtheguidetotheleftsothecentersofshapesCandEarealignedwiththeleftedgeofshapeA.

Resize,reposition,andreorientshapesOpentheResizeShapesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DragtherightedgeofshapeBuntiltheDynamicGridshowsthatitisthesamewidthasshapeA.

2.TrytoincreasetheheightofshapeB.

3.DragoneofthetopcornerhandlesuntilthetopofshapeDislocatedat3inchesaccordingtotheruler.Notethatboththewidthandheightchangeasyoudragthecornerhandle.

4.OpentheSize&Positionwindow.

5.RotateshapeE90degreestotheleft;notethechangingangledisplayedonthestatusbarandintheSize&Positionwindow.

6.WhiledraggingthehandleontherightedgeofshapeAtotheleft,notethatthechangingwidthoftheshapeisdisplayedonthestatusbarandintheSize&Positionwindow.

7.UsetheSize&PositionwindowtorelocateshapeAsothatthepinis2inchesfromtheleftand5inchesfromthebottomofthepage.

ConnectshapesbyusinglinesOpentheUseLinesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.UsetheLinetooltodrawalinefromtherightedgeoftheupperrectangletotheleftedgeoftheadjacentcircle.

2.ReverttothePointerTool.

3.Dragthecircleupwardandnotethatthelineremainsconnectedandisalwaysastraightline.

4.SelecttheLinetoolfromtheminitoolbar.

5.Drawalinefromthecenteroftheoctagontothecenterofthewiderectangle,notingthatconnectionpointsdonotappearontherectangleasyouapproachitwiththeLinetool.

6.Dragtherectangledownwardandnotethatthelineisnotgluedtotherectangle.

7.SelecttheFreeformtool.

8.Drawafreeformlinefromaconnectionpointonthecircletooneonthesquare.

9.Moveeitherthecircleorthesquareandobservethebehavioroftheline.

ConnectshapesbyusingdynamicconnectorsOpentheUseDynamicConnectorsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.SelecttheConnectortool.

2.Createstaticgluebydrawingadynamicconnectorfromtheconnectionpointontherightedgeoftheupperrectangletotheconnectionpointontheleftedgeoftheadjacentcircle.

3.ReverttothePointerToolbyusingadifferentmethodthanyouusedintheprevioussetoftasks.

4.Dragthecircletovariouslocationsonthepageandnotethechangesintheappearanceoftheconnector.

5.SelecttheConnectortool.

6.Createacombinationofstaticanddynamicgluebydrawingaconnectorfromtheconnectionpointatthecenteroftheoctagontothecenterofthewiderectangle.NotethattheborderoftherectanglelightsupingreenasyouapproachitwiththeConnectortool.

7.Dragtherectangletovariouslocationsonthepageandnotethechangesinappearanceoftheconnector.

8.Selectanydynamicconnector.

9.Dragvariousadjustmenthandlesontheconnectortoadd,rearrange,orremovesegments.

10.ChangethestyleoftheconnectortoCurvedConnector,andthenexperimentwith

theadjustmenthandles.

11.Restorethedynamicconnectortoitssimplestform.

UseAutoConnectandQuickShapesOpentheUseAutoConnectdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Pointtothestart/endshapeuntiltheAutoConnectarrowsappear.

2.Clicktheright-facingAutoConnectarrowtolinkthestart/endshapetotheadjacentprocessshape.

3.UseAutoConnecttolinktheprocessshapefromstep2tothedecisiondiamond,andthedecisiondiamondtotheprocessshapebelowit.

4.Pointtotheprocessshapetotherightofthedecisiondiamond.

5.Dragtheright-facingAutoConnectarrowanddropitontheprocessshapeinthelower-rightcorner.

6.Addapagetothediagram.

7.Dragastart/endshapeontothedrawingpage.

8.Pointtothestart/endshape,andthentotheright-facingAutoConnectarrowuntiltheQuickShapesminitoolbarappears.

9.ClickanyshapeontheQuickShapesminitoolbartoaddthatshapetothepage.

10.DragtheDatabasemasterupinthestenciluntilitisoneofthefirstfourshapes.

11.PointtoanyAutoConnectarrowonthepagetoseethattheDatabasemasterisincludedontheQuickShapesminitoolbar.

12.Optional:DragtheDatabasemasterbacktoitsoriginalpositionbetweentheDataandExternalDatamasters.

UseAutoAddandAutoDeleteOpentheUseAutoAddAutoDeletediagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DragaSubprocessmasterfromthestencilanddropitontheverticalconnectorbelowthedecisiondiamondshape.

2.DragaSubprocessmasterfromthestencilanddropitonthehorizontalconnectorbetweenthestart/endshapeandtheadjacentprocessshape.

3.Deletetheprocessshapeatthebottomofthediagram.Notethattheconnectorthatledtoitisalsodeleted.

4.Deletethesubprocessshapeintheupper-leftpartofthediagramandnotethatthetworemainingconnectorsbecomeasingleconnector.

3.Managetext,shapes,andpages

Inthischapter

Manageshapetext

Insertpictures

Replaceshapes

Groupshapes

Managepages

Practicefiles

Nopracticefilesarenecessarytocompletethepracticetasksinthischapter.

Inthefirsttwochapters,youexploredtheVisiouserinterfaceanddiscoveredseveralmethodsforaddingshapestoadrawing.Formanydiagrams,alogicalnextstepistoaddtexttotheshapes.Havingdonethat,youmightneedtochangethewaytextisdisplayedoncertainshapesbymoving,rotating,orenhancingit.Inaddition,manydiagramscallfortext-onlyshapes,comments,orScreenTips.

Inothersituations,youmightdiscoverthatadifferentshapewouldbepreferabletooneonthepage.ReplacingoneshapewithanotheriseasyinVisio2016,unlikeinearlierversionsoftheproduct.Youmightalsofindtimeswhenit’sconvenientornecessarytomakeachangetomultipleshapesatonce—agoodreasontoknowmoreaboutgroupsandlayers.

Finally,it’softenhelpfultodisplaycertaingraphicsorwordsonmultiplepages.Ratherthancopyandpastethesametextboxesandshapestoeverypage,youcancreatebackgroundpagestocontaintherepeatedcontent,andthenassignthosebackgroundpagestoforegroundpagestoachievetheresultyouwant.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtomanagingshapetext,creatingandformattingtextboxes,annotatingshapeswithScreenTipsandcomments,insertingpictures,replacingandgroupingshapes,understandingandusinglayers,andmanagingpages.

ManageshapetextManyVisioshapesservetheirpurposewithoutannotation,butsometimesyouneedtoaddtexttoashapeinordertocompleteadiagram.InVisio,youcanaddtexttoashapesoitbecomespartoftheshape,oryoucancreateatext-onlyshape.Youwillexploretheformerinthistopicanddiscoverthelatterapproachin“Createandformattextboxes,”laterinthischapter.

AddtexttoshapesMostshapesaredesignedsoyoucanaddtexttotheshapeinanyofthethreewaysthatarelistedintheproceduresattheendofthissection.

Thetextyouaddtoashapeusuallyappearsinthecenter,butitcanappearanywhere,asshowninFigure3-1.ThedifferencesintextlocationareeithertheresultofadecisionmadebyashapedesigneroranactiontakenbyaVisiouser.(Youwilllearnaboutrepositioningthetextonashapeinthesectionthatfollows.)

Figure3-1TextpositionedindifferentwaysonshapescreatedbyusingthedrawingtoolsandonshapesfromVisiostencils

Justasshapedesignerscanchoosewheretopositiontextonashape,theycanalsochoosetopreventtextentryoredits—youmightencounterthesetypesofshapesasyouexploreVisiodiagrams.Unfortunately,ashape’sappearancedoesn’tindicatewhetheritstexthasbeenlocked.Forexample,thesquaresinFigure3-2looksimilarbuthaveoneimportantdifference:thesquareontherightdisplaysanerrormessagewhenyouattempttoaddtext.

Figure3-2Thesquareontheleftacceptstextentry,buttheoneontherightislocked

AlthoughoneofthetopicsinAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain,”discusseshowtounlockthetexteditattribute,youshouldalwaysbecarefulwhenalteringashapeyoudidn’tdesign—theremightbeunintendedconsequences.

Important

Thetechniquesthatfollowworkwithmostshapes.However,becauseshapescanbelockedtopreventtheadditionoftext,youmightencounterafewshapesonwhichtheseprocedureswillnotwork.

Toaddtexttoshapes1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•Clickashape,andthenentertext.

•Double-clickashape,andthenentertext.

•Clickashape,pressF2toentereditmode,andthenentertext.

Toexittextentrymode1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•Clickanywhereoutsidetheshapebeingedited.

•PresstheEsckey.

•PressF2.

1.EnableuseoftheEnterkeytoterminatetextentrybydoingthefollowing:

a.DisplaytheBackstageview.

b.ClickOptionstoopentheVisioOptionsdialogbox.

c.IntheVisioOptionsdialogbox,clickAdvanced,andthenselectthePressingENTERcommitsshapetextcheckbox.NotethatselectingthisoptionrequiresthatyoupressShift+Entertoentermultilinetextwithinashape.

RepositionandresizeshapetextThetextonaVisioshapeislocatedinaseparateobjectknownasatextblock.VisioprovidesaTextBlocktoolsoyoucanmoveandresizethetextblockindependentlyfromitsparentshape.Inaddition,youcanuseseveralbuttonsontheHometabtorepositiontextwithinatextblock.

TheindependenceofthetextblockisapparentinFigure3-3.IfyouclickthecityshapebyusingthePointerTool,youwillseetheresultshownontheleft—aselectionrectangleappearsaroundthecityicon.However,ifyouclickthecityshapebyusingtheTextBlocktool,youwillseetheresultshownontheright—theselectionrectangle,accompaniedbyalloftheusualcontrolhandles,appearsaroundtheshape’stextblock.

Figure3-3Aselectionrectanglearoundashapeandarounditstextblock

Youcandragatextblock’sresizehandlestochangethesizeoftheblock,oryoucandragtheentiretextblocktoadifferentlocation,asshowninFigure3-4.

Figure3-4Threecityshapeswithtextindifferentlocations

YoucanusethebuttonsintheFontandParagraphgroupsontheHometabtochangejustaboutanycharacteristicofthetextinashape.Mostrelevanttothissectionarethesixtext

alignmentbuttonsintheParagraphgroupthatyoucanusetosetthetextpositionwithinatextblock.Figure3-5illustratesthreeoftheninepresettextpositionoptionsavailableontheribbon.

Figure3-5Threesquareswithvaryinginternaltextalignment

Tousethetextalignmentbuttons,youcanselectashapebyusingeitherthePointerToolortheTextBlocktool.

ToactivatetheTextBlocktool1.OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clicktheTextBlocktool.

Tomovethetextblockonashape1.SelecttheshapebyusingtheTextBlocktool,andthendragthetextblocktoanewlocation.

Tochangethesizeofthetextblockonashape1.SelecttheshapebyusingtheTextBlocktool,andthendraganyresizehandle.

Tochangetextalignmentwithinthetextblock1.OntheHometab,intheParagraphgroup,clickanyofthetextalignmentbuttons.

1.Right-clickashape.

2.Ontheminitoolbar,clicktheAlignTextbutton,andthenclickoneoftheninealignmentbuttons.

OrientshapetextTheorientationofthetextinaVisioshapecanmatchtheorientationoftheshape,oritcanbequitedifferent.Thedifferenceisbasedonthedesignoftheshapeandtheformulasembeddedwithinit.(ItisalsopossibleforcoderunninginaVisioadd-intoaltertextorientation;however,thatpossibilityisnotconsideredintheexamplesthatfollow.)

Generally,whenyourotateashape,thetextintheshaperotatesalongwithit,whichisprobablywhatyouwouldexpecttohappen.Indeed,thisisthedefaultbehaviorfortextinaVisioshape;Figure3-6showsanexample.

Figure3-6Aninvertedshapewhosetextisalsoupsidedown

Whenyouselectmorethanoneshapeandrotatetheentireselection,thetextontheselectedshapesmightnotallbehavethesameway.InFigure3-7,thegroupofshapesontheleftshowsuprighttextontheselectedshapes,oneofwhichisadynamicconnectorarrowpointingtotheright.Intheothertwogroups,thetextinthecircleandsquareisrotatedwiththerespectiveshapes,whereastheconnectortextremainsrightsideup.Thisisanexampleofashapethatcontainsformulasthatcauseshapetexttobehavedifferently.

Figure3-7Thetextonadynamicconnectordoesnotrotatewhentheconnectorandadjacentshapesarerotated

Othertextbehaviorsarepossible,too.Forexample,theRightArrowshapeshowninFigure3-8isfromtheBlocksRaisedstencilintheBlockDiagramtemplate.Itstextneitherfollowstheorientationoftheshapenorisalwaysupright.Instead,aformulaintheshapemaintainsthetextatmultiplesof45degrees.

Figure3-8Comparingshaperotationwithtextrotationwhenthelatteriscontrolledbyaformulaintheshape

Inadditiontocontrollingtextanglewithembeddedformulas,youcanalsocontroltheorientationofthetextinashapefromtheVisiouserinterface.ThearrowshowninFigure3-9isthe2-DSinglearrowfromtheBlocksstencilintheBasicShapestemplate.ThetextonthearrowrotateswiththearrowunlessyoutakedirectcontrolbyusingtheTextBlocktoolthatwasintroducedintheprecedingtopic;theresultsofrotatingjustthetextblockareshowninFigure3-9.

Figure3-9Thetextcanrotatewhiletheshaperemainsfixed

Rememberthatyoucancombineseveraltextblockalterationstoachievetheeffectyouwant.ThetwocomputermonitorsshownontheleftsideofFigure3-10showonepossibility.Thetextontheleftmonitorisinthedefaultposition;thetextontherightmonitorisraisedandrotatedtocreateadifferenteffect.Inthecityicon,thetextisrotatedandstyledtoproduceamoredramaticview.

Figure3-10Textblockscanberepositionedandrotated

Torotateashape1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•Selecttheshape,andthendragtherotationhandle.

•Selecttheshape,opentheSize&Positionwindow,andthenenteranewvalueforAngle.

•OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clickthePositionbutton,pointtoRotateShapes,andthenclickoneoftheRotateorFlipmenuitems.

Torotatemultipleshapes1.Selecttwoormoreshapes,andthendooneofthefollowing:

•Dragtherotationhandle.

•ClickthePositionbutton,pointtoRotateShapes,andthenclickoneoftheRotateorFlipmenuitems,

Torotateonlythetextonashapebutnottheshape1.OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clicktheTextBlockbutton.

2.Clicktheshapewhosetextyouwanttorotate,andthendragtherotationhandle.

CreateandformattextboxesInadditiontoaddingtexttoshapes,youcancreatetext-onlyshapesbyusingtheTexttool.Whenyoufirstaddatextboxtothepage,itinheritsthedefaultfontandparagraphformattingandothersettings,asshownontheleftinFigure3-11.

Figure3-11Textboxescanbesimpleorelaborate,dependingonthestyleofyourdiagram

Afterthetextboxisonthepage,however,itisjustanotherVisioshape.Consequently,youcanchangeitstextproperties,butyoucanalsoapplythemes,variants,effects,oranyothershapeformattingattributes.TheimageontherightinFigure3-11showsthesametextboxbutwithdramaticallydifferentstyling.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutthemes,variants,andeffects,seeChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”

Important

BothnoviceandexperiencedVisiouserswhoneedtoaddalabeltoashapeoftenmakethesamemistake:theycreateatextbox,entertext,andthenpositionthetextboxontopoforneartheshape.

Althoughthisapproachdoesplacetextneartheshape,itdoesnotmakethetextpartoftheshape.Thispresentstwosignificantdisadvantages:movingtheshapedoesnotautomaticallymovethetext,anditisn’tpossibletorunareportthatsummarizesthetextthatisassociatedwitheachshape.Theconsequenceofthelattermaynotbeapparentyet,butwillbecomeclearerinChapter8,“Workwithshapedata.”

Ifyourgoalistoaddatextlabeltoashape,itisalmostalwaysbettertoenterthetextdirectlyintotheshape,asdescribedin“Manageshapetext”earlierinthischapter,ratherthantopositionatextboxnearby.

Tocreateatextbox

Thefirsttwooptionsinstep1activateapersistentTexttool;youneedtoselectadifferenttool(forexample,thePointerTool)todoanythingotherthancreatemoretextboxes.Thethirdoptionactivatesaone-time-useTexttool.

1.OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clicktheTextbutton.

PressCtrl+2.

Right-clickthedrawingpage,clicktheDrawingToolsbuttonontheminitoolbar,andthenclickeitherHorizontalTextBoxorVerticalTextBox.

2.Dragtocreateatextbox.

AddScreenTipsandcommentsYoucanincludeScreenTipsandcommentsinyourdiagramstoprovidereaderswithsupplemental,on-demandinformation.Althoughtheseservesimilarpurposes,theyhaveverydifferentcharacteristics:

ScreenTipsThesedisplaypop-uptextwhenyoupointtoashape,buttheyareotherwiseinvisible.Infact,thereisnowaytoknowthataScreenTipexistsunlessyoupointtoashapecontainingoneandaScreenTipappears.

Important

ScreenTipsarepartofashape.Consequently,theymovewithashapeandaredeletedwhenyoudeleteashape.

CommentsTheseindicatetheirpresencewithaspecialiconbutrequirethatyouclicktheiconinordertoviewthecommenttext.Eachcommentshowsthenameofthecommentauthorandthedatewhenitwascreated.BeginningwithVisio2013,onecommentshapecancontainthreadedcommentsfrommultipleauthors;individualentriesaredisplayedinchronologicalorder.

Important

Ifyouselectexactlyoneshapeandaddacomment,thecommentwillbeattachedtothatshape.Ifyouselecttwoormoreshapesandthenaddacomment,thecommentwillbeattachedtotheanchorshape.(AnchorshapesareexplainedinChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”)Ifyouaddacommentwhennoshapesareselected,thecommentwillbeattachedtothedrawingpage.

PriortoVisio2013,commentswerealwaysattachedtoapageandnevertoashape.IfyouhaveanolderversionofVisioandmoveashapethathappenstohaveacommentnearit,youwillsuccessfullymovetheshape,butthecommentwillnotmove.Formoreinformationaboutcommenting,seeChapter15,“Collaborateandpublishdiagrams.”

WhendecidingwhethertouseScreenTipsorcomments,considerthefollowing:

UseScreenTipstoprovideusefulbutnoncriticalinformationaboutashape;

however,understandthatreadersmightnotdiscovertheexistenceofaScreenTip.

Usecommentswhenit’simportantforreaderstoseethatacommentexists,whenyouexpectmultiplepeopletoexchangeideasasthreadedcomments,andwhenit’shelpfultoknowtheauthor,date,andtimeforeachannotation.

Calloutsprovideathird,andmorevisible,methodforaddingannotationstoshapes.YouwillworkwithcalloutsinChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

AnexampleofaScreenTipandacommentisshowninFigure3-12.TheScreenTipappearsacrossthechairshapebecausethepointerispositionedonthechairshape.Acommentballoonabovetheupper-rightcornerofthesofashapeindicatesthepresenceofacomment;thewordCommentsappearsbecausethepointerislocatednearthecommentindicator.

Figure3-12ScreenTipsandcommentsappearindifferentways

Clickingacommentindicatordisplaysthetextofthemostrecentcomments,asshowninFigure3-13.

Figure3-13Inadditiontocommenttext,acommentboxdisplaystheauthor’snameandthetimewhenthecommentwasentered

YoucandeleteindividualcommentsbyclickingthestylizedletterXlocatedtotherightofthefirstcommentandanyothercommenttowhichyoupoint.

Commentsaddedbyadifferentauthorareclearlymarked,asshowninFigure3-14.When

ashapecontainsmultiplecomments,youcancollapseindividualcomments,asshownforthefirstcommentinFigure3-14.

Figure3-14Threadedcommentsmakeiteasytofollowaconversation

Inadditiontoaddingcommentstoshapes,youcanalsoaddcommentstoapage.Ifyoudo,Visioplacesacommentindicatorintheupper-leftcornerofthepage.

Ifyouwouldliketoseeallcommentsinadocumentinoneplace,VisioprovidesaCommentspane,asshowninFigure3-15.Clickingacommentinthepanehighlightstheshapecontainingthecomment.Ifyouclickacommentforashapeonthecurrentpage,Visiowillmovetheshapeintoview(ifitwasn’talready),andthenhighlightthecommentindicatorinblue.Ifyouclickacommentforashapeonadifferentpage,Visiowillswitchtothatpagetomakethecommentedshapevisible.

Figure3-15AllcommentsinadiagramareaccessibleintheCommentspane

InVisio2016,commentscanbeenteredbyVisiousersorbypeoplewhodonothaveVisio.Consequently,Visiousersandnon-userscancollaborateonthesamediagram.Thisfeature,whichrequiresMicrosoftSharePointandVisioServices,isdescribedinChapter15,“Collaborateandpublishdiagrams.”

ToaddaScreenTip1.Selectashape,andthenontheInserttab,intheTextgroup,clicktheScreenTipbuttontoopentheShapeScreenTipdialogbox.

2.IntheShapeScreenTipdialogbox,entertext,andthenclickOK.

ToopenorclosetheCommentspane1.OntheReviewtab,intheCommentsgroup,clicktheupperhalfoftheCommentsPanebutton.

Toaddacommenttoashape1.Selectashape,andthenontheReviewtab,intheCommentsgroup,clicktheNewCommentbutton.

Selectashape,andthenintheCommentspane,clicktheNewCommentbutton.

Right-clickashape,andthenclickAddComment.

2.Entertext,andthenclickoutsidethecommentbox.

Toaddacommenttoapage1.Ensurethatnothingisselected,andthenontheReviewtab,intheCommentsgroup,clicktheNewCommentbutton.

Right-clickablankareaofapage,andthenclickAddComment.

2.Entertext,andthenclickoutsidethecommentbox.

Toreplytoacomment1.IftheCommentpaneisclosed,clickthecommentindicatoronashapeorapage,andthenclickReply.

IftheCommentpaneisopen,locatethecommentyouwant,andthenclickReply.

2.Enteryourreplytext,andthenclickoutsidethecommentbox.

Toshoworhidecommentindicators1.OntheReviewtab,intheCommentsgroup,clicktheCommentsPanearrow(notitsbutton),andthenclickRevealTags.

InsertpicturesInChapter2,“Creatediagrams,”andearlierinthischapter,youexploredtechniquesforcreatingashapebydraggingamasterfromastencilandbycreatingatextbox.Attimes,however,youmightwanttocreateashapebyusinganimage.

Fortunately,Visiomakesthateasytoaccomplish.Youcanimportaphotographoranimageinanycommonfileformatfromacomputer,andyoucansearchforpicturesfromvariousonlinesources.Figure3-16showsavailablesourcesfortheauthor’scomputer.

Figure3-16Picturescanbeinsertedfrommultipleonlinelocations

Figure3-17combinesaphotograph,acliparticon,andaflagimageretrievedbysearchingtheInternet.

Figure3-17Youcancombineavarietyofimagetypesinasinglegraphic

Toinsertanimagefromacomputerornetworkdrive1.OntheInserttab,intheIllustrationsgroup,clickthePicturebutton.

2.Browsetothelocationyouwant,selecttheimagefile,andthenclickOpen.

Toinsertanimagefromanonlinesearch1.OntheInserttab,intheIllustrationsgroup,clicktheOnlinePicturesbutton.

2.EntersearchtermsintheBingImageSearchtextbox.

ClickOneDriveoranotherimagesource.

3.Selecttheimageyouwant,andthenclickInsert.

ReplaceshapesSincetheearlydaysofVisio,usershavewantedtobeabletoreplaceashapeonthedrawingpagewithanentirelydifferentshape,andyetretainthekeyattributesoftheoriginalshape.ThatcapabilityfinallyarrivedwithVisio2013andisanimportantfeaturetoknowaboutinVisio2016.

Figure3-18providesagoodfirstexampletounderstandthepowerofthereplaceshapefeature.ThediagraminFigure3-18wascreatedbyusingtheDirectionalMaptemplate(nottheDirectionalMap3Dtemplate)intheMapsAndFloorPlanstemplatecategory.

Figure3-18ArepresentationofanintersectioninamapdrawnwithVisio

Byusingthereplaceshapefeature,youcandosomethingstraightforwardlikeswapthebarnforastadium,orperformamorecomplexswap,suchasreplacingthefour-wayintersectionwithafull-scale,highwaycloverleaf(bothshowninFigure3-19).Althoughbothchangesrequiredjustasingleclickfromtheuser,thenewintersectioninvolvedmoresophisticatedchangesbehindthescenes.Thecloverleafretainsthecolorofthepreviousintersectionshape,anddespitebeingquiteabitlargerthantheoldintersection,itisstillgluedtoallfourroadsegments.

Figure3-19Visioautomaticallyadjustedthelengthsoftheroadsegmentstofitthenewshape

Ifyoureplaceshapesthatcontaindata,text,comments,andothercustomizations,mostarepreservedinthenewshapes.SeeChapter8,“Workwithshapedata,”formoreinformationaboutdatainshapes.

WhenyouclicktheChangeShapebutton,Visiopresentstheshapesinthecurrentlyactivestencil.However,Visioalsoprovidesamenufromwhichyoucanselectshapesfromanyotheropenstencil.Figure3-20showstheLandmarkShapesfromthecurrentlyactivestencil,inadditiontothenamesofadditionalstencils.

Figure3-20Youcanaccessshapesfrommultiplestencilsononemenuwhenyouhavemultiplestencilsopen

Iftheshapeyouwantisnotinoneoftheopenstencils,simplyopenthestencilyouwantbeforeclickingtheChangeShapebutton.Asaresult,youcanreplaceashapeinadrawingwithanyoftensofthousandsofothershapes.

IfyouselectmultipleshapesbeforeclickingChangeShape,youcanreplaceallofthematonce.

Toreplaceshapes1.Selectoneormoreshapes,andthenontheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheChangeShapebutton.

Right-clickashape,andthenontheminitoolbar,clicktheChangeShapebutton.

2.Clickthereplacementshapeyouwant.

Toreplaceshapesbyusingamasterfromadifferentstencil

1.(Optional)Ifthestencilyouwantisn’topen,intheShapeswindow,clicktheMoreShapesbutton,andthenclickthenameofthestencilyouwanttoopen.

2.ClicktheChangeShapebutton.

3.Clickthedownarrowtotherightofthenameoftheactivestencil.

4.Clickthenameofthestencilyouwant,todisplayagalleryofitsshapes.

5.Clickthereplacementshapeyouwant.

GroupshapesSofar,youhaveprimarilylearnedaboutworkingwithsimple,individualshapes.However,setsofshapesthathavebeengroupedtogetherareverycommoninVisioforavarietyofreasons,suchasthefollowing:

It’seasiertomoveorperformanoperationonasetofshapesinagroupthanitistodothesamethingwithmultiple,discreteshapes.

Shapedesignersneedtocreateamoresophisticatedappearanceorbehaviorforavarietyofreasons,suchas:

•Todisplaytextinmultipleplacesontheshape.

•Todisplaydifferentcolorsondifferentpartsofthegroupedshape.

•Toallowdifferentpartsoftheshapetoresponddifferentlytoexternalchanges.

•Toprotectthealignmentofsubshapeswithinthegroup.

ThefirstcaseisillustratedinFigure3-21,whichshowsfourshapesfromtheDepartmentstencilintheWorkFlowDiagramtemplate,thathavebeengroupedonthedrawingpage.Thefourout-of-the-boxshapesareontheleftsideofthediagram.Inthecenter,thefillcolorofallfourshapeshasbeenchangedwithasingleclick.Ontheright,thecolorhasbeenchangedwithanotherclick,andallfourshapeshavebeenresizedbydraggingonehandleonthegroup.Similarly,youcanmove,copyandpaste,ordeleteallfourshapessimplybyperformingthoseoperationsonthegroupshape.

Figure3-21Youcanchangepropertiesofmultipleshapesatonetimewhentheyhavebeengrouped

Liketheindividualshapesthatcompriseit,agroupisalsoashape.Youcanapplybordersorfills,addfieldsandtext,andaddshapedata—inshort,youcandoanythingwithagroupshapethatyoucanwithanyothershape.

Selectingashapewithinagrouprequirestwoclicks;thedefaultbehaviorinVisioisthatthefirstclickselectsthegroup.

Evidenceofusinggroupstocreatemore-sophisticatedshapesisshowninFigure3-21;someofthedepartmentshapesaregroupsthemselves.Thedesignersofthoseshapescreatedthembycombiningmultipleobjectsorimages.

Figure3-22providesanotherexampleofsophisticatedshapedesign.TheshapesontheleftarefromtheFurniturestencil(theMapsAndFloorPlanstemplategroup);theshapesontherightarefromtheComplianceShapesstencil(theBusinesstemplategroup).Likethesesevenshapes,manyofthemastersinVisiostencilsconsistofgroupedshapes.

Figure3-22ExamplesofgroupedshapesfromVisiostencils,includingsomenewshapesinVisio2016

Important

Youshouldbecautiousifyouarethinkingaboutungroupingashapethatyoudidn’tdesign.Thereason?Inmanygroupedshapes,theattributesofthesubshapesarederivedfrompropertiesofthegroup.Forexample,thesize,color,orpositionofasubshapemightdependonavalueinthegroup.Whenyouungroupashape,allofitsproperties—shapegeometry,shapedata,everything—disappears.Consequently,ungroupingcanbedestructiveunlessyouknowwhatyou’redoing.

Organizingcollectionsofshapesintogroupshasmanyadvantages,butalsohassomedisadvantages.Youwilllearnmoreaboutbothinthetopic,“Comparecontainersand

groups,”inChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Togroupaselectionofshapes1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clicktheGroupbutton,andthenclickGroup.

•Right-clickanyoftheselectedshapes,clickGroup,andthenclickGroup.

•PressCtrl+G.

•PressCtrl+Shift+G.

Toungroupaselectionofshapes1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clicktheGroupbutton,andthenclickUngroup.

•Right-clickanyoftheselectedshapes,clickGroup,andthenclickUngroup.

•PressCtrl+Shift+U.

Toselectashapewithinagroup1.Clickthegroupshapetoselectthegroup.

2.Clicktheshapeyouwant.

UnderstandanduselayersYoucanputVisioshapesonlayerstoorganizeandcontrolvariouspropertiesofthesetofshapes.Unlikesomedrawingprograms,Visiolayersarenot“infrontof”or“behind”otherlayers.Instead,shapesareassignedtolayerstogiveyoucontroloverthingslikewhetherlayermembersareprintable,visibleonthedrawingpage,orselectable.

Inafloorplan,forexample,youmightputfurnitureononelayer,wallsandbuildinginfrastructureonanotherlayer,andelectricalwiringonathirdlayer.Youcouldthenuselayerpropertiestoperformtaskslikethefollowing:

Locktheinfrastructureandwiringlayersasyourearrangethefurniture.

Hidethelayercontainingfurniturewhenyouwanttoviewthefull,openspace.

Leavetheelectricalwiringvisibleonthescreenbutsetthepropertiesofitslayersothewiringdoesn’tprint.

Selectallshapesonaspecificlayerorlayers.

Usinglayerscanbeextremelyhelpfulbecausetheyprovideconsiderableflexibilityinmanagingthecomponentsofasophisticateddrawing.However,youmightwanttoplanyourlayerschemeaheadoftimebecauseofthepotentialcomplexity:adrawingpagecanhavemultiplelayers;eachlayerhassevenproperties;andashapecanresideonmultiplelayers,onelayer,ornone.

Everylayerbelongstoexactlyonepage.Ifyouusethesamelayernameontwoormorepages,eachofthoselayersisunrelatedtotheothers.

ThesevenpropertiesofalayerareshowninFigure3-23andaredescribedinthefollowingtext.

Figure3-23Youcancontrolpropertiesofmultipleshapesatoncewhentheshapesareonlayers

ManyVisiotemplatesincludepredefinedlayers,andshapesfromthecorrespondingstencilsareaddedtothoselayersautomatically.ThelayersinFigure3-23wereaddedtothediagramsimplybydraggingshapesfromtheFurniturestencilintheMapsAndFloorPlansgroup.Similar,predefinedlayersareavailableintheFlowchartandEngineeringtemplates,amongothers.

ThesevenpropertiesintheLayerPropertiesdialogboxare:

VisibleControlswhethertheshapesonalayerarevisibleonthedrawingpage.

PrintIncludesorexcludesthemembersofalayerfromprinting.

BecausetheVisibleandPrintcheckboxesareseparate,youcancreateadrawinginwhichmembersofalayerarevisibleinthedrawingbutdonotprint,andviceversa.

ActiveCausesallnewshapesaddedtothepagetobeaddedtothelayer.Morethan

onelayercanbeactiveatonce,inwhichcasenewshapesareaddedtoallactivelayers.

LockPreventsyoufromselecting,moving,oreditinganyshapesonthelayer.Inaddition,youcannotaddshapestoalockedlayer.

SnapandGlueAllowsanddisallowssnappingorgluingothershapestotheshapesonthislayer.

ColorTemporarilyoverridesthecolorsofallobjectsonalayer;clearingthisoptionreturnslayermemberstotheiroriginalcolors.WhenyouselecttheColorpropertyforalayer,theLayerColorandTransparencysettingsinthelowerrightofthedialogboxareactivated.

Youcanusebothgroupsandlayerstoorganizecollectionsofshapes,butit’simportanttounderstandthattheyservedifferentpurposesandhavedifferentbehaviors.Forexample,whenyouselectagroupandthenmoveitorresizeit,thechangesaffectalloftheshapesinthegroup.However,ifyouselectandthenmoveorresizeashapeonalayer,youractionhasnoeffectonanyothershapes.Byusingalayer,ontheotherhand,youcanlock,hide,andotherwiseaffectallshapesonthelayerinwaysthatyoucannotwithagroup.

It’salsoimportanttorealizethatgroupsandlayersarenotmutuallyexclusive—thereareoftengoodreasonstousebothinthesamedrawing.

Tocreatealayeronapage1.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheLayersbutton,andthenclickLayerProperties.

2.IntheLayerPropertiesdialogbox,clicktheNewbutton.

3.IntheNewLayerdialogbox,enteralayername,andthenclickOKtwice.

1.Selectashape.

2.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheLayersbutton,andthenclickAssigntoLayer.

3.IntheLayerdialogbox,clicktheNewbutton.

4.IntheNewLayerdialogbox,enteralayername,andthenclickOKtwice.

1.Copyashapethatisassignedtoalayerononepage,andthenpasteittoanotherpage.(Ifalayerofthesamenamealreadyexistsonthatpage,thecopiedshapewillbeaddedtotheexistinglayer.)

1.DragashapeontothedrawingpagefromoneofthestencilsintheBasicFlowcharttemplate,oranothertemplatethatcontainsbuilt-inlayers.

Toremovealayerfromapage1.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheLayersbutton,andthenclickLayerProperties.

2.IntheLayerPropertiesdialogbox,selectthenameofthelayeryouwanttodelete.

3.ClicktheDeletebutton,andthenrespondtothewarningmessageshowninFigure3-24.

Figure3-24Deletingalayermightdeleteallshapesonthelayer

ThewarningmessageshowninFigure3-24canbemisleading.Ifashapeisamemberofthelayeryouaredeletingbutisalsoamemberofanotherlayer,theshapewillnotbedeleted.

4.ClickOKtoclosetheLayerPropertiesdialogbox.

Tochangelayerproperties1.OpentheLayerPropertiesdialogbox,selectorclearthelayerpropertiesyouwanttochange,andthenclickOK.

Toassignashapetoalayer1.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheLayersbutton,andthenclickAssigntoLayer.

2.IntheLayerdialogbox,selectthelayerorlayerstowhichyouwanttoassigntheshape,andthenclickOK.

1.DragashapeontothedrawingpagefromoneofthestencilsintheBasicFlowcharttemplate,oranothertemplatewithbuilt-inlayers.

Toremoveashapefromalayer1.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheLayersbutton,andthenclickAssigntoLayer.

2.IntheLayerdialogbox,clearthecheckboxinfrontofthelayerorlayersfrom

whichyouwanttoremovetheshape,andthenclickOK.

Toselectallshapesonalayer1.OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheSelectbutton,andthenclickSelectbyType.

2.IntheSelectbyTypedialogbox,clickLayer,selectthecheckboxforthelayeryouwant,andthenclickOK.

ManagepagesPagesinaVisiodrawingareindependentofeachother,soanyonepagecanhavedimensions,measurementunits,andothercharacteristicsthataredifferentfromanyotherpage.Consequently,youcanmixlargerandsmallerpages,andevenportraitandlandscapepages,withinthesamediagram.

Withinanyonepage,Visiomaintainsseparatesettingsfortheon-screendrawingpageandthephysicalpageonwhichitwillprint.Youcantakeadvantageofthisdifferencetodothingssuchasthefollowing:

Compressalargedrawingtofitonasmallersheetofpaper.

Printadrawingonalargesheetofpaper.

Printadrawingacrossmultiplesheetsofpaper.

Atahighlevel,Visiopagesfallintotwocategories:

ForegroundpagesThesecontaintheactivedrawingcontentandaretypicallythepagesthatareprintedorpublishedinsomeform.

BackgroundpagesThesecontainshapesandpageelementsthatcanbeconfiguredtoappearononeormorepages.However,objectslocatedonbackgroundpagescannotbeselectedoreditedunlessthebackgroundpageistheactivepage.

Backgroundpagesarevaluablebecauseyoucanlinkotherpagestothem.Whenyouhavedonethat,alltextandgraphicsonthebackgroundpagesappearonthelinkedpages.

Acommonscenarioistoplaceaborder,apagenumber,apagename,andpossiblyawatermarkorotherdesignelementonabackgroundpagesoallofthoseappearautomaticallyoneveryforegroundpageinaconsistentlocation.

Anothercommonusecaseistopopulateabackgroundpagewiththecompanylogo,alegalnotice,andanyothergraphicortextyouwanttohaveappearonmultiplepages.

Asyouplananewdiagram,especiallyifitwillhavemultiplepages,rememberthatadiagramcanalsohavemultiplebackgroundpages.Consequently,someforegroundpagesmightexhibitcontentfromonebackgroundpage,whereasotherpagesmightusedifferentbackgroundpagesandlookentirelydifferent.

Althoughlinkingaforegroundpagetoabackgroundpageisthemostcommonscenario,youcanalsolinkbackgroundpagestoeachother,creatingahierarchyofpagecontentthatcanbesharedacrossmultipleforegroundpagesincreativeandeffectiveways.

WorkwithforegroundpagesThekeytoworkingwithforegroundpagesisthesetofpagenametabsatthebottomofthedrawingwindow.Youcanright-clickanexistingpagenametabtoperformanyofthetasksintheshortcutmenushowninFigure3-25.

Figure3-25Youcanadd,remove,andalterpagepropertiesfromthepagetabshortcutmenu

Whenyouaddaforegroundpagetoadiagram,Visiousesthepropertiesofthecurrent,activepagetosettheattributesforthenewpage.Forexample,ifPage-3hasalandscapeorientationwithmetricmeasurementunitsandislinkedtoabackgroundpage,yournewpagewillinheritthoseattributes,includingthelinktothebackgroundpage.

Ifallofthepagesinyourdiagramareconfiguredthesameway,thenaddinganewpageisstraightforward.However,ifyourdiagramcontainsforegroundpageswithdifferingorientations,measurementunits,backgroundpages,orprinterpapersettings,youshouldselectthecurrentpagethatismostlikethepageyouwanttoadd,beforeyouclickInsert.

Inadditiontocopyingtheattributesofapage,Visiocanduplicatethecontentsofapage.FirstintroducedwithVisio2013,theduplicatepagefeaturesatisfiesalong-standingrequestfromVisiousers.

Toaddaforegroundpageimmediatelyafterthecurrentforegroundpage1.Right-clickthepagenametab,andthenclickInsert.

2.InthePageSetupdialogbox,onthePageSetuptab,clickForegroundifit’snotalreadyselected.

3.Changethenameofthepage,ifyouwant.

4.ClickOK.

Toaddaforegroundpageafterallcurrentforegroundpages1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•ClicktheInsertPage(+)button.

•OntheInserttab,inthePagesgroup,clicktheNewPagebutton(notitsarrow).

•OntheInserttab,inthePagesgroup,clicktheNewPagearrow,andthenclickBlankPage.

Torenameapage1.Double-clickthepagenametabyouwanttochange,andthenenteranewname.

2.PressEnter.

Clickanywhereoutsidethepagenametab.

1.Right-clickapagenametab,andthenclickPageSetup.

2.InthePageSetupdialogbox,enteranewnameintheNamebox,andthenclickOK.

Tomoveapage1.Dragapagenametableftorrighttoanewlocation.

Draggingpagenametabsisaneasywaytoresequencepageswhenthedestinationtablocationforyourpageisvisibleatthebottomofthedrawingwindow.However,ifyourdiagramcontainsmanypagesandthedestinationtabisnotvisible,thefollowingmethodmightbeeasiertouse.

1.Right-clickapagenametab,andthenclickReorderPages.

2.IntheReorderPagesdialogbox,showninFigure3-26,clickthenameofthepageyouwanttomove,andthenclickeithertheMoveUporMoveDownbuttonuntilthepageisinthelocationyouwant.

Figure3-26MovingpagesinalargediagramiseasierbyusingtheReorderPagesdialogbox

3.ClickOK.

Toduplicateapage1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•Right-clickapagenametab,andthenclickDuplicate.

•OntheInserttab,inthePagesgroup,clicktheNewPagearrow,andthenclickDuplicateThisPage.

Todeleteapage1.Right-clickapagenametab,andthenclickDelete.

ConfigureforegroundpagesMostpageconfigurationfunctionsarelocatedononeoffivetabsinthePageSetupdialogbox.WhenyouopenthePageSetupdialogbox,thePagePropertiestabisdisplayed,asshowninFigure3-27.

Figure3-27YousetkeypropertiesofaforegroundpagebyusingsettingsonthePagePropertiestab

OnthePageSetuptab,youcanchangethepagetype,enteradifferentpagename,selectabackgroundpage,orchangethemeasurementunitsforthepage.BesuretonoticethescrollbarintheMeasurementUnitsmenu—youhave20choices.Ifyouchangethemeasurementunits,theresultisvisibleintherulersonthetopandleftofthedrawingpage.

YouusetheoptionsonthePrintSetuptab,showninFigure3-28,primarilytoaffectthesizeandlayoutofthephysicalpageonwhichyouwillprint.

Figure3-28Printerpapersettingsaredistinctfromdrawingpagesettings

OnthePrintSetuptab,youcanchangesettingsforthefollowing:

PrinterpaperChoosethepapersizeforyourprinter.MostUSUnitstemplatesdefaulttoletter-sizedpaper,asshowninFigure3-28.MetrictemplatestypicallydefaulttoA4.Regardlessofthedefault,thereisalonglistofalternate,predefinedpapersizesavailable.YoucanalsoselectPortraitorLandscapeorientation.

PrintzoomThedefaultzoomformanytemplatesdefaultstoAdjustTo100%,butyoucanselectadifferentzoomlevelifyouwantyourdrawingtoprintlargerorsmallerthannormal.Chooseazoomsettinggreaterthan100%inordertosplityourdrawingacrossmultiplesheetsofpaper;chooseasettinglessthan100%toscaleyourdiagramdowntofitontoaportionoftheprinterpaper.

FittoUsethissettingasanalternativemethodtoscaleyourdrawingforprinting.

PrintThesinglesettinginthissectionincludesorexcludesgridlinesfromprintedoutput.Thedefaultinmosttemplatesistoexcludegridlines.

ThepreviewpaneontherightsideofthePrintSetuptabchangesdynamicallytoreflectyourcurrentprintsettingsanddisplaystheminbothvisualandtextform.

OnthePageSizetab,showninFigure3-29,youcanchangeattributesofthedrawingpage;changesyoumakeonthistabdonotdirectlyaffecttheprintedpage.

Figure3-29Drawingpapersettingscanmimicthoseoftheprinterpaper,orcanbesetindependently

ThePageSizetabincludestwoconfigurationsectionsplusapreviewpane:

PagesizeThefirstoptioninthissectionenablesdynamicAutoSizebehavior.Asanalternative,youcanusethesecondandthirdoptionstosetafixedpagesize,eitherfromalistofpresetsizesorbyenteringspecificdimensions.

PageorientationTheoptionsinthissectionareactiveonlyifyouchoosePre-

DefinedSizeorCustomSizeinthePageSizesection.Youcanusetheseoptionstosetadifferentorientationforthephysicalpagethantheonethatissetforthedrawingpage.

SeeAlso

ForinformationabouttheDrawingScaletab,see“Changethedrawingscale,”inChapter7,“Createnetworkanddatacenterdiagrams.”

Toconfigureprinterpapersettings1.Right-clickapagenametab,andthenclickPageSetup.

2.InthePageSetupdialogbox,clickthePrintSetuptab.

3.Makethechangesyouwant,andthenclickOK.

Tochangepageorientation1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•OntheDesigntab,inthePageSetupgroup,clicktheOrientationbutton,andthenclickeitherPortraitorLandscape.

•OpenthePageSetupdialogbox,clickthePrintSetuptab,clickeitherPortraitorLandscape,andthenclickOK.

Tochangethedrawingpagesize1.InthePageSetupgroup,clicktheSizebutton,andthenclickthepagesizeyouwant.

1.OpenthePageSetupdialogbox,andthenclickthePageSizetab.

2.ClickPre-definedsize,chooseoneofthestandardpapersizes,andthenclickOK.

ClickCustomsize,enterapagewidthandheightintheappropriateboxes,andthenclickOK.

ManageAutoSizeAutoSizeisapageconfigurationsettingthatcanbeeitherhelpfulorannoying.ThepurposeofAutoSizeistoextendthesizeofthedrawingpageautomaticallyifyoudragashapeonthecanvasbeyondthecurrentpageboundaries.InFigure3-30,acircleisbeingdraggedoffthepagetotheright.Itsformerlocationisshownasaselectedshape,anditscurrentlocationisunderthepointer.Visioisintheprocessofaddinganewpage,identifiablebythewhitepage-sizedrectangleagainstthegraycanvas.Whenyouplacethecircleonthenewpage,Visiowillcompletetheadditionofthepage.

Figure3-30AutoSizeisextendingthedrawingpagetotheright

Thereverseisalsotrue:whenyoudeleteordragthelastshapefromanextendedsectionofthedrawingpage,Visiowillremovetheextendedpage.

AutoSizeworksbothhorizontallyandvertically:ifyouaddordragshapesaboveorbelowthecurrentpage,Visiowilladdtherequiredpagestherealso.

AsshowninFigure3-31,whenAutoSizeisoff,Visiodoesnotextendthedrawingpage.AutoSizeisturnedoninsometemplatesbutisoffinothers.However,youcanchangetheAutoSizesetting.

Figure3-31AutoSizeisoff,sothedraggedshaperesidesonthecanvas

TheAutoSizeoptionisappliedperpage.Consequently,changingthesettingforthecurrentpagedoesnotaffectotherpages.

ToturnAutoSizeonoroff1.OntheDesigntab,inthePageSetupgroup,clicktheAutoSizebutton.

2.InthePageSetupdialogbox,clickthePageSizetab.

3.ClickLetVisioexpandthepageasneededoroneoftheotherPagesizeoptions,andthenclickOK.

WorkwithbackgroundpagesandbordersSeveralofthefeaturesdiscussedinthissectioncreatebackgroundpagesforyouautomatically.Youcanalsocreatebackgroundpagesmanually.Ineithercase,backgroundpagesexistsoyoucanconsolidatetextandgraphicsthatneedtoappearonmultiplepages.

Applybackgroundsandbordersautomatically

TwobuttonsintheBackgroundsgroupontheDesigntab,showninFigure3-32,arethekeytoautomaticcreationofbackgroundpages:

BackgroundsThisbuttonprovidesagalleryofimagesthatcanbeusedonbackgroundpages.

Borders&TitlesThisbuttonincludesagalleryofborderdesignsthatareaccompaniedbyatextblockforatitle;mostalsoincludeapagenumberandsomeincludeadate.

Figure3-32TheBackgroundsgroupoftheDesigntabincludestwobuttonsforcreatingbackgroundpages

Whenyouclickabuttonineithergallery,Visiodoesthreethings:

AddsabackgroundpagewithanameintheformatofVBackground-1

Insertstheselectedborderandtitleorimageontothebackgroundpage

Linksthebackgroundpagetothecurrentlyactiveforegroundpage

TheresultofaddingtheFlowbackgroundimagetoaforegroundpagecontainingthreesquareshapesisshowninFigure3-33.

Figure3-33Aforegroundpagewithcontentfromanassignedbackgroundpage

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutusingthemes,seeChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”

Backgroundsandbordersarenotmutuallyexclusive.Youcanincludebothonthesamebackgroundpage.

InFigure3-34,thebackgroundimagehasbeenreplacedbytheCivicborderandtitlebackgroundpage.Unrelatedtothenewborderandtitle,Variant2oftheGemstonethemehasalsobeenappliedtoFigure3-34toprovideadditionalvisualenhancement.

Figure3-34TheCivicborderandtitlebackgroundpageappliedtoaforegroundpage

Important

Tochangethetitleinatitleblockonabackgroundpage,youmustbrowsetothebackgroundpage.AlthoughyoucanseethewordTitleinFigure3-34,youcannotedititbecauseyouareviewingtheforegroundpage;backgroundpageelementsareread-onlywhenviewedonforegroundpages.

Tocreateandapplyabackgroundpageautomatically1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheDesigntab,intheBackgroundsgroup,clicktheBackgroundsbutton,andthenclickoneofthebackgroundimagesinthegallery.

•OntheDesigntab,intheBackgroundsgroup,clicktheBorders&Titlesbutton,andthenclickoneoftheborder/titlecombinationsinthegallery.

Todeleteanautomaticallyassignedbackgroundpagefromadiagram1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•ClicktheBackgroundsbutton,andthenclicktheNonethumbnailatthetopofthegallery.

•ClicktheBorders&Titlesbutton,andthenclicktheNonethumbnailatthetopofthegallery.

Toremoveanautomaticallyassignedbackgroundpagefromaforegroundpage

2.OnthePageSetuptabofthePageSetupdialogbox,intheBackgroundlist,selectNone,andthenclickOK.

Applybackgroundpagesmanually

Youcanaddabackgroundpagemanuallyinthesamewaythatyouaddforegroundpages;however,youmustbecertaintosetthepagetypetobackgroundattheappropriatetime.Whenyoucreateamanualbackgroundpage,VisioassignsapagenameintheformatBackground-1.

Youcandistinguishautomaticallycreatedbackgroundpagesfrommanuallycreatedbackgroundpagesbytheirnames.VisiobeginseachautomaticallygeneratedpagenamewiththeletterV,whereasmanuallycreatedbackgroundpagesdonotcontaintheV.

Figure3-35showsthetoppartofanewlycreatedbackgroundpagewithtwoelements.Inarealdiagram,thetextboxmightcontainacompanyname,alegalnotice,anauthor’sname,oranyothertextyouwanttobevisibleonforegroundpages.Thesuniconrepresentsacompanylogoorotherimportantgraphicelement.

Figure3-35Anexampleofamanuallycreatedbackgroundpage

Havingcreatedabackgroundpage,youcanthenassignittooneormoreexistingpages.Notethatyoucanlinkabackgroundpagetoonlyonepageatatime.

Allpageattributes,includingbackgroundpageassignments,arecopiedwhenyouinsertanewpage.Ifyouwanttoassignthesamebackgroundpagetomultiplenewpages,assignittoonepagefirst,andthenusethatastheactivepagewhenyouinsertadditionalpages.

Figure3-36showsthetoppartofaforegroundpagecontainingasetoftriangles.Thepagehasbeenlinkedtothebackgroundpageshownintheprecedingfigure.

Figure3-36Anexampleforegroundpagewithcontentfromthebackgroundpageshowninthepreviousfigure

Tocreateabackgroundpagemanually1.Right-clickanypagenametab,clickInsert,andonthePageSetuptabinthePageSetupdialogbox,clickBackground.

OntheInserttab,inthePagesgroup,clicktheNewPagearrow(notitsbutton),andthenclickBackgroundPage.

2.Changethenameofthebackgroundpage,ifyouwant.

3.ClickOK.

Toassignabackgroundpagemanually1.Activatetheforegroundpagethatyouwanttoassignabackgroundto,andthenopenthePageSetupdialogboxtothePageSetuptab.

2.SelectapagefromtheBackgroundlist,andthenclickOK.

Toremoveamanuallyassignedbackgroundpagefromaforegroundpage1.InthePageSetupdialogbox,onthePageSetuptab,selectNonefromtheBackgroundlist,andthenclickOK.

Manageshapetext

Insertpictures

Replaceshapes

Groupshapes

Managepages

Practicetasks

Therearenopracticefilesforthischapter.

ManageshapetextStartVisio,clicktheGeneraltemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Dragsixshapestothedrawingpage.

2.Addtexttoallsixshapes.

3.Movethetextblockforthefirstshapesothetextiscenteredabovetheshape.

4.Decreasethesizeofthetextblockonanothershapesothetextblockissmallerthantheshape.

5.Alignthetextinathirdshapetotheupper-leftcorner.

6.Rotatethetextinthefourthshape180degrees.

7.Selectthefourthandfifthshapes,andthenrotatethemclockwiseby90degrees.

8.Rotatethetextblockinshapesixsoitisata45-degreeangletotheshape.

9.Leavethediagramopenifyou’recontinuingtothenextpracticetask.

CreateandformattextboxesContinueworkingwiththediagramfromtheprecedingpracticetaskorcreateanewdiagramfromtheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ActivatetheTexttool,drawarectangle,andthenentertextintothetextbox.

2.Changethefontandfontsize.

3.Rotatethetextboxby45degreesineitherdirection.

AddScreenTipsandcommentsContinueworkingwiththediagramfromtheprecedingpracticetaskorcreateanewdiagramfromtheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Useanexistingshapeoraddseveralnewshapestothepage.

2.AddaScreenTiptoashape,andthenenterThisisanexampleofScreenTiptext.

3.PointtotheshapeuntiltheScreenTipappears.

4.Selectadifferentshapeandenteracomment.

5.Clickthecommentindicatortoseethetextofthecomment.

6.Replytothecommentwithadditionaltext.

7.OpentheCommentspanetoseehowthecommentsappearthere.

8.Ensurethatnoshapesareselected,andthenaddacommenttothepage.

9.Hidethecommentindicators,andthenshowthemagain.

InsertpicturesContinueworkingwiththediagramfromtheprecedingpracticetaskorcreateanewdiagramfromtheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Importapicturefromyourharddriveoranetworkdrive.

2.ImportanonlineimagebysearchingBing.

ReplaceshapesContinueworkingwiththediagramfromtheprecedingpracticetaskorcreateanewdiagramfromtheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Useexistingshapesoraddseveralnewshapestothepage.

2.Selectanyshapeandreplaceitwithanothershapefromanopenstencil.

3.SelectanyshapeandreplaceitwithashapefromtheWorkflowObjectsstencilintheFlowchartsgroup.

GroupshapesContinueworkingwiththediagramfromtheprecedingpracticetaskorcreateanewdiagramfromtheBasicDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Selectseveralshapesandgroupthem.

2.Clickoutsidethegrouptodeselectit,andthenselectoneoftheshapesinsidethegroup.

3.Ungroupthegroup.

UnderstandanduselayersCreateanewdiagramfromtheBasicFlowcharttemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Addseveralflowchartshapestothepage.

2.AddanewlayernamedStepbySteptothepage.

3.Usethedrawingtoolstoaddarectangleandacircletothepage.

4.AddtherectangleandcircletotheStepbySteplayer.

5.HideallshapesontheStepbySteplayer.

6.RemovethecirclefromtheStepbySteplayer.

7.DeletetheStepbySteplayer.

8.SelectallshapesontheFlowchartlayer,andthenlockthelayer.

ManagepagesContinueworkingwiththediagramfromtheprecedingpracticetaskorcreateanewdiagramfromtheBasicFlowcharttemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Addmultipleforegroundpagestothediagrambyusingseveraltechniques.

2.RenameoneofthepagestoSpecial.

3.MovetheSpecialpagetoanewlocation.

4.AddseveralshapestotheSpecialpage,andthenduplicatethepage.

5.ChangetheSpecialpagesettingstouseadifferentprinterpapersize.

6.ChangethepageorientationfortheSpecialpage.

7.IfAutoSizeison,dragoraddashapetoextendthedrawingpagesize;ifAutoSizeisoff,turniton,anddothesame.

8.Deleteormovetheshapebacktotheoriginalpagetoremovetheextrapageorpages.

9.Increasethesizeofthedrawingpagebyselectingastandardsizeorbyenteringacustomsize.

10.AddtheWorldbackgroundtotheSpecialpage.

11.AddtheBlocksborderandtitletotheSpecialpage.

12.Createyourownbackgroundpageandaddseveralshapesortextboxestoit.

13.Assignyourbackgroundpagetoanyforegroundpageinthediagram.

14.RemovetheWorldbackgroundfromtheSpecialpage.

15.DeletetheSpecialpage.

4.Createbusinessprocessdiagrams

Inthischapter

Createflowcharts

UnderstandBPMN

DesignBPMNdiagrams

Createsubprocesses

Practicefiles

Forthischapter,usethepracticefilefromtheVisio2016SBS\Ch04folder.Forpracticefiledownloadinstructions,seetheintroduction.

ThefirstthreechaptersdescribedmanyofthebasiccapabilitiesofVisio.Thisisthefirstofseveralchaptersinwhichyou’llapplythatknowledgetocreatingreal-worlddiagrams.

Usingaflowcharttemplatetocreateabusinessprocessdiagramisalogicalplacetostart,becauseMicrosoftestimatesthatnearlyone-thirdofallVisiodiagramsarecreatedbyusingatemplateintheFlowchartcategory.Inthischapter,youwillcreatethreetypesofbusinessprocessdiagramsbyusingthemostcommontemplates:aflowchart,aswimlanediagram,andaBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)diagram.

Ifyourgoalisnottodocumentabusinessprocessbuttodrawthelogicofasoftwaremoduleinstead,thediagramcreationtechniquesthatfollowwillstillapply.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtoselectingaflowcharttemplate,creatingflowcharts,understandingandbuildingswimlanediagrams,understandinganddesigningBPMNdiagrams,andcreatingsubprocesses.

AlloftheflowchartandBPMNshapesusedinthischaptercontaindatafields.Althoughyouwillnotexploreshapedatainthischapter,itisanessentialpartoftheshapesusedinbusinessprocessdiagramsandiscoveredinChapter8,“Workwithshapedata.”

SelectaflowcharttemplateTheStandardeditionofVisioprovidesasetofbasicflowcharttemplates,andtheProfessionaleditionincludesmorethantwiceasmany.

VisioStandardInthischapter,youwillworkwithtwoofthefourtemplatesthatareincludedintheFlowcharttemplategroupinVisioStandard2016:BasicFlowchartandCross-FunctionalFlowchart.TheFlowchartgroup,showninFigure4-1,alsoincludestheWorkFlowDiagramandWorkFlowDiagram–3Dtemplates.Theformerisatheme-compatiblediagramtypethatwasintroducedinVisio2013formappingworkflows;itsstencilsincludeupdated,modernshapes.ThelatterisavailableifyouprefertheolderstyleofworkflowdiagramsthatwasbundledwithpreviousversionsofVisio.

Figure4-1FourflowcharttemplatesareavailableinVisioStandard

VisioProfessionalTheProfessionaleditionofVisio2016includesthefourtemplatesthatarepartoftheStandardedition,plusfiveadditionaltemplates,showninFigure4-2:BPMN,IDEF0,SDL,andtwovariationsofMicrosoftSharePointWorkflow,oneforSharePoint2010andoneforSharePoint2016.

Figure4-2NineflowcharttemplatesareavailableinVisioProfessional

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutIDEF0,gotoen.wikipedia.org/wiki/IDEF0.ForinformationaboutSDL,gotoen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specification_and_Description_Language.

Thedefaultfontsizeonflowchartshapesis8pt.Toimprovethereadabilityofthefiguresinthischapter,theshapesinmostscreenshotsusealargerfontsize.Consequently,thetextintheshapesonyourdrawingpagemightappearsmallerthaninthefiguresinthischapter.

Verticalorhorizontal?

Peoplewhocreateflowchartshavedebatedforyearswhetherflowchartsshouldbedrawnwithavertical(portrait)orhorizontal(landscape)orientation.Advocatesoftheverticalapproachlikethetop-to-bottomlayout,whereashorizontaldevoteesfindtheleft-to-right(orright-to-left)approachtobeeasiertoread.

YoucancreateeitherstyleofflowchartinVisio,butthedefaultlayoutislandscape,mostlikelybecausemostmodernmonitorsarewidescreen.PriortoVisio2010,theflowchartdefaultwasportraitorientation.

CreateflowchartsThistopicexploresthetechniquesforbuildingadiagramfromtheBasicFlowcharttemplate.Withtheinformationandprocedurespresentedinthistopic,youcancreateflowchartssuchasthehumanresourcesrecruitingprocessshowninFigure4-8.

Theflowchartinthistopicwasformattedbyusingvariant2oftheGemstonetheme.Forinformationaboutthemesandvariants,seeChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”

OneofthethingsyouwilldiscoververyquicklywhenyouworkwithflowchartsisthattheyareperfectcandidatesforusingtheAutoConnectandQuickShapesfeaturesthatweredescribedinChapter2,“Creatediagrams.”Althoughthosefeaturesarehelpfulinavarietyofdiagramtypes,theyareparticularlywellsuitedforflowcharts.

Youstartaflowchartbyusingastart/endshape.FromtheQuickShapesmenu,youcanquicklyaddprocessshapeslikethoseshowninFigure4-3.Eachprocessboxrepresentsonestepintheoverallprocess.

Figure4-3Thefirstrowofaflowchart

Figure4-4showshoweasyitistopositionthefirstshapeinthesecondrowofaflowchartbyusingtheDynamicGridtoalignthenewshapewithanexistingprocessshape.

Figure4-4TheDynamicGridlinesthatconnectthelowerprocessshapewiththeupperoneemphasizethatthetwoshapesarealignedandarethesamewidth

Completingthesecondrow,showninFigure4-5,isjustaseasyasthefirst,byusingtheQuickShapesminitoolbartoplaceshapesontothepage.Thesecondrowincludesadecisiondiamond,inadditiontoasecondstart/endshapethatconcludestheprocessflow.

Figure4-5Tworowsofflowchartshapesthatrepresentmultipletasksandonedecision

Figure4-6showsaninterestingalternativeforaddingadocumentshape.ClickingtheAutoConnectarrowbeneathashapecausesVisiotoplaceontothepageacopyofwhichevermasterisselectedinthestencil.

Figure4-6Youcanplaceashapeontothepagebyselectingamasterinthestencil

PriortoclickingtheAutoConnectarrow,Visiodisplaysalivepreviewtoshowyouasemitransparentviewoftheshapethatwillbeaddedtothediagram,asshowninFigure4-6.

Figure4-7showsthestateoftheflowchartafteraddingthedocumentshape.

Figure4-7Adocumentshapehasbeenaddedbeneathoneprocessshapetoindicatethatsupportingdocumentationexistsforthatstep

Tocompleteaflowchart,followtheseguidelines:

Ifyourflowcharthasmorethanonerow,linkthelastshapeintheupperrowwiththefirstshapeinthelowerrow.

Addasecondoutcomepathtoanydecisiondiamondsyouinclude.(Youcanaddadditionaloutcomesifadecisionhasmorethantwopotentialresults.)

Addtexttoeachshape.

InthefinalversionoftheflowchartshowninFigure4-8,thedynamicconnectorfromupperrighttolowerleftwasattachedtobothshapesbyusingstaticglueforreasonsdescribedinthe“Dynamicorstaticglue?”sidebaronthenextpage.Youcanuseeitherdynamicorstaticgluetodrawtheseconddecisionoutcomeatthebottomofthepage.

Addingtexttoshapesissimplyamatterofselectingshapesandtyping.

Figure4-8Acompletedhumanresourcesrecruitingprocessflowchart

Tobuildaflowchartquickly1.DragaStart/Endshapeontothepage.

2.UseAutoConnectarrowstoaddadditionalshapesinthesamerow.

3.DragashapeontothepagetobeginthelowerrowandusetheDynamicGridtopositionitbelowashapeintheupperrow.

4.UseAutoConnectarrowstoaddadditionalshapesinthesecondrow.

Dynamicorstaticglue?

Whenyouneedtolinktwoshapeswithaconnector,yourchoiceofstaticversusdynamicgluemightdependpartlyonthepositionsofthetwoshapesonthepage.UsingFigure4-7asanexample,youcoulduseoneofthetechniquesthatproducedynamicgluetolinktheprocessboxintheupperrightwiththeoneinthelowerleft.AlthoughtheresultinFigure4-9isaperfectlyvalidflowchart,itisbettertoavoidoverlappingconnectorsifthereisareasonablealternative.

Figure4-9Adynamicallygluedconnectorfrombelowtheupper-rightshapetothelower-leftshapetakesalessthanoptimalpath

Usingstaticgluefromtheconnectionpointontherightsideoftheupper-rightshapetotheconnectionpointontheleftsideofthelower-leftshapeproducesamoresatisfactoryresult,asseeninFigure4-10.

Figure4-10Astaticallygluedconnectorfromtheupper-rightshapetothelower-leftshapetakesthedesiredpath

Mostflowchartshapesarepreconfiguredwithconnectionpointsinthemiddleofthetop,bottom,left,andrightedges.

Incontrast,eitherdynamicglueorstaticgluewillsufficefortheseconddecisionoutcomethathasbeenaddedtothebottomofthediagraminFigure4-11.

Figure4-11Aseconddecisionoutcomepathhasbeenaddedbecauseeverydecisionshouldhaveatleasttwooutcomes

Toaddshapestoaflowchart1.Useanycombinationofthefollowing:

•DragashapefromtheBasicFlowchartShapesstencil.

•UseAutoConnecttoplacetheselectedmasterintheBasicFlowchartShapesstencilontothepage.Thenewshapeconnectstotheprecedingshapeautomatically.

•UsetheQuickShapesminitoolbartoaddashape.Thenewshapeconnectstotheprecedingshapeautomatically.

•ClicktheConnectortool,andthendragashapefromtheBasicFlowchartShapesstencil.Thenewshapeconnectstotheprecedingshapeautomatically.

Toconnectexistingshapesinaflowchartbyusingdynamicconnectors1.Useanycombinationofthefollowing:

•ClicktheConnectortool,andthendragfromtheinteriorofoneshapetotheinteriorofanother,therebycreatingdynamicglue.

•ClicktheConnectortool,andthendragfromaconnectionpointononeshapetoaconnectionpointonanother,therebycreatingstaticglue.

•DraganAutoConnectarrowfromoneshapeeithertotheinterior(dynamicglue)ortoaconnectionpoint(staticglue)ofanothershape.

Toaddtexttoflowchartshapes1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•Clickashape,andthenentertext.

•Double-clickashape,andthenentertext.

•Clickashape,pressF2toswitchtoeditmode,andthenentertext.

Toexittextentrymode1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•Clickanywhereoutsidetheshapebeingedited.

•PresstheEsckey.

•PressF2.

UnderstandswimlanediagramsOnedrawbackofaflowchartisthatitdoesn’tshowwhoisresponsibleforeachofthetasksanddecisionsinaprocess.YouwilldiscoverinChapter8,“Workwithshapedata,”thatflowchartshapescontaindatafieldsthatcanbeusedtostorethisinformation.However,thereisnothingaboutthelayoutorappearanceofaflowchartthatidentifiestheresponsibleparties.

Acloselyrelatedalternativetoaflowchart,calledaswimlanediagram,solvesthisproblem.Eachprocessstepinaswimlanediagramisplacedintoaspecificlane,andeachlanerepresentsonerole,function,ordepartment.Forexample,aswimlanediagramwithafocusonrolesmightincludelanesmarkedFlightAttendant,Pilot,andBaggageHandler.Similarly,adepartment-focusedchartmightshowlaneslabeledFlightOperations,Maintenance,andCatering.

Aswimlanediagramisalsoknownasacross-functionalflowchartbecauseitshowsworkstepsastheycrossthefunctionalboundariesinanorganization.Inthiscontext,eachswimlaneisusuallyreferredtoasafunctionalband.

Add-intabs

SomeVisiotemplatesrequireadditionalsoftwaretoprovidetheiruniquefeatures.Thisistrueforadd-inslikethecross-functionalflowcharttemplatethatisincludedwithVisio.ItisalsotrueforTaskMap(www.taskmap.com)andotherthird-partyadd-insthatyouacquireseparately.

Likemanyadd-ins,regardlessofsource,cross-functionalflowchartspresentacustomtabontheribbon,asshowninFigure4-12.

Figure4-12Theadd-intabforcross-functionalflowcharts

TheCross-functionalFlowcharttabincludesthreegroups.FromtheInsertgroup,youcanaddaswimlane,aseparator,oranewpage.IntheArrangegroup,youchangetheorientation,direction,andmarginsofswimlanes.TheDesigngroupincludesaselectionofstyles,anoptiontorotateswimlanelabels,andcheckboxesthatyoucanselecttodisplaythetitlebarandswimlaneseparators.

Swimlanediagramscanbedrawnwitheitherhorizontalorverticallanes.YouchoosetheorientationyoupreferatthetimeyoustartanewdiagrambyusingtheCross-functionalFlowchartdialogboxshowninFigure4-13.Notethatthisdialogboxappearsonlythefirsttimeyoucreateaswimlanediagram;yourselectioninthisdialogboxbecomesthedefaultforfuturediagrams.

Figure4-13YoucanchoosebetweenhorizontalandverticalorientationforaswimlanediagramintheCross-functionalFlowchartdialogbox

Ifyoulaterwanttochangetheorientationforaspecificdiagram,orchangethedefaultforfuturediagrams,youcandosofromtheOrientationmenuontheCross-functionalFlowchartadd-intab,showninFigure4-14.

Figure4-14TheOrientationbuttonontheCross-functionalFlowchartadd-intab

Tochangeswimlanediagramorientation1.OntheCross-functionalFlowcharttab,intheArrangegroup,clicktheOrientationbutton.Noticethatthecurrentlyselectedorientationisprecededbyacheckmark.

2.ClickeitherHorizontalorVertical.

Tochangethedefaultorientationforfuturediagrams1.ClicktheOrientationbutton,andthenclickSetDefault.

2.IntheCross-functionalflowchartdialogbox,clickeitherHorizontalorVertical,andthenclickOK.

BuildswimlanediagramsThesampleflowchartofahumanresourcesrecruitingprocessintheprevioustopicdoesnotindicatewhoisresponsibleforeachtask.Inthistopic,youwillexamineacross-functionalflowchartofthesameprocesstoseehowthisdiagramformatorganizestheworkstepsintorole-basedlanessotheresponsibilitiesareclear.

Ifyouselecthorizontalorientationforanewprocessmap,yourinitialswimlanediagrampagewilllooklikethediagramshowninFigure4-15.

Figure4-15Theinitialstateofaswimlanediagram

Theswimlanediagraminthistopicwasformattedbyusingvariant4oftheShadetheme.Forinformationaboutthemesandvariants,seeChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.

Thesampleswimlanediagramforthistopicwilldistributetherecruitingtasksacrossfourroles,sotwoadditionalswimlanesarerequired.Inaddition,theswimlanesshouldbelabeledwiththeappropriaterolenames.Youcanaccomplishbothtaskseasilybyusingfamiliartechniques,becauseeventhoughaswimlaneisatypeofVisioshapewithspecialproperties,it’sreallyjustanothershape.

Forexample,oneeasywaytoaddalaneistodragonefromastencil,justasyouwouldanyothershape.(Inthisparticularcase,becauseoftheaddedintelligenceintheswimlanediagramframework,dragginganewswimlaneontothepagecausestheexistinglanestoshiftupordown,orsidetoside,toaccommodatethenewlane.)

Youcanaddtexttothelanes,ortotheswimlanestructureasawhole,byclickingtheheaderandthentyping.Figure4-16showstheresultofaddingtwomorelanestotheexampleshowninFigure4-15.

Figure4-16Labeledtitlebarandswimlanes

SeeAlso

Forinformationabouttheuniquepropertiesofswimlanesandtheswimlaneframework,see“FindcontainersandlistsinVisio”inChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

You’veprobablyalreadyfiguredthisout,butswimlanediagramsaresonamedbecausetheyresembleaswimmingpoolviewedfromabove.

Toaddflowchartshapestothediagram,youcanuseanycombinationofthetechniquesthatweredescribedinthe“Createflowcharts”topicearlierinthischapter.It’susefultoknowthatallofthemethodsthatadddynamicconnectors,includingAutoConnectandQuickShapes,workbothwithinonelaneandacrossswimlaneboundaries.

Asyouaddshapes,DynamicGridguidelinesstillappear,evenacrosslanes.Figure4-17showssomefamiliarguidelines—adouble-headedarrowshowingspacing,andbothverticalandhorizontaldashedlinesshowingalignment—inadditiontoonenewguideline.ThedashedlinethatstretchesthefullwidthoftheswimlaneindicatesthattheshapebeingpositionedintheRecruiterlaneiscenteredverticallywithinthelane.

Figure4-17DynamicGridfeedbackwithinandacrossswimlanes

ThegreenborderaroundtheentireRecruiterswimlaneisafourthvisualaidthatisexplainedin“FindcontainersandlistsinVisio”inChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Thereisn’tonecorrectwaytobuildtheswimlaneversionoftheflowchartintheprevioustopic,butFigure4-18showsoneexampleofhowtheshapesmightbearrangedinrelevantlanes.

Figure4-18Acompletedhumanresourcesrecruitingprocessswimlanediagram

SwimlanediagramsinVisio2016lookverymuchlikethoseinpreviousversionsofVisio.However,theunderlyingstructureisverydifferentfrompre–Visio2013diagrams.CurrentswimlanesarebuiltonkeycomponentsofVisio2016structureddiagrams,whicharedescribedinChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Toaddaswimlanetoadiagram1.Useanycombinationofthefollowing:

•OntheCross-functionalFlowcharttab,intheInsertgroup,clicktheSwimlanebutton.

•Right-clicktheheaderofanexistinglane,andthenclickeitherInsert‘Swimlane’BeforeorInsert‘Swimlane’After.

•DragaSwimlaneshapefromtheCross-functionalFlowchartShapesstencilontotheboundarybetweenexistinglanes.

•Pointtotheboundarybetweenapairoflaneswiththecursorjustoutsidetheswimlanestructure,andthenclicktheblueinsertiontriangle.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutthismethodforinsertingrows,see“FindcontainersandlistsinVisio”inChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Tolabelaswimlanediagram1.Clicktheheaderthatisaboveorbesidethesetofswimlanes,andthenenterthetextyouwant.

Tolabelaswimlane1.Clicktheheaderthatisatoneendoftheswimlane,andthenenterthetextyouwant.

Toaddandconnectshapesinacross-functionalflowchart1.Useanyofthetechniquesintheproceduresattheendofthe“Createflowcharts”topicearlierinthischapter.

UnderstandBPMN

Important

TheinformationinthistopicappliesonlytotheProfessionaleditionofVisio2016.

BusinessprocessexpertsfromaroundtheworldcreatedtheBusinessProcessModeland

Notation(BPMN)standardsothataprocessdiagramcouldconveymoredetailsaboutaprocessthanispossibleinaflowchartoraswimlanediagram.AkeygoalforBPMNistoimprovecommunicationaboutaprocessacrossallpartsofanorganization.

AlthoughBPMNdiagramscanimproveknowledgetransferaboutmanualprocesses,theycanbeparticularlyeffectiveinenhancingcommunicationaboutautomatedprocesses.TraditionalflowchartsseldomcontainenoughdetailaboutaprocessforanITdepartmenttobuildsystemstosupporttheworkofthebusinessgroup.BPMNattemptstoclosethatgap.

ThecreatorsofBPMNchosetousethecustomaryflowchartshapessothataBPMNdiagramwilllookfamiliar.Buttheyenhancedthoseshapesbycreatingmultiplevariationsofeachinordertoprovideadditionalcontextandmeaning.Forexample,asshowninthefiguresthataccompanyboththistopicandthefollowingtopic,mostBPMNshapescandisplayoneormoreiconswithintheshape.Theadditionaliconsprovidethereaderwithkeydetailsaboutaprocessstep.

TheBPMNtemplatesinVisio2016andVisio2013conformtothe2.0versionoftheBPMNstandard.Visio2010,whichwasthefirstversionofVisiotoincludeaBPMNtemplate,supportsBPMN1.2.

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationaboutthespecificBPMN2.0featuresthatareincludedwith,orexcludedfrom,theVisio2016andVisio2013BPMNtemplate,gotoblogs.office.com/b/visio/archive/2012/11/19/introducing-bpmn-2-0-in-visio.aspx.

BPMNusesfourcoreshapetypes:Events,Activities,Gateways,andConnectingObjects,andtherearemultiplevariationsofeach.Visiosmartshapesareidealforpresentingshapevariationsvisually.

TheBPMN2.0symbolsetincludesthefollowing:

ThreetypesofeventsStart,Intermediate,andEndeventsappearascircleswithdifferentborders,asshownintheupperrowofFigure4-19.

Figure4-19BPMNeventshapes

ThelowerrowofFigure4-19showsoneofthevariationsofeacheventtype;fromlefttorightthesethreeimagesrepresentatimedstartevent,amessage-basedintermediateevent,andanendeventthatresultsfromanerror.

ThesixeventshapesshowninFigure4-19,inadditiontotheseveraldozenvariationsthatarenotshown,areactuallyallthesameshapeinVisio.The“DesignBPMNdiagrams”topic,laterinthischapter,demonstratesasimpletechniquethatyoucanusetochangetheshapeamongitsmanydifferentincarnations.IndrawingappsthatdonothavetheflexibilityofVisio,representingdozensofvisualvariationslikethiswouldrequiredozensofdifferentshapes.

TwoactivitytypesTaskandSub-Processactivities(showninFigure4-20)arebothconfiguredfromthesameVisioshapeandeachhasmultiplevariations.

Figure4-20AnactivitytypewithaplussignrepresentsaSub-Processactivity

SixgatewaytypesGatewaysareusedtorepresentdecisions,inadditiontopointswhereprocesspathssplitorjoin.AllgatewaysarevariationsofthediamondshapeshowninFigure4-21.

Figure4-21TheBPMNgatewayshape

ThreeconnectortypesSequenceFlow,MessageFlow,andAssociationconnectorsbetweenshapes(shownlefttorightinFigure4-22),allincludemultiplevariants.

Figure4-22BPMNconnectorshapes

ThefollowingtopicprovidesanexampleofonetypeofBPMNdiagram,butoneexamplecannotbegintoconveythefullrangeofBPMNcapabilities.RefertothewebsiteandbooksinthefollowinglistorsearchthewebforadditionalinformationaboutBPMN.

ObjectManagementGroup/BusinessProcessManagementInitiative:www.bpmn.org.

Silver,Bruce.2011.BPMNMethodandStyle,SecondEdition,withBPMNImplementer’sGuide.Cody-CassidyPress.

White,StephenA.,andDerekMiers.2008.BPMNModelingandReferenceGuide.FutureStrategiesInc.

DesignBPMNdiagrams

Important

TheBPMNBasicShapestemplateincludesthe16shapesshowninFigure4-23.However,asdescribedintheprecedingtopic,mostshapesofferoneormoreshortcutmenuoptions.Consequently,youcanusethislimitedstenciltoproduceseveralhundredvariationsofthesebasicshapes.

Figure4-23BPMNbasicshapes

NotethepresenceofthePool/LaneshapeinFigure4-23.BPMNdiagramscanincorporateswimlanes.

ThistopicdescribesthetechniquesyouuseforbuildingaBPMNdiagram.Theexampleinthistopicshowshowtocreateatheaterticketingprocess,showninFigure4-24.Alongtheway,you’lldiscoverthatthisisanoutdatedticketingprocessthatneedstobebroughtintothiscentury—andthat’sexactlywhathappensinthe“Createsubprocesses”topicthatfollows.

Figure4-24AcompletedBPMNtheaterticketingprocess

TheBPMNdiagraminthistopicwasformattedbyusingvariant1oftheGemstonetheme.Inaddition,theCirclebeveleffectwasappliedtotheprocessshapes.Forinformationaboutthemes,variants,andeffects,seeChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”ThediagramalsousestheVervebackgroundpageandtheAlphabetborderandtitle.Forinformationaboutbackgroundpagesandbordersandtitles,see“Workwithbackgroundpagesandborders”inChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”

AfteryoustartadiagrambyusingtheBPMNtemplate,thefundamentalworkofbuildingtheprocessmapisnodifferentfromthetechniquesyouexploredwithflowchartsandswimlanediagramsearlierinthischapter.ThedifferencesarisewhenyoubegininteractingwiththeshapestosetandtakeadvantageoftheirBPMN-specificproperties.

WhetheryouchoosetouseAutoConnectarrowsandtheQuickShapesminitoolbaroranothertechnique,afterafewminutes,yourdiagrammightlooksimilartoFigure4-25;orifyou’vechosentoapplythemesandeffects,itmightlooksimilartoFigure4-26.

Figure4-25TheinitialstagesofaBPMNdiagram

Figure4-26TheinitialstagesofaBPMNdiagramtowhichathemehasbeenapplied

IfyoustartaBPMNdiagrambydraggingaStartEventontothepage,youmightfindthattheAutoConnectarrowsdon’tappearwhenyoupointtotheshape.Ifyouzoominandthentryagain,youshouldseetheAutoConnectarrows.

YouentertextonBPMNshapesbyusinganyofthesamemethodsyouemployedforflowchartshapes.Youcanentertextforshapes,andlabelstooutcomepaths,asshowninFigure4-26,thesameasdescribedintheflowcharttopicearlierinthischapter.

Thetextblockonadynamicconnectorhasawhitebackgroundthatisnormallyinvisiblewhenyourdrawingpagealsohasawhitebackground.However,inadiagramlikeFigure4-26andthosethatfollow,thepagehasacoloredbackground.Consequently,youmightwanttoremovethebackgroundfromthetextblock.Thetechniquefordoingsoisabitobscure;theeasiestwayistotakeadvantageoftheVisio2016TellMefeature:selectoneormoreconnectors,andintheTellMebox,enterformat,andthenselectFormatText.IntheresultingTextdialogbox,ontheTextBlocktab,clickNoneintheTextBackgroundsection,andthenclickOK.

MostBPMNshapesincludeasetofshortcutmenuoptionsthatyouusetoindicateadditionaldetailsabouttheshape.Settingthesevaluescausesiconstoappearontheshapes,makingitpossibleforthemapreadertoknowmoreabouteachstepintheprocessataglance.

Forexample,youmightwanttoindicatethatthearrivalofamessagetriggersthestartof

thisprocess.Right-clickingtheStartEventshaperevealscascadingmenusfromwhichyoucanselectMessage,asshowninFigure4-27.

Figure4-27YoucanuseoptionsoncascadingshortcutmenustosetthetriggerorresultforaBPMNshape

Forthetheaterticketingprocessdiagram,youcanusesimilarshortcutmenustosetthetasktypetoUserfortheCheckSeatInventoryprocessstep,toServiceforthePrintTicketsprocessstep,andtoUserfortheSendOrHoldTicketsprocessstep.

OfferAlternateSeatsisanexampleofaloopingtask,soitactuallyrequirestwoconfigurationsettings:TaskTypeisUser;LoopisStandard.

SomeBPMNshapesarefurtherannotatedbyattachingacalloutshape.ThecallouthasthenameTextAnnotationandislocatedintheBPMNBasicShapesstencil.WhenyoudragaTextAnnotationshapeontothepage,noticethatithasbothatextareaandatail;usethetailtogluethecallouttotheshapethatrequiresannotation.

ThecompletedsampleBPMNdiagram,showninFigure4-28,includesannotationsfortheStartandEndevents,inadditiontotheOfferAlternateSeatsloopshape.TheStartandEndannotationssimplydescribewhatlaunchesandconcludestheprocess.Thecommentattachedtotheloopindicatestheconditionsunderwhichtheloopends.

Figure4-28Close-upviewofthecompletedBPMNticketingprocessdiagram

TheBPMNTextAnnotationshapeisaspecialtypeofVisioshapeknownasacallout.Amongthespecialbehaviorsassociatedwithacalloutisvisualfeedbackwhenyouassociatethecalloutwithaspecificshapebydraggingthetailofthecalloutontoashape:theborderoftheshapeilluminatesingreen.YouwillexploreVisiocalloutsinChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Theoutdatednatureofthisdiagramshouldnowbeapparent:thisprocessonlyprovidesforprintingticketsandthensendingthemorholdingthemattheboxoffice.Inthenexttopic,youwilldiscoverhowtocreateasubprocesstobringthemapuptodate.

Tosettheactivitytype1.Right-clickataskshape,clickTaskType,andthenclickanentryfromtheflyoutmenu.

Tosetthelooptype1.Right-clickataskshape,clickLoop,andthenclickanentryfromtheflyoutmenu.

Tosetthegatewaytype1.Right-clickagatewayshape,clickGatewayType,andthenclickanentryfromtheflyoutmenu.

Tosettheeventtypeandtrigger/result1.Right-clickaneventshape,clickEventType,andthenclickanentryfromtheflyoutmenu.

2.Right-clickaneventshape,clickTrigger/Result,andthenclickanentryfromtheflyoutmenu.

ToaddatextannotationtoaBPMNshape1.DragaTextAnnotationshapeontothepage.

2.DragtheyellowcontrolhandleatthetailofthetextannotationshapetothetargetBPMNshape.

ToadjustthesizeofaTextAnnotationshape1.Withthecalloutselected,draganyoftheeightresizehandles.

ToadjustthepositionofaTextAnnotationshape1.Dragtheinteriorofthetextannotationshape.Thetailremainsattachedtotheassociatedshape.

Createsubprocesses

Important

Whenyouareworkingwithabusinessprocess,itisverylikelythatatleastoneofseveralthingswillhappenovertime:

Youwillidentifyportionsoftheprocessthatneedtobedefinedingreaterdetail.

Youwillidentifygroupsoftasksthatarereferredtofrommultipleplaceswithintheprocess.

Partsofyourprocesswillbecomeoutdated.

Yourmapwillbecomeunwieldyanddifficulttoreadandmaintain.

Acommonsolutionforallofthesesituationsistoselectagroupofrelatedprocessstepsandreplacethemwithasinglesubprocesssymbol.Youthenmovetheselectedstepstoanotherpagewhereyouhaveroomtospreadthemoutinordertobetterdefinethatsectionoftheoverallprocess.

Youcanaddanewpageandthencutandpasteshapesmanually;however,VisioProfessional2016includesthreebuttonsontheProcesstabthatautomatemuchoftheworkofcreatingsubprocesses.

Important

Youmustselectashape(usuallyasubprocessshape)priortoclickingtheCreateNeworLinkToExistingbuttons.YoumustselecttwoormoreshapespriortoclickingtheCreateFromSelectionbutton.

CreateNewVisiocreatesanewpage,namesitbyusingthetextfromtheselectedshape,andthencreatesahyperlinktothenewpage.

LinkToExistingVisiolinkstheselectedshapetoanexistingpagethatyouselect.Thetargetpagecanbeineitherthecurrentdrawingoradifferentdrawing.

CreateFromSelectionVisiodeletestheselectedshapesandreplacesthemwithasubprocessshape,addsanewpagetothediagram,pastesthedeletedshapesontothenewpage,andthenaddsahyperlinkfromthesubprocessshapetothenewpage.

ToseehowtheCreateFromSelectionbuttoncanbehelpful,considerthetheaterticketingprocessdefinedinFigure4-28intheprevioustopic.Thepairoftasksthatdefinesprintingticketsandthensendingorholdingthemisclearlyoutdatedbecauseitdoesn’tofferanelectronicticketingoption.YoucanstarttheredefinitionofthatpartoftheprocessbyselectingthoseshapesandthenclickingtheCreateFromSelectionbutton.Theupdatedpageoftheprocessmapincludesasubprocessshape,asshowninFigure4-29.

Figure4-29ABPMNsubprocesssymbolhasreplacedtwotasks

Thenewsubprocessshapedoesnotlookidenticaltotheothershapesonthepagebecausenewshapesinheritthemes,butdonotinheriteffects.YoucanmanuallyapplythesamebeveleffecttothenewshapeoryoucanusetheFormatPaintertocopyitfromoneofthepreexistingshapes.

Aswithanyothershape,youcanclickthesubprocessshapeandentertext;inthiscaseyoumightlabelthenewsubprocessFulfillorder.

Inadditiontothemodificationsonthemainprocesspage,thetheaterticketingdiagramnowcontainsanewpage,theupperportionofwhichlookslikeFigure4-30.

Figure4-30Shapesonanewsubprocesspage

Visiodoesthehardworkofrearrangingkeydiagramelements,leavingyoutofleshouttheremainderofnewprocesses.Inoursampleprocess,youmightaddaneticketingoptioninamannersimilartothatshowninFigure4-31.

Figure4-31Acompletedorderfulfillmentsubprocess

AutomaticsubprocesscreationisnotrestrictedtoBPMNdiagrams.Youcantakeadvantageofthisfeatureinflowchartsandcross-functionalflowcharts,too.

Tocreateanewsubprocess1.Selectasubprocessshape,andthenontheProcesstab,intheSubprocessgroup,clicktheCreateNewbutton.

Tolinktoanexistingsubprocess1.Selectasubprocessshape,andthenclicktheLinktoExistingbutton.

2.Selectthepageyouwantfromthemenu.

Tocreateasubprocessfromexistingshapes1.Selectatleasttwoshapes,andthenclicktheCreatefromSelectionbutton.

2.Enterthetextyouwantonthenewsubprocessshape.

3.Gotothenewsubprocesspageandcompletethedefinitionofthesubprocess.

Createflowcharts

UnderstandBPMN

DesignBPMNdiagrams

Createsubprocesses

Practicetasks

ThepracticefileforthesetasksislocatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch04folder.Youcansavetheresultsofthetasksinthesamefolder.

SelectaflowcharttemplateTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

CreateflowchartsStartVisio,clicktheFlowchartstemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheBasicFlowcharttemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DragaStart/Endshapeontothepage.

2.DragadditionalshapesontothepageanduseeithertheConnectortoolorAutoConnectarrowstolinkthemtoexistingshapes.

UseAutoConnectarrowsandtheQuickShapesminitoolbartoaddadditionalshapesandlinkstoyourflowchart.

3.Addtexttoeachflowchartshapetodescribeitspurposewithintheprocess.

4.Addadescriptiontoeachdecisionpathoutcome.

UnderstandswimlanediagramsStartVisio,clicktheFlowchartstemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheCross-functionalFlowcharttemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

Ifthisisthefirsttimeyou’veusedtheCross-functionalFlowcharttemplate,selecteitherHorizontalorVerticalorientationintheCross-functionalFlowchartdialogbox,andthenclickOK.

1.Buildahorizontalswimlanediagram,changingthedefaultorientationifnecessary.

BuildswimlanediagramsCreateadiagramfromtheCross-functionalFlowcharttemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Clicktheheadingoftheswimlanestructuretogivetheprocessaname.

2.Addtwoadditionalswimlanes.

3.Clicktheheadingofeachswimlanetoidentifytherole,function,ordepartmentassociatedwiththelane.

4.DragaStart/Endshapeintooneoftheswimlanes.

5.DragadditionalshapesontothepageanduseeithertheConnectortoolorAutoConnectarrowstolinkthemtoexistingshapes.

UseAutoConnectarrowsandtheQuickShapesminitoolbartoaddadditionalshapesandlinkstoyourflowchart.

6.Addtexttoeachshapetodescribeitspurposewithintheprocess.

UnderstandBPMNTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

DesignBPMNdiagrams

Important

ThetasksinthistopiccanbecompletedonlybyusingtheProfessionaleditionofVisio2016.

StartVisio,clicktheFlowchartstemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheBPMNDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Addshapesandconnectorstothepagetolayoutyourprocessmap.

2.Addatextdescriptiontoeachactivity(task)andgateway(decision)shape.

3.Right-clickeachshapeandselecttheactivity,gateway,oreventtype,asrequired.

4.Right-clickeachtaskshapethatrepresentsaloop,andthensetthelooptype.

5.AddaTextAnnotationtoeachStartEventandEndEvent,andtoeachTaskshapethatrepresentsaloop.

6.Adjustthesizeandpositionofeachtextannotation.

Createsubprocesses

Important

OpentheCreateSubprocessesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.SelecttheLoghiringrequest,Preparejobdescriptionandscreeningquestions,andAdvertiseopenjobshapes.

2.Createasubprocessfromtheselectedshapes.Noticethatwhenyoucreateasubprocessinaswimlanediagram,Visioreproducestheswimlanestructureonthenewpage.

5.Createorganizationcharts

Inthischapter

Practicefiles

Chapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams,”introducedyoutoapractical,real-worldapplicationforVisio.ThischapterfocusesonasecondcommonuseforVisio:representingthestructureofanorganizationinachartthatcontainsdataaboutpeople;thechartmightalsocontaintheirphotographs.

Inanorganizationchart,commonlyknownasanorgchart,youcandefinereportingrelationshipsmanuallybydraggingsmartorgchartshapesontoapageandthenlettingVisiodotheworkofarrangingthem.Alternatively,youcanpointtheOrganizationChartWizardatasetofdataandletVisiodoeverything.

Regardlessoftheapproachyoutaketocreateanorgchart,Visioprovidesyouwithamultitudeofoptionsforchangingthestyle,layout,themes,andcolorsofyourchart.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtounderstandingandbuildingorganizationcharts,usingexistingdatatocreateanorganizationchart,usingtheOrganizationChartWizardwithnewdata,alteringthelayoutandappearanceofanorgchart,andimportingphotographs.

UnderstandorganizationchartsVisioorgchartsarewellsuitedforthemostcommontypeoforganization,inwhicheachpersonhasoneboss.Althoughsomeorganizationsusematrixorothernon-hierarchicalstructures,Visioorgchartsaredesignedforthemajorityofcases.

ReviewnewfeaturesVisio2013introducedasetofboldvisualchangestothedecade-oldorgchartsolution,andthosechangeshavebeencarriedforwardintoVisio2016.Themostobviousvisualchangetoorgchartsistheintroductionofstyles.Visioprovides10styles,eachofwhichincludessixspeciallydesignedchartshapes.Youwillundoubtedlyfindthatsomestylesaremoreappropriatethanothersareforportrayingyourorganization’semployees.WithVisio,it’seasytotrymultipleoptions:youcanchangestyleswithoneclick.

TwootherfeaturesthatcarriedforwardfromVisio2013enhancethevisualappealofVisioorgcharts.Thosefeaturesincludethefollowing:

Thestyledshapesusethemesandshapeembellishments.

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutusingthemes,seeChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”

Theorgchartshapessupportalong-standingneedfortheoptiontoimportphotographsautomatically.

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutimportingphotographs,see“Workwithpictures”and“Importphotographsasyoucreateorganizationcharts”laterinthischapter.

Asmentionedaboutcross-functionalflowchartsinChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams,”someofthemagicoforgchartscomesfromadd-insoftware.(Alsolikecross-functionalflowcharts,theadd-insoftwareispackagedwithVisio.)Thepresenceoftheorgchartadd-inisvisibleinthesamewaythatmostadd-insarevisible:bytheappearanceofatabontheVisioribbon,asshowninFigure5-1.

Figure5-1TheOrgCharttab

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutadd-intabs,see“Understandtooltabsandadd-intabs”inChapter1,“GetstartedwithVisio2016.”

TheOrgCharttabretainsmanyfrequentlyusedbuttonsfrompreviousversionsofVisio,includingbuttonstoarrange,layout,andspaceshapes.InVisio2016,thetabincludesbuttonsyoucanusetotakeadvantageofstylesandtoimportandmanagepictures.

UseorgcharttemplatesVisio2016providestwoorgcharttemplatesintheBusinesscategory.Bothtemplatesincludeidenticalstencilsandcapabilities—withonedifference:OrganizationChartopenstoablankpagesoyoucancreateanorgchartmanually;OrganizationChartWizardopenstothesameblankpagebutalsopresentsyouwiththefirstpageofawizardthatstepsyouthroughthecreationofachart.

IfyouhappentoselecttheOrganizationChartWizardbymistake,there’snoproblem:just

cancelthewizardandcontinuewithoutit.Similarly,ifyouselectedthemanualtemplatebutreallywantedtousethewizard,it’savailablebyclickingtheImportbuttonontheOrgCharttab.

BuildorganizationchartsmanuallyAlthoughyouwillexploretheOrganizationChartWizardinsubsequenttopics,it’susefultoknowhoweasyitistocreateorgchartsmanually.Thegoodnewsisthatevenwhenyoucreateanorgchartbyhand,Visiostilldoesasignificantpercentageofthework.

Forexample,afteryoudraganExecutiveshapetothetopofthepage,youcancreateaviewofthereportingstructuresimplybydraggingothershapes,suchasmanagers,employees,assistants,consultants,andvacancies,ontopofthefirstshape.AdiagramthatstartswithasingleshapequicklybecomeswhatisshowninFigure5-2.

Figure5-2Anorgchartthatcontainsfiveshapes

Ifyoudecideafterdraggingashapeontothepagethatitshouldbeadifferentshapetype,youdon’tneedtodeleteandreplacetheshape.Youcanchangethetypebyusingseveraltechniquesthatareincludedintheproceduresattheendofthistopic.

TheOrganizationChartShapesstencilcontainsaspecialshapenamedThreePositionsthatmakesiteasytoaddthreeemployeestoachartatonce.

ThestencilalsoincludesashapecalledMultipleShapes.Draggingthisshapeontoanexistingorgchartshapepromptsyoutoselectashapetypeandthentospecifyhowmanyshapesofthattypeyou’dliketoaddtothechart.

Addingtitlesandnamestothechartisaseasyasenteringthemintwoplacesontheshape.Clickanywhereontheshapetoenterthetitle;clickthenameboxtoentertherelevantname.

Youcancontinuetobuildthechartbydraggingadditionalshapesontopofexisting

shapestoshowtherequiredreportingrelationships,perhapsproducingachartliketheoneshowninFigure5-3.

Figure5-3Orgchartshapesdisplayingnamesandtitles

Figure5-3containsatleastoneofeachofthesixprimaryorgchartshapes.Fouroftheshapetypesareeasytoidentifybecauseoftheirvisualdifferences:theexecutiveshapehasawhitebackground;managershapeshavedarkerbackgrounds;andthevacancyshape,showninthelowerrightofFigure5-3,looksdifferentfromanyothershapetype.

However,thedefaultorgchartshapestyle(Belt)thatwasusedinFigure5-3doesnotdifferentiateamongassistants,positions(non-managerialemployees),andconsultants.AssistantslikeDeedeeSpirosandJasonRobinsonaredifferentiatedbytheirphysicallocation(offsettotherightundertheirrespectivemanagers)buttheshapesthemselveslookthesameasthoseforpositionsandconsultants.

ThelackofvisualdistinctionismerelyafunctionoftheBeltstyle.Inthesection“Changeshapeappearance,”laterinthischapter,youwilldiscoverthatotherstylesdoprovideauniqueappearanceforeachofthesixshapetypes.

Thevacancyshapeistheonlyorgchartshapethatdoesnotincludeaplaceholderforaphotograph.

Tocreateanorgchartmanually

1.DisplaytheBackstageview.

2.IntheleftpaneoftheBackstageview,clickNew.

3.OntheNewpage,clickCategories,clicktheBusinessthumbnail,andthendouble-clicktheOrganizationCharttemplate(nottheOrganizationChartWizardtemplate).

4.Dragashapethatrepresentsthetoplevelofyourorganization,suchasanExecutiveBeltoraManagerBeltshape,ontothepage.

5.Dragothershapesthatrepresentthenexttierofyourorganizationontothetop-levelshape.

6.Dragadditionalshapesontoeachtieruntilyourorganizationisrepresented.

7.Enternamesand/ortitlesontotheshapes.

Toaddthreepositionshapesatatime1.DragtheThreepositionsshapeontoanexistingexecutiveormanagershape.

Toaddmultipleshapesofanytype1.DragtheMultipleshapesshapeontoanexistingexecutiveormanagershape,orontoanunusedpartofthedrawingpagetoopentheAddMultipleShapesdialogbox,showninFigure5-4.

Figure5-4TheAddMultipleShapesdialogbox

2.IntheAddMultipleShapesdialogbox,enterorselectanumbertospecifyhowmanyshapesyouwanttoadd.

3.IntheShapesectionoftheAddMultipleShapesdialogbox,selectashapetype,andthenclickOK.

Tochangethepositiontypeforashapeonthedrawingpage1.Right-clickanyorgchartshape,clickChangePositionType,andthenclickthenameofthepositionyouwant.

1.Selectashape.

2.OntheOrgCharttab,intheShapesgroup,clicktheChangePositionTypebuttontoopentheChangePositionTypedialogbox,showninFigure5-5.

Figure5-5TheChangePositionTypedialogbox

3.IntheChangePositionTypedialogbox,clickthenameofthepositionyouwant,andthenclickOK.

1.Useeithertechniquedescribedin“Replaceshapes”inChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”

UseexistingdatatocreateanorganizationchartIfthedataaboutyourorganizationalreadyexistsinelectronicform,Visio2016providesawizardthatwillbuildtheorgchartforyou.Youcanbeginwithdatathatresidesinanyofthefollowingrepositories:

AMicrosoftExcelworkbook

AdatabasesuchasMicrosoftAccess,MicrosoftSQLServer,orotherdatabasesystems

AMicrosoftExchangeServerdirectory

AsystemthatcanexportpersonnelinformationbygeneratingatextfileoranExcelworkbook

Whenyoubuildanorgchartfromexistingdata,suchastheExceldatashowninFigure5-6,youneedonlytwokeypiecesofdataabouteachemployee:theemployee’snameandthenameofthepersontowhomtheemployeereports.Youcanincludeadditionaldata,asshowninthefigure.Whatyouincludebeyondtherequireddatadependsonwhatyouwouldliketohaveavailableinthechart.

Figure5-6Excelworksheetdatacanbeusedtocreateanorgchart

InFigure5-6,notethatArtHelmersdoesnotreporttoanyone.Althoughanothertechniqueisdescribedlaterinthistopic,listingoneemployeewithoutabossisaneasywaytotelltheOrganizationChartWizardwhoisincharge.

OnthefirstpageoftheOrganizationChartWizard,showninFigure5-7,youindicatewhetheryouwanttobuildachartfromexistingdataorfromdatathatyouenterbyusingthewizard.Theremainderofthistopicdisplaysthewizardpagesthatresultfromusingexistingdata.

Figure5-7Indicatewhetherdataalreadyexists

Youusethesecondwizardpage,showninFigure5-8,toselectthetypeofdatasourcethat

containsyourdata.

Figure5-8Specifythetypeofdatasourceyouwanttouse

IfyouselectAText,OrgPlus(*.txt),OrExcelFileasyourdatasource,youthenspecifythelocationofthefileinthenextwizardpage,showninFigure5-9.

Figure5-9Thewizardpageusedtospecifythelocationofthedatasource

Ifyouselecteitheroftheothertwodatasourcetypes,youwillusedifferentwizardpagestospecifythelocationandaccessrightsforthedata.

Afterthewizardopensthedatasource,itdisplaysthepageshowninFigure5-10.Onthispage,youmaponefieldfromyourdatatotheorgchartNamefield,andanothertotheReportsTofield.Youcanoptionallyspecifywhetheryourdatahasaseparatefieldforemployees’firstnames.

Figure5-10Identifykeydatafieldnames

Onthefifthpageofthewizard,showninFigure5-11,youindicatewhichfieldsfromyourdatayouwouldlikeVisiotodisplayoneachorgchartshape.

Figure5-11Specifywhichdatafieldsshouldappearonorgchartshapes

ThewizardpageshowninFigure5-12looksalotlikethepreviouspage,butitspurposeisdifferentandunrelated.Onthispage,youselectthefieldsfromyourdatasourcethatyouwouldliketostoreasshapedataineachorgchartshape.Bystoringdatainsideshapes,youcanrunreportsandusethedataforotherpurposeswithoutneedingtoreverttotheoriginaldatasource.

Figure5-12Specifywhichdatafieldsshouldbestoredinshapedata

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutshapedataandreports,seeChapter8,“Workwithshapedata.”Forinformationaboutdatavisualization,seeChapter9,“Visualizeyourdata.”

Thepenultimatewizardpage,showninFigure5-13,wasintroducedinVisio2013.Onthispage,youindicatewhetheryouwanttoimportphotographsaspartoftheorgchart.Ifyoudo,youspecifythelocationofthephotosandtellthewizardhowtomatchphotofileswithemployees.

Figure5-13Indicatewhetheryouwanttoimportpictures

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutincorporatingphotographsinyourorgcharts,see“Workwithpictures”and“Importphotographsasyoucreateorganizationcharts”laterinthischapter.

Onthelastpageofthewizard,showninFigure5-14,youneedtodecidethefollowing:

WhetheryouorVisiowilldeterminehowmuchcontenttodisplayoneachpage

Ifyouchoosetodoityourself,apageonwhichyoucanspecifypagecontentsappears.

IfyouletVisiocreatethepages,youcantelltheprogramwheretostartbyidentifyingthetopshapeonthefirstpage.The<TopExecutive>optiontellsVisiotoselectthepersonwhodoesn’treporttoanyoneelseasthetopshape.Alternatively,

youcanselectaspecificpersonbyclickingthearrowtochooseanyoneinyourlist.

Whethertohyperlinkemployeeshapesacrosspages

Ifamanager’sdirectreportswon’tfitonthepagewiththemanager,thewizardwillleavethemanagershapeontheoriginalpage,andwillalsoplaceitandthemanager’sdirectreportsonasubsequentpage.Ifyouselectthisoption,Visioaddsahyperlinkbetweentheduplicatedmanagershapes.

Whethertosynchronizeemployeeshapesacrosspages

Ifmanagershapeshavebeenduplicatedasdescribedintheprecedingbulletpoint,youselectthischeckboxtoinstructVisiotoupdateoneshapeifyoumakechangestotheother.

Figure5-14Youcanprovideorgchartlayoutdetailsonthelastpageofthewizard

UsingtheOrganizationChartWizardsavesatremendousamountoftimeandwork.However,thedefaultlayoutandstylesmightnotsuityourneeds,suchastheexampleshowninFigure5-15,whichwascreatedbyusingthewizard.Youcanusethetechniquesdescribedinthesection“Changeshapeappearance”laterinthischaptertorecasttheorganizationchartinavarietyofways.

Figure5-15Thistall,verticalformatcreatedbyusingthewizardmightnotbeideal

Buildinganorgchartfromexistingdataisnotthesameaslinkingadiagramtoexternaldata.(YouwillexploredatalinkinginChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata.”)Orgchartsthatyoubuildfromexistingdataarenotconnectedtothatdatainanyway;yourorgchartdoesnotchangeautomaticallywhenyourdatadoes.

YoucanusethetechniquesinChapter10tolinkanorgcharttoyourdatasourceafterusingtheOrganizationChartWizard.However,therearelimitsonwhatkindsofupdatescanbeappliedtothediagramautomatically.Forexample,addingnewpositionsordeletingemployeesinthedatawillnotcausecorrespondingchangesinyourorgchart.Youwillneedtorerunthewizardtorebuildyourorgcharteachtimethistypeofdatachanges.

TostarttheOrganizationChartWizard1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•OntheNewpage,clickCategories,clickBusiness,andthendouble-clicktheOrganizationChartWizardthumbnail.

•Withanorganizationchartopen,ontheOrgCharttab,intheOrganizationDatagroup,clicktheImportbutton.

UsetheOrganizationChartWizardwithnewdataIfyourorganizationdataisnotinaformatthatVisiocanread,butyouwouldliketousethewizard,you’restillinluck.TheOrganizationChartWizardcanhelpbycreatingafileintowhichyoucanpasteorenteryourdata;forexample,thewizardcaneithercreateanExcelworkbook(Figure5-16)oracomma-separatedvalues(CSV)textfile(Figure5-17).

Figure5-16AnExcelworkbookcreatedbytheOrganizationChartWizard

Figure5-17AtextfilecreatedbytheOrganizationChartWizard

Aftercreatingtheworkbookortextfile,theOrganizationChartWizardpausesuntilyouclosethefilebeforeitcontinues.Ifyoudon’tclosethefile,thewizarddisplaysadialogbox,showninFigure5-18,listingeitherexcel.exeornotepad.exe,asappropriate.

Figure5-18Thisdialogboxappearsuntilyouclosethedataentryfile

Important

IfyouuseExcel,youmustclosetheExcelapplication,notjusttheworkbook.

AfteryoucloseExcelorNotepad,thewizardresumesbypresentingthephotoimportpageshowninFigure5-13intheprecedingtopic.

Tocreateanorganizationdatachartfromdatathatyouenter1.StarttheOrganizationChartWizard,andthenonthefirstpage(showninFigure5-7intheprecedingtopic),clickInformationthatIenterusingthewizard.

2.OnthewizardpageshowninFigure5-19,clickExcelorDelimitedtext.

Figure5-19Thewizardpageusedtoselectthedatafiletypeyouwanttouse

3.Onthesamewizardpage,enterorbrowsetowhereyouwanttostorethedatafile.

4.ClickNext.

Adialogboxappearsandinstructsyoutotypeyourdataoverthesampledata.

5.Finishenteringyourdata,clickOKtoclosethedialogbox,andthencompletetheremainingpagesoftheOrganizationChartWizardsoVisiocanbuildyourorgchart.

ClickOKtoclosethedialogbox,cancelthewizard,completeyourdataentry,restartthewizard,andthenpointittoyournow-completeddatafile.

AlterlayoutandappearanceYoucanalterthelookofyourorganizationchartinmanywaysbyusingabroadsetofenhancementsthatwereintroducedinVisio2013.Inaddition,theOrgCharttabhasbeenredesignedinVisio2016tomakeorgchartcustomizationtoolsmoreaccessible.

ThistopicdescribesthefunctionsinfourofthefivegroupsontheOrgCharttab:Layout,Arrange,Shapes,andPicture.ThetopicalsodemonstrateshowVisio2016themesaffectorganizationcharts.

Important

IfyouusethetechniquesdescribedinthistopictoreformatanorgchartyoucreatedbyusingtheOrganizationChartWizard,youshouldknowthis:ifyousubsequentlyimportyourdataagainwiththeintentofupdatingyourorgchart,allformattingwillbelost.Visiocreatesaneworgcharteverytimeyourunthewizard.

ChangethelayoutYouusetheLayoutgroupontheOrgCharttab,showninFigure5-20,toadjustshapepositioningonthepage.

Figure5-20TheLayoutgroupontheOrgCharttab

Youcanmakesignificantchangestothelookofanorgchartbychangingtoanyoneof18predefinedlayouts.Eachlayoutchangesthespacingandrelativepositionsofshapeswithinthechart.Agalleryoflayoutchoices,showninFigure5-21,isdisplayedonamenuwhenyouclicktheLayoutbutton.

Figure5-21TheLayoutmenu

WhenyouselecttheApplyAutomaticLayoutsToShapeStylescheckboxatthebottomoftheLayoutmenu,Visiorefreshestheorgchartlayouteverytimeyouapplyastyle.Youcanretainyourcurrentlayoutwhenyouchangestylesbyclearingthischeckbox.Youwillexploreshapestylesinthesection,“Changeshapeappearance,”laterinthe“Alterlayoutandappearance”topic.

Ifyou’vemanuallyalteredthesizeorpositionofanyorgchartshapes,yourdiagrammightcontaingapsoroverlappingshapes.Theorgchartadd-inprovidesasimpleanswer:clicktheRe-Layoutbuttontorestoreappropriatespacing.

AnotherconveniencefeatureintheLayoutgroupistheBestFitToPagebutton.Clickingthisbuttonrelocatestheentireorgcharttofitbetteronthecurrentpage.

Tochangethelayoutofanorgchartpage1.OntheOrgCharttab,intheLayoutgroup,clicktheLayoutbutton.

2.ClicktheHorizontal,Vertical,orSidebySidebutton.

Tochangethelayoutofall,orpartof,anorgchartpage1.Right-clickanyshapethathassubordinates,clickSubordinates,andthenclickArrangeSubordinates.

2.IntheArrangeSubordinatesdialogbox(showninFigure5-22),clickoneoftheHorizontal,Vertical,orSide-by-sidebuttons,andthenclickOK.

Figure5-22TheArrangeSubordinatesdialogbox

Tocorrectthespacingandpositioningofallshapesinanorgchart1.OntheOrgCharttab,intheLayoutgroup,clicktheRe-Layoutbutton.

Tocenteranorgchartonthepage1.IntheLayoutgroup,clicktheBestFittoPagebutton.

ArrangeshapesYoucanusetheSpacingandMovebuttonsintheArrangegroup(Figure5-23)toaltertheverticalspacingandthelocationofshapesinyourorgchart.NotethattheSpacingbuttonsaffecteveryshapeonthepage,whereastheMovebuttonsoperatemorelocally:ifyouselectashapethatdoesn’thavesubordinates,clickingeitherMovebuttonmovesonlythatshape;however,ifyouselectamanageroranexecutiveshape,thatpersonandallsubordinateswillmove.

Figure5-23TheArrangegroupontheOrgCharttab

Youcanalsohideportionsoftheorganizationchartthatarebelowamanagerorexecutive.Ifyoudo,themanagerorexecutiveshapethathashiddensubordinatesdisplaysaniconinthelower-rightcorneroftheshapetoindicatethepresenceofhiddensubordinates,asshowninFigure5-24.

Figure5-24Amanagershapewithacollapsedsubordinatesicon

Tochangetheverticalspacingbetweenshapes1.OntheOrgCharttab,intheArrangegroup,clicktheIncreasetheSpacing(+)orReducetheSpacing(-)button.

Tomoveoneshape1.Selectashapethathasnosubordinates.

2.ClicktheMoveLeft/Up( )orMoveRight/Down( )button.

Inverticallayouts,theleftandrightarrowsactuallymoveshapesupanddown.

Tomoveasetofshapes1.Selectashapethathassubordinates.

2.Clickthe or button.

Toshoworhidesubordinates1.Selectashapethathassubordinates.

2.ClicktheShow/HideSubordinatesbutton.

1.Right-clickashapethathassubordinates,clickSubordinates,andthenclickeitherHideSubordinatesorShowSubordinates.

ChangeshapeappearanceYoucanusethebuttonsintheShapesgroup,showninFigure5-25,tochangetheappearanceofyourorganizationchart.Themostdramaticchangesoccurwhenyouclickoneofthe10orgchartstylebuttons,eachofwhichincludesnotonlyadifferentshapedesign,butalsodifferentlayoutrules.Becausestylechangesaresoeasytoaccomplish,youcanexperimentwithlooksthatrangefromcorporatetofanciful.

Figure5-25TheShapesgroupontheOrgCharttab

Forexample,withoneclick,theorgchartshowninFigure5-3earlierinthischaptercanlooklikeFigure5-26.

Figure5-26AnorgchartwiththePipstyleapplied

Figure5-3doesn’tofferanyvisualdifferentiationforposition,consultant,andassistantshapes,buteachofthefollowingthreefiguresdoes.Differencesinchartstylesaresometimessubtle,buttheycontainchangesingeometry,adornments,orcolor.

Withanotherclick,thechartcanlooklikeFigure5-27.

Figure5-27AnorgchartwiththeStonestyleapplied

Asnotedatthebeginningofthistopic,andasshowninFigure5-26andFigure5-27,whenyouchangetoadifferentorgchartstyle,Visiooftenchangesthelayoutoftheshapes.Ifthisisn’twhatyouwant,perhapsbecauseyouhavealreadyspenttimearrangingthelayouttoyourliking,youcaninstructVisiotoswaptheshapesbutleavethelayoutalone.

Thenameskeepchanging!

IntheOrganizationChartShapesstencil,eachofthesixprimaryshapenamesincludesthenameofthecurrentlyactiveorgchartstyle.Consequently,theshapesmighthavedifferentnamesthanthelasttimeyouworkedonanorgchart.

ThenameofthedefaultstyleisBelt;consequently,whenyoubeginaneworgchart,theupperportionofthestencillookslikeFigure5-28.ThewordBeltappearsbothinthestencilnamebarandineachshapename.

Figure5-28TheOrganizationChartShapesstencilshowingtheBeltstyle

WhenyouclickadifferentstyleiconintheShapesgroup,thenamesofthestencilandtheshapeschange,asshowninFigure5-29.

Figure5-29TheOrganizationChartShapesstencilshowingtheNotchstyle

TheShapesgroupalsoprovidesbuttonstochangetheheightandwidthoforgchartshapes,eithertoaccomodatethedisplayofmoredataonashapeortoreduceunneededspace.Figure5-30showstheresultsofreducingboththewidthandheightofthreeorgchartshapes.

Figure5-30Originalandreducedsizeversionsofthesamethreeorgchartshapes

YoucanchangethewidthandheightofallorgchartshapesonallpagesfromtheOptiontabintheOptionsdialogbox.ClicktheShapesdialogboxlauncherontheOrgCharttabtoopentheOptionsdialogbox.

Finally,youcanusetheChangePositionTypebuttontoconvertashapefromoneorganizationalroletoanother,asdescribedin“Understandorganizationcharts”earlierinthischapter.

Tochangethestyleofanorgchart1.OntheOrgCharttab,intheShapesgroup,clickoneofthe10styleicons.

1.Ifthestyleyouwantisnotvisible,clicktheMorebuttonatthelower-rightcornerofthestylesectiontodisplayagalleryontheStylesmenu.

2.Clickoneofthe10styleicons.

Tochangethestylebutnotthelayoutofanorgchart1.Clickastylebuttontochangebothstyleandlayout,andthenclicktheUndobuttonorpressCtrl+Z.(ThisworksbecauseVisiomakesthechangesintwoseparateblocks.Undoingoncerevertsthelayout;undoingagainrevertsthestylechange.)

1.AtthebottomoftheStylesmenu,cleartheApplyAutomaticLayoutstoShapeStylescheckbox.

1.IntheLayoutgroup,clicktheLayoutbutton,andthencleartheApplyAutomaticLayoutstoShapeStylescheckbox.

Tochangetheheightorwidthofoneormoreshapes1.Selectoneormoreshapes.

2.IntheShapesgroup,clicktheIncreasetheHeightorIncreasetheWidth(+)button,ortheDecreasetheHeightorDecreasetheWidth(-)button.

Ifyoudon’tselectanyshapespriortoclickingtheheightorwidthbuttons,Visiowilladjustallshapesonthepage.

WorkwithpicturesYoucanaddphotostoanorgchartwhenyoucreateit,asyouwilldiscoverin“Importphotographsasyoucreateorganizationcharts”laterinthischapter.YoucanalsoaddeitheroneormultiplephotostoanexistingorganizationchartbyusingtheInsertbuttoninthePicturegroup,showninFigure5-31.

Figure5-31ThePicturegroupontheOrgCharttab

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutthetypesofimagesyoucanuseinanorgchart,see“Importphotographsasyoucreateorganizationcharts”laterinthischapter.

TheChangeandDeletebuttonsinthePicturegroupprovideameanstoreplaceorremovephotographs.

TheShow/Hidebuttonmakeseitherphotographsorthepictureplaceholdersappearordisappear.TheHidefunctionisveryconvenientifyoudon’thavephotosbecausethedefaultdisplayforall10orgchartstylesistoincludeapictureplaceholder.OneclickoftheShow/HidebuttonturnstheimageontheleftinFigure5-32intothecleaner-lookingimageontheright.

Figure5-32Orgchartshapeswithandwithoutpictureplaceholders

Toaddphotographstoanexistingorgchart1.Selectoneormoreorgchartshapes.

2.OntheOrgCharttab,inthePicturegroup,clicktheInsertbutton,andthenclickeitherPicturetoinsertasingleimage,orclickMultiplePicturestoinsertmorethanone.

ClickingMultiplePicturesattemptstomatchimagestoorgchartshapesbasedonfilenamesandpeople’snames.

Toreplaceaphotoinanorgchartshape1.Selectoneshape.

2.InthePicturegroup,clicktheChangebutton.

3.Selectanimagefile,andthenclickOpen.

Todeletephotosorphotoplaceholders1.Selectoneormoreshapes.

2.OntheOrgCharttab,inthePicturegroup,clicktheDeletebutton.

Important

ClickingaDeletebuttononanyothertaborpressingtheDeletekeydeletestheentireshape,notjustthephoto.

Toshoworhidephotosorphotoplaceholders1.Selectoneormoreshapes,andthenclicktheShow/Hidebutton.

ApplythemesBesidesmodifyingorgchartsbyusingbuttonsontheOrgCharttab,youcanalsouseVisio2016themes,whicharelocatedontheDesigntab.Youcanusethemestoapplyawidearrayofcolors,effects,andembellishmentstocreatethelookyouwant.

ThethreeexamplesinFigure5-33use,fromtoptobottom,theBoundstylewiththeWhisptheme;thePipstylewiththeSequencetheme;andtheCoinstylewiththeOrganictheme.

Figure5-33Threecombinationsofthemesandstylesappliedtothesameorgchartshapes

ImportphotographsasyoucreateorganizationchartsVisio2013wasthefirstVisioversioninwhichyoucouldimportmultiplephotographsatonce.ThatfeatureiscarriedforwardtoVisio2016.Inpreviousversions,youwererestrictedtoimportingonepictureatatime.

IfyoubuildanorgchartbyusingdatainExceloradatabase,youcanimportphotosfromafolderonyourcomputeroraserver.IfyoucreateyourorgchartbyusingdatainMicrosoftExchangeServer,youcanimportthesamephotosthatpeopleuseintheirMicrosoftOutlookprofiles.

ThekeytoautomaticallyaddingphotosasyougenerateanorgchartisononepageintheOrganizationChartWizard.WhenyouselectLocateTheFolderThatContainsYourOrganizationPicturesonthewizardpageshowninFigure5-34,youcanthenbrowsetoselectthefolderthatcontainsyourphotos.

Figure5-34Youcanindicateonthispagethatpicturesshouldbeimported

Youcanimportphotographsinavarietyofcommonimageformats,including.jpeg,.png,.gif,and.tif.

Youalsoneedtotellthewizardwhichdatafieldtousetomatchimagefileswithorgchartshapes.EitheracceptthedefaultofNameorselectadifferentfieldintheMatchPicturesBasedOnlist.

Important

Thefilenamesofthepicturesyouwanttoimportarecritical.TheymustbeinthespecificformatshowninthenoteinthelowerhalfofthewizardpageshowninFigure5-34.WhenyouuseNameasthematchfield,thefilenamecanincludespaces;both“FirstnameLastname”and“FirstnameLastname”areacceptable.

Includingpictureswhenthewizardbuildsyourorganizationchartdoesn’tchangethelikelihoodthatyoumightwanttorearrangethechart.Figure5-35isthetopportionofanautomaticallygeneratedorgchartwithphotos.InFigure5-36,thecharthasbeenstyled(Panel),themed(Ion),andlaidoutfordistributiontotheorganization’semployees.

Figure5-35Anautomaticallygeneratedorgchartwithphotographs

Figure5-36Anorgchartwithphotos,astyle,andatheme

Whenyouimportphotographsintoanorgchart,Visiocropsandpositionseachimageinawayitconsiderstobethebestfitforthepictureframeintheorgchartshape.Inmostcases,thepositioningdonebyVisioshouldbesuitable.However,youmightfindthatyouwanttoreposition,resize,orotherwiseeditaphoto.

YoucandosobyselectingthephotoandthenusingthetoolsonthePictureToolsFormattooltab.Asanexample,Figure5-37showshowtocropaphoto.Apreviewoftheentireimageisdisplayed,andtheportionsthatareoutsidethephotoframehaveagrayoverlay.Youcandragthepicturetopositionitthewayyouwantit.

Figure5-37Picturesinorgchartshapescanbecroppedandedited

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutaddingpicturestoanexistingorganizationchart,see“Workwithpictures”in“Alterlayoutandappearance,”earlierinthischapter.

Toincludephotoswhenyougenerateanorgchartbyusingthewizard1.Preparethefolderofphotographsbygivingeachfileanamethatmatchesoneofthefieldsinyourdata.

2.StarttheOrganizationChartWizard.

3.Onthepicturespageofthewizard,clickLocatethefolderthatcontainsyourorganizationpictures,andthenbrowsetothefolderthatcontainsthepictures.

4.EitherleaveNameselectedintheMatchpicturesbasedonlist,orselectadifferentmatchfieldfromthelist.

5.Finishthewizard.

Tocroporeditaphotoinanorgchart1.Clicktheshapecontainingthephoto,andthenclickthephoto.

2.OnthePictureToolsFormattab,selecttheappropriatetool,andtheneditthephoto.

3.Clickanywhereoutsidetheimagetoexiteditmode.

Practicetasks

UnderstandorganizationchartsTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

BuildorganizationchartsmanuallyStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.StartanewdiagrambyusingtheOrganizationCharttemplate.(DonotusetheOrganizationChartWizardtemplate.)

2.Draganexecutive,atleastonemanager,andacombinationofposition,consultant,vacancy,andassistantshapesontothepage.

3.DragatleastoneThreepositionsshapeontothepage.

4.DragatleastoneMultipleshapesshapeontothepage.

5.ChangethetypeofoneofthepositionshapestoManager.

6.Addnamesandtitlestoseveralshapes.

UseexistingdatatocreateanorganizationchartStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

2.SelectExcelasthedatasourcetype,andthenbrowsetotheOrgChartDataworksheetintheVisio2016SBS\Ch05folder.

3.AddExtensiontotheDisplayedfieldssection.

4.AddExtensionandEmployeeNumbertotheShapeDatafieldssection.

5.Donotincludepicturesinyourorgchart.

6.FinishthewizardtocreateanorgchartthatusesthedatainExcel.

7.SavethefileasMyOrgChartforuseinthe“Alterlayoutandappearance”task.

UsetheOrganizationChartWizardwithnewdataStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

2.IndicatethatyouwantthewizardtocreateanExcelworkbookforyou,andthenprovideapathandfilename.

3.EnterdataintheExcelworkbook,andthencloseExcel.

4.Finishthewizardtocreateanorgchart.

AlterlayoutandappearanceUsethefileyoucreatedinthe“Useexistingdatatocreateanorganizationchart”task,oropentheAlterLayoutdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Changethestyleoftheorgchartshapesseveraltimestoobservetheeffectsonthediagram.

2.CleartheApplyAutomaticLayoutstoShapeStylessetting,andthenchangethestyleseveraltimesagain.Noticethatthelayoutdoesnotchange.

3.Changethelayoutoftheentireorganizationchartsomoreofitisvisibleonyourmonitor.

4.Changethelayoutofthesubordinatesofonemanageronthechart,butleavetherestoftheorgchartasis.

5.Randomlymoveshapesorgroupsofshapesaroundonthepage,andthenlayoutthediagramagain.

6.Fitthediagramtothepage.

7.Adjusttheverticalspacingbetweenshapesinthechart,andmoveshapesorgroupsofshapes.

8.Hidethesubordinatesofatleastonemanager.

9.Adjusttheheightandwidthofoneormoreshapes.

10.AddoneorseveralphotostothepagebyusingtheimagesinthePhotossubfolderintheVisio2016SBS\Ch05folder.

11.Deleteorhidethephotosorphotoplaceholdersonseveralshapes.

ImportphotographsasyoucreateorganizationchartsStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

2.SelectExcelasthedatasourcetype,andthenbrowsetotheOrgChartDataworksheet.

3.SelectfieldstoaddtotheDisplayedfieldsandtotheShapeDatafieldssections.

4.IncludepicturesinyourorgchartbyusingtheimagesinthePhotosfolder.

5.FinishthewizardtocreateanorgchartthatusesthedatainExcel.

6.Croponephotograph,andthenadjustthebrightnessorcontrastofanotherphoto.

6.Addstyle,color,andthemes

Inthischapter

Alignandspaceshapes

UsetheFormatPainter

Practicefiles

SomeVisiodiagramsaresimpleandstraightforward;theyexistsolelytoconveyamechanicalorfunctionalillustration.However,thepurposeofmanydiagramsistocommunicateinformationand,perhaps,totellastory.

Regardlesswhichdescriptionappliestoyourdiagram,youcanusemanytechniquestoenhanceitsappearanceanddeliverinformationmoreeffectively.Acommonwaytostartisbyaddingcolortotheinteriorsofshapesandtothelinesinadiagram.However,choosingastriking,yetcomplementary,setofcolorsisn’teasy,whichiswhyVisiothemesandQuickStyleswerecreated.Theyofferprofessionallydesignedcolorpalettes,andincludevariationsonthemainthemeforthoseoccasionswhenyouneedsomethingjustalittlebitdifferent.WhetheryoudecidetouseVisiothemesordesignyourownpalette,youcanalwaysapplyspecificcolors,gradients,andpatternstoindividualshapes.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtoaligningandspacingshapes;applyingpredefinedthemesandvariantstopagesorentirediagrams;usingeffectsandQuickStyles;applyingsolid,gradient,andpatternfills;applyingcolorsandpatternstospecificshapes;andusingtheFormatPainter.

AlignandspaceshapesPartofcreatingagoodVisiodiagramismakingiteasyforthereadertounderstandandlearnfromthecontentofthediagram.Youcanprovidesignificantassistancetoyourreaderbyremovingdistractionslikelinesthatcrossunnecessarilyandshapesthatarealmost,butnotquite,aligned.

YouknowfromsomeoftheprecedingchaptersthattheDynamicGrid,AutoConnect,rulers,andguidescanhelpyoubuildaneatdiagram.Youalsoknowthatyoucannudgeandmoveshapesmanuallytoarrangethemmoreprecisely.

Inthistopic,youwillexploreavarietyoffeaturesthatyoucanusetopositionandalignmultipleshapeswithjustaclick.MostofthefeaturesarelocatedintheArrangegroupon

theHometab;manyarealsoaccessibleontheminitoolbar.

AlignshapesYoucanusetheVisioalignfunctionstomovemultipleshapesintopositionatthesametime.Whetheryouneedtoarrangetwoshapesordozensofshapes,youcanaccomplishthetaskwithasingleclick.

Figure6-1showsfourshapesthatwillserveasexamplesforthealignfunctions.

Figure6-1Visioshapesinneedofalignment

ThetwoorangedotsinFigure6-1throughFigure6-4areincludedtoprovidevisualreferencepoints.Theyarepositionedatthecenterandmiddleoftheorangerectangleandremaininfixedpositionsonthepagewhiletheothershapesaremoved.

What’sinfront?

AlthoughVisioisatwo-dimensionaldrawingtool,understandingthatthereisathirddimensionatworkineverydrawingiscriticaltousingthetoolsdescribedinthistopic.

WhenyoudropshapesontoaVisiodrawingpage,theirhorizontalandverticalpositionsontheX-axisandY-axis,respectively,areobvious.LessobviousisthateachshapeisalsopositionedontheZ-axis.Thinkofashape’sZ-axispositionasitsdistanceoutfromthebackofthepage.

Youseeevidenceofashape’srelativepositionontheZ-axis,knownastheshape’sZ-order,whenshapesonapageoverlapeachother:someshapesappeartobe“infrontof”or“behind”othershapes.

Evenwhenshapesarenotontopofeachother,however,Visiokeepstrackofeachshape’spositionontheZ-axis.Bydefault,thefirstshapeyoudroponapageisattheback,andeverysubsequentshapeyouaddisonestepinfrontofthepreviousone.

Ifyou’reindoubt,trythefollowingexperiment:

1.Dropthreeshapesinseparatepartsofthedrawingpagesonoshapesaretouching.

2.Dragthesecondshapeyoudroppedsoitpartiallyoverlapsthethird.Noticethatitappearsbehindthethirdshape.

3.Dragthefirstshapesoitoverlapspartofthesecondandpartofthethird.ThefirstshapemaintainsitsZ-orderandappearsbehindtheothertwo.

YoucanaltertheZ-orderofanyshapeorsetofshapesbyusingtheBringToFrontorSendToBackbutton.

ThebuttonsonboththeHometabandtheminitoolbarmoveshapesthefulldistanceinonedirection.However,thebuttonsalsohavemenusthatincludeBringForwardandSendBackwardcommandstomoveshapesonestepatatime.

Important

TheorangerectanglewiththebolderoutlineontheleftinFigure6-1istheshapeVisiousesastheanchorshapeforalignmentoperations.Justasitsnamesuggests,theanchorshapestaysinplace—theothershapesmoverelativetoit.

TheroleoftheanchorshapeisapparentinFigure6-2:theothershapesarealignedtotheleft,center,andrightoftheorangerectangle.Similarly,acomparisonofFigure6-3withFigure6-1showsthattheyellow,blue,andgreenshapesarealignedwiththemiddleoftheorangerectangle.

Figure6-2Visioshapesthatarealignedleft,center,andright

Priortoaligningshapes,it’simportanttonoticewhichshapeistheanchor,becausealignmentresultscanvarygreatlywithdifferentanchorshapes.It’salsoimportanttoknowhowVisiochoosestheanchorandhowtochangethatselection.

VisiousuallyselectstheanchorbasedonZ-order.Ifyouuseaboundingboxtoselectmultipleshapes,theanchorisusuallytheshapethatisfarthesttotheback.IfyouselectallshapesbyusingCtrl+A,theanchorshapeisusuallytheshapethatisatthefront.Ineithercase,youcanpermanentlychangewhichshapeistheanchorforaparticularselectionbyusingtheSendBackwardorSendForwardcommandtoaltertheZ-order.

YoucanalsooverridetheZ-ordertemporarilyandpickaspecificshapetobetheanchorbyfirstselectingtheshapeyouwanttobetheanchor,andthenselectingtheremainderoftheshapes.

Ifyouselectallfourrectangles,theleft,center,andrightalignmentoperationsproducetheresultsshowninFigure6-2.

Similarly,theAlignTop,AlignMiddle,andAlignBottomfunctionsalignshapesbymovingthemvertically.Figure6-3showsoneexample.

Figure6-3Fourrectanglesthatarealignedatthemiddleoftheorangerectangle

TheLivePreviewfeatureisextremelyhelpfulwhenaligningshapesbecauseitshowstheresultsofanalignmentoperationbeforeyoucommittoit.

Toalignshapestotheleft,center,orrightoftheanchorshape1.OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clicktheAlignbutton,andthenclickeitherAlignLeft,AlignCenter,orAlignRight.

Toalignshapestothetop,middle,orbottomoftheanchorshape1.ClicktheAlignbutton,andthenclickeitherAlignTop,AlignMiddle,orAlignBottom.

SpaceandorientshapesAdjustingthespacebetweenshapesisanothereffectivewaytomakeadiagrammorepresentable.Althoughyoucanuserulers,guides,andeventheDynamicGridtoassist,inmanycases,youcanaccomplisheverythingyouneedbyusingthePositionbutton.

Forexample,thedistributefunctionsensurethattheinter-shapespacingisthesameforasetofshapes,oneitherthehorizontalortheverticalaxis.IfyouselecttheshapesshowninFigure6-3,andthenclickDistributeHorizontallyonthePositionmenu,youwillseetheresultshowninFigure6-4.

Figure6-4Fouralignedrectangleswithequalspacingbetweeneachpair

YoucanadjusttheamountofspacethatVisioplacesbetweendistributedshapesbyclickingthePositionbuttonandthenclickingSpacingOptions.

Whenyouselectmultipleshapesandthenuseeithertypeofdistributefunction,Visiodoesnotmovetheoutermostshapes.Consequently,youshouldpositiontheoutershapeswhereyouwantthembeforeyouclicktheappropriatedistributebutton.

ThePositionbuttonalsoincludesoptionstorotateandflipselectedshapesorthediagramasawhole.

Inadiagramwherethedrawingpagespansmultipleprinterpages,youcanusetheoptionsonthePositionmenutomoveshapesawayfrompagebreaksortoinstructVisiotoavoidplacingshapesonpagebreaks.Bothoptionshelpyoutoavoidsplittingshapesifyouplantoprintyourdiagramonmultiplesheetsofpaper.

Todistributeshapes1.Selectatleastthreeshapes.

2.OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clickthePositionbutton,andthenclickeitherDistributeHorizontallyorDistributeVertically.

ClickthePositionbutton,clickMoreDistributeOptions,andthenintheDistributeShapesdialogbox,showninFigure6-5,chooseadifferentdistributionstyle.

Figure6-5UsetheoptionsintheDistributeShapesdialogboxforcustomspacing

Torotateorflipshapes

1.ClickthePositionbutton,pointtoRotateShapes,andthenclickoneoftheRotateoptionsortheFlipoptions.

Tomoveshapesoffapagebreak1.ClickthePositionbutton,andthenclickMoveoffPageBreaks.

AlignandspaceshapesautomaticallyAsusefulasthealignandspacefunctionsdescribedintheprecedingsectionscanbe,Visioprovidesanevenmorepowerfulsetofautomaticalignmentandspacingfunctionsthatcanreworkanentirepagewithtwoclicks.

LivePreviewisextremelyhelpfulforviewingAutoAlign&Spaceresultsbeforeyoucommit.

Toprovideanexampleofthispower,examinethepoorlylaidoutflowchartshowninFigure6-6andthencompareittotheflowchartshowninFigure6-7.

Figure6-6Aflowchartthatneedshelp

Figure6-7Adramaticallyimprovedflowchart

Inonlytwoclicks,theflowchartshowninFigure6-6turnsintowhatyouseeinFigure6-7.TheresultinFigure6-7isnotperfect:theEndshapeshouldbemovedtoadifferentlocation.However,Visiodidallofthehardwork.

Important

TheresultsyouachievebyusingAutoAlign&Spacearecloselytiedtothelocationofeachshapeonthepagebeforeyouclickthebutton.Sometimes,movingjustoneshapeashortdistancebeforeclickingAutoAlign&Spacewillproduceentirelydifferentresults.Thisobservationleadstoanimportantrecommendation:ifyouaren’tsatisfiedwithyourAutoAlign&Spaceresults,undotheoperation,moveashapeortwo,andthentryagain.

Toautomaticallyalignshapes1.OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clicktheAlignbutton,andthenclickAutoAlign.

Toautomaticallyspaceshapes1.OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clickthePositionbutton,andthenclickAutoSpace.

Toautomaticallyalignandspaceshapes1.ClicktheAlignbutton,andthenclickAutoAlign&Spacebutton.

UnderstandthemeconceptsYoucanusethemesandseveralrelatedVisiofeaturestochangetheentirelookofadiagram.Somethemesemploysimpleshapedesignswithminimalornamentationandcolor;othersfeaturebold,colorfuldesignsandadornshapeswithshadows,glows,reflections,andotherspecialeffects.

Oneofthebestthingsaboutthemesisthattheyaresoeasytouse.Simplypointtoanythemeinthegallerytoseealivepreview,andthenwhenyoufindoneyoulike,clickitsthumbnailtoapplyit.

Asvariedasthemesare,theyarenotyouronlyresourcewhenitcomestoenhancingtheappearanceofyourdiagram.TheVisiodiagramdesignhierarchyincorporatesthefollowingfourlevels:

ThemesCoordinatedsetsofcolors,shapegeometries,fonts,andeffects

VariantsSetsoffourvariationsonatheme,eachofwhichmaintainstheoverallcharacterofthethemewhileprovidingdistinctivecolorschemesandshapedesigns

EffectsVisualembellishmentsthatcanincludeshadows,reflections,glows,softedges,bevels,and3-Drotation

QuickStylesSetsofcolorandstylecombinations,rangingfromsubtletointense,thatcanbeappliedtoindividualshapeswhilestillmaintainingtheessentialnatureofthethemeandvariantyou’veselected

Themesandvariantscanbeappliedtoallshapesonapageortoallpagesinadiagram.EffectsandQuickStylesaffectonlythecurrentlyselectedshapeorshapes.

Amongitsproperties,eachthemeconsistsofacolorpalettethatincludesbasecolorsandaccentcolors.Youwillexplorethecolorpalette,alongwithasetofstandardVisiocolors,in“Applysolid,gradient,andpatternfills”laterinthischapter.

HundredsofVisiomastershavebeenredesignedtotakeadvantageoftheVisio2016themingconcepts.Manyoftheredesignedmastersconsistofmultiplesubshapesthattakeondifferentaccentcolorswithinatheme.Whenyouapplythemesthatareprimarilymonochromatic,suchshapeshaveauniformappearance.Butwhenyouselectthemesthatemployvariedaccentcolors,youcancreatediagramswithinterestingvisualhighlights.

TheThemesgalleryontheDesigntabpresents26themesplusaNoThemebutton.Themesareorganizedintofourcategories:Professional,Modern,Trendy,andHandDrawn,asshowninFigure6-8.Inaddition,thebottomrowofthegalleryshowsthumbnailsofthemesthatareactiveinthecurrentdrawing.

Figure6-8UsetheThemesgallerytoapplypredefinedcombinationsofcolors,styles,fonts,andeffectstoadiagram

TheApplyThemeToNewShapesoptionatthebottomoftheThemesgallerycausestheactivethemetobeappliedtoallnewshapesthatyoudroponthepage.ApplyThemeToNewShapesisselectedbydefaultwhenyouinstallVisio,butyoucanclickittochangethissettingforthecurrentdrawingandallfuturedrawings.

Hand-drawnthemes

Haveyoueverwantedtoshowadiagramtoanaudiencetogettheirfeedback,andyoudidn’twantthediagramtolooktoopolishedorcomplete?Visio2016offersanintriguingsetofthemesyoucanusesoyouraudienceimmediatelyunderstandsthatthedrawingisaworkinprogress.

ComparetheflowchartsinthepairofimagesinFigure6-9.TheimageontheleftusestheWhispthemeandappearstobeawell-thought-outdepictionofacompany’sworkflow.Incontrast,theoneontherightbegsviewerstohelpsketchoutandrefinetheprocess,largelybecauseitemploystheMarkerthemefromtheHandDrawnsectionoftheThemesgallery.

Figure6-9Thesameflowchartwithafinishedlookandawork-in-progresslook

Similarly,contrasttheprofessional,finished-lookingdiagramontheleftinFigure6-10withthe“helpmefinishthenetworklayout”diagramontheright.

Figure6-10Anetworkdiagramshowingtheeffectsoftwothemes

ApplythemesandvariantsThefiguresinthefollowingsectionsfeatureofficefurnitureshapesthatareamongmanyredesignedshapesforVisio2016.Thefurnitureshapesfeaturesignificantvisualvarietyevenwithoutthemes,asillustratedinFigure6-11.

Figure6-11AnofficelayoutcreatedbyusingshapesredesignedforVisio2016

Someoftheredesignedfurnitureshapescontainintelligentbehaviorinadditiontoenhancedappearance.Alloftheconferencetablesthatincludechairs,forexample,automaticallyaddandremovechairsasyouresizethetables.

Thefollowingsectionsprovideyouwithexamplesofhowchangingthethemeorvariantcanaffectthelookofyourdiagrams.

ChoosethemesandvariantsIntheupper-leftimageinFigure6-12,theShadethemeisapplied,whichprovidesamonochromaticlook.CompareittotheWhispthemeintheupperright,whichfeaturesmoreprominentaccentcolorsonmanyshapes.

Figure6-12Theeffectsofthemesandvariantsonofficefurnitureandofficeplanshapes

Atthetimeofthiswriting,aknownissuecausestheSofashapefromtheOfficeFurniturestenciltoremainbrown,nomatterwhatthemeorvariantisapplied.Thisproblemwillmostlikelybefixedinafutureupdate.

Introducingvariantsaddsmorevisualdifferentiation.ComparethetwoofficeplanimagesontheleftinFigure6-12.BothusetheShadetheme,butVariant2hasbeenappliedinthelowerimage.Thechairsretainasimilarcolorbutthewalls,door,tables,andplantsalldisplaycontrastingcolors.Similarly,theimagesontherightshareacommontheme,butVariant4inthelowerrightusesacompletelydifferentcolorpalette.

Toapplyatheme1.OntheDesigntab,intheThemesgroup,doanyofthefollowing:

•Clickthethumbnailforthethemeyouwant.

•Clicktheupordownarrowattherightendofthegallerytoscrollthrough

availablethemes,andthenclickthethemeyouwant.

•ClicktheMorebuttontodisplaytheThemesgallery,andthenclickthethemeyouwant.

Themesareappliedonlytotheactivepagebydefault,whichmeansthatyoucanassigndifferentthemestodifferentpages.However,youcanapplythesamethemetoallpagesatonce,asdescribedinthenextprocedure.

Toapplythemestoallpagesinadiagram1.Right-clickthethumbnailofthethemeyouwant,andthenclickApplytoAllPages.

Important

Fromthismomentforward,everytimeyouselectadifferenttheme,itwillbeappliedtoallpagesunlessyouresettheapplythemesoption.

Toreverttoapplyingthemestothecurrentpage1.Right-clickthethumbnailofthethemeyouwant,andthenclickApplytoCurrentPage.

Important

Fromthismomentforward,everytimeyouselectadifferenttheme,itwillbeappliedtoonlythecurrentpageunlessyouchangetheapplythemesoption.

Toapplyavariant1.OntheDesigntab,intheVariantsgroup,clickthevariantyouwant.

Toremovethethemefromthecurrentpage1.ClicktheMorebuttontodisplaytheThemesgallery,andthenattheendoftheProfessionalsection,clicktheNoThemethumbnail.

Toremovethemesfromselectedshapes1.OntheHometab,intheShapeStylesgroup,clicktheMorebutton,andthencleartheAllowThemescheckmark.

Todisallowtheuseofthemesforallfutureshapes1.ClicktheMorebuttontodisplaytheThemesgallery,andthencleartheApplyThemetoNewShapescheckmark.

CustomizethemesandvariantsYourexplorationofthemesdoesn’thavetoendsimplybecauseyouappliedonetoyourdiagram.Youcancustomizeanytheme/variantcombinationtocreateyourowncoloranddesignscheme,asfollows:

ColorsYoucanchooseapredefinedcolorset,ordesignyourownpalettebyclickingCreateNewThemeColorsatthebottomoftheColorsgallery.

Ifyouchoosetocreateyourownsetofcolors,Visiopresentsadialogbox,showninFigure6-13,inwhichyouselectaccentcolors,colorsfortextonlightanddarkfills,andanoverallbackgroundcolor.

Figure6-13YoucancustomizeindividualthemecolorsbyusingtheNewThemeColorsdialogbox

Creatingacustomcolorsetdisablesvariants,andtheywillappeardimmed(unavailable)intheVariantsgallery.

Whenyoucreatecustomthemecolors,VisioaddsyourcolorsettotheCustomsectionoftheColorsgallery,aportionofwhichisshowninFigure6-14.Thesamefigurealsoshowsexamplesofpredesignedcolorsetsthatyoucanselect.

Figure6-14Youcanselectanalternatecolorschemeforanytheme

Youcannotdeletethebuilt-incolors,effects,orthemes.However,youcandeletecustomcolorssets.Todoso,displaytheColorsgalleryforthemes,right-clickthecustomcolorset,andthenclickDelete.

EffectsYoucanselectoneof26built-inthemeeffects.

Important

Customizingthecolorsandeffectsofavariantisnotthesameassettingcustomcolorsoreffectsonashape.Youwillexplorethelatterin“UseeffectsandQuickStyles”and“Applysolid,gradient,andpatternfills”laterinthischapter.

ConnectorsYoucanapplyoneof26stylestoadynamicconnector.

Thestyleyouapplytodynamicconnectorsisalsoappliedtoother1-Dlinesonthepage.However,thestyleisnotappliedtothelinesthatcompriseshapeborders.

EmbellishmentYoucanchangetheembellishmentlevel.Notethatnotallshapesuseembellishments,soyoumightnotseeadifferenceaftermodifyingtheembellishmentsetting.

IfyouwanttocopyacustomizedthemefromoneVisiodrawingtoanother,copyashapecontainingthethemefromthefirstdrawingandpasteitintothesecondone.Youcanthendeletetheshape;thethemewillremainbehind.YourcopiedthemewillnotappearintheThemesgallerybutanycustomcolorsetswillappearundertheCustomsectionintheColorsgallery.

SeeAlso

Fordetailedinformationaboutthemesfromadeveloper’sperspective,seethetheme-relatedpostsinVisioMVPJohnGoldsmith’sblogatvisualsignals.typepad.co.uk/vislog/archive.html.

Tocustomizevariantcolors1.OntheDesigntab,intheVariantsgroup,clicktheMorebuttontodisplaytheVariantsgallery,andthenpointtoColors.

2.Clickthecolorsetyouwant.

ClickCreateNewThemeColors,selectthecolorsyouwantintheNewThemeColorsdialogbox,enteracolorsetname,andthenclickOK.

Tocustomizeeffects1.DisplaytheVariantsgallery,pointtoEffects,andthenclicktheeffectyouwant.

Tochangetheconnectorstyle1.DisplaytheVariantsgallery,pointtoConnectors,andthenclicktheconnectorstyleyouwant.

Tochangetheembellishmentlevel1.DisplaytheVariantsgallery,pointtoEmbellishment,andthenclicktheembellishmentlevelyouwant.

UseeffectsandQuickStylesAfteryou’veusedthemesandvariantstogiveyourdiagramtheoveralllookthatyouwant,youcanuseeffectsandQuickStylestoaddsophisticationorprovideemphasistooneormoreselectedshapeswithinyourdrawing.

HighlightshapesbyusingeffectsVisioincludessixtypesofeffects:shadows,reflections,glows,softedges,bevels,and3-Drotation.IfyouhaveusedeffectsinMicrosoftPowerPoint,youmightrecognizethislistbecauseVisioandPowerPointsharethesamesetofeffects.Inallsixcases,youcanchoosefrompredefinedeffects,oryoucancustomizespecificfeaturesofeacheffect.

TheflowchartexampleshowninseveralprecedingchaptersisenhancedinFigure6-15withthreeeffects:

Theflowchartshapes—butnotthedynamicconnectors—haveareflection.

Figure6-15Multipleeffectsappliedtoaflowchart

Selectingflowchartshapes,butnotconnectors,iseasybecauseflowchartshapesareautomaticallyplacedonaspeciallayer.Forarefresheronselectingshapesbyusinglayers,referto“Understandanduselayers”inChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”Toreviewothertechniquesforselectingmultipleshapes,see“Selectshapes”inChapter2,“Creatediagrams.”

Theflowchartshapeshaveabevel.

Theshapeontheleftendofthebottomrowhasayellowglow.

Youcanapplyeffectsintwoways,butthereisanimportantdifferencebetweenthetwotechniques.ClickingtheEffectsbuttonintheShapeStylesgroupontheHometabdisplaysamenuthatonlygivesyouaccesstopredefinedeffects,whereastheFormatShapetaskpanegivesyouprecisecontroloverthepropertiesofeacheffect.Asanexample,theimageontheleftofFigure6-16showstheglowoptionsavailablefromtheGlowsubmenuoftheEffectsmenu,andontherightaretheequivalentoptionsfromtheFormatShapetaskpane.

Figure6-16YoucanapplyaglowfromthegalleryortheFormatShapetaskpane

Important

TheBeveloptionontheEffectsmenuhasadifferentnameintheFormatShapetaskpane,whereitiscalled3-DFormat.

SeeAlso

ForanexamplethatusesmultipleeffectstocreatereplicasofOlympicmedals,seethearticlebyVisioMVPDavidParkeratblog.orbussoftware.com/data-graphics-text-calllouts-visio-2013/.

EachsectionoftheFormatShapetaskpaneincludesaPresetsbuttonthatdisplaysthesamegalleriesastheEffectsbutton.However,thereisoneimportantdifference:accessingthegalleriesfromtheFormatShapetaskpanedoesnotprovidealivepreview.

TodisplaytheEffectspageoftheFormatShapetaskpane1.Selectoneormoreshapes,andthendoanyofthefollowing:

•OntheHometab,intheShapeStylesgroup,clickthedialogboxlaunchertodisplaytheFormatShapetaskpane.Atthetopofthetaskpane,clicktheEffectsbutton.

•OntheHometab,intheShapeStylesgroup,clicktheEffectsbutton,pointtoanyofthesixtypesofeffects,andthenclicktheOptionsbuttonatthebottomofthemenu.

Toseeanexample,refertotheGlowOptionsbuttonshownontheleftinFigure6-16.

Toapplyaneffect1.Selectoneormoreshapes,andthendoeitherofthefollowing:

•IntheShapeStylesgroup,clicktheEffectsbutton,pointtoanyofthesixtypesofeffects,andthenclicktheeffectyouwant.

•OntheEffectspageoftheFormatShapetaskpane,clickthenameoftheeffectyouwant,andthensetthevaluesyouwant.

1.Right-clicktheshapeyouwanttoenhance.

Selectmultipleshapes,andthenright-clickanyoftheselectedshapes.

2.Ontheminitoolbar,clicktheStylesbutton,pointtotheEffectsbutton,pointtoanyofthesixtypesofeffects,andthenclicktheeffectyouwant.

Tochangeaneffectonashape1.OntheEffectspageoftheFormatShapetaskpane,clickthenameoftheeffectyouwanttochange,andthenmakethechangesyouwant.

Toremoveaneffectfromashape1.IntheShapeStylesgroup,clicktheEffectsbutton,pointtoanyofthesixtypesofeffects,andthenclicktheNo<effectname>button,where<effectname>isthenameoftheeffectyouwanttoremove.

Toseeanexample,refertotheNoGlowbuttonshownontheleftinFigure6-16.

EmbellishshapesbyusingQuickStylesSimilartothewaythatthemesprovideacoordinatedsetofdesignoptionsforanentirepage,QuickStylesofferpredesignedcollectionsofvisualeffectsforasetofshapesthatyouhaveselected.

Important

ThereisoneimportantdifferencebetweenthemesandQuickStyles:youcanremoveathemebyclickingtheNoThemethumbnailintheThemesgallery.ThereisnoequivalentwaytoremoveallofthechangesmadebyaQuickStyle.

VisioprovidestwoversionsoftheQuickStylesgallery,andyoucanuseeitherofthemtoachievethesameresult.TheimageontheleftinFigure6-17onthefollowingpageshowsthegallerywhendisplayedfromtheShapeStylesgroupontheHometab.Theimageontherightshowsthegallerythatappearswhenyouusetheminitoolbar.Thegalleryontherightappearsinashorterpanethatincludesascrollbar;it’seasytomissthescrollbarandnotrealizethatallofthesamechoicesareavailable.

Figure6-17TwoviewsoftheQuickStylesgallery

TheQuickStylesgalleryincludestwosectionsthatpresentthefollowingoptions:

Fourvariantstyles

Asix-by-sevenmatrixofthemestylesthatprovidetheme-appropriatecolorandstylealternatives.Fromtoptobottom,therowsofthematrixofferstylechangesthatrangefromsubtletointense;thecolumnsoffervariationsnumberedfromonetoseven.

ThegallerythatappearswhenyouusetheminitoolbaralsopresentsFill,Line,FontColor,andEffectsbuttons.ThesearealsoavailableontheHometab.

AlthoughthecolordifferencesacrossthecolumnsintheThemeStylessectionofthegalleryinFigure6-17arereadilyidentifiable,realizethateachrowincorporatesdifferencesingradients,bevels,andothereffectsthatarelessvisibleinthethumbnails.

Basedonchoicesmadebytheshapedesigner,youwillfindthatsomeshapesdonotchangewhenyouattempttoapplyaQuickStyle.

ToapplyaQuickStyletooneormoreshapes1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheHometab,intheShapeStylesgroup,clicktheMorebutton,andthenclickathumbnailineithertheVariantStylesortheThemeStylessectionoftheQuickStylesgallery.

•Right-clicktheselectedshapeorshapes.Ontheminitoolbar,clicktheStylesbutton,andthenclickathumbnailineithertheVariantStylesortheThemeStylessectionofthegallery.

Remembertousethescrollbartorevealadditionalrowsofthemestyles.

TochangeaQuickStyle1.DisplaytheQuickStylesgallery,andthenclickadifferentthumbnail.

Applysolid,gradient,andpatternfillsDespitetheincrediblerangeofdesignoptionsprovidedbythemes,variants,andeffects,sometimesyoujustneedthebasics,suchasapplyingacolororpatterntoashape.

InVisio,youaccomplishthesetasksinfamiliarwaysbychoosingfromthecolorpicker,showninFigure6-18.Evenhere,however,themesandvariantsarepartofyourcolorselectiondecisionbecauseindividualcolorchoicesaregroupedintofoursections:ThemeColors,VariantColors,StandardColors,andRecentColors.

Figure6-18Usethecolorpickertoviewandselectcolorsandtints

WhenyouchoosefromtheThemeColorsorVariantColorssection,thefillinyourshapewillchangecoloreachtimeyouapplyadifferenttheme.However,ifyoupickfromtheStandardColorsorRecentColorssection,orclickMoreColors,youhavelockedthecolorofyourshape;itwillnolongerbeaffectedbythemes.

IfyouchoosetoworkwiththecolorsintheThemeColorssection,it’shelpfultounderstandthestructurebehindthissectionofthecolorpicker.

ColumnsFromlefttoright,thecolumnsintheThemeColorssectionareWhite,Black,Light,Dark,andthensixaccentcolorsnamedAccent1toAccent6.(LightandDarkareusedforlight-coloredtextonadarkbackground,anddark-coloredtextonalightbackground,respectively.)

RowsThetoprowrepresentsthebasecolorforeachcolumn.Thenextfiverowsdisplaythreelightertintsandtwodarkertintsofeachcolor.

AScreenTipappearswhenyoupointtoanycolorselection,asshowninFigure6-18.

ClickingMoreColorsbelowthecolorpickeropenstheColorsdialogbox,whichyoucanusewhenthecoloryouwantisnotavailableinthecolorpicker.TheStandardtaboftheColorsdialogboxincludesdozensofcolorchoices,oryoucanusethecolorselectorandtintsliderontheCustomtabtocreatevirtuallyanycolor.Forathirdalternative,alsoontheCustomtab,youcantypespecificvaluesinordertocreatecolorsthatusetheRed-Green-Blue(RGB)orHue-Saturation-Lightness(HSL)colorscheme.Regardlessofthetechniqueyouuse,selectingacolorfromtheColorsdialogboxaddsittotheRecentColorssectionofthecolorpicker.

Inadditiontosolidcolorfills,youcanapplyfillpatterns,transparency,andgradientfills.TheeasiestwaytoworkwithpatternandgradientfillsistousetheFormatShapetaskpane.Figure6-19showsthedetailsoftheFormatShapetaskpaneforagradientfillontheleft,andapatternfillontheright.

Figure6-19TheGradientFillandPatternFillsettingsintheFormatShapetaskpane

Youcanfine-tunemultipleoptionsforeachofthefilltypesshowninFigure6-19.It’sworthspendingsometimeexploringthechoicessoyou’llbeawareofthemanyalternatives.

Todisplaythecolorpicker1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheHometab,intheShapeStylesgroup,clicktheFillbutton.

•Right-clickashape.Ontheminitoolbar,clicktheStylesbutton,andthenpointtoFill.

TodisplaytheFormatShapepane1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Displaythecolorpicker,andthenclickFillOptions.

•Right-clickashape,andthenclickFormatShape.

ToopentheColorsdialogbox1.Displaythecolorpicker,andthenclickMoreColors.

Toapplyasolidfillcolor1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•Displaythecolorpicker,andthenclickacolorbuttonintheThemeColors,

VariantColors,StandardColors,orRecentColorssection.

•OpentheColorsdialogbox,clicktheStandardtab,andthenclickthecoloryouwant.

•OpentheColorsdialogbox,clicktheCustomtab,andthenintheColorspane,slidethetintslidertothecoloryouwant.

•OpentheColorsdialogbox,clicktheCustomtab,clickRGBorHSLintheColormodellist,andthenentervaluestospecifythecoloryouwant.

•IntheFormatShapetaskpane,clickSolidfill,clicktheFillColorbutton,andthenuseanyoftheprecedingtechniques.

2.(Optional)SetaTransparencyvalue.

Toapplyagradientfill1.IntheFormatShapetaskpane,clickGradientfill,clickthePresetgradientsbutton,andthenclickthegradientyouwant.

2.(Optional)SetType,Direction,Angle,orGradientstopsvalues.

Toapplyapatternfill1.IntheFormatShapetaskpane,clickPatternfill,clickthePatternbutton,andthenclickapattern.

2.(Optional)SetForeground,Background,orTransparencyvalues.

Toremoveashapefill1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Inthecolorpicker,clickNoFill.

•IntheFormatShapetaskpane,clickNofill.

ApplylinecolorsandpatternsManythemeandvariantcombinationsincludestylesandcolorsforlines.Inaddition,justasyoucanapplyspecificcolorsandpatternstotwo-dimensionalshapes,youcanalsocustomizelinesanddynamicconnectors.

Withfewexceptions,mostchangesyoumaketolinesaffectboththelinesyoudrawbetweenshapesandtheborderlinesaroundtwo-dimensionalshapes.(Oneexceptionwasnotedinthe“Customizethemesandvariants”sectionearlierinthischapter.)Thetechniquesyouusetochangetheappearanceoflinesareverysimilartothosedescribedforfillsintheprecedingtopic.

Thecolorpickerforlinesincludesadditionaloptionsthatarenotonthemenuforfills:youcansetWeight,Dashes,andArrows,asshowninFigure6-20.

Figure6-20Inadditiontocolorchoices,thecolorpickerforlinesincludesseverallinestyleoptions

VisioMVPJohnMarshallsuggeststhat“LinePatterns”wouldbeabetternamethan“Dashes”becausemanylinepatternshavenothingtodowithdotsanddashes.Inaddition,youcancreatecustomlinepatterns;forexamples,refertoanarticlefromanearlierversionofVisiowhenlinepatternsactuallywerecalledlinepatterns:msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa200997(v=office.10).asp.

Inamorerecentviewofthesubject,VisioMVPJohnGoldsmithwroteatwo-partseriesbeginningwiththisarticleatvisualsignals.typepad.co.uk/vislog/2008/03/creating-random.html.

TheLineOptionsentryattheendofthecolorpickermenuopenstheLinesectionoftheFormatShapetaskpane,whichincludesevenmoreoptionsforfine-tuningtheappearanceofbothsolidandgradientlines.Inadditiontocustomizingthelinesthemselves,youcantailorpropertieslikethecaps(lineends),corners,andarrows.

Figure6-21illustratesthevarietyoflinetypesthatyoucanconfigurebyusingtheFormatShapetaskpane.

Figure6-21Examplesofhighlyvariedlinetypesyoucancreate

Toopenthecolorpickerforlines1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheHometab,intheShapeStylesgroup,clicktheLinebutton.

•Right-clickashape.Ontheminitoolbar,clicktheStylesbutton,andthenpointtoLine.

ToopentheFormatShapepanetotheLinesection1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Openthecolorpicker,clickLineOptions,andthenclickLine.

•Right-clickashape;clickFormatShape,andthenclickLine.

Toapplyasolidlinecolor1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•Openthecolorpicker,andthenclickacolorbuttonintheThemeColors,VariantColors,StandardColors,orRecentColorssection.

•OpentheColorsdialogbox,clicktheStandardtab,andthenclickthecoloryouwant.

•OpentheColorsdialogbox,clicktheCustomtab,andthenintheColorspane,usethetintslidertocreatethecoloryouwant.

•OpentheColorsdialogbox,clicktheCustomtab,clickRGBorHSLintheColormodellist,andthenentervaluestospecifythecoloryouwant.

•IntheFormatShapetaskpane,clickSolidline,clicktheFillColorbutton,andthenuseanyoftheprecedingtechniques.

2.(Optional)Setadditionallinevalues.

Tochangelineappearance1.Openthecolorpicker,andthendoanyofthefollowing:

•PointtoWeight,andthenclickalineweight.

•PointtoDashes,andthenclickalinepattern.

•PointtoArrows,andthenclickanarrowtype.

1.OpentheFormatShapetaskpanetotheLinesection,andthenusetheavailableoptionstochangelineattributes.

Toapplyagradientline1.IntheFormatShapetaskpane,clickGradientline,clickthePresetgradientsbutton,andthenclickthegradientyouwant.

2.(Optional)SetType,Direction,Angle,Gradientstops,andanyadditionallineoptionsyouwant.

UsetheFormatPainterTheVisioFormatPainteroperatesverysimilarlytothewayitdoesinotherapplicationsintheMicrosoftOfficesuite.Youcanuseittocopysimpleformattingormoresophisticatedthemes,variants,effects,andQuickStyles.

Tocopyformattingtooneshape1.Selecttheshapefromwhichtocopyformatting,andthenontheHometab,intheClipboardgroup,clicktheFormatPainterbutton.

Right-clickashape.Ontheminitoolbar,clicktheFormatPainterbutton.

2.Clicktheshapetowhichyouwanttotransfertheformatting.

Tocopyformattingtomultipleshapes1.Selecttheshapefromwhichtocopyformatting,andthenontheHometab,intheClipboardgroup,double-clicktheFormatPainterbutton.

Right-clickashape.Ontheminitoolbar,double-clicktheFormatPainterbutton.

2.Clicktheshapestowhichyouwanttotransfertheformatting.

3.OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clickthePointerToolbutton.

PressCtrl+1.

Alignandspaceshapes

UsetheFormatPainter

Practicetasks

AlignandspaceshapesOpentheAlignSpaceShapesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Useaboundingboxtoselectatleastthreeshapesofdifferentsizes,andthenalignthemontheirleftedges,centers,andrightedges.

2.UsetheLivePreviewfeaturetoseehowtheshapeswouldlookifyoualignedthematthetopandbottom.

3.Chooseananchorshape,andthenaligntheselectedshapesatthemiddle.

4.Undothealignmentfromthepreviousstep,clickashapethatwasNOTpreviouslytheanchorshape,andthenaligntheshapestoitsmiddle,notingthedifferenceinplacement.

5.Usingthesameshapes,distributethemeitherhorizontallyorverticallysothatthespacingbetweenallpairsofshapesisequal.

6.Clicktheorangetriangle,andthenexperimentwithrotatingandflippingit.

7.DraganyshapetotheedgeofthepagesothatVisioexpandsthepage.

8.UsethePositionbuttontomovetheshapeoffthepagebreak.

9.OnPage-2ofthediagram,experimentwiththeAutoAlign,AutoSpace,andAutoAlign&Spacefunctions.

UnderstandthemeconceptsTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

ApplythemesandvariantsStartVisio,chooseanytemplateyouwanttouse,addshapesofvarioustypestoseveralpages,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Applyvariousthemes,includingatleastonehand-drawntheme,toapage.

2.Chooseathemeandapplyittoallpagesinthediagram.

3.Reverttoapplyingthemestoasinglepage.

4.Experimentwithvariantsofoneortwothemes.

5.Customizevariantcolors.

6.Applyyourchoiceofeffectstothepage.

7.Customizeconnectorstyles.

8.Setadifferentembellishmentlevelforseveralshapes.

9.Removethethemefromonepage.

10.SavethedrawingasThemesVariantsEffectsforusewiththenexttasks.

UseeffectsandQuickStylesOpentheThemesVariantsEffectsdiagramthatyoucreatedinthepreviouspracticetask,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Applyaglow,reflection,andbeveltooneormoreshapes.

2.Changeoneglowtobelargerorsmaller,ortobeadifferentcolor,andthenalteroneofthebevelsyoupreviouslyapplied.

3.Selecttwoshapes,andthenremovealleffectsfromthoseshapes.

4.Selectseveralshapes,andthenapplyaQuickStyle.

5.SelectoneoftheshapeswithaQuickStyleapplied,andthenapplyadifferentone.

Applysolid,gradient,andpatternfillsContinueusingthediagramfromtheprevioustask,orcreateanewdiagram,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Add10to12shapestothepage,selectoneormoreshapes,andthenapplyanewsolidfillcolor.

2.Applyagradientfilltoseveralshapes.

3.ExperimentwithchangingthegradientfillsettingsforTypeandDirection.

4.AdjusttheGradientstopsettings.

5.Applyafillpatterntooneormoreshapes.

6.Removethefillfromoneshape.

ApplylinecolorsandpatternsContinueusingthediagramfromtheprevioustasks,orcreateanewdiagram,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Addseverallinesanddynamicconnectorstothepage.Iftherearen’tany2-Dshapesonthepage,addseveral.

2.Applyasolidcolortooneline,onedynamicconnector,andone2-Dshape.

3.Changethelineweight,linepattern,andseveralothercharacteristics.

4.Applyagradienttooneline,onedynamicconnector,andone2-Dshape.

5.Adjustvariousaspectsofthelinegradient.

6.SavethedrawingasColorsPatternsforusewiththenexttasks.

UsetheFormatPainterOpentheColorsPatternsdiagramthatyoucreatedinthepreviouspracticetask,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Copytheformattingfromonelinetoanother.

2.Copytheformattingfromone2-Dshapetoanother.

3.Copytheformattingfromoneshapetothreeothershapes.

7.Createnetworkanddatacenterdiagrams

Inthischapter

Createrackdiagrams

Practicefiles

CreatingnetworkdiagramsisamongthemostcommonusesforVisio.Whetheryourgoalistocreatesimple,stylizedrepresentationsofnetworkconnectivityorcreatephoto-realisticrackdiagramsthatshowreal-timeequipmentstatus,youcanaccomplishyourgoalwithVisio.

TheStandardeditionofVisio2016includestwomaintemplates:BasicNetworkDiagramandBasicNetworkDiagram–3D.Theformerincorporatesmodern-looking,two-dimensional(2-D)shapesthatarecompatiblewithVisio2016themes.Thelatterincludesthree-dimensional(3-D)shapesthatareidenticaltotheshapesusedinVisio2010andearlier.

TheProfessionaleditionincludesbothStandard-editiontemplatesplusamoresophisticatedversionofeach,calledDetailedNetworkDiagramandDetailedNetworkDiagram–3D.VisioProfessionalalsoincludesRackDiagram,ActiveDirectory,andLDAPDirectorytemplates.

BoththeBasicNetworkDiagramandDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplatesfeaturestarterdiagrams.SeeChapter1,“GetstartedwithVisio2016,”forinformationaboutstarterdiagrams.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtobuildingbasicanddetailednetworkdiagrams,using2-Dor3-Dequipmentshapes,creatingrackdiagrams,changingthedrawingscale,andrunningcomputerandnetworkreports.

BuildbasicnetworkdiagramsAkeycomponentofmanynetworksisanEthernetnetwork.TheVisioEthernetshapeisasmartshapewhoseappearancebeliesitssophistication.WhenyoudraganEthernetshapeontothedrawingpage,itlooksasshownontheleftsideofFigure7-1.

Figure7-1AnEthernetshapeoffers64movableconnectionpoints

Basedonthefivelineswithdotsattheends,youmightassumeyoucanconnectonlyfivenetworkdevicestooneEthernetsegment.However,youcanactuallyconnectupto64devicestoonesegment.

Thesecretliesintheyellowcontrolhandlesthatappearwhenyouselecttheshape(seetheimageontherightsideofFigure7-1).Inadditiontothecontrolhandlesattheendsofthefivelines,whatappearstobeapairofcontrolhandlesinthemiddleoftheshapeisactuallytwostacksofcontrolhandles.Asyoudragoneofthecontrolhandlesoutofthemiddle,anotherappearsuntilyoureachthetotalof64.Figure7-2showssevenconnecteddevicesandeightavailableconnectionpoints,andtherearestilltwocontrolhandlesinthemiddleoftheEthernetsegment.

Figure7-2AnEthernetshapecanbelengthenedbydraggingtheresizehandles,andyoucanaddtexttotheshape

Important

IfyoudragaconnectionpointbeforeselectingtheEthernetshape,youwilldragtheentireshapeandnotjusttheconnector.BesuretoselecttheEthernetshapefirst.

Thetwo-dimensionalcomputerandnetworkshapesacceptallofthethemesandeffectsyoulearnedaboutinChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”Forexample,Figure7-3usesVariant4oftheZephyrtheme.Inaddition,theArtDecobeveleffectisappliedtothecomputershapes,andtheDarkRed,8pt,AccentColor6gloweffectisaddedtothetwonetworksegments.

Figure7-3Youcancreatestylishnetworkdiagramsbyusingthemesandeffects

MostoftheshapesintheBasicNetworkDiagramstencilsarecomputersandnetworkcomponentsthatareusedinsidebuildings.MostofthewideareanetworkcomponentsareinstencilsthatarepartoftheDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplatedescribedinthefollowingtopic.

IfyouendupwithunneededcontrolhandlesoutsidetheEthernetsegmentshape,don’ttrytodeletethem—you’llendupdeletingtheentireEthernetsegment.Instead,youcanhideunusedconnectionsbydraggingthosecontrolhandlesbackintotheinterioroftheEthernetshapewheretheywillonlybevisibleifyouselectthenetworksegment.

Don’tforgetthatyoucanusetheDynamicGridtoalignthenewshapeswitheachotherandwiththeEthernetsegment.

TodiagramanEthernetnetwork1.DraganEthernetshapeontothepage.

2.Dragvariouscomputerandnetworkdeviceshapesontothepage.

3.SelecttheEthernetshape,andthendragandglueayellowcontrolhandletoeachcomputerornetworkshape.

ToaddmorethanfivedevicestoanEthernetshape1.DragayellowcontroloutfromthecenteroftheEthernetshape.

ToadjustthelengthorwidthofanEthernetsegment1.SelecttheEthernetshape,andthendragoneofthewhiteresizehandles.

Important

VisioProfessional2016includesanadvancednetworkdiagramtemplatethatoffersadditionalstencilsyoucanusetocreatediagramsthataremoresophisticated.

TheprimarydifferencesbetweentheBasicNetworkDiagramandDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplatesarevisibleinthetwoversionsoftheShapeswindowshowninFigure7-4.TheBasicNetworkDiagramtemplate(shownontheleft)includesonlytwostencils.TheDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplate(shownontheright)includesthesametwo,plusfiveadditionalstencils.

Figure7-4AdditionalnetworkstencilsareavailableinVisioProfessional

Important

IfascrollbarappearswhenyoumovethepointerintotheupperpartoftheShapeswindowwhenyouareusingtheDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplate,dragtheseparatorbetweenthetitlebarsectionandtheshapessectiondowntorevealallofthestenciltitles.

TheServersstencilcontains17shapesthatyoucanusetorepresentspecificservertypestocreatearealisticdepictionofyournetwork.TheRackMountedServersstencilcontainsacorrespondingsetof17rack-mountedservershapes.Theremainingstencilsprovidedozensofsymbolsfornetworkequipmentandlocations.Figure7-5showsanexampleofthetypeofenterprisediagramyoucancreatebyincorporatingshapesfrommultiplestencils.

Figure7-5Arepresentationofanenterprisenetwork

Fornetworkandcomputershapeswithalight-hearted,work-in-progresslook,seetheCrayonNetworkShapesontheVisioGuyblogatwww.visguy.com/2011/08/16/crayon-visio-network-shapes-revisited/.

Thelocalareanetwork(LAN)shapesontheleftandrightsidesofFigure7-5areenclosedincontainers.YouwillexploretheuseofcontainersinChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

EarlyversionsofVisio—Visio2000andbefore—includedanetworkdiscoveryandauto-mappingcapability.Inessence,youcouldpointthoseearlyversionsofVisioatanetworkanditwoulddiscoverwhatwasonthenetworkandthenbuildamapforyou.AlthoughthatcapabilitynolongerexistsinVisio,severalvendorsprovideVisioadd-insthathavethiscapability.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutstoringandusingdatainnetworkshapes,seeChapter8,“Workwithshapedata,”and“Runcomputerandnetworkreports”laterinthischapter.

Todiagramanenterprisenetwork1.Draglocalandwideareanetworkshapesandcomputershapesontothepage.

2.Connectdeviceshapestolocalareanetworkshapesasdescribedintheprecedingtopic.

3.ConnectwideareanetworkdeviceshapesbyusingdynamicconnectorsortheComm-linkshapeintheNetworkandPeripheralsstencil.

Use3-DequipmentshapesTheprecedingtopicsfeaturedthemodern,two-dimensionalnetworkandcomputershapesthatwereintroducedwithVisio2013.Remember,however,thatthetraditionalthree-dimensionalshapesarestillavailableintheBasicNetworkShapes-3DandDetailedNetworkShapes-3D(Professionaleditiononly)stencils.

Figure7-6providesagoodcomparisonofthetwoshapestyles.Thenetworkintheupperhalfofthediagramusesthe2-Dshapes,andthenetworkinthelowerhalfconsistsoftheidenticalnetworkcomponentsrepresentedwith3-Dshapes.Neitherstyleisrightorwrong—bothareavailablesoyoucanchoosehowyou’dlikeyourdiagramtolook.

Figure7-6Modern,two-dimensionalnetworkshapescontrastsharplywithtraditional,three-dimensionalshapes

Whenyouselecttheappropriatestyleforyourdiagrams,twoadditionalconsiderationsmightaffectyourdecision:

Manyofthestencilsandshapesprovidedbyequipmentvendorsaredrawninthe3-Dstyle.(Seethe“WherecanIfindmorenetworkshapes?”sidebarlaterinthischapter.)

The2-DnetworkshapesweredesignedspecificallyforVisio2016themes.Althoughtheseshapeslookmorebasicthanthe3-Dshapeswhennothemeisapplied,asshowninFigure7-6,theyaremuchmoreattractivethantheoldershapeswhenyouusethemes.

WherecanIfindmorenetworkshapes?

ThenetworkshapesthatareincludedwithVisiomightlooksomethinglikeyourservers,routers,andotherequipment,buttheycan’tmatchexactlybecausetheyaregenericshapes.

Ifyouwanttocreatediagramsthataremorerealistic,thousandsofdownloadableVisiostencilsandshapesareavailablefromthreemainsources:

Networkandcomputerequipmentvendorsoftenprovideshapes,usuallyphoto-realisticshapes,fortheirequipment.Forvendor-specificshapes,browseorsearchavendor’swebsite.

Somecompaniesdesignandsellbothproduct-specificandgenericVisioshapes.

Individualshavecreatednetworkandcomputerequipmentshapes.Manyprovidethemforfree;somechargefortheirartwork.

ForMicrosoft-specificshapes,trythefollowing:

The“MicrosoftAzure,CloudandEnterpriseSymbol/IconSet”downloadincludesVisiostencilsand.pngimages.Detailsandthedownloadareavailableatwww.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=41937.

Microsoftcreatedacollectionofserverandnetworkshapesforuseinwallpostersthatdepictproductdeploymentscenarios.Youmightnotneedtocreateposters,butthefree,downloadablestencilsofferanalternativetotraditionalVisioshapes.Youcandownloadtheshapesfromwww.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=21480.

Ifyouwanttocustomizethe3-DservershapesthataredeliveredwithVisio,theVisioGuyblogincludesanarticleandatoolatwww.visguy.com/2009/09/11/visio-server-shape-icon-customization-tool/.

Forlargecollectionsoflinkstovariousstencilsources(mostarefree),gotothefollowingsites:

www.visiocafe.com

visio.mvps.org/3rdParty/default.html

Youcanalsotrythesecommercialstencilvendors:

www.visiostencils.com

www.shapesource.com

Createrackdiagrams

Important

Thediagramsintheprecedingtopicsallcontainequipmentthatisgenerallylocatedoutsidethewiringclosetordatacenter.Tocreatediagramsofequipmentinthosebackroomareas,youusesomeoftheshapesfromthecomputerandnetworkstencils.However,youalsoneedadditionalstencilsthatareprovidedwithVisioProfessional.Thistopicexploresthespecialbehaviorofakeybackroomcomponent—theshapesyouusetobuildrackdiagrams.

Figure7-7onthefollowingpageshowsthreeoftheequipmentroomandrack-relatedstencils.

Figure7-7Youcanbuildrealisticrepresentationsofwiringclosetsanddatacentersbyusingrackshapes

Important

Arackdiagramisanexampleofascaleddrawing,oneinwhichthesizeoftheshapesonthepageisdependentonthesizeandscaleofthepageitself.

ThepagesintheRackDiagramtemplatearepresetwithascalefactor;however,youcanaddscaleddrawingpagestoanydiagram.Formoreinformationaboutscaleddrawings,seethesidebar“Whatisascaleddrawing?”andthetopic“Changethedrawingscale,”bothlaterinthischapter.

Whenyoudragarackshapeontothedrawingpage,itappearsliketheoneshowninFigure7-8,withameasurementof“42U”displayedabovetherack.Uistheabbreviationforonerackunit,whichis1.75inchesor44.45mm.

Figure7-8A42U–highequipmentrack

Therackshapewasdesignedtobeincludedinascaleddrawing.Consequently,ifyoudroparackshapeontoapagewithnodrawingscale,itbehavesverydifferently—theentirerackwillbeonly1Uhigh.

Inadditiontotherackshapedisplayingitsheight,eachpieceofequipmentyoudragintoarackdisplaysitsheightinrackunits,asshowninseveralsubsequentfigures.

Figure7-9showsa2UPowerSupply/UPSshapebeingplacedintoarack.BasedonwhatyoulearnedaboutconnectionpointsinChapter2,“Creatediagrams,”threeitemsinthe

figurewouldleadyoutothinkthattherackandtheequipmentshapehaveactiveconnectionpointsdespitethelackofobviousone-dimensional(1-D)shapes:

TherearegreensquaresatthelowercornersofthePowerSupply/UPSshape.

ThewordsGluetoConnectionPointappearinaScreenTip.

Therearegraysquaresalongtheedgesoftherackthatappearonlywhenyoumovearack-mountedshapeneartherack.

Figure7-9Draggingequipmentintoarackactivatesglueatconnectionpointsthatarespacedat1Uintervals

WhatyouareobservinginthisfigureisauniquefeatureofrackequipmentshapesandafewotherVisioshapes:theylooklike2-Dshapes,yettheybehavelikelines,dynamicconnectors,andotherone-dimensionalshapes.Theresultofthe2-D/1-Dcombinationforrackdiagramsisasetofshapesthatlooklikethephysicalequipmenttheyrepresent,butcanbegluedtopreciselocationsontheedgesofarack.

Thegraysquaresrepresentingconnectionpointsonbothedgesoftherackarelocatedpreciselyat1Uintervals,allowingU-sizedshapestobepositionedinexactlythesamewayastheirreal-worldcounterparts.

Manyrackshapes,liketheServershapeshowninbothpartsofFigure7-10,areadjustable.Whenyoudragaserverintoarack,itsdefaultheightis8U,asshownontheleftsideofthefigure.However,becausetheserverexhibitstwo-dimensionalpropertiesandresizehandles,youcanchangeitsheight,asshownontheright.Theintentoftheshape’sdesignistoletyournetworkdiagrammimictherealworldascloselyaspossible.

Figure7-10Arack-mountedservershapechangesappearanceasyouadjustitsheight

WhileyoudragtheresizehandleonaservershapeliketheoneinFigure7-10,theappearanceoftheshapechanges.At7U,6U,and5U,thelowerhalfoftheshaperemainsunchangedandtheupperhalfoftheshapegetssmaller.However,at4Uandbelow,thelowerpartoftheshapebeginstoadjusttoo.EvenaseeminglysimpleVisioshapecanhavereasonablysophisticatedbehavior.

Figure7-11showswhatacompletedrackmightlooklike.Ontheleftsideofthefigure,theUdimensionsofallshapesarevisible.Ontheright,displayofthedimensionshasbeendisabled.

Figure7-11TheUheightofrackcomponentscanbevisibleorhidden

TheShowUSizeandHideUSizecommandsaffectallshapesonthepage.

EachrackinFigure7-11containsfiveserversandarouter,whichisthesameequipmentconfigurationinthedatacenterportionofthestylizednetworkdiagraminFigure7-5.Manynetworkadministratorsincludebothviewsintheirnetworkmaps.Theyalsoincludeahyperlinkoneachserverinthehigh-levelviewthatleadstothatserver’slocationintherackdiagram,makingiteasyformapuserstoviewanylevelofdetailtheywant.Youwillexploreusinghyperlinkstoadd“drill-down”capabilitieslikethistoyourVisiodiagramsinChapter11,“Addandusehyperlinks.”

Tocreatearackdiagram1.DragaRackorCabinetshapeontothepage.

2.DragshapesfromtheRack-mountedEquipmentandFree-standingRackEquipmentstencilsontothepage,andthengluethemtotherack.

ToshoworhidetheUheightforracksandrack-mountedequipmentshapes

1.Right-clicktherackorashapeinarack,andthendoeitherofthefollowing:

•ClickShowUsizes.

•ClickHideUsizes.

Toadjusttheheightofrack-mountedequipmentshapes1.Selecttheshape,andthenusetheshape’sresizehandles.

Notallrack-mountedequipmentshapescanberesized.

Toaddarackdiagrampagetoanexistingnetworkdiagram1.Addapagetothediagram.

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutthedrawingscaleforVisiopages,see“Changethedrawingscale”laterinthischapter.

2.Setthescalefactoronthenewpageto1:20foraMetricUnitsdiagramor1”=1’0”foraU.S.Unitsdiagram.

3.Dragarackandrackequipmentshapestothepage.

Whatisascaleddrawing?

Visiorackdiagramsareexamplesofscaleddrawings.Therackshapeswerecreatedsothattheirsizeonthepageisproportionaltothedrawingscaleofthepage.Atapage-to-rackratioof1:1,eachshapewouldbe“lifesized”;thatis,eachshapewouldtakeasmuchspaceonthepageastherealobjectdoesinarack.Bysettingthescaleto1:10,eachunitofmeasurementinyourdrawingrepresents10unitsintherealworld.

Ametricdrawingmightbecreatedwitha1:10scalesothat1mmonthepagerepresents1cmintherealworld.ForUSunits,aratioof1”=1’0”meansthateachinchonthepagerepresentsonefootintherealworld.

Visiofloorplansarealsoscaleddiagramsandtypicallyuseasmallerscaleinorderforeachpagetodepictalargerspace.Atypicalmetricfloorplanmightbeapagescaleof1:25,whereasafloorplandrawninUSunitsmightusea½”or¼”to1-

footscale.

ThescaleforadrawingisshownontheDrawingScaletabinthePageSetupdialogbox.Figure7-12showsthreeexamplesoftheDrawingScalesectionofthedialogbox.Theimageontheleftshowsthefourpredefinedscaletypes;thecenterimagedisplayspartofthelistofArchitecturalscalefactorsthatareinUSunits;theimageontherightimageshowspartofthelistofmetricscalefactors.

Figure7-12Visiodiagramsincludemanypredefinedscalefactorsthataregroupedintofourcategories

YoucanalsoclickCustomScaleandenternumbersandunitstocreateacustomratioforyourdiagram,asshowninFigure7-13.

Figure7-13YoucancreateaCustomScaleforyourdiagram

Noticethatthelower-leftcorneroftheDrawingScaletabshowsthesizeofthedrawingpageexpressedinmeasurementunitsatthecurrentpagescale.InFigure7-13,thecustomscale,whenusedon11-by-8.5-inchprinterpaper(refertothedimensionsunderthethumbnailimageontherightsideofthedialogbox),representsareal-worldspacethatis8’9.6”by6’9.6”.

UnscaleddrawingsusetheNoScale(1:1)optionatthetopofthedialogboxshowninFigure7-13.

ChangethedrawingscaleAreal-worldscenario:You’vecreatedarackdiagramthatincludesthreeracks,andyouneedtoaddseveralmore.However,thereisn’troomtofitanotherrackontothedrawingpage.Areyouforcedtostartoverwithanewdiagram?Theanswerisno,becausescaleddrawingseasilyaccommodatethistypeofchange.Yousimplyadjustthescalingfactor,andVisiodoestherest.

Forexample,ifyouhavethedrawingshowninFigure7-14andyouwanttoaddthreemoreracks,it’sclearthatyouneedmorespaceonthepage.TheDrawingScaletabinthePageSetupdialogboxindicatesthatthescaleinthismetricdrawingiscurrently1:10.

Figure7-14Threefull-heightracksfitcomfortablyonanA4-sizedpagewhentheMetricscaleissetto1:10

Doublingthescaleto1:20producestheresultshowninFigure7-15.Clearly,youhavemorespacetoworkwithbutitmightbemorethanyouneed.Inaddition,atthisscale,eachrackisrathersmall.

Figure7-15Equipmentracksaresmallwhenthemetricpagescaleissetto1:20

Thelistofpredefinedscalesdoesnotincludeanentrybetween1:10and1:20,butyoucancreateacustomscaleof1:15thatresultsinwhat’sshowninFigure7-16.

Figure7-16Thescalefactorforthispageissuitableforthethreeexistingequipmentracksandprovidesadditionalroomformore

ThescreenshotsinFigure7-14throughFigure7-16includetheruleratthetopofthedrawingpage.Youcanconfirmthatchangingthescalefrom1:10to1:20doubledtheavailablespacebynoticingthattheamountofwallspacerepresentedbyeachdiagramchangedfrom3metersto6meters.Similarly,1:15yieldsawallmeasurementthatishalfwayinbetween.

Important

Althoughthistopicdescribeshowtoadjustthescalefactorsforarackdiagram,youcanusethestepsintheseprocedurestoadjustthescaleinanyscaleddrawing.

TodisplaytheDrawingScaletabofthePageSetupdialogbox1.Right-clickapagenametab,andthenclickDrawingScale.

TochangethedrawingscaleforanArchitecturaldiagram

1.DisplaytheDrawingScaletab.

2.ClickPre-definedscale,clickthearrow,andthenclickArchitectural.

3.Clickthescalefactorarrow,andthenclickafactorfrom3/32”=1’0”to1’=1’0”.

ClickCustomScale,andthenenternumbers,withorwithoutunitabbreviations,intotheboxesoneithersideoftheequal(=)sign.

TochangethedrawingscaleforaCivilEngineeringdiagram1.DisplaytheDrawingScaletab.

2.ClickPre-definedscale,clickthearrow,andthenclickCivilEngineering.

3.Clickthescalefactorarrow,andthenclickafactorfrom1”=1”to1”=100’0”.

TochangethedrawingscaleforaMetricdiagram1.DisplaytheDrawingScaletab.

2.ClickPre-definedscale,clickthearrow,andthenclickMetric.

3.Clickthescalefactorarrow,andthenclickafactorfrom1:1000to50:1.

TochangethedrawingscaleforaMechanicalEngineeringdiagram1.DisplaytheDrawingScaletab.

2.ClickPre-definedscale,clickthearrow,andthenclickMechanicalEngineering.

3.Clickthescalefactorarrow,andthenclickafactorfrom1/32:1to10:1.

Tochangethedrawingtounscaled1.DisplaytheDrawingScaletab,andthenclickNoscale(1:1).

Enhanceyournetworkdiagrams

Whatcanyoudotofurtherenhanceanetworkdrawingorrackdiagramlikethoseyou’veexploredthroughoutthischapter?Considertheseideas:

Usedatalinking(Chapter10,“Linktoexternaldata”)tolinktheequipmentinyourdiagramtoaworksheetordatabasecontainingassetIDs,serialnumbers,andotherinventoryinformation.

Linkyourequipmenttoareal-timeornear-real-timedatasourceandemploydatagraphics(Chapter9,“Visualizeyourdata”)sotheequipmentshowslivestatusinformation.

Addapatchpanelandnetworkcabling.Considerputtingthecablingonaseparatelayer(Chapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages”)soyoucaneasilyshoworhideit.

Adddatatoeachrackshapesotheirlocationsandotherkeydataarepartofyournetworkinventoryreports.

Addhyperlinks(Chapter11,“Addandusehyperlinks”)toarackand/ortheequipmentinarackandlinktophotographsoftheactualwiringclosetorequipment.

Publishyourdiagramstotheweb(Chapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams”)ortoMicrosoftSharePoint(Chapter15,“Collaborateandpublishdiagrams”)souserswithoutVisiocanviewandevencollaboratewithyouonthediagrams.

RuncomputerandnetworkreportsYouwillexplorethemanyusesofshapedatainthenextchapter,includingthecapabilitytorunreportsthatsummarizekeydataattributesoftheshapesonadrawingpage.

Asapreview,thistopicdisplaysthreeofthepredefinedreportsthatareincludedwithVisio2016networkdiagrams.Forexample,Figure7-17showsdataaboutnetworkdevices.

Figure7-17TheNetworkDevicereportisincludedwiththenetworktemplates

Ifyouneedadditionaldataabouttheequipmentinyournetwork,thereportinFigure7-18shouldprovidewhatyouneed.

Figure7-18TheNetworkEquipmentreportprovidesextensivedetailonnetworkandcomputerequipment

OnlypartoftheNetworkEquipmentreportisshowninFigure7-18;additionalfieldsexisttotherightoftheProductDescriptioncolumn.

VisioprovidesthereportshowninFigure7-19forthosetimeswhenyouneeddataaboutPCsratherthannetworkequipment.

Figure7-19ThePCReport

Important

ThePCReportshowninFigure7-19runscorrectlywiththenetworkshapesintheBasicNetworkDiagram–3DandDetailedNetworkDiagram–3Dtemplates.However,thenewshapesintheVisio2016BasicNetworkDiagramandDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplatescontainanerrorthatpreventsthePCReportfromrunning.Asaworkaround,theauthorhaspostedamodifiedPCReportdefinitiononhiswebsiteatwww.visiostepbystep.com/downloads/2016/Visio_2016_Modified_PC_Report.vrd.

Createrackdiagrams

Practicetasks

BuildbasicnetworkdiagramsStartVisio,clicktheNetworktemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheBasicNetworkDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DraganEthernetshapetothepage,andthenextenditsoitoccupiesabouttwo-thirdsofthepagewidth.

2.DragsixoreightshapesfromtheComputersandMonitorsandNetworkandPeripheralsstencilsontothepage,andthengluethemtothenetwork.

3.ClicktheEthernetshapeandlabelitBranchOfficeNetwork.

Important

StartVisio,clicktheNetworktemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Dragshapesfromvariousnetworkandcomputerstencilsontothepage.

2.Linknetworkshapestoeachothertorepresenttheconnectivityofyournetwork.

3.Ifyouareusing2-Dshapes,selectathemeandvariant.

Use3-DequipmentshapesTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

Createrackdiagrams

Important

StartVisio,clicktheNetworktemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheRackDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Buildarackthatcontainsservershapesandotherrack-mountedequipmentshapes.

2.Adjusttheheightofoneormoreservershapes.

3.TurnoffthedisplayofUheightforthepage.

Youwillworkwithadifferentdiagramintheremainingstepsofthistask.

4.OpentheCreateRacksdiagram.

5.AddarackdiagrampagetotheexistingnetworkdiagramandsetascalethatisappropriateforthisU.S.Unitsdiagram.

6.Onthenewpage,buildarackthatrepresentstheequipmentintheDataCenternetworkontheleftsideofthepage.

ChangethedrawingscaleOpentheChangeDrawingScalediagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Changethedrawingscaleto1:20forthisMetricdiagram.

2.Experimentwithotherscalefactorstoseetheeffectonthediagram.

RuncomputerandnetworkreportsTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

Part2:AdddatatoyourdiagramsCHAPTER8Workwithshapedata

CHAPTER9Visualizeyourdata

CHAPTER10Linktoexternaldata

8.Workwithshapedata

Inthischapter

Understandshapedata

Viewshapedata

Editshapedata

Insertfields

Practicefiles

Youcanusemanydiagrammingappstocreateusefulandattractivedrawings.Theplacewheremostappsfallshort,however,iswhereVisioexcels:inadditiontoputtingshapesonapage,youcanstoredataintheshapes.Youcanthenusethatdataformanypurposes,includingaffectingthebehaviorandappearanceofalmostanyaspectofthediagram.Adata-drivenVisiodiagrambecomesapowerfultoolforcommunicatingideasandfactsbydisplayingandreactingtodatavalues.

AllthreechaptersinPart2ofthisbookfocusondata.Thischaptercoversthebasicsofviewingandworkingwithdata.Chapter9,“Visualizeyourdata,”explorestechniquesforbuildingdynamicdashboardsbyusingiconsandgraphicstorepresentyourdatavalues.InChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata,”youwilldiscoverhoweasyitistoconnectadiagramtoadatabaseorotherexternaldatasource.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtoviewingandeditingshapedata;viewing,changing,anddefiningshapedatafieldsandattributes;insertingfields;andcreating,editing,andrunningreports.

UnderstandshapedataThedatafieldsthatanyVisioshapecancontainarereferredtocollectivelyasshapedata.Someshapedatafieldsmerelystoredataforsubsequentreportingordisplay.Thevaluesinotherdatafieldscontroltheappearanceorbehaviorofshapesandcanservemanyotherpurposes.

ThefollowinglistdescribeswhatcanbestoredineachoftheeightshapedatafieldtypesinVisio2016andhowusersenterdatavalues.

StringFree-formtext;usersenteranycharacters.

NumberAnynumericdata;usersenternumbers.

FixedListAlistfromwhichusersmustmakeaselection.

VariableListAlistfromwhichuserscanmakeaselection;inaddition,userscanaddvaluestothelistbyenteringtheminthedatafield.

DurationAtimevalueexpressedinoneoffivetimeunitssupportedbyVisio:seconds(es.),minutes(em.),hours(eh.),days(ed.),weeks(ew.);usersenteranumberfollowedbyoneofthesetimeunitabbreviations.

DateCalendardate;userscaneitherenteradateorselectadatefromacalendar.

CurrencyMonetaryvalueexpressedincurrencyunitsthatarebasedontheuser’sregionandlanguagesettingsinWindows;usersenternumbers.

BooleanTrueorFalse;usersselectavaluefromalist.

ThedatafieldsthatarecalledshapedatainVisio2016werecalledcustompropertiesinVisio2003andearlier.

Althoughthischapterfocusesondatafieldsthatarecontainedinshapes,it’susefultoknowthatpagesandeventheVisiodocumentitselfcancontainshapedatafields.AlthoughtheaverageVisiouserisn’tlikelytotakeadvantageofthiscapabilitydirectly,developersofVisioadd-insfrequentlystoredatainsomecombinationofshapes,pages,andthedocument.

ViewshapedataTheprimarymeansforviewingshapedataistheShapeDatawindow.YoucanpositiontheShapeDatawindowsoitfloatsinanylocationoverthedrawingpage,asisthecaseinFigure8-1,andyoucanresizethewindowtoshowasmanyorasfewfieldsasyouneed.

Figure8-1Datafromarepresentativeshape,aPump/Motor1,floatingoverthedrawingpage

ThemasterforthePump/Motor1shapeislocatedintheFluidPower–EquipmentstencilthatopenswhenyouselecttheFluidPowertemplateintheEngineeringtemplatecategory.TheFluidPowertemplateisincludedonlywiththeProfessionaleditionofVisio.

Youcanalsodockthewindowinafixedpositionbydraggingittoanyedgeofthedrawingwindow.Whenthewindowisdocked,youcanusethepushpinbuttoninthewindowheadertoturnAutoHideonoroff,asshowninFigure8-2.IfyouturnAutoHideon,thewindow“rollsup”intotheheaderwhenyou’renotusingit.

Figure8-2AdockedShapeDatawindowisopenontheleftandhiddenontheright

DataissointegralinVisiothattheshapesinmoststencilsincludepredefineddatafields.Thisistrueformanyoftheshapesusedinpreviouschapters.Forexample:

InChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams,”youworkedwithflowchartshapesinbothflowchartsandswimlanediagrams.Thatchapterdidn’tdiscussthedatainsidetheshapes;however,allofthestandardflowchartshapesincludethesetofpredefineddatafieldsshowninFigure8-3.

Figure8-3Shapedatafieldsinadecisiondiamondflowchartshape

TheorgchartshapesthatyouworkedwithinChapter5,“Createorganizationcharts,”alsocontainasetofpredefineddatafields,asshownontheleftinFigure8-4.Inaddition,youcanimportcustomfieldswhenyouruntheOrganizationChartWizard.TheresultsofaWizardimportareshownontheright.Asyoucansee,theimportaccomplishedthreethings:

•Itreplaceddatainexistingfields.

•Itcreatednewfieldsandaddeddatatothem.

•Itgeneratednewfieldseventhoughtheycontainnodata.

Figure8-4Defaultandcustomizedorgchartshapedatafields

ItmightseemoddatfirstthattheorgchartshapedatafieldsontheleftinFigure8-4containtextvaluesthatmatchthefieldnames.Thosetextvaluesarepresentbecausetheorgchartshapesweredesignedtodisplaythecontentsofcertaindatafields.Byincludingthefieldnamesastextvalues,thedesignersoftheorgchartshapesconveytoyouataglancewhatwillappearontheshapewhenyouenterrealdata.

ThenetworkshapesinChapter7,“Createnetworkanddatacenterdiagrams,”alsoincludeshapedata.Thedefaultdatafieldsvarydependingonwhatpieceofequipmentashaperepresents.Figure8-5showsthefieldsforarouter.

Figure8-5Computerandnetworkshapedatafields

TheBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)shapesyouexploredinChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams,”includeavarietyofshapedatafields,asshowninFigure8-11laterinthischapter.

Anotherwaytoviewshapedata

SomeVisioshapes,especiallyoldershapes,provideanalternativemethodforviewingshapedata.Whenyouright-clicksomeshapes,theshortcutmenudisplaysaPropertiesoption.Forcertainshapes,clickingPropertiesopensthesameShapeDatawindowastheDatasubmenutechnique.However,forothershapes,itopenstheShapeDatadialogboxinstead.Althoughthedialogboxandthewindowlookabitdifferent,youcanviewandeditdataineither.

Whenitispresent,thePropertiesentryisusuallyatthebottomoftheshortcutmenu.

Forexample,theShapeDatadialogboxfortheFluidPowerPump/Motor1shapeshowninFigure8-6wasopenedbyclickingPropertiesontheshortcutmenu;compareitwiththecorrespondingShapeDatawindowinFigure8-1.

Figure8-6TheShapeDatadialogbox

Important

TheShapeDatadialogboxislimitedtodisplaying20shapedatafields.TheShapeDatawindowdoesnothavethislimitationandwilldisplayscrollbarswhenevertherearefieldsthatdonotfitinthewindowatitscurrentheight.

ToopentheShapeDatawindow1.Right-clickashape,pointtoData,andthenclickShapeData.

1.(Professionaleditiononly)OntheDatatab,intheShow/Hidegroup,selecttheShapeDataWindowcheckbox.

TopositiontheShapeDatawindowoverthedrawingpage1.DragtheheaderoftheShapeDatawindowuntilthewindowisawayfromtheedgeofthedrawingwindow.

TodocktheShapeDatawindow1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•DragtheheaderoftheShapeDatawindowuntilitisnearanedgeofthedrawingwindowtodockitwithinthedrawingwindow.

•DragtheheaderoftheShapeDatawindowpastanedgeofthedrawingwindowtodockitasaseparatewindow.

ToclosetheShapeDatawindow1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•ClicktheClosebutton(X)inthecorneroftheShapeDatawindow.

•Right-clickanywhereinsidetheShapeDatawindow,andthenclickClose.

•(Professionaleditiononly)OntheDatatab,intheShow/Hidegroup,cleartheShapeDataWindowcheckbox.

FindingtheShapeDatawindow

TheShapeDatawindownormallyopenswithinthemainVisiowindowinthesamepositionitoccupiedthelasttimeitwasopened.However,twoconditionsmightcauseyoutowonderwhythewindowdidn’topen:

Onacomputerwithmultiplemonitors,theShapeDatawindowmightopenonadifferentmonitorthantheonedisplayingtheVisiowindow.

IftheShapeDatawindowisalreadyopenwhenyouclickDataandthenShapeDataontheshortcutmenu,Visiowillcloseit.Thismightnotbewhatyouexpect,especiallyifyoudidn’tnoticethatthewindowwasalreadyopenandyoucan’tfigureoutwhyitdidn’tappear.

ThisbehavioroccursbecauseShapeDataonthesubmenushowninFigure8-7isactuallyatoggle.Theiconinfrontofthewords“ShapeData”issubtlydifferentdependingonwhethertheShapeDatawindowiscurrentlyopenorclosed.

Figure8-7SubmenutoopenorclosetheShapeDatawindow

EditshapedataInadditiontoviewingdataintheShapeDatawindow,youcanusethewindowtochangedatavalues.Whenyoudo,you’llnoticethatsomeshapedatafieldsbehavedifferentlythanothersbecauseVisioenforcesvariousrulesbasedonthedatatypeandformattingappliedtoeachshapedatafield.

SeeAlso

ForalistoftheshapedatatypessupportedbyVisio,see“Understandshapedata”earlierinthischapter.

Forexample,Visiowillnotaccepttextinanumericorcurrencyfield,asdemonstratedbytheerrormessageshowninFigure8-8.Similarly,youcannotenteranythingotherthananumberandoneofthefivevalidtimeunitabbreviationsinadurationfield.

Figure8-8Anerrordialogboxappearsafterauserattemptstoenteratextvalueintoacurrencyfield

BecausethecopyofWindowsonwhichthesegraphicswerecapturedusesUnitedStatesRegionandLanguagesettings,currenciesappearindollarsanddatesappearinUSformat.Yourcomputerwilldisplaythesevaluesbasedonyourcountry/regionalsettings.

Thedatatypeforeachfieldalsodictatesthemethodsbywhichyoucanenterdata.Formostfieldtypes,youcansimplyentertextornumbers,butsomefieldtypesprovideadditionaloptions.Forexample:

Datefieldsprovidetheuserwithacalendarfromwhichtoselectadate,asshownintheimageontheleftinFigure8-9.Theimageontherightshowstheformattedresultofeithertypingorselectingadate.

Figure8-9Enteringandviewingdatefields

TheStatusfieldinFigure8-10displaysalistwhenyouclickthearrowattherightendofthefield.

Figure8-10TheStatusfieldlist

Visiosupportstwotypesoflistfields:fixedlistsandvariablelists.Inafixedlistfield,youmustselectanentryfromthelist.Inavariablelistfield,youcanselectoneofthelistentriesorenteryourowntextinthefield.Ifyouenteryourowntext,it’saddedtothebottomofthelist.

InChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams,”youusedright-clickactionstosetspecificiconsonBPMNshapes.Inreality,thoseright-clickactionssetashapedatavalue,andformulasinsidetheshapereacttothedatachangesbychangingiconsontheshapes.

Toprovethatpoint,Figure8-11showsafixedlistfortheTaskTypeshapeforaBPMN

task.Intheimageontheleft,theUservaluecausesahead-and-shouldersicontoappearintheupper-leftcornerofataskshape.Intheimageontheright,thedatavalueischangedtoManualandtheTaskTypeshapeisnowahand.

Figure8-11ValuesintheShapeDatawindowcontroltheappearanceoftheBPMNtaskshape

NotethattheLoopTypefieldworksthesameway:itcontainsalistofvaluesthatcontroltheloopsymbolinthelower-centerofthetaskshape.

Althoughitisnotadvertisedinanobviousway,youcaneditdataformorethanoneshapeatatime.Ifyouselectmultipleshapes,theShapeDatawindowwilldisplaythosefieldsthatarecommontoallselectedshapes.IfanydatavaluesappearintheShapeDatawindow,theyarefromtheanchorshapeinyourselection.

Withmultipleshapesselected,anychangesyoumakeareappliedtoallselectedshapes.Thisfeaturecanbeverypowerfulorverydestructive,soitisimportanttobecautious.

Notethatifyouselectmultipleshapesbuttheyhavenocommonfields,VisiodisplaysNoCommonDataFieldsintheShapeDatawindow.

Toenterdatainatextfield1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•StringClickinthefieldandenteranycharactersyouwant.

•NumberClickinthefieldandenternumbersonly.

•FixedListClickthearrowattherightendofthefield,andthenselectavalue.

•VariableListDoeitherofthefollowing:

•Clickthearrow,andthenselectavalue.

•Enteravalue.

•DurationEnteranumberfollowedbyoneofthefivetimeunitabbreviations:es.,em.,eh.,ed.,ew.

•DateDoeitherofthefollowing:

•Clickinthefieldandenteravaliddateaccordingtoregionaldateformatrules.

•Clickthearrow,andthenclickthedateyouwantfromthecalendar.

•CurrencyEnteranumberwithorwithoutacurrencyseparator.

•BooleanClickthearrow,andthenclickTrueorFalse.

ToexitafieldintheShapeDatawindowafterenteringdata1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•PressTab.

•PressEnter.

•Clickanywhereoutsidethefield.

ModifyshapedatafieldattributesYoucanexamineandchangetheattributesofexistingshapedatafieldsorcreatenewshapedatafieldsbyusingtheDefineShapeDatadialogbox.

ViewshapedatafieldattributesTheDefineShapeDatadialogboxshownontheleftinFigure8-12appearsformostVisiousers.TheoneontherightappearsifyouarerunningVisioindevelopermode,andoffersseveraladditionaloptions.

Figure8-12TheoptionsavailableintheDefineShapeDatadialogboxdependonhowit’saccessed

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutdevelopermode,refertoAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Inbothvariationsofthedialogbox,eachdatafieldhasthefollowingattributes:

LabelFieldname

TypeOneoftheeighttypesdescribedin“Understandshapedata”earlierinthechapter

FormatDetermineshowdataenteredbytheuserispresented(differentfieldtypeshavedifferentformatoptions)

ValueThedatavalueenteredwhenashapeisdefinedorthatisenteredbytheuser

PromptAScreenTipthatappearswhentheuserpointstotheshape’snameintheShapeDatawindow

Whenyouoperateindevelopermode,Visiodisplaystheadditionalattributesdescribedinthefollowinglist.AlthoughsomeofthemareprimarilyforusebyprogrammersorVisiosolutiondevelopers,oneortwomightbeofvaluetopowerusers.

NameThisisaninternalnameusedbyVisiodevelopers;itcanbethesameasLabelexceptthatyoucannotusespacesormostspecialcharactersintheNamefield(underscorecharactersareacceptable).

SortkeyVisiousesthealphanumericvalueinthisfieldtodeterminethesequenceinwhichfieldswillbepresentedintheShapeDatawindow.

Important

VisiotreatsthecontentsoftheSortKeyfieldastextevenifyouenteranumber,whichmeansthatitarrangesfieldsbasedonalphabeticsequenceratherthannumericsequence.Forexample,iffieldAhasasortkeyof1,fieldBhasasortkeyof2,andfieldChasasortkeyof10,VisiowillplacethemintheShapeDatawindowinthesequenceA,C,B,becausethefirstcharacter“1”infieldCislessthanthe“2”infieldB.

AddondropIfselected,VisioopenstheShapeDatadialogboxwhenevertheusereitherdragsashapecontainingthisfieldontoapage,orduplicatesanexistingshapecontainingthisfield.

HiddenIfselected,Visiohidesthisfield;thatis,thefielddoesnotappearineithertheShapeDatawindowortheShapeDatadialogbox.AVisiosolutiondevelopermightsetthevalueofthehiddenattributebyusingaformulabasedonotherdatavalues,therebyshowingorhidingafieldunderdifferentconditions.

AswiththeShapeDatawindow,youcancreate,edit,ordeleteshapedatafieldsformorethanoneshapeatatime.WhenyouselectmultipleshapesbeforeopeningtheDefineShapeDatawindow,thechangesyoumakeareappliedtoallselectedshapes.Thisfeaturealsocanbeverypowerfulorverydestructive.

ToopentheDefineShapeDatadialogbox1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•Right-clickashape,pointtoData,andthenclickDefineShapeData.

•Right-clickintheShapeDatawindow,andthenclickDefineShapeData.

Toviewtheattributesofadifferentshapedatafield1.InthelowerportionoftheDefineShapeDatadialogbox,scrollupordowntothefieldyouwant,andthenclickthefieldname.

ToclosetheDefineShapeDatadialogbox1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•ClickOK.

•ClickCancel.

•ClicktheClosebuttonintheupper-rightcornerofthedialogbox.

ChangeshapedatafieldattributesTotrulyappreciatethepowerandflexibilityofthedatafeaturesinVisio,it’shelpfultoknowhowtochangetheattributesofexistingdatafieldsandhowtocreatenewdatafields.Youwillexploretheformerinthissectionandthelatterinthefollowingtopic.

YoucanchangenearlyanypropertyofafieldbyusingtheDefineShapeDatadialogboxthatwasdescribedintheprecedingsection.Forexample,fortheCurrencyfieldshowninFigure8-13,youcanchangethedisplayformatforthecurrencyvaluebyselectinganentryfromthelist.TheavailablechoicesintheFormatlistdependonthecountryandregionsettingsforyoureditionofWindows.

Figure8-13ThecurrencyfieldsettingsontheleftproducetheCostfieldresultsontheright

ForCurrencyfields,itoftenmakessensetoleavetheformatsettoSystemSetting,thedefault,soVisiousesthecurrencyformatsettingfromWindows.

EnteringcharactersintheValueboxcausesyourentrytoappearasthedefaultvaluethenexttimeyouopentheShapeDatawindow.YoucanalwayschangethevaluebyusingtheShapeDatawindow,butenteringavalueheresetsthedefault.

Ifyouenteravalueforashapedatafieldandthencreateanewmasterfromtheshape,allfutureinstancesofthemasterwillalsoshowthedefaultvalue.Forinformationaboutcreatingcustomstencils,see“Createcustomshapesandstencils”inAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

YoucanentertextintothePromptboxtoprovideScreenTiptexttouserswhopointtoafieldnameintheShapeDatawindow.Forexample,thePromptentryshownontheleftinFigure8-13producestheScreenTipshownontheright.

Toprovidetheuserwithadrop-downlistofvalues,yousettheTypetoeitherVariableListorFixedList,andthenenterasetofvaluesintheFormatbox.Figure8-14showspartofthecontentsoftheFormatboxontheleft.Thefullsetofvaluesisasfollows:

;NotStarted;InProgress;Completed;Deferred;WaitingonInput

Figure8-14Thesemicolon-separatedlistofvaluesintheFormatboxontheleftcreatesthevariablelistintheShapeDatawindowontheright

ThisproducesthelistontherightinFigure8-14.

Important

ThesemicolonatthebeginningoftheFormatfieldcreatesanull(blank)entryatthetopofthelist.Ifyoudonotincludeanullentry,theuserwillnotbeabletoleavethefieldblankafterclickinganentryinthelist.Bothoptionsmightbeappropriateindifferentsituations.

Tochangeshapedatafieldattributes1.OpentheDefineShapeDatadialogbox.

2.InthelowerpartoftheDefineShapeDatadialogbox,scrolltothefieldyouwant,andthenclickthefieldname.

3.Enteranewvalue.

Selectavaluefromthelist.

DefineshapedatafieldsYoucanadddatafieldstoshapesthatyoucreateortoshapesthatoriginatedinVisiostencils.YoudobothbyclickingtheNewbuttonintheDefineShapeDatadialogboxthatyouworkedwithintheprecedingtopic.

Ataminimum,youmustprovidealabelforthenewfieldandselectadatatype(see

“Understandshapedata”earlierinthechapter).Youcanalsochooseatype-specificformat,enteradefaultvalue,andprovidepromptingtext.IfyouarerunningVisioindevelopermode,youcanspecifyaninternalshapenameandasortkeyvalue.

InsertfieldsOnecommonwaytouseshapedataistodisplaydatavaluesonashape.YoumighthavenoticedthattheorgchartshapesshowninFigure8-4includedatafromseveralshapedatafields.Inthistopic,youwilllearnasimpletechniquetodisplaydataonanyshape.

YoubeginbyinstructingVisiotoinsertafield,andthenyouselectaspecificfieldfromtheFielddialogbox,showninFigure8-15.IntheCategorysectionontheleftsideofthedialogbox,thetopentryisShapeData.Whenyouselectthatentry,Visiodisplaysascrollablelistofallshapedatafields.

Figure8-15Shapedatafieldnamesreflectthechosencategory

IntheexampleshowninFigure8-16,selectingtheLocationfieldcauses3rdFloor/HRtoappearintheshape’stextbox.

Figure8-16Thecontentsofashapedatafielddisplayedbelowashape

NoticeinFigure8-15thattherearesevendatacategoriesinadditiontoShapeDatainthe

CategorysectionoftheFielddialogbox.Eachcategoryoffersmultipledatavaluesfromotherpartsofthediagramthatcanbeinsertedanddisplayed.Asexamples,youcandoanyofthefollowing:

Insertthedocumentauthororthemostrecenteditdatainatitleblockonabackgroundpage.

Insertshapewidthorothergeometryinformationsotheexactvaluesarealwaysvisibleontheshape.

Insertacustomformulatodisplayacalculatedresultonashape.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutadditionalusesforfields,see“Insertfields:Advancedtopics,”inAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Toinsertthevaluefromashapedatafieldontoashape1.Selectashape.

Selectmultipleshapes.

2.OntheInserttab,intheTextgroup,clicktheFieldbutton.

3.IntheCategorysectionoftheFielddialogbox,clickShapeData.

4.IntheFieldnamesection,clickthenameofthefieldwhosecontentsyouwanttodisplay.

5.ClickOK.Textappearsinthetextboxforyourshapeorshapes.

Toinsertadocumentpropertyontoashape1.Drawashape.

2.OpentheFielddialogbox,clickDocumentInfo,andthenclickafieldtoinsert.

3.ClickOK.

RunpredefinedreportsAfteryouhavedatainyourVisiodiagram,howcanyoutakeadvantageofittogainadditionalvalue?OneofthesimplestwaysistousethereportingfeaturethatisprovidedwithVisio.YoucanrunthepredefinedreportsthatareincludedwithVisiotemplates,andyoucanalsodesignyourownreports.Youwillexploretheformerinthistopic,andthelatterinthetopicthatfollows.

MostVisiodiagramsincludeanInventoryreportthathasasimplepurpose:toprovideacountofthenumberofshapesinadiagramthatarederivedfromeachmasterinastencil.Figure8-17includestwoexamplesofinventoryreports,oneforaprocessdiagramandoneforanetworkdiagram.

Figure8-17SampleInventoryreports

Inadditiontothegenericinventoryreport,manytemplatesincludecontext-specificreports.Forexample,theorgcharttemplateincludesCountPositionsandOrganizationChartreports;thenetworkdiagramtemplateprovidesNetworkDeviceandNetworkEquipmentreports;andthefloorplantemplateincludesthereportsshowninFigure8-18.Manytemplatesfromthird-partyvendorsalsoincludepredefinedreports.

Figure8-18PredefinedreportsareincludedwithmanyVisiotemplates

WhentheShowOnlyDrawing-SpecificReportscheckboxinthelower-leftcorneroftheReportsdialogboxisselected,onlyreportsrelatedtothespecificshapesinthecurrentdiagramappear.Clearingthecheckboxdisplaysdozensofadditionalreports,althoughmostareunlikelytobeusefulwiththecurrentdiagram.

YouhavefouroutputchoiceswhenyourunaVisioreport.

ExcelVisiocreatesaMicrosoftExcelworkbookandopensExceltodisplaythe

formattedreportoutput,asshowninFigure8-19.Youcantheneditthereportdataifyouwant.

Figure8-19AFlowchartReportviewedinExcel

HTMLVisiocreatesanHTMLpage,andyouviewthereportoutputinawebbrowser(Figure8-20).Thisreportformatisread-only.

Figure8-20AFlowchartReportviewedinInternetExplorer

VisioshapeVisiocreatesanewVisioshapethatcontainsthereportdataandplacesitonthecurrentpage,asshowninFigure8-21.(Forthetechnicallyinclined,thisshapeisactuallyanembeddedExcelobject,soyoucandouble-clickthereportshapeandeditthedataasthoughyouwereusingExcel.)

Figure8-21AFlowchartReportviewedinaVisioshape

XMLVisiocreatesanXMLfilecontainingtheformattedreport.ThereportdatacanbeimportedintoanXML-awareapplication,oritcanbeedited.

YoureceiveonecapabilitywiththeVisioshapeoutputformatthatyoudon’twiththeotherthree:ifyouaddorremoveshapes,orchangethevaluesofdataintheshapes,youcanupdatethereportinplace,withoutneedingtodeleteitandadditagain.TheshortcutmenuthatdisplaysthisoptionisshowninFigure8-22.

Figure8-22YoucanupdateandrerunaVisioshapereportfromtheshortcutmenu

ClickRunReporttoupdatethereportshapeonthedrawingpage.Ifyouwanttochangethedefinitionofthereport,clickUpdateReport,whichstartstheReportDefinitionWizardthatisdescribedinthefollowingtopic.

Torunareportthatisstoredinadrawing

1.OntheReviewtab,intheReportsgroup,clicktheShapeReportsbutton.

2.IntheReportsdialogbox,clickthenameofthereportyouwant,andthenclickRuntoopentheRunReportdialogbox,showninFigure8-23.

Figure8-23TheRunReportdialogbox

3.IntheRunReportdialogbox,clicktheoutputformatyouwant,andthenclickOK.

Torunareportthatisnotstoredinadrawing1.OpentheReportsdialogbox,andthenclicktheBrowsebutton.

2.Browsetothereportdefinitionfileyouwanttorun,andthenclickOpen.

3.IntheReportsdialogbox,clickRun.

4.IntheRunReportdialogbox,clicktheoutputformatyouwant,andthenclickOK.

ToupdateareportdisplayedasaVisioshape1.Right-clickthereportshape,andthenclickRunReport.

CreateormodifyreportsYouusetheReportDefinitionWizardtodefinenewreportsandtomodifyexistingreports.StartthewizardbyclickingeithertheNeworModifybuttonintheReportsdialogboxshowninFigure8-18intheprevioustopic.

Onthefirstpageofthewizard,showninFigure8-24,youspecifythelocationoftheshapesonwhichyouwanttoreport.

Figure8-24ThefirstpageoftheReportDefinitionWizard

YoucanusetheAdvancedbuttononthispagetobemoreselectiveabouttheshapesthatshouldbeincludedinthereport.Forexample,Figure8-25onthefollowingpageshowsareportthatdoesnotuseAdvancedsettings.Consequently,thereportincludeseveryshape,andbecausemanyshapesdonotcontaindata,thereporthasmanyblankandincompletelines.

Figure8-25Areportwithmultipleblankrowsbecauseofinsufficientselectioncriteria

Usingthesameprocessmapasanexample,thesettingintheAdvanceddialogboxshown

inFigure8-26causesshapestobeincludedonlyiftheProcessNumberfieldexistsandcontainsavaluegreaterthanzero.

Figure8-26TheAdvancedcriteriaselectiondialogbox

TheresultoftheadditionalselectioncriteriaisshowninFigure8-27.

Figure8-27AmoreconciseHRReportasaresultofusingadvancedselectioncriteria

YouusethesecondpageoftheReportDefinitionWizardtoselectspecificpropertiesfordisplayinyourreport.Thelistofavailablepropertiesincludesshapedatafields,inadditiontomanyothershapeproperties.YoucanseeaportionofthelistofpropertiesinFigure8-28.

Figure8-28ThefieldselectionpageoftheReportDefinitionWizard

Eachpropertyyouselectisdisplayedinaseparatecolumninthereport.

Ifyouarelookingforlessfrequentlyusedpropertiestoincludeinyourreport,youcanselecttheShowAllPropertiescheckboxatthebottomofthepage.

Onthethirdpageofthewizard,showninFigure8-29,youenterthetitlethatwillappearatthetopofyourreport,andyoucansetoptionsfortotalingandgrouping,sorting,andformatting.

Figure8-29ThethirdpageoftheReportDefinitionWizard

Forexample,ifyouclickSort,youcanusetheSortdialogbox(showninFigure8-30)tochangethesequenceofcolumnsinthereportoutput,andselectuptothreefieldsonwhichtosort.

Figure8-30Columnsequenceandsortselectiondialogbox

Onthefinalpageofthewizard,showninFigure8-31,youenteranameforthereportdefinition,optionallyenteradescription,andthenindicatewhereyouwouldliketostorethereportdefinition.YoucansavethereportdefinitioninthecurrentVisiodrawing,whichisthedefault,oryoucansaveittoanexternalfile.

Figure8-31ThefinalpageoftheReportDefinitionWizard

Savethereportdefinitiontoanexternalfileifyouthinkyou’llwanttouseitwithmultipledrawings.Ifyoudo,youcanretrievethereportdefinitionbyclickingtheBrowsebuttonintheReportsdialogboxshowninFigure8-32.

Figure8-32TheReportsdialogboxshowingtheCustomHRReport

Whenyoufinishdefiningyourreport,thenameyouassignedonthelastwizardpageappearsthenexttimeyouopentheReportsdialogbox.Figure8-32showsanexample.

Tocreateareportdefinition1.OntheReviewtab,intheReportsgroup,clicktheShapeReportsbutton.

2.IntheReportsdialogbox,clicktheNewbutton.

3.ProvidetherequiredinformationonthepagesoftheReportDefinitionWizard.

Tomodifyanexistingreportdefinition.1.OpentheReportsdialogbox,clickthenameofthereportyouwanttoedit,andthenclicktheModifybutton.

2.MaketherequiredchangesonthepagesoftheReportDefinitionWizard.

Understandshapedata

Viewshapedata

Editshapedata

Insertfields

Practicetasks

UnderstandshapedataTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

ViewshapedataStartVisio,clicktheNetworktemplatecategorythumbnail,double-clicktheBasicNetworkDiagramtemplate,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DragaServershapeontothedrawingpage.

2.OpentheShapeDatawindow.

3.DragaRoutershapeontothepage,andthencompareitsshapedatafieldswiththoseoftheserver.

4.Creatediagramsfromseveralothertemplates,andthenexaminetheshapedatafieldsinvariousshapes.

EditshapedataOpentheEditShapeDatadiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.OpentheShapeDatawindowanddockitoneithersideofthedrawingwindow.

2.SelecttheLoghiringrequestshape.

3.EnteranumberinboththeCostandProcessNumberfields.

4.EntertextintheStartDatefield,andthenexitthefield.Noticetheerrormessage.

5.ClickOKtocleartheerrormessage.

6.EnteravaliddateintheStartDatefieldorusethecalendartoselectadate.

7.ChangetheStatusfromInProgresstoDeferred.

ModifyshapedatafieldattributesOpentheModifyDataAttributesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.SelecttheAdvertiseopenjobandInterviewcandidateshapes,andthenopentheDefineShapeDatadialogbox.

2.SelecttheCostfield,andthenchooseadifferentdisplayformat.

3.SelecttheStatusfield,andtheninthePromptpropertybox,enterSelectastatusforthistask.

4.IntheFormatpropertybox,add;WaitingApprovalattheveryendofthetextthatisalreadyinthebox.(Besuretoincludethesemicolon.)

5.ClickOKtoclosetheDefineShapeDatadialogbox.

6.OpentheShapeDatawindowtoverifythatthechangesyou’vemadehavebeenappliedtobothoftheselectedshapesbutnottoanyothershapes.

DefineshapedatafieldsTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

InsertfieldsOpentheInsertFieldsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Selectboththeserverandprintershapes.

2.InserttheshapedatafieldnamedNetworkName.Anetworknameshouldappearbelowbothshapes.

3.Addatextboxorrectangletothepage,andtheninsertthedocumentauthor’sname.

RunpredefinedreportsOpentheRunReportsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.RuntheInventoryreportbyusingExceloutput.

2.RuntheSpaceReportbyusingHTMLoutput.

3.RuntheWindowSchedulereportbyusingVisioshapeoutput.

4.Changethedimensionsofseveralwindowsinthefloorplan,andthenrerunthereport.

5.BrowsetotheVegetationReportlocatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch08folder,andrunitusinganyoutputformatyouwant.

6.OpenanyVisiodiagramyoupreviouslyrecreated,andthenrunoneormoreofthebuilt-inreportsitcontains.

CreateormodifyreportsOpentheCreateModifyReportsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Createareportthatincludesthreecolumns,inthisorder:

•ProductDescription

•Manufacturer

•AssetNumber

2.Savethereportdefinitioninthedrawing.

3.Runthenewreport.

4.ModifythereportyoujustcreatedtosorttheoutputbyManufacturer.

5.Modifythebuilt-inNetworkEquipmentreporttomaketwochanges:

•DeletethePartNumberandSerialNumbercolumns.

•SortthereportbyNetworkName,andthenProductDescription.

6.Savethemodifiedreportinafile.

7.Runthemodifiedreport.

9.Visualizeyourdata

Inthischapter

Createdatagraphics

Applydatagraphics

Editdatagraphics

Practicefiles

InChapter8,“Workwithshapedata,”youviewedandreportedondatastoredinVisioshapes.Althoughthosetechniquesareusefulinmanycircumstances,Visioprovidesanevenmoreeffectivewaytotakeadvantageofdata:youcancreatedatagraphicsthatenhanceshapesbyaddingtextcalloutsandiconsbasedonthedatacontainedintheshapes.Evenbetter,datagraphicsaredynamic,sowhenthedatainashapechanges,Visiorefreshesthegraphicsautomatically.

Inthenextchapter,youwilltakedatagraphicstoanotherlevelbyvisualizingdatastoredinanexternallocation.Inthischapter,youwillworkwithdatagraphicsbyusingdatathatisstoredinthediagramanddiscovertheamazingwaysyoucanvisualizedatabyusingVisio2016.

Important

TheinformationinthischapterappliesonlytotheProfessionaleditionofVisio2016.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtoenhancingdiagrameffectiveness,creatingandapplyingdatagraphics,editingdatagraphics,andcreatingdatagraphiclegends.

EnhancediagrameffectivenessApersonusingaVisiodiagramthatyoucreatedcanlearnalotaboutthesubjectofthediagrambasedonyourchoiceofshapes,theirpositionsonthepage,thewaytheyareconnected,andmanyadditionalvisualcues.Thefivesectionsinthistopicdemonstratethepowerofdatavisualizationtotellevenmoreofthestory.

ViewnetworkanddatacenterperformanceChapter7,“Createnetworkanddatacenterdiagrams”containsseveralhintsaboutthedataavailableincomputer,network,andrackdiagramshapes.ThissectionexplorestechniquesyoucanusetocapitalizeonthedatathatisincludedintheVisionetworkshapes.

Thediagramsinthissectionmightbeusedinascenariosuchasthefollowing:

Youareadatacentermanagerandhavecreatedrackdiagramsforeachrackinyourcomputerroom.

You’vepopulatedyourdiagramswithdata.

Eachrack-mountedserverincludesthedatafieldsshowninFigure9-1.(Thevaluesshowninthisfigurewillbevisualizedinthenexttwofigures.)

Figure9-1Sampleserverdata

YoucanvisualizedatalikethatshowninFigure9-1byusingVisiodatagraphicstoturnanordinaryrackdiagramintoapowerfulmeanstounderstandserverattributes.InFigure9-2,severaldatagraphicsareappliedtotheserversinanequipmentracktohighlightthefollowing:

Servernameandtype(left)

Serverstatus(center)

CPUandmemoryconfiguration(right)

Figure9-2Arackdiagramshowingserverstatusandvitalstatistics

Figure9-3showsthesameequipmentrack,butitusesdifferentdatagraphicstohighlightdifferentinformation.Inthisversionoftherackdiagram,youfindthefollowing:

ServernameandIPaddress(left)

Serverstatus(center)shownbyapplyingafillcolortotheserversinsteadofattachingastatusicon.

Operatingsystemname(right)

Figure9-3Alternatevisualizationsprovidedifferentinformation

Partoftheappealofdatagraphicsisrepresentedbythesetwoexamples—youcanapplydifferentgraphicsatdifferenttimesdependingonwhatyouneedtoknow.

ImproveprocessesInthisexample,datagraphicsareappliedtoprocessstepsinaswimlanediagramfortworeasons:tonumbereachprocessstep(thenumberappearsabovetheupper-rightcornerofeachshape),andtoshowseveralprocessqualitymeasurements.TheinformationinFigure9-4includesthefollowing:

Theaveragedurationofeachstep,indays,isshowninaprogressbaracrossthe

bottomofeachtaskshape.

Awarningiconappearsinthelower-leftcornerofashapeifastepistaking5to9daysor10ormoredays.

Theshapecolorindicateswhetherastepisimprovingorbeinginvestigated.

Figure9-4Aprocessdiagramthatdisplaysdata-drivengraphics

Thesymbolismusedforeachofthesemetricsisexplainedinthedatagraphiclegendthatappearsintheupper-rightcornerofthepage.Youwilllearnmoreaboutlegendsin“Createdatagraphiclegends”laterinthischapter.

ManagecasinooperationsFigure9-5illustratesthetypesofnear-real-timeinformationthatacasinomanagermightviewinVisio,withagoalofmonitoringcriticaloperations.Inalllikelihood,yourjobdoesn’tinvolvemanagingacasino,butyoucanprobablythinkofimportantoperationsthatyoudoneedtomonitor.

Figure9-5Acasinomanager’sviewofablackjacktable

Inthegraphic,textcalloutshighlighteachbettor’srecenthistory,includingcurrentdollarstanding,averagebet,andnumberofblackjacks.Inaddition,aredorgreenarrowrepresentshoweachplayeristrending.

Thereal-timenatureofthegraphicsinthisexamplearesignificantlyenhancedwhenthediagramislinkedtoalive,externaldatasource.YouwillexplorethistopicinChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata.”

ManageemployeeperformanceTheorganizationchartinFigure9-6lookslikethoseyouexploredinChapter5,“Createorganizationcharts,”withonenotableexception:TreyResearchhasturnedthisorgchartintomorethanjustapictureofwhoreportstowhombyincludingtwokeyperformancemeasures:

Eachemployee’sprogresstowardtheirannualtraininggoalisdepictedbyaniconcontainingacombinationofblueandgraysquares.

Thethreeredmanagershapesincludeabargraphdisplayingquarterlyperformancenumbers.Notethatthebargraphisasinglegraphicitemthatcontrastsdatafromfourdifferentshapedatafields.

Figure9-6Anorgchartenhancedwithemployeeperformancedata

Thelegendintheupper-rightcornerofthepageisautomaticallygeneratedbyVisio;however,youcancustomizethetextandotheraspectsofthelegend.Inthisexample,thedescriptionswerecustomizedandthefontcolorwaschanged.

Youcanapplyonlyonedatagraphictoashapeatanygivenmoment.However,asFigure9-6shows,onedatagraphiccancontainmultiplevisualelements.Inaddition,youcanapplydifferentgraphicstodifferentshapesonthesamepage.

AssessrisksIntheexampleshowninFigure9-7,youareviewingpartofaprocessmapthatwascreatedbyusingaVisioadd-incalledTaskMap(www.taskmap.com).

Figure9-7ATaskMapprocessmapusedtoconveyriskandtimethresholddata

ThisportionoftheTaskMapshowsthreetasksinthemiddleofasalesproposalprocess,anddatagraphicsdepictthefollowingtwoaspectsofriskmanagement:

Yellowtrianglesandgreendiamondsidentifyrisksandcontrols,respectively.Thenumberineachrisktrianglerelatestoanentryinamasterlistofrisks.Thenumberineachdiamondidentifiesthecontrolthattheorganizationhasputinplacetomitigatetherisk.(Anorganizationmightmaintainthemasterlistofrisksandcontrolsinsomethingassimpleasaworksheet,ortheymightemployaformalriskmanagementsystem.)

Inataskliketheoneinthecenter,theorganizationhasidentifiedariskbutnotacontrol,sotheriskismoresignificant.

Theredarrowshighlighttasksthatexceedadefinedtimethreshold—30minutesinthecaseofthisexample.

Figure9-7alsoincludesathirddatagraphic:twoofthethreetasksdisplayareddiamondtoindicatethattheyaredecisionpointsintheprocess.

IfyouwouldliketolookatthefullpagefromwhichFigure9-7wastaken,opentheRiskManagementTaskMapPDFintheVisio2016SBS\Ch09folder.Inaddition,aweb-publishedversionofthisTaskMapthatincludeshyperlinkstoMicrosoftWordandExceldocumentsisavailableatwww.visiostepbystep.com/downloads/2016/RiskManagementTaskMap.htm.

Theexamplesinthissectionhighlighttheimportanceofthedatabehindadiagramandsuggestavarietyofcreativewaysyoucanaddvaluetodiagramsthatcontaindata.

CreatedatagraphicsInChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata,”youwilldiscoverasimpletechniqueforapplyingdatagraphicstoshapesthatarelinkedtodatainanexternalfileordatabase.However,linkingtoexternaldataisnotarequirementforusingdatagraphics.Evenifyou’vemanuallyentereddataintoyourshapes,youcanstillrepresentthatdatavisually.

Eachdatagraphicyoucreatecancontainoneormoregraphicitems.Eachgraphicitemis

associatedwithadatafieldandpresentsdatabyusingoneofthefollowingformats:

CalloutAformattedtextbox,sometimesaccompaniedbyanicon,thatisusedtodisplaytext

InsomeplacesintheVisiouserinterface,thenameofthiscategoryisshownasTextCalloutorjustText.

IconSetAcollectionofuptofiveiconsthatareusedtorepresentspecificvaluesorrangesofvalues

DataBarOneofasetofprogressbars,starratings,piecharts,graphs,orothergraphicsusedtorepresentnumericvalues

ColorbyValueAtechniqueforsettingthecolorofashapebasedonthevalueofadatafieldintheshape

YoucreateandapplydatagraphicsbyusingoptionsontheDatatab.PortionsoftheDatatab—theDataGraphicsgalleryandseveralbuttons—willbedimmed(unavailable)ifyouhavenotlinkedyourdiagramtoexternaldata;theseportionsareomittedfromtheimagesoftheDatatabshowninFigure9-8.However,theAdvancedDataGraphicsbuttonontherightendofthetabisalwaysavailable,andthat’sthebuttonyouusetocreatedatagraphicsinanunlinkeddiagram.

Figure9-8TheVisioProfessionalDatatab

ClickingtheAdvancedDataGraphicsbuttonopenstheDataGraphicsgallery,whichincludesaCreateNewDataGraphicbutton.Thefirststepincreatingadatagraphicistocreateagraphicitem,andthefirststepindoingthatistoselectadatafield.

ThelistofavailabledatafieldsvariesdependingonwhichshapesareselectedwhenyouclicktheCreateNewDataGraphicbutton.Ifnoshapesareselected,oriftheselectedshapeshaveoneormoredatafieldsincommon,alistliketheoneshownintheupperhalfofFigure9-9isdisplayed.Ifasetofshapeswithnocommonfieldsisselected,anabbreviatedlistsuchastheoneshowninthelowerhalfofFigure9-9isdisplayed.

Figure9-9Newdatagraphicscanbebasedonshapedatafieldsordatathatresideselsewhereinadiagram

Ineithercase,youcanusetheMoreFieldsentryshowninbothpartsofFigure9-9tocreatemoresophisticateddatagraphics.Forexample,insteadofcreatingagraphicbasedonashapedatafield,youcancreateagraphicbasedonadocumentorpageproperty,orbasedonacalculatedresult.

Afterselectingadatafield,yournextchoiceiswhichofthefourgraphicitemtypesyouwanttouse.Thefirstthreegraphictypesprovidealistofchoices,asshownfromlefttorightinFigure9-10fortheText,DataBar,andIconSetlists.

Figure9-10Datagraphicsofferanimpressiverangeofcolorfulchoicesforrepresentingdata

Choosinganiconsetrequiresyoutospecifywhichvalue,orrangeofvalues,appliestoeachicon.Figure9-11showsthesettingsforadatagraphicyouwillapplyinthefollowingtopic.Althoughthisfiguredesignatesaspecificvalueforeachicon,youhaveconsiderableflexibilityindefiningtheconditionsforeachflag.Youcan:

Usethelistinthecentercolumntocreatearangeofvaluesforeachiconandtosetotherconditions.

Usethelistontherighttoentermoresophisticatedvaluesthansimplytypinganumberortextintothefield.

Thefourthdatagraphictype,ColorByValue,extractsdatavaluesfromtheselectedfieldandmatcheseachwithacolor,asshowninFigure9-12.

Figure9-11Theoptionsforconfiguringiconsetgraphicsareflexible

Figure9-12Visioidentifiesexistingdatavaluesandselectscolorswhenyoucreateacolor-by-valuedatagraphic

ThecolorsselectedbyVisioinFigure9-12aresuitableforsomepurposesbutmightbetooboldforotherpurposes.Inthelattercase,youcandisplaytheFillColorlistforanyfieldandchangethecolorsetting.Youcanalsoleavethetextcolorofaffectedshapesatthedefaultsetting(asshowninthefigure)oryoucanmanuallychangeit.

Important

NoticetheInsertandDeletebuttonstotherightoftheColorAssignmentssectioninFigure9-12.Youcandeleteanycombinationofvalueandcolor,oryoucanaddnewones,dependingonwhatyouwanttohighlightinthedrawing.Forexample,ifyoudon’twanttoapplyafillcolorwhentheselectedfieldhasablankvalue,deletetherowinwhichthevalueboxisblank.

Toselectafieldtocreateadatagraphic1.OpentheNewDataGraphicdialogboxbydoingeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheDatatab,intheAdvancedDataLinkinggroup,clickAdvancedDataGraphics,andthenclickCreateNewDataGraphic.

•Right-clickanyshapethatdoesnotcontainadatagraphic,clickData,andthenclickEditDataGraphic.

2.ClicktheNewItembutton.

3.IntheNewItemdialogbox,clicktheDatafieldarrow,andthenclickthenameofthefieldyouwanttovisualize.

Important

Youcanaddmorethanonegraphicitemtoanydatagraphicasyoucreateit.Todosoineachofthenextfourprocedures,clicktheNewItembuttonagainbeforeclickingOKtoclosetheNewDataGraphicdialogbox.

TocreateaTextdatagraphic1.Selectafieldtovisualize,clicktheDisplayedasarrow,andthenclickText.

2.ClicktheStylearrow,andthenclickthenameofthetextcalloutyouwant.

3.(Optional)ChangeconfigurationvaluesintheDetailssection.

4.(Optional)EitherselecttheUsedefaultpositioncheckbox,orusetheHorizontalandVerticalliststoselectaspecificpositionforyourdatagraphic.

5.ClickOKtoclosetheNewItemdialogbox,andthenclickOKtoclosetheNewDataGraphicdialogbox.

TocreateaDataBardatagraphic1.Selectafieldtovisualize,clicktheDisplayedasarrow,andthenclickDataBar.

2.ClicktheStylearrow,andthenclickthenameofthedatabaryouwant.

3.(Optional)ChangeMinimumValue,MaximumValue,orotherconfigurationvaluesintheDetailssection.

4.(Optional)EitherselecttheUsedefaultpositioncheckbox,orselectanoptionfromtheHorizontalandVerticalliststoselectaspecificposition.

TocreateanIconSetdatagraphic1.Selectafieldtovisualize,clicktheDisplayedasarrow,andthenclickIconSet.

2.ClicktheStylearrow,andthenclicktheiconsetyouwant.

3.ClicktheappropriateconditionfromthelistinthecentercolumnoftheRulesforshowingeachiconsection,andthenentervaluesintherightcolumninthesamesection.

4.(Optional)EitherselecttheUsedefaultpositioncheckbox,orselectanoptionfromtheHorizontalandVerticalliststoselectaspecificposition.

TocreateaColorByValuedatagraphic1.Selectafieldtovisualize,clicktheDisplayedasarrow,andthenclickColorbyValue.

2.(Optional)ClicktheColoringMethodarrow,andthenclickeitherEachcolorrepresentsauniquevalueorEachcolorrepresentsarangeofvalues.

3.EitherleavetheentriesintheValue,FillColor,andTextColorfieldsintheColorassignmentssectionasis,ormakethechangesyouwant.

ApplydatagraphicsYoumustselectoneormoreshapesbeforeopeningtheDataGraphicsgallerybecauseyoucanapplyorremovedatagraphicsonlyonpreselectedshapes.Afterselectingshapes,youcanpointtotheoptionsintheAvailableDataGraphicssectionofthegallery,showninFigure9-13,toprovidealivepreviewsoyoucansamplevariousgraphicsbeforechoosingone.

Figure9-13Thumbnailsofthreedatagraphicsappearinadatagraphicsgallery

TheexamplesshowninthenexttwofiguresuseshapedatafieldscalledRiskandOwner.TheRiskfieldwasaddedtotheshapesinthisdiagram,whereasOwnerisapredefinedfieldinallVisioflowchartshapes.

Figure9-14showstheresultofassigningtwodifferentdatagraphicstothesamesetofprocesssteps.Theuppersectionofthefigureusesaniconsettorepresentthelevelofriskassociatedwitheachstep.Thelowersectionemploysacolor-by-valuegraphicthatisbasedontheOwnerdatafield,essentiallycreatingamapthatiscolor-codedtoshowwho

doeswhatwithintheprocess.

Figure9-14Thesamesetofflowchartshapescanimpartdramaticallydifferentinformationbyusingdifferentdatagraphics

Visiodatagraphicsareautomaticallyassignedtoaspeciallayerinadiagram.(See“Understandanduselayers”inChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”)Ifyouwanttohidedatagraphicswithoutremovingthem,youcanchangetheviewpropertiesforthedatagraphicslayer.

Youcanassignonlyonedatagraphicatatimetoanygivenshape.However,youcanincludemultiplegraphicitemswithinonedatagraphic.ThediagraminFigure9-15featuresasingledatagraphicthatincludesbothofthegraphicitemsthatareshownseparatelyinFigure9-14.

Figure9-15Youcancreatedatagraphicsthathavemultiplegraphicitems

Datagraphicsareappliedtoasinglepageatatime.Ifyouwanttoapplythesamedatagraphictomultiplepages,youmusteitherapplyittoeachpageseparately,orwriteaVisiomacrotodothatforyou.

Ifyouwanttoapplythesamedatagraphicautomaticallytoashaperegardlessofthepageonwhichtheshaperesides,youcanapplythedatagraphictotheshapeandsavetheshapeasamasterinacustomstencil.Then,wheneveryoudragthemasterontothedrawingpage,itwillautomaticallydisplaythedatagraphic.YouwilllearnaboutmacrosandcreatingcustomstencilsinAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Toapplyadatagraphictooneormoreselectedshapes1.OntheDatatab,intheAdvancedDataLinkinggroup,clicktheAdvancedDataGraphicsbuttontodisplayagalleryofdatagraphicoptionsandthumbnails.

2.IntheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery,clickthethumbnailforthedatagraphicyouwanttoapply.

Toremoveadatagraphicfromoneormoreselectedshapes1.DisplaytheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery,andthenclicktheNonethumbnailintheNoDataGraphicsection.

InChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata,”youwilldiscoveradditionaltechniquesforapplyingdatagraphicsindiagramsthathavebeenlinkedtoexternaldatasources.

EditdatagraphicsTheplacementandappearanceofdatagraphicsarecontrolledbyaneditablesetofparameters.Althoughyoucan’tcontroleveryattributeofadatagraphicwithoutresortingtowritingcode,theVisio2016userinterfaceprovidestoolstoimplementasurprisingnumberofchangesbyusingtheEditDataGraphicdialogbox,showninFigure9-16.

Figure9-16Datagraphicscancontainmultiplegraphicitemsofdifferenttypes

TheupperhalfoftheEditDataGraphicdialogboxlistsallofthegraphicitemsthatarepartoftheselecteddatagraphic.Youcanadd,edit,ordeleteeachgraphicitem.Inthelowerhalfofthedialogbox,youcanmodifythecharacteristicsofthedatagraphicasawhole.

Important

YouestablishthedefaultpositionforadatagraphicbyselectingfromtheHorizontalandVerticallistsintheDefaultPositionoftheEditDataGraphicdialogbox.(Boththehorizontalandverticalpositionsarerelativetotheshapetowhichthegraphicwillbeattached.)DatagraphicitemsintheupperhalfofthedialogboxwhosePositionissettoDefaultwillappearatthislocation.

YouusetheEditItemdialogboxtochangedisplayproperties.Thespecificpropertiesinthedialogboxvarybasedontheselectedgraphicitem.

FortheThermometergraphicshowninFigure9-17,youcanspecifytheminimumandmaximumvaluessoVisiocanproperlyscaletheheightoftheredinsidethethermometer.Youcanalsoadjustlabelsandothericonattributes.

Figure9-17Youcanacceptdefaultvaluesinmanysituationsbutcancustomizedatagraphicsasneeded

Important

TheMinimumValueandMaximumValuefieldsarecriticalforallDataBargraphicitems,notjusttheThermometericon.Ifthesevaluesaresetincorrectly,theheightorwidth,dependingonthegraphicitem,willbeincorrect.

Intheupper-rightcornerofthedialogbox,youcanselectthecheckboxtopositionagraphicitematthedefaultpositionforthedatagraphicthatcontainsit.YoucanalsoclearthatcheckboxandselectfromtheoptionsintheHorizontalandVerticalliststosetyourownlocationrelativetotheunderlyingshape.

Toeditadatagraphic1.DisplaytheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery,right-clickthethumbnailofthedatagraphicyouwanttochange,andthenclickEdit.

Right-clickanyshapethatcontainsthedatagraphicyouwanttochange,clickData,andthenclickEditDataGraphic.

2.IntheEditDataGraphicdialogbox,clickthegraphicitemyouwanttoedit,andthenclicktheEditItembutton.

Double-clickthegraphicitemyouwanttoedit.

3.MakeyourchangesintheEditItemdialogbox,andthenclickOK.

4.(Optional)ChangethesettingsintheDefaultposition,Displayoptions,orApplychangestosectionsoftheEditDataGraphicdialogbox.

Thenextstepisusefulifyouarestillexperimentingwithhowyouwantthedatagraphictolookonthepage.

5.(Optional)ClicktheApplybuttontoseethechangesinthediagramwithoutclosingtheEditDataGraphicdialogbox.

6.ClickOK.

Torenameadatagraphic1.DisplaytheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery,right-clickthethumbnailofthedatagraphicyouwanttorename,andthenclickRename.

2.Enteranewname,andthenclickOK.

Toduplicateadatagraphic1.DisplaytheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery,right-clickthethumbnailofthedatagraphicyouwanttoduplicate,andthenclickDuplicate.

Toselectallshapesthatuseaparticulardatagraphic1.DisplaytheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery,right-clickthethumbnailofadatagraphic,andthenclickSelectShapesthatusethisGraphic.

Todeleteadatagraphic1.DisplaytheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery,right-clickthethumbnailofthedatagraphicyouwanttodelete,andthenclickDelete.

InChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata,”youwilldiscoveradditionaltechniquesforeditingdatagraphicsindiagramsthathavebeenlinkedtoexternaldatasources.

CreatedatagraphiclegendsDatagraphicsliketheoneshowninFigure9-15earlierinthischapterareeasiertouseandunderstandwithakey.WithVisio2016,adatagraphiclegendisjustaclickaway.Youcancreateeitheraverticallegend,or,asshowninFigure9-18,ahorizontallegend.

Figure9-18Visiocreateslegendsautomatically,butyoucancustomizethem

Visioalwaysplacesthelegendintheupper-rightcornerofthepage.

AfterVisiocreatesthelegend,youcanedittheelementswithinthelegend.Forexample,thelegendontheleftinFigure9-18istheoriginalversion.Inthelegendontheright,thedescriptionsfortheflagiconshavebeenchangedtobemoremeaningfulforusersofthediagram.

Important

Afterplacingadatagraphiclegendonthepage,Visioneverupdatesit.Consequently,ifyouaddordeleteadatagraphicorchangetheattributesofagraphicinawaythataffectsthelegend,youmustdeletetheexistinglegendandinsertanewone.

Visioconstructsdatagraphiclegendsfromacombinationofcontainersandlists.Fordetailsaboutcontainersandlists,seeChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Toinsertadatagraphiclegend1.OntheDatatab,intheDisplayDatagroup,clicktheInsertLegendbutton.

2.ClickeitherHorizontalorVertical.

Toeditadatagraphiclegend1.Clickanentryinsidethelegendandenternewtext.

2.Clickanentryinsidethelegendanddragittoanewlocation.

Tomoveadatagraphiclegend1.ClickthewordLegendintheheaderofthedatagraphiclegend,andthendragthelegendtoanewlocation.

Todeleteadatagraphiclegend1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•ClickthewordLegendintheheaderofthedatagraphiclegend,andthenpresstheDeletekey.

•Right-clickthewordLegend,andthenclickCutontheshortcutmenu.

•Right-clickthewordLegend,andthenontheHometab,intheClipboardgroup,clickCut.

Createdatagraphics

Applydatagraphics

Editdatagraphics

Practicetasks

EnhancediagrameffectivenessTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

CreatedatagraphicsOpentheCreateDataGraphicsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.CreateaTextdatagraphicwiththefollowingcharacteristics:

2.CreateaDataBargraphicfortheCostfieldwiththefollowingcharacteristics:

Locatedatthedefaultposition

3.CreateanIconSetdatagraphicfortheStatusfieldandapplythesettingsshowninFigure9-11.

4.CreateaColorbyValuedatagraphicfortheOwnerfield,ensuringthatthereisnotacolorassignedtoablankvalue.

5.SavethediagramasDataGraphicsFlowchartforuseinthenexttasks.

ApplydatagraphicsOpentheDataGraphicsFlowchartdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ApplytheTextdatagraphictoallprocessstepsexceptStartandEnd.

2.ApplytheDataBardatagraphictoallprocessstepsexceptStartandEnd.ChangetheCostvalueinseveralshapesandobservetheresults.

3.ApplytheIconSetdatagraphictoallprocessstepsexceptStartandEnd.ChangetheStatusvalueinseveralshapesandobservetheresults.

4.ApplytheColorbyValuedatagraphictoallprocessstepsexceptStartandEnd.ChangetheOwnervalueinseveralshapesandobservetheresults.

5.Saveyourchanges,andleavethediagramopenifyou’llbecontinuingtothenexttasks.

EditdatagraphicsOpentheDataGraphicsFlowchartdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ApplytheDataBar(Thermometer)datagraphictotheprocessshapesinthetoprow,andtheneditthedatagraphicbychangingtheVerticalpositiontoTopEdge,andValuePositionandLabelPositiontoNotShown.

2.ApplytheIconSetdatagraphictoanythree-processsteps,andtheneditthedatagraphicbyselectingadifferentsetoficons.

3.AssigntheColorbyValuedatagraphictotheprocessstepsinthelowerrow,andtheneditthedatagraphicbyassigningdifferentfillcolorsandtextcolorstooneormoredatavalues.

4.Assignamoremeaningfulnametothedatabardatagraphic.

5.CreateaduplicatecopyoftheIconSetdatagraphic,andthenchangethevisualizationtypetoColorbyValue.

6.Assigntheduplicateddatagraphictosomeoftheprocesssteps.

7.SelectallshapesthatcurrentlyusetheDataBargraphicandassigntheduplicateddatagraphictothem.

8.Deletetheduplicateddatagraphic.

9.Saveyourchanges,andleavethediagramopenifyou’llbecontinuingtothenexttasks.

CreatedatagraphiclegendsOpentheDataGraphicsFlowchartdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ApplytheIconSetdatagraphictoallprocessstepsintheupperrow.

2.ApplytheDataBardatagraphictoallprocessstepsinthelowerrow.

3.AddaVerticallegendtothepage.

4.Movethelegendtoanewlocation.

5.Deletethelegend,andtheninsertaHorizontallegend.

6.ChangethetextofoneormoreexplanationsintheStatuscolumnofthelegend.

10.Linktoexternaldata

Inthischapter

UseQuickImport

UseCustomImport

Managelinkeddata

Refreshlinkeddata

Practicefiles

YouexploredshapedatainChapter8,“Workwithshapedata,”andinChapter9,“Visualizeyourdata.”Inbothchapters,youentereddatamanuallyintoshapedatafields.Althoughthisworks,youmightprefertopopulateyourdrawingsautomaticallybylinkingthemtodatainaMicrosoftExcelworkbook,adatabase,oranotherexternalsource.

YoumightalsowanttoturnyourVisiodiagramsintodashboardsbylinkingthemtodataandthenvisualizingkeydataattributes.Whetheryouneedtodisplaythestatusoftheserversandprintersinanetwork,showweeklyattendanceforallemployeesinanorganizationchart,orprovideanup-to-the-minuteofficelayoutshowingwhoisinorouttoday—youcandoallthisandmorewhenyoucombinedatalinkinganddatagraphics.

Visio2016introducesafeaturecalledQuickImportthatautomatestheprocessoflinkingtodatainExcelandthenapplyingdatagraphics.WhenQuickImportdoesn’tmeetyourneeds,youcanusetheCustomImportwizardtolinktovirtuallyanydatasource.

Important

ThischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtousingQuickImportandCustomImport,managinglinkeddata,usingdatagraphicoptionsforlinkeddata,andrefreshinglinkeddata.

UnderstanddatalinkingLinkingadiagramtodataandthenvisualizingthatdatarequiresfoursteps:

1.Linkthediagramtoadatasource.

2.Linkdatarecordstoindividualshapes.

3.Createasuitabledatagraphic.

4.Applythedatagraphic.

QuickImport,whichyouwillexploreinthefollowingtopic,doesallfourstepsautomatically.Ifyoudon’tuseQuickImport,youarerequiredtoperformeachstepyourself;however,Visioprovideswizardstoassistwiththefirsttwotasks.

Regardlessofthetechniqueyouchooseforcreatingalinktoexternaldata,youcreateadynamiclink.Youcanrefreshthediagram,whichinturnupdatesshapedatafieldsandanyapplieddatagraphics.Consequently,yourVisiodiagramcanbecometheprimarywindowintoyourdata.

EithermethodofdatalinkingdisplaysdataintheExternalDatawindow,whichisshowninFigure10-1.VisioexplicitlyopenstheExternalDatawindowwhenyouuseCustomImport,butdoesnotalwaysopenitwhenyouuseQuickImport.However,youcanopen(andclose)thewindowyourselfbyselectingorclearingtheExternalDataWindowcheckboxlocatedintheShow/HidegroupontheDatatab.

Figure10-1TheExternalDatawindowprovidesaviewintoadatabaseorotherdatasource

UseQuickImportIfyourdataresidesinExcel,QuickImportisthefastestwaytolinkyourshapestoexternaldata.

ToappreciatehoweasyitistousetheQuickImportwizard,seeFigure10-2,whichcontainspartofanorganizationchartforBlueYonderAirlines.TheShapeDatawindowisopenanddisplaysthestandardfieldsforaVisioorganizationchart.Fouroftheshapedatafieldscontaindefaultvalues,buttheNamefieldidentifiesthattheselectedshaperepresentsCarolePoland.

Figure10-2TheNamefieldistheonlyonethatcontainsauser-enteredvalue

ThedatatowhichthediagramwillbelinkedisshowninFigure10-3.

Figure10-3AnExcelworkbookthatwillbelinkedtoanorganizationchart

WhenyoustarttheQuickImportwizardandpointittoyourExceldatafile,itdoestherest,asshowninFigure10-4.

Figure10-4AllfourQuickImportstepsweresuccessful

YoucanlinktoanExcelworkbookthatisstoredonyourcomputer,onanetworkserver,orinExcelServicesinMicrosoftSharePoint.

TheresultisshowninFigure10-5.QuickImportmatchedthedatatotheshapesbasedonemployeename,addednewdatafields,filledintheshapedatafieldsfromthelinkedExcelworkbook,andapplieddatagraphics.

Figure10-5Allorgchartshapes,includingtheCarolePolandshape,containimporteddata

Important

AsingleundocommandwillreverseallactionsperformedbyQuickImport.

Important

IfQuickImportdoesnotapplydatagraphicstoyourshapes,itisprobablyforoneoftworeasons:eitheryourshapesalreadycontaineddatagraphics(QuickImportwillnotreplacethem),ortheApplyAfterLinkingDataToShapesoptionisnotselected.ThissettingislocatedatthebottomofboththeDataGraphicsgalleryandtheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery.

It’simportanttounderstandthatQuickImportischoosingandapplyingdatagraphicsbasedonitsanalysisoftheshapedatafields.Itmightchooseappropriatefieldsandrelevantdatagraphics,oritmightnot.Ifyouwanttoknowhowtochangetheappliedgraphics,see“Usedatagraphicoptionsforlinkeddata”laterinthischapter.

TounderstandhowthediagramanditsdatagraphicscanberefreshedwhentheExceldatachanges,see“Refreshlinkeddata”laterinthischapter.

Althoughitisn’tshowninFigure10-5,VisioopenstheDataGraphicFieldstaskpaneeachtimeyouuseQuickImport.Thistaskpanewillbeexplainedin“Usedatagraphicoptionsforlinkeddata”laterinthischapter.

TouseQuickImport1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheDatatab,intheExternalDatagroup,clickQuickImport.

•IftheExternalDatawindowisopenandtherearenolinkeddatasources,clickQuickLinkDatatoShapes.

2.IntheDataSelectordialogbox,clicktheBrowsebuttontoselectanExcelworkbook,andthenclickDone.

3.IntheQuickImportExcelDatatoVisiodialogbox,clickDone.

ToundoQuickImportactions1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheQuickAccessToolbar,clicktheUndobutton.

•PressCtrl+Z.

UseCustomImportWhereasQuickImportperformsallfourdatalinkinganddatavisualizationstepsdescribedin“Understanddatalinking”earlierinthischapter,sometimesyouwillwanttolinktoadatasourceyourself.OneobviouscaseisifyourdataresidesanywhereotherthaninExcel.However,evenifyourdataisinExcel,youmightwanttolinkmanuallytohavemorecontroloverthelinkingandvisualization.

WhenyouuseCustomImport,youcanlinktodatainanyofthefollowingrepositories:

MicrosoftExcelworkbook

MicrosoftAccessdatabase

MicrosoftSharePointFoundationlist

MicrosoftSQLServerdatabase

ArepositorythatcanbeaccessedviaOLEDBorODBC

LinkyourdiagramtodataAftertellingtheDataSelectorwizardwhereyourdataislocated,youhavetheoptiontorefineyourselectionofdatafromthatsource.

Figure10-6showsthefirstofseveralselectionpagesfordatainExcel.YoucanselectfromtheWhatWorksheetOrRangeDoYouWantToUse?listtonarrowthesourcetoaspecificworksheetornamedrange.ClickingtheSelectCustomRangebuttonopensyourworkbookinExcelsoyoucanchoosetherangeyouwant.YoucanusethewizardpagefollowingtheoneshowninFigure10-6toexcludespecificcolumnsandrows.

Figure10-6DatasourceoptionsforanExcelworkbook

Figure10-7showsthefirstselectionpagefordatainaSharePointlist.

Figure10-7AselectionofSharePointlistsandtheoptiontoselectalistbynameorselectaviewofalist

Otherdatasourcetypesprovidesimilarfilteringandselectionoptions.

Asafinalstepforsomedatasourcetypes,youcanidentifywhichfield,orcombinationoffields,uniquelyidentifieseachdatarecord.Establishingauniqueidentifierinyourdataisvaluableifyoulaterwantyourdiagramtoreflectsubsequentchangestodatainthedatarepository.

Figure10-8showsthatVisioanalyzesyourdataandselectswhatappearstobeauniqueidentifier.Thesoftwaregenerallymakesagoodchoice,butyoucanchangeitsrecommendedoptionbyselectingorclearingthecheckboxesshowninthefigure.

Figure10-8NameistheuniqueidentifierrecommendedbyVisio

Ifyourdatadoesnotcontainauniquevalueforeachrow,youcanclicktheoptionatthebottomofwizardpageshowninFigure10-8,enablingVisiotousethesequenceoftherowstoidentifythem.Althoughthischoiceworksforreasonablystabledatasets,beawarethatusingthisoptionhaspotentiallyseriousconsequencesifyoulaterreorder,add,ordeleterowsinthesourcedata.

Whenthelinkingoperationcompletes,thelinkeddataappearsintheExternalDatawindow.Figure10-1,inthe“Understanddatalinking”topicearlierinthischapter,showstheExternalDatawindowafterlinkinganorganizationcharttodatainExcel.

Youcanlinkasinglediagramtomorethanonedatasource,evenifthedatasourcesareofdifferenttypes.Ifyoudolinktomorethanonesource,multiplenametabswillappearatthebottomoftheExternalDatawindow.

TolinkadiagramtodatabyusingCustomImport1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•OntheDatatab,intheExternalDatagroup,clickCustomImport.

•Right-clickanywhereinsidetheExternalDatawindow,clickDataSource,andthenclickAdd.

2.OnthefirstpageoftheDataSelectorwizard,clickthetypeofdatasourcetowhichyouwanttoconnect,andthenclickNext.

3.CompletetheremainingpagesoftheDataSelectorwizard(thespecificpageswillvarybasedonthedatasourcetype).Whenthewizardfinishes,theExternalData

windowwillopenifitwasn’topenalready,andadatatabwilldisplaythenewlylinkeddata.

LinkdatatoyourshapesYoucanselectanycombinationofthreemethodstoconnectdatarowsintheExternalDatawindowwithshapesonthedrawingpage.Youcan:

Dragdatatoanexistingshape.

Automaticallylinkdatatoshapes.

Usedatatocreateashape.

Whichevertechniqueyouuse,theresultisusuallyaone-to-onerelationshipbetweendatarowsandshapes.However,it’spossibletocreateone-to-manyrelationships.Forexample,youcanconnect:

Oneshapetomultipledatasources.YoumightlinksomefieldstovaluesinaSharePointlist,andconnectotherfieldsinthesameshapetodatainaSQLdatabase.

Onedatarowtomultipleshapes.Fieldsfromthesamedatarowcanbelinkedtomultipleshapesonthesameordifferentpages.

TheExternalDatawindow,showninFigure10-1,presentsdatafieldsinthesequenceitfoundtheminthedatasource.Inaddition,eachfieldhasanameandadatatypederivedfromthedatasource.

Thedefaultbehaviorforallthreelinkingmethodsistoanalyzeyourdatafieldsduringthelinkingoperation,andthenapplyoneormoredatagraphics.Sometimestheattemptstovisualizeyourdataaregood;othertimes,suchastheexampleinFigure10-5wheretheorangeprogressbarrepresentsEmployeeNumber,theyarenotveryuseful.

Ifyoudonotliketheautomaticallyapplieddatagraphics,youcanremovethemorchangethem.YoucanalsopreventVisiofromautomaticallyapplyingdatagraphicsinthefirstplace.Todoso,beforeyouruntheAutomaticLinkwizard,cleartheApplyAfterLinkingDataToShapescheckboxatthebottomofeithertheDataGraphicsgalleryortheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallery.

Youcanchangethesequenceoffields,thefieldnames,thedatatypeofeachfield,andwhichfieldsappearinthewindow.Makingthesechangesbeforeusinganyofthelinkingtechniquesdescribedinthefollowingsectionsensuresthatthedatainyourshapesmeetsyourneeds.

Dragdatatoanexistingshape

Draggingarowofdataontoanexistingshape:

Populatesidenticallynamedfieldsintheshapewithdata.

Addsunmatchedfieldnamestotheshape.

Whenyoudragadatarow,noticethatthepointerappearstobedraggingatranslucentversionofashapeacrossthepage,asshownontheleftinFigure10-9.Thepointerisaccompaniedbyaplussign(+),whichishowVisioinformsyouthatyouwillbecreatingacopyofthetranslucentshapeifyouplaceitonanunusedpartofthepage(see“Usedatatocreateashape”laterinthistopic).

Figure10-9Addingexternaldatatoanexistingshape

Whenyou’vedraggedthepointerfarenoughthatitislocatedontopofanexistingshape,thepointerisaccompaniedbyalinksymbol.Inaddition,theshapedisplaysathickerborder,indicatingthatifyouplacethedatarowthere,itwillbeassignedtotheshape.(SeetheimageontherightinFigure10-9.)

Ifyouaredraggingadatarowontoashapethatisalreadyonthepage,itdoesn’tmatterwhethertheshapeunderthepointermatchesthetargetshape.Visioaddsthedatatotheexistingshape.

Tolinkdatatoanexistingshape1.IntheExternalDatawindow,clickadatarow,andthendragittoashape.

Automaticallylinkdatatoshapes

Whenyourrowsofdataandyourexistingshapescontainamatchingdatavalue,theLinkDatawizardmatchesdatatoyourshapesautomatically.

Figure10-10showsadiagrambeforeautomaticlinking.TheshapedatawindowcontainsthestandardfieldsforaVisioorganizationchart.Fourofthefieldscontaintheirdefaultvalues,buttheNamefieldidentifiesthatthisshaperepresentsFabienHernoux.

Figure10-10Anorganizationcharthasbeenlinkedtoexternaldataandisreadyfordatatobelinkedtoshapes

IntheExternalDatawindow,thehighlightedrowincludesafieldthatcontainsthevalueFabienHernouxandseveraladditionalfields.(AsyouwilldiscoverinFigure10-12,additionaldatafieldsarelocatedtotherightoftheEmployeeNumberfield.)

TheremainingshapesinthisorganizationchartalsocontainavalueforNameandhavematchingdatarowsintheExternalDatawindow.

YouusetheAutomaticLinkwizardpageshowninFigure10-11totellVisiowhichExternalDatacolumnandwhichShapeDatafieldcontainmatchingdatavalues.Inthisexample,thefieldnameshappentobethesamebutthatisnotrequired—onlythedatavaluestheycontainneedtomatch.

Figure10-11TheDataColumncalledNamewillbematchedwiththeShapeDatafieldcalledName

Figure10-12showsthesamediagramafterautomaticlinking.Noticeseveralchanges:

IntheShapeDatawindow,theDepartment,Telephone,Title,andE-Mailfieldshavenewvalues(threeofthefourarenowblank).

EightnewfieldsappearafterE-Mail;Visiocreatedthesefieldsforyoubecausetheyexistedintheexternaldatabutnotintheshapedata.

EachrowintheExternalDatawindowisprecededbyalinkingsymbol.

Todeterminewhichrowsarelinkedtowhichshapes,andviceversa,see“Managelinkeddata”laterinthischapter.

Twodatagraphicswereautomaticallyappliedtoeveryshape:aniconsetpennantislocatedattheupper-rightcorner,andadatabarlabeledEmployeeNumberisbelowthepennant.

Figure10-12Anorganizationchartafterautomaticlinkingofdatatoshapes

TheAutomaticLinkwizardcanlinkdatatoshapesonlyonepageatatime.

Tolinkdatatoshapesautomatically1.OntheDatatab,intheAdvancedDataLinkinggroup,clickLinkData.

2.OnthefirstpageoftheAutomaticLinkwizard,clickSelectedshapesorAllshapesonthispage,andthenclickNext.

3.ClickacolumnnamefromthelistintheDataColumnsection,clickafieldnameintheShapeFieldsection,andthenclickNext.

4.ClickFinish.

Usedatatocreateashape

Youcandragadatarowontoanopensectionofthedrawingpagetocreateanewshapeandpopulateitwithdata.Whenyouusethismethod,besuretoselectthemasteryouwantVisiotousetocreatethenewshapebeforedraggingthedatarow.

Forexample,theleftsideofFigure10-13showstheresultofselectingtheExecutiveBeltmasterintheOrganizationChartShapesstencilbeforedraggingadatarowontothepage.Therightsideofthefigureshowstheresultingshapeafterithasbeendroppedandautomaticallypopulatedwithdata.

Figure10-13Anorgchartshapecreatedbydraggingadatarowontothepage

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutorganizationchartshapesandstyles,seeChapter5,“Createorganizationcharts.”

AfterdroppingtheshapeshowninFigure10-13,onerowintheExternalDatawindowdisplaysalinksymbol,asshowninFigure10-14.

Figure10-14DataforChristianHessislinkedtoashape

Tocreateashapefromdata1.Ifitisnotalreadyselected,clickthemasterintheShapeDatawindowfromwhichyouwanttocreateanewshape.

2.ClickadatarowintheExternalDatawindow,andthendragittoanopenareaofthedrawingpage.

YoucancreatemultipleshapesatonetimebydraggingmultiplerowsfromtheExternalDatawindow.

ManagelinkeddataWhetheryouuseQuickImportorCustomImport,thereareseveralmaintenanceandmanagementfunctionsthatyoushouldknowabout.

IdentifylinksAftershapesarelinkedtoexternaldata,sometimesyouneedtofindoutwhichrowsandshapesarelinkedtoeachother.

Toidentifytheshapestowhichadatarowislinked1.Right-clicktherowintheExternalDatawindow,andthenclickLinkedShapes.

Toidentifytherowstowhichashapeislinked1.Right-clicktheshape,clickData,andthenclickShowLinkedRow.

ChangecolumnsettingsForotherthanthesimplestofdataimports,youmightfindthatyouwanttochangethewaythatdataislinkedtoshapes:

Yourdatasourcemightcontainmorecolumnsthanyouneedtohaveavailableinyourdiagram.

Thesequenceofcolumnsinthedatasourcemightbedifferentthanthesequenceofshapedatafieldsyouwantinyourdiagram.

Theimporteddatamightnotbethecorrecttype—adatefieldthatisimportedastext,forexample.

Visioprovidestechniquesforallofthesecircumstances.

Important

Youmustchangecolumnsettingsbeforelinkingdatatoshapes.

Tochangecolumnsettingsbeforelinking1.Right-clickintheExternalDatawindow,andthenclickColumnSettings.

2.UsetheColumnSettingsdialogboxtochangecolumnsequence,renamecolumns,addandremovefieldsfromview,orchangethedatatypeforacolumn,andthenclickOK.

UnlinkdatafromshapesanddiagramsYoumightneedtounlinkshapesfromdata,orevenunlinkadiagramfromadatasource.

Tounlinkashapefromdata1.Right-clickashape,clickData,andthenclickUnlinkfromRow.

Youcanunlinkmultipleshapesatoncebyselectingmultipleshapesbeforeusingthisprocedure.

Tounlinkadatarowfromshapes1.Right-clickarowintheExternalDatawindow,andthenclickUnlink.

Youcanunlinkmultiplerowsatoncebyselectingmultiplerowsbeforeusingthisprocedure.

Tounlinkadiagramfromadatasource1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Right-clickthetabintheExternalDatawindowthatcontainsthedatayouwanttounlink,andthenclickRemove.

•Right-clickanywhereinsidetheExternalDatawindow,clickDataSource,andthenclickRemove.

UsedatagraphicoptionsforlinkeddataInChapter9,“Visualizeyourdata,”youusedtextcallouts,icons,andcolorstovisualizedatathatresidedinsideshapesonthedrawingpage.Inthischapteryou’velearnedhowtomakeyourdiagramsmoredynamicbylinkingthemtoexternaldatasources.ThecombinationofthetwoissopowerfulthatVisio2016includesadditionalvisualizationfeaturesspecificallyforlinkeddata.

TheextrafeaturesarevisibleintheDataGraphicsgroupoftheDatatab.Comparethelink-enabledversionshowninFigure10-15withthenon-linkedversionshowninFigure9-8inChapter9,“Visualizeyourdata.”

Figure10-15LinkingtoexternaldataenablestheDataGraphicsgallery,thePositionbutton,andtheConfigurationbutton

TheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane,showninFigure10-16,isnewinVisio2016.Itbecomesactiveassoonasyoulinkonedatarowtoashape,whetheryou’vedoneitmanuallyorviatheQuickImportfeature.

Figure10-16OrganizationchartshapesdisplayadatagraphicforthepercentageofAnnualTrainingcompleted

YoucanusetheDataGraphicFieldstaskpanetoapplyoneormoredatagraphics.Ifyoudon’tselectanyshapesonthedrawingpagewhenyouclickafieldnameintheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane,Visiowillapplyadatagraphictoallshapesonthepage.Ifyouselectshapes,Visiowillapplythegraphiconlytothoseshapes.Ineithercase,Visiochoosesadatagraphicbasedonitsanalysisofyourdata.

YoucanusethePositionandConfigurationbuttonsandtheDataGraphicsgallerytochangetheautomaticallyapplieddatagraphic.

IfyoulikethegraphicthatVisiohasappliedbutwanttoadjustit,usethePositionandConfigurationbuttonstofinetuneitsappearance.

Ifyouwouldprefertouseanentirelydifferentdatagraphic,usetheDataGraphicsgallery,showninFigure10-17,toselectanewgraphic.

Figure10-17TheDataGraphicsgallery

TheDataGraphicsgalleryandthePositionandConfigurationbuttonsareenabledonlywhenatleastonefieldnameisselectedintheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane.

TheDataGraphicsgalleryshowninFigure10-17containssomeofthemostfrequentlyuseddatagraphics;however,itdoesnotoffereveryoption.YouneedtodisplaytheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallerythatislocatedontherightendoftheDatatabtoseeeverydatagraphic.YoualsoneedtheAdvancedDataGraphicsgallerytocreateandeditdatagraphicsthatcontainmultiplegraphicitems.

ToshoworhidetheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•OntheDatatab,intheShow/Hidegroup,selecttheDataGraphicFieldscheckbox.

•Right-clickanyshape,clickData,andthenclickDataGraphicFields.

•Right-clickanywhereintheExternalDatawindow,andthenclickDataGraphicFields.

ToremoveadatagraphicbyusingtheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane

1.Clickafieldnamethatiscurrentlyselected.

ToapplyadatagraphicbyusingtheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane1.Clickafieldnamethatisnotcurrentlyselected.

Tochangetoadifferentdatagraphic1.IntheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane,clickafieldnamethatisselected,andthenintheDataGraphicsgallery,clickthethumbnailofthedatagraphicyouwanttoapply.

Tochangethepositionofanexistingdatagraphic1.IntheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane,clickafieldname.

2.OntheDatatab,intheDataGraphicsgroup,clickPosition.

•Clickoneofthepredefinedpositionsonthemenu.

•ClickeitherHorizontalorVertical,andthenclickthepositionyouwant.

Toeditanexistingdatagraphic1.IntheDataGraphicFieldstaskpane,clickafieldname.

2.OntheDatatab,intheDataGraphicsgroup,doeitherofthefollowing:

•ClickConfiguration.

•DisplaytheDataGraphicsgallery,andthenclickMoreDataGraphics.

3.MaketherequiredchangeintheEditItemdialogbox,andthenclickOK.

FormoreinformationabouttheEditItemdialogbox,see“Editdatagraphics”inChapter9,“Visualizeyourdata.”

RefreshlinkeddataAfteryou’velinkedadiagramtodataandaddeddatagraphics,yourdiagrambecomesawindowintoyourdata.Bestofall,boththelinktothedataandthedatagraphicsaredynamic;whenthedatachanges,thegraphicsinthediagramchange.

Youcanrefreshdiagramdatamanually,onatimeschedule,orviacode.Theprogrammingoptionisoutsidethescopeofthisbook,butthefirsttwooptionsaredescribedhere:

ManualrefreshIfyourdiagramislinkedtomorethanonedatasource,youcanchoosewhethertorefreshaspecificsourceorallsourceswhenyouclicktheRefreshAllbutton.

AutomaticrefreshYouusethesettingsintheConfigureRefreshdialogbox,shown

inFigure10-18,tosetupautomaticrefresh.Afterdoingso,wheneveryourdiagramisopen,Visiorefreshesthedatafromthespecifieddatasourceatthetimeintervalthatyouspecify.

Figure10-18Thedatainyourdiagramcanbeautomaticallyrefreshedasfrequentlyasonceperminute

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutwritingcodetorefreshdatagraphics,seeVisualizingInformationwithMicrosoftOfficeVisio2007:SmartDiagramsforBusinessUsers,byDavidParker(McGraw-HillOsborneMedia,2007),orwaitforDavid’snewbook,MasteringDataVisualizationwithMicrosoftVisioProfessional2016(PacktPublishing),inthemiddleof2016.

Torefreshdatamanuallyforalllinkedsources1.OntheDatatab,intheExternalDatagroup,clicktheRefreshAllbutton.

2.IntheRefreshDatadialogbox,clickClose.

Torefreshdatamanuallyforonelinkedsource1.OntheDatatab,intheExternalDatagroup,clicktheRefreshAllarrow,andthenclickRefreshData.

2.IntheRefreshDatadialogbox,clickthesourceyouwanttorefresh,clickRefresh,andthenclickClose.

1.IntheExternalDatawindow,clickthetabforthesourceyouwanttorefresh.

2.Right-clickanywhereintheExternalDatawindow,andthenclickRefreshData.

3.IntheRefreshDatadialogbox,clickClose.

Torefreshdataautomaticallyforonelinkedsource1.IntheExternalDatawindow,clickthetabforthesourceyouwanttorefresh.

2.Right-clickanywhereintheExternalDatawindow,andthenclickConfigureRefresh.

3.IntheConfigureRefreshdialogbox,selecttheRefresheverycheckbox,enteranumberintheminutesbox,andthenclickOK.

UseQuickImport

UseCustomImport

Managelinkeddata

Refreshlinkeddata

Practicetasks

UnderstanddatalinkingTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

UseQuickImportOpentheUseQuickImportdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DisplaytheDataSelectordialogboxbyusingQuickImport.

2.OntheDataSelectorpage,browsetotheOrgChartDataworkbooklocatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch10folder,andthencompletetheQuickImportwizard.

3.(Optional)UndotheQuickImportactions.

UseCustomImportOpentheUseCustomImportdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DisplaytheDataSelectorwizardbyusingCustomImport.

2.BrowsetotheOrgChartDataworkbooklocatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch10folder,andthencompletetheCustomImportwizard.

3.Repeattasks1and2butlinktotheOrgChartData_Supplement1workbook.

NoticethatthetabnamesintheExternalDatawindowarethesameasthetabnamesoftheExcelworkbookstowhichthediagramwaslinked.

4.ClicktheSheet1tab,andthendrageachrowofdataontothecorrespondingshape.Noticethatonerowhasnocorrespondingshape.Notice,also,thatnoneoftheshapesincludesadepartmentnameortelephonenumber.

5.ClicktheTelephoneListtab,andthenusetheLinkDatawizardtoautomaticallylinkallrowswithmatchingshapes.Again,noticethatthereisoneunlinkeddatarow.Alsonoticethatallshapesnowhavedepartmentnamesandtelephonenumbers.

6.ClickthePositionStonemasterintheStone-OrganizationChartShapesstencil,andthendragtheOlegAnashkinrowtoablankplaceonthepage.

7.DragtheOlegAnashkinshapeontopoftheCarolePolandshape.(TheOrganizationChartadd-inwillplacetheshapewithCarolePoland’sotheremployees.)

SeeAlso

ForinformationabouttheOrganizationChartadd-in,seeChapter5,“Createorganizationcharts.”

8.ClicktheSheet1tab,andthendragtheOlegAnashkinrowtotheOlegAnashkinshape.

9.Bonuspoints:AddaphotographtotheOlegAnashkinshapefromthePhotosfolderlocatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch10folder.

10.SaveyourdiagramasLinkedOrgChart.

ManagelinkeddataOpentheLinkedOrgChartdiagramyoucreatedinthe“UseCustomImport”practicetask,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DeterminewhichrowofdatatheJamieRedingshapeislinkedto.

2.DeterminewhichshapetheFernandoCarorowislinkedto.

Theresultofthefirsttwotasksisobviousinthisdiagram.Thesetasksaremoreusefulwhenthekeythatlinksrowsandshapesislessobviousthananame.

3.ClicktheSheet1tab,andthenchangethenameoftheDepartmentcolumnbyenteringDepartmentName.

4.HidetheReportsTocolumn.

5.UnlinktheTyCarlsonshapefromitsdatarows.

6.UnlinktheJesperHerpdatarowfromitsshape.

7.RemovetheTelephoneListdatasourcefromthediagram.

8.Closethefilebutdonotsavechanges.

UsedatagraphicoptionsforlinkeddataOpentheLinkedOrgChartdiagramyoucreatedinthe“UseCustomImport”practicetask,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.OpentheDataGraphicFieldstaskpaneifitisnotalreadyopen.

2.Removedatagraphicsfromallshapes.

3.ApplyadatagraphicfortheAnnualTrainingfield.

4.ChangetheAnnualTrainingfielddatagraphictotheBoxesgraphicthatisavailableintheIconSetsectionoftheDataGraphicsgallery.

5.ChangethepositionoftheAnnualTrainingdatagraphictoLeft(Horizontal)andMiddle(Vertical).

6.ChangetheconfigurationoftheAnnualTrainingdatagraphicsotheboxwithfoursquaresappearsonlywhenthedatavalueequals100,andtheboxwiththreesquaresappearswhenthedatavalueisbetween60and100.

7.SavethediagramasLinkedDataGraphic.

RefreshlinkeddataOpentheLinkedDataGraphicdiagramyoucreatedinthe“Usedatagraphicoptionsforlinkeddata”practicetask,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ZoomtoCarolePolandandherdirectreports.

2.OpentheOrgChartDataworkbook,locatedintheVisio2016SBS\Ch10folder,inExcel,andchangethepercentagevaluesintheAnnualTrainingfieldforFernandoCaro,CarolePoland,andFilipRehorik.

Changethevaluesbyatleast20pointssothedifferenceswillbemoreobviousinthesubsequenttasks.

3.RefreshdatamanuallyandnoticethechangestotheAnnualTrainingdatagraphic.

4.Configuredatarefreshbysettingatwo-minutetimer.

5.ChangetheAnnualTrainingvalueforCarolePoland,andthenwaittwominutestoobservethechangeinthediagram.

Part3:EnhanceandsharediagramsCHAPTER11Addandusehyperlinks

CHAPTER12Print,reuse,andsharediagrams

CHAPTER13Addstructuretoyourdiagrams

CHAPTER14Validatediagrams

CHAPTER15Collaborateandpublishdiagrams

11.Addandusehyperlinks

Inthischapter

Followhyperlinks

Setthehyperlinkbase

Practicefiles

LinkingfromshapesinaVisiodrawingtoexternalresourcesisoneofthemostmeaningfulwaystoenhancethevalueofaVisiodiagram.Asyoucreateoreditadrawing,trytoanticipatewhatresourcesyourreaderswillrequire.Thenusethoseideastobuildinthelinksthatwillenhancetheviewer’sexperiencewithyourdiagram.

AsimpleformofhyperlinkmightleadtoawebsiteortoanotherpageinthesameVisiodrawing.AmoresophisticatedhyperlinkmighttaketheviewertoaMicrosoftExcelworkbook—andnotjusttotheworkbook,buttoaspecificsetofcellsonaparticularworksheet.AsimilarlinkmightleadthereadertoaparticularphraseinaMicrosoftWorddocumentthatprovidessupportinginformationaboutasectionofthediagram.

Thedocumentsthatarethetargetsofyourhyperlinkscanbeonasharednetworkdrive,inMicrosoftSharePoint,orinMicrosoftOneDriveoranothercloudstorageservice.Inshort,youcanlinktovirtuallyanyelectronicobject,regardlessofwhereitresides.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtousingexistinghyperlinks;adding,editing,anddeletinghyperlinks;andsettingthehyperlinkbase.

FollowhyperlinksBeforeyouexplorehowtocreatehyperlinks,it’sworthknowinghowtofindandtakeadvantageoftheminaVisiodiagram.

Ifyoupointtoashapethathasahyperlink,twothingsoccur,bothofwhichareshownintheimageontheleftinFigure11-1:

Ahyperlinksymbolappearsinthelower-rightcornerofthepointer.

AScreenTipappearsthatcontainsadescriptionofthehyperlinkandinstructionsforfollowingthelink.

Figure11-1Hyperlinksarevisiblewhenpointingtoashapeandontheshape’sshortcutmenu

Ifyouright-clickashapecontainingahyperlink,theshortcutmenu,shownontherightinFigure11-1,includesanentryyoucanusetofollowthelink.

OnechallengeforgettingreadersofyourVisiodiagramstouseembeddedhyperlinksisthatthehyperlinksarenotnormallyvisible.Thereisnowaytoknowthatahyperlinkexistsunlessyoupointtoashapecontainingone.

Tofollowahyperlink1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•HolddowntheCtrlkey,andthenclickashapecontainingahyperlink.

•Right-clickashapecontainingahyperlink,andthenclickthedescriptionofthehyperlinkontheshortcutmenu.

EnhancediagramsbyaddinghyperlinksAnyVisiodiagramcanbeenhancedbyaddinghyperlinks.Forexample:

Aprocessboxinaflowchartcanbelinkedtoapolicymanualorotherdocumentationaboutthatstep,ortoanonlineformorITsystemusedtocompletethetaskrepresentedbytheprocessbox.

Eachpersoninanorganizationchartcanbehyperlinkedtodetailedcontactinformationonthecompanyintranet.

Eachpieceofequipmentinadatacentermapcanbeconnectedtopurchaserecords,warrantyinformation,orservicemanuals.

Eachcubicleinanofficefloorplancanbelinkedtoanequipmentinventoryworksheetoracomputerconfigurationworksheetforanemployee.

OpentheHyperlinksdialogboxAddinghyperlinksinVisiobeginswiththeHyperlinksdialogbox,showninFigure11-2.Youusethefieldsintheupperportionofthedialogboxtospecifythehyperlinktarget.Thelowerportionofthedialogboxliststheexistinghyperlinks,ifany,onashape.

Figure11-2YouusetheHyperlinksdialogboxtoenterhyperlinksofalltypes

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutincludingmorethanonehyperlinkonashape,see“Addmultiplehyperlinks”laterinthistopic.

Important

Youcanaddthesamehyperlinktomultipleshapesatonceaseasilyasyoucanaddthelinktoasingleshape—justselectmorethanoneshapebeforeopeningtheHyperlinksdialogbox.However,becauseit’ssoeasytodo,becarefulthatyoudon’tapplyalinktomultipleshapesbymistake.

ToopentheHyperlinksdialogbox1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•OntheInserttab,intheLinksgroup,clicktheHyperlinkbutton.

•Right-clickashape,andthenclickHyperlink.

•PressCtrl+K.

LinktoanotherVisiopageAhyperlinkthatleadsfromashapeononedrawingpagetoanotherpagecanbeusefulforseveralreasons.Youmightaddhyperlinksto:

Simplifynavigationfrompagetopagewithinadiagram.

Enablenavigationamongpagesinseveralrelateddiagrams.

Implementadrilldowncapabilitytoenablethereadertoclickashapeinahigher-levelviewandbetakentothenextlower-levelview.(Youcancontinuethispractice

forasmanylevelsasrequired.)

Thepage-to-pagehyperlinksyoucreatecanmovethereadertoapage,oryoucanhyperlinktoaspecificshapeonthetargetpage.Thelatterisparticularlyhelpfulwhenyouincludeazoom-levelsettingaspartofyourhyperlink;thecombinationallowsyoutofocusthereader’sattentiononaselectedpartofthepagewhentheyfollowthehyperlink.

Important

Linkingtoaspecificshapeonanotherpagerequiresthatyouknowtheinternalnameofthetargetshape.Unfortunately,theHyperlinkdialogboxdoesnotprovideanymeanstodeterminetheinternalnamewhilethedialogboxisopen.Youneedtofindthetargetshape’snamebeforeyoucreatethehyperlink.Thesidebar,“Whatisashapename?WheredoIfindit?”laterinthischaptercontainsseveraltechniquesfordeterminingthenameofashape.

TolinktoapageinthecurrentVisiodiagram1.OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox.

Important

TolinktoanotherpageintheVisiodrawingyouarecurrentlyediting,youmustleavetheAddressfieldblank.Ifyoudonotleavethisfieldblankandlaterdecidetopublishthismapasawebpage,yourhyperlinkmightnotwork.

2.ClicktheSub-addressfield,andthenenterthetargetpagename.

Doallofthefollowing:

•ClicktheBrowsebuttontotherightoftheSub-addressfield.

•IntheHyperlinkdialogbox,inthePagelist,selectthenameofthetargetpage,andthenclickOK.

3.(Optional)EntertextintheDescriptionfield.

IfyouentertextintheDescriptionfield,yourtextwillappearinaScreenTipwhenauserpointstothehyperlinkedobject.IfyouleavetheDescriptionfieldblank,theScreenTipwilldisplaythepagenameforlinkstothecurrentdocument,oritwilldisplaythefilenameforlinkstoadifferentVisiodocument.

4.ClickOK.

TolinktoapageinadifferentVisiodiagram

1.IntheHyperlinksdialogbox,clicktheBrowsebuttontotherightoftheAddressfield,andthenclickLocalFile.

“LocalFile”ismisleadingterminology.Youcanlinktoafileinanylocalornetworkedlocation.

2.SelecttheVisiodiagramtowhichyouwanttolink,andthenclickOpen.

3.FollowtheinstructionsinthepreviousprocedureforlinkingtoapageinaVisiodiagram.

Whatisashapename?WheredoIfindit?

EveryshapeinaVisiodrawingisreferredtointernallyasasheet,andVisioensuresthateveryshapehasauniqueidentifier.Consequently,everyVisioshapehasaninternalnameintheformSheetorSheet.n,wherenisanumberrepresentingtheinternalIDoftheshape.

Shapescanhaveadditionalnamesrelatedtothenameofthemasterfromwhichtheywerecreated.Forexample,youwillcomeacrossshapeswithnameslikeProcessorProcess.12.

OnewaytodeterminethenameofashapeistorunVisioindevelopermode.Followthesestepstodetermineashape’sname:

1.Turnondevelopermode,andthenselectthetargetshape.

SeeAlso

Forinformationabouthowtoturnondevelopermode,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

2.OntheDevelopertab,intheShapeDesigngroup,clicktheShapeNamebuttontoopentheShapeNamedialogbox,showninFigure11-3.

Figure11-3ShapepropertiesaredisplayedintheShapeNamedialogbox

3.Makenoteof,orcopy,thetexttotherightoftheNamebox,andthenclosetheShapeNamedialogbox.

YoucanalsorefertotheshapecalledProcess.24inFigure11-3asSheet.24.

TheShapeDatawindow,whichisdescribedinthe“Viewshapedata”topicinChapter8,“Workwithshapedata,”providesanothermethodfordeterminingthenameofashape.Youcanseetheshapename,Process.24,inthetitlebaroftheShapeDatawindowshowninFigure11-4.

Figure11-4ThetitlebaroftheShapeDatawindowdisplaystheshapename

Tolinktoaspecificshapeonapage1.IntheHyperlinksdialogbox,eitherleavetheAddressfieldblanktolinktothecurrentdiagramorselectadifferentVisiodiagram.

2.ClicktheBrowsebuttontotherightoftheSub-addressfield.

3.IntheHyperlinkdialogbox,inthePagelist,selectthenameofthetargetpage.

4.EnterthetargetshapenameintheShapefield.

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutfindingandusingVisioshapenames,seethesidebartitled“Whatisashapename?WheredoIfindit?”earlierinthischapter.

5.(Optional)IntheZoomlist,selectthezoomlevelyouwant,andthenclickOK.

TheZoomsettingensuresthatwheneversomeonefollowsyourhyperlink,thetargetpagewillalwaysappearwiththesamezoomsetting.SelectPagetoshowafull-pageview,Widthtoshowthefullwidthofthepageregardlessofitsheight,andapercentagevaluetozoomintothatlevelofdetail.Ifyoudon’tselectazoomlevel,thetargetpagewillalwaysbedisplayedatitsmostrecentzoomlevel.

6.(Optional)EntertextintheDescriptionfield.

7.ClickOK.

LinktoawebsiteYoucanlinkfromaVisioshapetoapageonyourorganization’sintranetortoapageonthepublicWorldWideWeb.

IfyourtargetwebpagecontainsHTMLbookmarks,youcanincludeabookmarkintheaddressforthepage.Clickingthistypeofhyperlinkwilltaketheuserdirectlytotheplaceonthepagewherethebookmarkislocated.

Inadditiontocreatinglinkstowebsites,youcanalsocreatehyperlinkstoemailaddressesbyprefixingtheemailaddresswithmailto:whenyouenterorpasteitintheAddresstextbox.

Tolinktoawebpage1.OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox.

2.EnterorpastetheURLofthewebpageyouwant.

Doallofthefollowing:

•ClicktheBrowsebuttontotherightoftheAddressfield,andthenclickInternetAddress.Visioopensyourwebbrowser.

•Browsetothewebpageyouwant,andthenswitchthefocusbacktoVisio.TheaddressofthewebpagewillnowbeintheAddressfieldandthewebsitetitlewill

beintheDescriptionfield,asshowninFigure11-5.

Figure11-5Theaddressandtitleforahyperlinktoawebsite

3.(Optional)EntertextoreditexistingtextintheDescriptionfield.

4.ClickOK.

LinktoadocumentIfapictureisworthathousandwords,yourscanbeworthalotmorethanthatwhenyoulinkittothedocuments—Word,Excel,PortableDocumentFormat(PDF),andmore—thatareimportantinthecontextofthediagram.

Tosaythatanotherway,regardlesswhatyouarediagramminginVisio,addinghyperlinkscanturnyourdiagramintothevisualstartingpointthatpeopleusetofindeverythingtheyneedtodotheirwork.

Tolinktoadocument1.OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox.

2.ClicktheBrowsebuttontotherightoftheAddressfield,andthenclickLocalFile.

Important

WhenyouopentheLinkToFiledialogbox,VisiodisplaysthenamesofVisiofilesonly.Consequently,youmustchangethefiletypefilteroryouwon’tseethefilesyouwant.

3.Clickthefiletypearrowinthelower-rightcorneroftheLinktoFiledialogboxtodisplaythelistoffiletypes,asshowninFigure11-6.

Figure11-6VisioalwaysassumesyouwanttolinktoaVisiodocument,soyouneedtoselectadifferentfiletypeinallothercases

UsetheAllFilesentryinfiletypelisttolinktoPDFdocumentsandothernon-Officedocuments.

4.ClickOfficeFilesoranotherfiletype.

5.Selectthefileyouwanttolinkto,andthenclickOpen.TheHyperlinksdialogboxnowcontainsthepathtothetargetdocumentandusesthefilenameasthedefaultdescription,asshowninFigure11-7.

Figure11-7TherelativepathtoaWorddocumentinasubfolder

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutrelativehyperlinkaddresses,likethoseshownintheAddressfieldinFigure11-7,see“Understandrelativeandabsolutehyperlinks”laterinthischapter.

6.(Optional)TheDescriptionfieldgenerallycontainsthenameoftheselectedfile,butyoucanenterdifferenttextifyouwantto.

7.ClickOK.

LinktoaspecificlocationinadocumentIfyouthinkthatlinkingtoadocumentisapowerfulcapability,youmightbesurprisedtoknowthatitgetsbetter:Youcancreateahyperlinktoaspecificlocationinsideadocument.

Imagineaprocessmapthatreferstothesamebudgetworkbookat13differentstepsintheprocess.Imaginealsothatthebudgetworkbookcontainsfiveworksheets,eachwithdifferentdata.Ifeachofthe13hyperlinksopenstheworkbookbyusingagenerichyperlinktothedocument,thereaderwillbelefttoguesswherethedatarelevanttothatstepintheprocessresides.

Nowimaginethatinsteadofjustopeningtheworkbook,eachofthe13hyperlinkspresentsthereaderwithaspecificcellorsetofcells!

ThesecrettoaccomplishingscenarioslikethisisknowingthatyoucancreatelinkstonamedlocationsinExcelworksheets,Worddocuments,andPowerPointpresentations.

InExcel,youcanassignnamestoindividualcellsortocellranges.Ineithercase,ahyperlinktoanamedcellorrangewillopentheappropriateworksheetandhighlightthetargetcellorcells.

InWord,youcancreatenamedbookmarksintwoways:

•Youcanassignanametothelocationoftheinsertionpoint.

•Youcanassignanametoarangeoftext—anythingfromonecharactertomultipleparagraphs.

Ifyoucreateabookmarkbyusingthefirstmethod,yourVisiohyperlinkwilljumptothepartofthepagecontainingthebookmark;ifyoucreatethesecondtypeofbookmark,yourhyperlinkwilljumptoandhighlighttheselectedtext.

InPowerPoint,youcan’tassignnamestospecificlocations,butyoucanrefertoslideseitherbynumberorslidetitle.

TolinktoaspecificlocationinanOfficedocument1.OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox.

2.ClicktheBrowsebuttontotherightoftheAddressfield,andthenclickLocalFile.

3.IntheLinktoFiledialogbox,clickthefiletypearrowinthelower-rightcornertodisplaythelistoffiletypes,asshowninFigure11-6.

4.ClickOfficeFiles,selectthefileyouwanttolinkto,andthenclickOpen.

5.IntheSub-addressbox,enterthefollowinginformationpertainingtotheOfficedocumentyouselected:

•ExcelThenameofacellorcellrange

•WordThenameofabookmark

•PowerPointAslidenumberorauniqueslidetitle

6.(Optional)AlthoughtheDescriptionfieldgenerallycontainsthenameoftheselectedfile,youcanenterdifferenttextifyouwantto.

7.ClickOK.

EditanddeleteexistinghyperlinksYoucanbotheditanddeleteexistinghyperlinks.

ToopentheHyperlinksdialogboxwhenashapealreadycontainsahyperlink

1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•OntheInserttab,intheLinksgroup,clicktheHyperlinkbutton.

•Right-clickashape,andthenclickEditHyperlinks.

•PressCtrl+K.

Toeditahyperlink1.OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox.

2.Selectthehyperlinkyouwanttochangeifitisnotalreadyselected.Afterit’sselected,thehyperlink’sdetailswillappearintheappropriateboxesatthetopoftheHyperlinksdialogbox.

3.ChangetheAddress,Sub-address,orDescriptioninformationbyusingthetechniquesdescribedinanyofthesectionsearlierinthistopic,andthenclickOK.

Todeleteahyperlink1.OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox.

2.Selectthehyperlinkyouwanttodeleteifitisnotalreadyselected.

3.ClickDelete,andthenclickOK.

AddmultiplehyperlinksYoucanprovidethereadersofyourdiagramswithachoiceofdestinationsbyaddingmultiplehyperlinkstoaVisioshape.Thesetofhyperlinksonashapecanincludeanycombinationofdocuments,websites,Visiopages,orotherlinktypes.

Visiosignalsthepresenceofmultiplehyperlinksinthreeways,twoofwhichareshowninFigure11-8.

PointingtoashapegeneratesaScreenTipthatdisplaysthetextMultipleHyperlinks.

Theright-clickshortcutmenulistsallavailablelinks.

ThelowersectionoftheHyperlinksdialogbox,whichisvisibleinFigure11-2,displaysthedescriptionsofallexistinglinks.

Figure11-8Thepresenceofmultiplehyperlinksappearsintwoways

Toaddadditionalhyperlinks1.OpentheHyperlinksdialogbox,andthenclicktheNewbutton.

2.Useanyofthetechniquesdescribedearlierinthistopictoaddahyperlink,andthenclickOK.

UnderstandrelativeandabsolutehyperlinksYouhaveprobablynoticedaUseRelativePathForHyperlinkcheckboxintheHyperlinksdialogbox.Ifyou’reveryobservant,youmightalsohavenoticedthatthischeckboxisunavailableifyouhaven’tyetsavedyourdrawing,butisavailableandselectedbydefaultifyourcurrentdrawinghasbeensaved.What’sthisallabout?

WithVisio,youcanbuildtwotypesoflinks:

RelativelinkThistypeoflinkprovidesapathtoatargetbyassumingaknownstartinglocation.

Asananalogyinthephysicalworld,let’ssayyouneedtoattendameetinginRoom216atLucernePublishing.Ifyou’restandingatthereceptiondeskinthelobbyofthecompany’sofficeandaskwherethemeetingislocated,thereceptionistmight

say,“Gouptothesecondfloor.It’stheseconddoorontheright.”Basedontheknownstartinglocationyousharewiththereceptionist—thelobby—thatinformationissufficienttogetyoutotheintendedlocation.RelativelinksinaVisiodrawingworkinasimilarway.ThefoldercontainingtheVisiodrawingservesasthelobby,andhyperlinktargetsonthesamediskdrivearelocatedrelativetothatstartingpoint.

ForVisiodrawings,relativelinksworknicelywhentherelationshipbetweenthestartingpointandthehyperlinktargetsremainsfixed.Problemscanarise,however,ifyouneedtomovetheVisiodrawingfiletoanothercomputeroreventoanotherlocationonthesamecomputer.Inthiscase,youmustpreservetherelativerelationshipsfromthenewlocationoftheVisiofiletothetargetfoldersandfiles.OnewayyoucanaccomplishthisisbycopyingtheentiredirectorystructurecontainingtheVisiodrawinganditshyperlinktargets.

AbsolutelinkThistypeoflinkcontainsalloftheinformationrequiredtolocatealinkedresource,regardlessofthestartingpoint.

Returningtoourmeetinganalogy,ifyou’reathomeandneeddirectionstotheconferenceroomatLucernePublishing,youneedalotmoreinformationtoarriveatyourdestination.Anabsoluteaddressforthemeetingroomwouldlookmorelikethefollowing:

LucernePublishing,3456ElmSt.,Room216,SanFrancisco,CA94117USA

Armedwithanabsoluteaddress,youcangettothemeetingfromyourhome,orforthatmatter,fromanystartinglocationintheworld.

ForVisiohyperlinks,absolutelinksworkregardlessofwhereyourVisiodrawingislocated.Youcanmovethedrawingtoadifferentcomputerandthelinkswillcontinuetofunctionwithoutrequiringanyotherchanges.

Relativeandabsolutehyperlinksarenotmutuallyexclusivewithinasingledrawing.

WhatdoesallofthishavetodowiththecheckboxintheVisioHyperlinksdialogbox?

Forasaveddrawing,VisioassumesthatthepathtothetargetofahyperlinkbeginsinthesamefolderthatcontainstheVisiodiagram.Thus,thedefaultbehaviorinVisioistocreatearelativehyperlinkbyusingthelocationofyourVisiodrawingasthestartingpointforthepath.Whensomeoneclicksyourhyperlink,WindowsfiguresoutwherethetargetobjectisbynavigatingfromthelocationoftheVisiodrawing.

JustknowingthismuchexplainswhytheUseRelativePathForHyperlinkcheckboxisunavailableifyouhaven’tyetsavedyourdrawing—Visiocan’tcreatearelativelinkyetbecausethereisnoknownstartingpointfortheVisiodrawing.Consequently,theonlyoptioninthissituationistouseanabsolutepaththatcontainsalloftheinformationWindowswillneedtotrackdownthetargetobject.

Althoughtherearenofirmguidelinesonwhentouserelativelinksratherthanabsolutelinks,it’sagoodideatothinkaboutyourenvironmentandthenatureofyourdocumentcollectionbeforecreatingverymanylinksinVisio.Ifallofyourtargetdocumentsareintheirfinalrestingplace—onanetworkserverorinaSharePointrepository,forexample—thenabsolutelinksprobablymakethemostsense.However,ifyourenvironmentismorevolatile,oryouknowinadvancethatyou’llbemovingyourVisiodrawinganditshyperlinktargetstoanothercomputerortoaCDorDVD,thencarefullyconstructedrelativelinksareagoodchoice.

Thefollowingexamplesshouldhelptomakethealternativesclearer.Intheexamples,assumethattheHRProcessMapsVisiodiagramissavedinC:\HumanResources\ProcessMaps\andthatthehyperlinktargetisoneoftheWorddocumentsshowninthedirectorylistinginFigure11-9.ThefilenameofeachWorddocumentincludesaparentheticalnotetoindicateitsrelativepositioncomparedtoHRProcessMaps.Consequently,thefilenamesoftheWorddocumentsincludenotationslike(above),(below),and(same).

Figure11-9Thedirectorystructureforthehyperlinkexamplesthatfollow

BasedonthefilestructureshowninFigure11-9,eachofthefollowingexamplesdescribestheactionVisiotakesinresponsetotheuserselectingatargetdocument.Ineachcase,VisiofillsintheAddressfieldandsetstheUseRelativePathForHyperlinkcheckboxbasedonthelocationsoftheVisiodrawingandthetargetdocument.

WhenthetargetdocumentisinthesamefolderasHRProcessMaps.vsdx,VisiocreatesarelativehyperlinkwiththeAddressfieldresultshowninFigure11-10.

Figure11-10ArelativeaddresstoaWorddocumentlocatedinthesamedirectoryastheVisiodocumentcontainingthehyperlink

IfyounowcleartheUseRelativePathForHyperlinkcheckbox,thelinkbecomesanabsolutelinkthatbeginsattherootofdriveC.TheAddressfielddisplaysthefullpathtothedocument:

C:\HumanResources\ProcessMaps\MyDocument(same).docx

ThefirstpartoftheabsolutepathisvisibleintheAddressfieldinFigure11-11.

Figure11-11AnabsoluteaddresstoaWorddocumentlocatedondriveC

WhenyoulinktoadocumentlocatedinC:\HumanResources\ProcessMaps\Recruiting\,whichisasubfolderoftheonecontainingtheVisiodrawing,VisiocreatesarelativehyperlinkandtheAddressfieldcontainsthetextshowninFigure11-12,indicatingthatthetargetdocumentisinasubfoldercalledRecruiting.

Figure11-12ArelativeaddresstoaWorddocumentlocatedinasubdirectoryofthefoldercontainingtheVisiodocumentthatincludesthehyperlink

WhenthetargetdocumentislocatedinC:\HumanResources\,whichisaparentfolderoftheonecontainingtheVisiodocument,Visiocreatesarelativehyperlink.TheAddresstextisshowninFigure11-13.

Figure11-13ArelativeaddresstoaWorddocumentlocatedinadirectoryabovethefoldercontainingtheVisiodocumentthatincludesthehyperlink

“..\”issyntaxthatpredatesWindows.Itmeans“gouponedirectorylevel.”

WhenthetargetdocumentislocatedonanydriveotherthantheonecontainingtheVisiodocument,forexample,driveD,driveK,oranetworksharesuchas\MyServer\HumanResources\FY2016\,VisioalwayscreatesanabsolutelinkandtheAddressfieldcontainssomethinglikeoneofthefollowingentries:

K:\HRFolder\MyDocument.docx

\MyServer\HumanResources\FY2016\MyDocument.docx

TheAddressfieldinFigure11-14showsthefirstpartofthepathtoatargetdocumentondriveN.

Figure11-14AnabsoluteaddresstoaWorddocumentlocatedonadifferentdrivethantheonecontainingtheVisiodocumentthatincludesthehyperlink

Onefinalnote:Visioalwayscreatesanabsolutelinkifyoubeginyouraddresswithaservername,driveletter,orwebprotocol.AllofthefollowingwillcreateabsolutelinksregardlessofthelocationoftheVisiodrawing:

C:\SomeFolder\MyWorkbook.xlsx

\MyServer\Presentations\MySlideShow.pptx

http://www.contoso.com/Somepage.html

SetthehyperlinkbaseVisioincludesadocument-levelpropertycalledthehyperlinkbase,whichyoucanusetoshiftallrelativehyperlinksinadocumentfromonelocationtoanother.Ifyouenteravalueinthehyperlinkbasefield,Visiowillprependallrelativelinkswiththatvalue.

Forexample,ifyoucreateahyperlinkbaseofhttp://OurIntranet/Finance/andcreatearelativehyperlinkofAuditInfo.html,Visiowillcombinethetwotocreatealinkthatconsistsofthefollowingstringofcharacters:

http://OurIntranet/Finance/AuditInfo.html

Important

ThereisonlyonehyperlinkbaseperVisiodocument.Ifyoucreateadirectorypathhyperlinkbaseoraweb-basedhyperlinkbase,Visiowilluseitforallrelativelinksinyourdocument.Youmustbeextremelycarefulwhenestablishingahyperlinkbaseinadiagram.

Asarule,youshouldcreateahyperlinkbaseonlyifallrelativelinksinthediagramareofthesametype;thatis,allrelativelinksconsistofURLstoweblocationsorallleadtofilesonadisk.

Toeditthehyperlinkbase1.IntheBackstageview,displaytheInfopage,andthenclickthePropertiesbuttonthatislocatedontherightsideofthescreen.Thebuttoniseasytooverlook;youcanseethepointerrestingontopofitinFigure11-15.

Figure11-15ThePropertiesbuttonmightnotbeobviousunlessthepointerisontopofit

2.Onthemenuthatappears,clickAdvancedProperties.

3.InthePropertiesdialogbox,entertextintheHyperlinkbasefield.Figure11-16showstwoexamples:adisk-basedexampleontheleftandaweb-basedexampleontheright.

Figure11-16ThePropertiesdialogboxwithtwoHyperlinkBaseexamples

4.ClickOK.

Toremovethehyperlinkbase1.OpenthePropertiesdialogbox.

2.DeletethetextfromtheHyperlinkbasefield,andthenclickOK.

Followhyperlinks

Setthehyperlinkbase

Practicetasks

FollowhyperlinksOpentheFollowHyperlinksdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.FollowthehyperlinkontheHRPolicyManualshape.NoticethattheWorddocumentopenstotheInterviewingpage.

2.FollowthehyperlinkontheAdvertiseopenjobshape.

EnhancediagramsbyaddinghyperlinksOpentheEnhanceDiagramsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

Important

Aftereachofthetaskslistedbelow,followthehyperlinkyou’vecreatedtoensurethatitworks.

1.LinktheshapeonPage-1toPage-3.

2.LinkthefirsttriangleonPage-3tothesecondtriangleonPage-2,andsettheZoomlevelto200%.

3.LinkthesecondtriangleonPage-3toPage-1ofFollowHyperlinks.vsdxintheVisio2016SBS\Ch11folder.

4.LinkthethirdtriangleonPage-3toanywebsiteyouwant.

5.LinkthefirststaronPage-4toHumanResourcesPolicyManual.docxintheVisio2016SBS\Ch11folder.ClosetheWorddocumentafterfollowingthehyperlink.

6.LinkthesecondstaronPage-4toanExcelworkbook.

7.LinkthethirdstaronPage-4toaPDFdocument.

8.EditthehyperlinkonthefirststaronPage-4soitlinkstoabookmarkinthesamedocumentbyenteringRecruitingintheSub-addressbox.

9.DeletethebookmarkfromthesecondstaronPage-4.

10.AddasecondhyperlinkofanytypetothethirdstaronPage-4.

11.Bonuspoints:AddamailtoURLtothefourthstaronPage-4soitsendsemailtoScott@VisioStepByStep.com.

12.Savethediagramtouseitinthenexttasks.

UnderstandrelativeandabsolutehyperlinksTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

SetthehyperlinkbaseOpentheEnhanceDiagramsdiagramthatyoueditedinthepreviouspracticetask,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.TesttheWorddocumenthyperlinkonthefirststaronPage-4toensurethatthetargetWorddocumentopens.

2.CloseWord.

3.SetthehyperlinkbaseintheVisiodiagramtoX:\Anotherfolder\.

4.TesttheWorddocumenthyperlinkonthefirststaronPage-4againandnoticethepathVisiotriedtofollowthatisdisplayedintheerrormessage.

5.Removethehyperlinkbasefromthedocument.

12.Print,reuse,andsharediagrams

Inthischapter

Creategraphics

Createtemplates

Practicefiles

WhenyoucreateaVisiodiagram,chancesaregoodthatyouwillwanttoshareitwithotherpeople.Ifyouwanttoshareapapercopy,Visiooffersflexibleprintingoptions.

Inmanycases,however,youwillwanttoshareallorpartofyourdiagraminelectronicform,oftenwithpeoplewhodon’thaveVisio.Whenthatneedarises,youcanturnyourdiagramintoaVisiotemplate,saveitasaPDFdocument,orcreatemultipletypesofimages.Youcanevensaveyourdiagramasafullyfunctionalwebsitethatistailoredtotheneedsofyouraudience.

SeeAlso

Forotherwaystoshareadiagram,see“TheSharepage”sectioninChapter1,“GetstartedwithVisio2016.”

BecauseVisiodiagramscancontainprivateinformation,it’simportanttounderstandtheVisiofeaturesthatareavailabletoremoveprivatecontentbeforesharingafile.YoucanalsousetheMicrosoftOfficeInformationRightsManagement(IRM)capabilitiestohelpprotectyourdocument.

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtopreviewingandprintingdrawings,removingpersonalinformationfromVisiodiagrams,creatinggraphics,savingdiagramsinotherfileformats,creatingtemplates,sharingdiagramsbyusingtheVisioViewer,andpublishingdiagramstotheweb.

PreviewandprintdrawingsTheVisio2016printpreviewpanedisplayspageimagessoyoucaneasilydeterminehowyourdiagramwillprint.Figure12-1showsanetworkdiagramthatwillrequirefoursheetsofpapertoprintbasedonthediagramsizeandthecurrentprinteranddrawingpagesizesettings.

Figure12-1Inadditiontothevisiblecontrols,youcandragtopantheprintpreviewimage

ThediagraminFigure12-1isoneofthestarterdiagramsincludedwiththeDetailedNetworkDiagramtemplateinVisioProfessional2016.Forinformationaboutstarterdiagrams,seeChapter1,“GetstartedwithVisio2016.”

ThepreviewpaneonthePrintpagealwaysopenstotheactivepageinyourdiagram.Ifyourdiagramcontainsmorethanonepage,youcanusethepageselectorinthelowercenterofthePrintpagetopreviewotherdiagrampages(lookfor1Of2withapairofarrowsinthelowercenterofFigure12-1).Youcanalsozoominandoutonthepreviewimagebyusingthesliderinthelower-rightcorner.

Printpreviewimagesaredisplayedineithergrayscaleorcolordependingonyourprintercapabilitiesandsettings.

NoticethataportionoftheroutershapeinthecenterofthediagraminFigure12-1willprintoneachofthefourprinterpages.YoucanusetheMoveOffPageBreaksfeature,whichisnewinVisio2016,tohaveVisioassistinshiftingshapessothediagramwillprintmoreeffectively.Figure12-2showstheresultforthecenterportionoftheprintpreview.Youmightstillwanttonudgetherouterfarthertotherighttoeliminatethelastbitofshaperesidue.

Figure12-2Aclose-upofthecenterofthepreviewpane

WhenyoumovethecursorintothepreviewpaneonthePrintpage,thepointerchangestoahand.Youcanclickanywhereonthepreviewimageanddragtorepositionthepreview.

ThenetworkdiagramintheprecedingtwofigureswascreatedinUSunitsandboththedrawingpagesandprinterpaperaresetto8.5-by-11inches.Becausetherearenetworkshapesbeyondthe11-inchwidthand8.5-inchheight,Visioexpandedthedrawingpage,whichiswhyfourprinterpagesarerequiredtoaccommodatethelargediagram.

Ifyouchangetheprinterpaperdimensionstoasizethatcontainsallfourdrawingpages,theprintpreviewreflectsthechange,asshowninFigure12-3.

Figure12-3Alargeprinter-papersizecancontaintheentirenetworkdiagramononesheet

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutsettingdrawingpageandprinterpapersizes,see“Managepages”inChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”

TheleftpaneofthePrintpagecontainsthePrintermenuandtheSettingsmenusthatarecommontoallMicrosoftOfficeapplications.

YouusethefirstmenuintheSettingssection,shadedinblueinFigure12-3,toselecttherangeofpagesorpartsofthecurrentpagetobeprinted,justasyoudoforotherOfficeapplications.However,twoadditionalprintoptionsareavailableatthebottomofthemenuforthisbuttoninVisio:

NoBackgroundSwitchesbetweeninclusionandexclusionofthepagebackgroundfromtheprintpreviewandprintedoutput.

HighQualitySwitchesbetweeninclusionandexclusionofcertaineffects,suchasreflections,fromtheprintpreviewandprintedoutput.

AttheendoftheSettingssectionisanEditHeader&Footerlink.InVisio,headersandfootersprintinformationonthetopandbottomofeachprinterpageandareindependentofthedrawingpage.Consequently,youmightuseheadersandfootersforVisiodiagramsinwhichthedrawingpageisspreadacrossmultipleprinterpages.

However,themajorityofVisiodocumentsareconfiguredtoprinteachdrawingpageonasinglesheetofpaper.Ifyouhavetextorgraphicsthatyouwanttoappearoneveryprintedpage,it’sbetterpracticetoputthatcontentonabackgroundpage.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutbackgroundpages,seethesection“Workwithbackgroundpagesandborders”inChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”

Todisplayaprintpreview1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•IntheleftpaneoftheBackstageview,clickPrint.

•PressCtrl+P.

•PressAlt+F,P.

•PressAlt+F,V(tomaintaincompatibilitywithVisio2007andearlier).

Toprintadiagram1.OnthePrintpageoftheBackstageview,clickPrint.

Toaddoredittheheaderandfooter1.OnthePrintpageoftheBackstageview,clickEditHeader&Footer,maketherequiredchange,andthenclickOK.

Tomoveshapesoffpagebreaks1.OntheHometab,intheArrangegroup,clicktheMoveoffPageBreaksbutton.

RemovepersonalinformationEveryVisiodocumentcontainsacollectionofmetadataaboutthedocumentitself.ThecontentsofsomeofthedatafieldsaresuppliedbyVisio,includingthenameofthedocumentauthor;someareprefilledbasedonthetemplatefromwhichyoucreateadocument;someareblankunlessyouentervalues.

YoucanviewandchangemetadatafieldsinthePropertiessectionontherightsideoftheInfopageintheBackstageview,asshowninFigure12-4.

Figure12-4TheInfopageincludesdocumentpropertiesandabuttontoremovepersonalinformation

Youcanalsovieworupdatemetadatainthedocument’sPropertiesdialogbox,asshowninFigure12-5.

Figure12-5ThePropertiesdialogboxdisplaystheauthor’sname,manager’sname,andcompanyname

Ifyouplantopostyourdiagraminapublicplaceorsimplywanttoensurethatpersonalinformation,reviewer’smarks,andotherpotentiallyprivatecontentaredeleted,usetheRemoveHiddenInformationdialogboxshowninFigure12-6.

Figure12-6Youcanselectwhichtypesofhiddendatatoremovefromyourdiagram

TheRemoveHiddenInformationdialogboxoffersthreecheckboxes:

RemovetheseitemsfromthedocumentRemoveseditingandvalidationmarkupanddatathatappearsinthedocument’sPropertiessection

WarnmeifItrytoreinsertthisinformationHelpstoprotectyouifyouinadvertentlyaddpersonaldetailsbacktothedocumentafterremovingthem

RemovedatafromexternalsourcesstoredinthedocumentRemovesprivateinformationfromdatasourcestowhichthisdiagramhasbeenlinked

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutlinkingdiagramstoexternaldata,seeChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata.”

Notalloftheitemsyoucanremovearevisibleinthedocumentproperties,butifyoucompareFigure12-7witheitherFigure12-4orFigure12-5,you’llseeanumberofimportantdifferences.

Figure12-7Personalcontenthasbeenremovedfromthisdiagram

Important

InformationRightsManagement(IRM)isanothermeansforhelpingtoprotectyourVisiodiagrams.Seethe“WhatisInformationRightsManagement?”sidebarfollowingthistopicforinformationaboutIRM.

Tovieworeditdocumentproperties1.DisplaytheInfopageoftheBackstageview.

2.(Optional)Clickthecurrentvalueofthefieldyouwanttochange,andthenentertherequiredinformation.

1.OntheInfopageoftheBackstageview,clickthePropertiesbutton,andthenclicktheAdvancedPropertiesbutton.

2.(Optional)Enterdataintotheappropriatefields.

3.ClickOK.

Toremovepersonalinformation1.OntheInfopageoftheBackstageview,clickRemovePersonalInformation.

2.IntheRemoveHiddenInformationdialogbox,clicktheoptionsyouwant,andthenclickOK.

WhatisInformationRightsManagement?

Visio2016providestheaddedsecurityandcontrolofInformationRightsManagement(IRM).YoucanhelptoprotectthecontentinyourVisiodiagrambyspecifyingwhocanviewandwhocanedityourdiagrams.

Important

BeforeyoucanuseIRMinaVisiodocument,anadministratormusthaveactivatedtherightsmanagementservicewithinyourorganization’sOffice365orinternalnetwork.

InaVisiodiagram,enablingIRMbeginsbyclickingtheProtectDocumentbuttonontheInfopageoftheBackstageviewtodisplaytheRestrictAccessmenu,asshowninFigure12-8.

Figure12-8YoucanchooseanIRMprotectiontemplatefromtheRestrictAccessmenu

IfyouchooseRestrictedAccess,youcanconfigurethesettingsinthePermissiondialogbox,showninFigure12-9,toidentifyspecificpeoplewhocanreadorchangeyourdiagram.Thepeopleyouspecifycanbelocatedbothinsideandoutsideyourorganization.

Figure12-9Youcontrolwhocanreadorchangeyourdiagram

Ifyouwanttorestrictaccesssolelytopeoplewithinyourorganization,youcanselecteitheroftheConfidentialoptionsshownontheRestrictAccessmenu.BothConfidentialentriesshowninFigure12-8includethewordsVisioStepbyStep,becausethatistheorganizationnamefortheauthor’sOffice365account.IfyouareconnectedtoanorganizationalnetworkwhenyoudisplaytheRestrictedAccessmenu,thenameofyourorganizationwillbedisplayed.

WhenaVisiouseropensarestricteddocument,thesoftwaredisplaysanappropriatewarningorerror,dependingonwhotheuserisandwhatrightsheorshehasforthedocument.Forexample,themessageinFigure12-10appearsatthetopofthedrawingwindowwhenauserwithinmyorganizationhasbeenauthorizedtoread,butnotchange,adocument.

Figure12-10Auserhasinsufficientpermissiontoeditthisdocument

CreategraphicsAhandyfeatureinVisioistheabilitytocreateimagefilesfromsomeoralloftheelementsonadrawingpage.ThemostfrequentlyusedimageformatsarelocatedintheGraphicFileTypessectionoftheExportpageintheBackstageview,asshowninFigure12-11.

Figure12-11TheExportpageisoftentheeasiestwaytocreateimagesfromshapesinVisiodiagrams

ThefullrangeofgraphicalfiletypesisavailableontheSaveAsmenu,asnotedbytheboxedareasinFigure12-12.Theremainingfiletypesshowninthefigurearedescribedinthefollowingtopic.

Figure12-12AllavailablefiletypesaredisplayedintheSaveAsdialogbox

Ifyouneedadetaileddescriptionofanyofthesefileformats,youcanfindplentyofinformationontheInternet.Forexample,aWikipediaarticledescribesmostoftheformatsintheprecedinglist:www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_file_formats.

Mostimagetypesprovideadialogboxyoucanusetoconfiguretheimageformatdetails.Figure12-13showsthePNGOutputOptionsdialogboxasanexample.

Figure12-13PNGimageoptionsarerepresentativeofthecustomizationsyoucanmakewhenyoucreateimagefiles

Ifyouneedtomanipulateaphotoorotherimageanddon’thaveimageeditingsoftware,youcanoftenuseVisiotoaccomplishwhatyouneed.EitherinserttheimageorpasteitontoaVisiodrawingpage,andthenusethebuttonsonthePictureToolstabthatappearswhenanimageisselected.SeeChapter1,“GetstartedwithVisio2016”formoreinformationabouttooltabs.

Ingeneral,creatingimagesinVisioisashape-oriented,notapage-oriented,operation.Tosaythatanotherway,Visiodoesnotprovideabuilt-inmethodtocreateanimageofanentirepagebecauseitalwayscreatesimagesofshapes.

Figure12-14showsanentireVisiodrawingpage;itwillserveasanexamplefortheremainderofthissection.

Figure12-14Thefloorplanofanofficeoccupyingonlytheupperpartofthedrawingpage

Ifyouselectseveralshapesbeforeexportingtoanimagefile,theimagewilldisplayjustthoseshapes.TocreateFigure12-15,onlythedeskandchairwereselected.

Figure12-15Aclose-upofadeskandchair

However,ifnoshapesareselectedwhenyouexport,Visiowillcreateanimagethatisonlyasbigastherectanglesurroundingtheshapesonthepage.Whitespacebetweenthatrectangleandthepageboundarieswillnotbeincluded.Forexample,Figure12-16wascreatedwhennoshapeswereselected;comparethisimagewiththeoneinFigure12-14.

Figure12-16The“fullpage”imageincludesshapesbutnotthesurroundingwhitespace

IfyouwanttocreateanimageofanentireVisiodrawingpage,youmustplaceoneormoreshapesatthepageboundariestoforceVisiotocapturetheentirepage.Theeasiesttechniquesforaccomplishingthisareto:1)drawarectanglewithnofillatthepagemargins,effectivelycreatingaborderaroundthepage;or2)placeapairofverysmallshapesinoppositecornersofthepage.

Ifyouusethefirsttechnique,youcanmakethelinenearlyinvisiblebymakingitverythinandgivingitacolorthatisalmostthesameasthepagebackground.Ifyouusethesecondmethod,youcanmakethesmallshapesnearlyinvisiblebymakingthemvery,verytinyorbymakingtheirfillcolornearlythesameasthepagebackground,orboth.Ineithercase,donotuseacolorthatisthesameasthepagebackground.Ifyourshapesandthebackgroundarethesamecolor,Visiowillnotdetectyourshapesandwillexcludethemfromtheexportedimage.

Tosaveselectedshapesasanimage1.OntheExportpageoftheBackstageview,clickChangeFileType.

2.IntheGraphicFileTypessection,doeitherofthefollowing:

•Clicktheimagetypeyouwant,andthenclickSaveAs.

•Double-clicktheimagetypeyouwant.

3.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,navigatetothelocationyouwant,andthenclickSave.

4.Acceptorchangetheimage-type-specificOutputOptions,andthenclickOK.

1.OntheSaveAspageoftheBackstageview,clickthestoragelocationyouwant.

2.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,clicktheSaveastypearrow,andthenclickthefiletypeyouwant.

3.Enterthefilenameyouwant,andthenclickSave.

Tosaveallshapesonthepageasanimage1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Selectallshapesonthepage.

•Clickthepagebackgroundtodeselectallshapes.

2.Followtheinstructionsinthe“Tosaveselectedshapesasanimage”proceduretosaveselectedshapes.

SavedrawingsinotherfileformatsInadditiontocreatingmultipletypesofgraphicsfilesforshapeslocatedonasinglepage,withVisio,youcansaveyourentiredrawinginmorethanadozenformatsshowninTable12-1andTable12-2.

Table12-1Visiofiletypes

Table12-2Non-Visio(andnon-image)filetypes

Important

ThestandardfileformatsforVisio2016andVisio2013drawings,stencils,andtemplatescannotcontainmacros.InTable12-1,noticethataseparate,macro-enabledfileformatexistsforeachofthosethreefiletypesforsituationsinwhichyouneedtoincludemacroswiththefile.

Visio2016cancreatefilesthatarecompatiblewithVisioversionsbacktoVisio2003butcannotcreatefilesthatarecompatiblewithVisio2002orearlier.

AlloftheentriesinTable12-1andthefirsttwoentriesinTable12-2alwayssavetheentireVisiodrawinginthenewformat.However,thelastthreeentriesinTable12-2—PDF,XPS,andWebPage—giveyouthechoiceofsavingasubsetofyourpagesintotheformatyouwant.Eachoffersanoptionsdialogbox,similartotheoneforPDFdocumentsshowninFigure12-17.

Figure12-17Youcanselectapagerangealongwithotherformat-specificoptionsintheOptionsdialogbox

TosaveadiagramasaPDF1.OntheExportpageoftheBackstageview,clickCreatePDF/XPS.

2.Navigatetothelocationyouwant,andthenclickPublish.

2.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,clicktheSaveastypearrow,andthenclickPDF(*.pdf).

TocustomizePDFoutput1.OpentheSaveAsdialogbox,andthenclicktheOptionsbutton.

2.Changetheoptionsthatyouwanttobedifferent,clickOK,andthenclickPublish.

Tosaveadiagraminanotherfileformat1.OntheExportpageoftheBackstageview,clickChangeFileType.

•IneithertheDrawingFileTypessectionortheOtherFileTypessection,clickthefiletypeyouwant,andthenclickSaveAs.

•IntheGraphicFileTypessection,double-clicktheimagetypeyouwant.

3.Navigatetothelocationyouwant,andthenclickSave.

2.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,clicktheSaveastypearrow,andthenclickthefiletypeyouwant.

CreatetemplatesTechnically,savingadiagramasaVisiotemplateisnodifferentthansavingitinanyoftheotherfileformatsdescribedintheprecedingtopic.Despitetheeaseofcreatingthem,templatesaredescribedseparatelyinthistopicbecauseoftheirpotentialimportance.

Whywouldyouwanttosaveadiagramasatemplate?BecausedespitethedozensoftemplatesprovidedwithVisio,Microsoftcan’tpossiblyenvisioneverytypeofdiagramyouwillwanttocreate.

Inaddition,althoughyoucanopenadiagramandreuseitasis,akeyadvantageofatemplateisthatthetemplatedocumentisnevermodifiedbyaccident.Thisisespeciallyvaluableifyoushareyourtemplatewithotherpeople;justlikethetemplatesthatarepackagedwithVisio,wheneverauserselectsyourtemplate,Visiocreatesanewdiagramandleavesthetemplateuntouched.

YoumightcreateacustomtemplatesimplybyenhancingoneofthestandardVisiotemplateswithabackgroundpagethatdisplaysyourorganization’slogooneverypage.Oryoumightcreateaveryelaboratetemplatethatincludesyourownstencilsandshapes,multipleforegroundandbackgroundpages,presetshapesoncertainpages,andalegalnoticeonthebottomofeverypage.Therearenolimitationsonthecontentsofatemplate;youcanincludeanythingthatwillmakecreatinganewdiagrameasier.

Tosaveadiagramasatemplate1.Followthestepsinthe“TosaveaVisiodiagraminanotherfileformat”procedureattheendoftheprecedingtopic,choosingTemplate(*.vstx)orVisioTemplate(*.vstx)asthefiletype.

WheredoIstorecustomtemplates?

Youcanstorecustomtemplatesinanylocationyouwant—forexample,onyourowncomputerifonlyyouwillusethem,oronaservertosharethemwithotherpeople.

Youcanuseatemplatebydouble-clickingitsfilenameinFileExplorer,butyoucanmakecustomtemplatesmoreaccessiblebyconfiguringVisiotoincludethemontheNewpageintheBackstageview.

ThefollowingexampleusesafoldercalledTreyResearchTemplatesthatcontainsthreecustomtemplates.ToinformVisioofthelocationforyourtemplatefolder:

1.OntheOptionspageoftheBackstageview,clickAdvanced.

2.ScrolltothebottomoftheAdvancedsettings,andthenclicktheFileLocationsbutton.

3.IntheTemplatesfieldoftheFileLocationsdialogbox,enterthepathtothefolderthatcontainstheTreyResearchTemplatesfolder.

Important

Notethewordingintheprecedingsentence:“enterthepathtothefolderthatcontainstheTreyResearchTemplatesfolder.”Inotherwords,donotincludethetargetfolderinthetemplatepath—stoponefolderabovethatfolder.ThisensuresthatyourfoldernameappearsintheTemplateCategoriespanealongwiththeVisio-suppliedtemplatecategories.Forexample,inFigure12-18,theTreyResearchTemplatesfolderislocatedwithintheDocumentsfolder,sothewordsTreyResearchTemplatesarenotincludedinthepath.

Figure12-18Inadditiontotemplates,youcansetcustomlocationsfordrawings,stencils,andadd-ons

4.Afteryouenterthetemplatepath,clickOKtwice.WhenyourestartVisio,theTemplateCategoriessectionoftheNewpageshouldlooksimilartoFigure12-19.

Figure12-19YourcustomtemplatescanbeavailableontheNewpage

5.Double-clickTreyResearchTemplatestodisplaythetemplatesinthatfolder,asshowninFigure12-20.

Figure12-20Customtemplatesforofficelayouts,orgcharts,andtimelines

SharediagramsbyusingtheVisioViewerMicrosoftOffice2016includestheVisioViewerasadefaultinstallationoption.Consequently,ifyoursystemincludesOfficebutnotVisio,youcanstillviewanyVisiodiagram.

TheVisioViewerrunsasanadd-ontoInternetExplorer,whichdisplaysVisiodiagramsinthebrowser,asshowninFigure12-21.

Figure12-21Ahigh-qualityviewofaVisiodiagramonadevicethatdoesnothaveVisio

Important

ThefirsttimeyouusetheVisioViewer,youmightberequiredtograntpermissionforInternetExplorertoloadtheVisioVieweradd-on.

Theupper-leftcorneroftheInternetExplorerwindowincludesbuttonsforzooming,displayingshapedata,viewingandcontrollinglayers,andviewingcomments.Thelower-leftedgeofferspagenavigationbuttonsalongwithpagenametabsinamultipagediagram.

Important

OnadevicethatincludesbothOfficeandVisio,VisiodrawingsalwaysopeninVisio.

PublishdiagramstothewebVisio2016retainsalong-timefeaturethatautomaticallybuildsawebsitefromanydiagram.YoucanusethiscapabilitytosharediagramswithpeoplewhomightnothaveVisioinstalledontheircomputers.

AVisio-generatedwebsiteincludesallforegroundpages,providesatableofcontents,andpreservesbothpage-to-pageandexternalhyperlinks.Althoughthewebsitewillbeviewablewithalmostanywebbrowser,theresultsareenhancedbyusingInternetExplorerbecauseitprovidesthefollowingadditionalfeatures:

Apan-and-zoompane,whichyoucanclickanddragtozoomandnavigatearoundanypage

Adetailswindowtopresentshapedata

Full-textsearchforalltextinthedrawing

Whetheryouwanttosharedrawingswithcolleaguesbyusingyourintranetsite,orpublishdrawingsonthepublicWorldWideWeb,theSaveAsWebPagefeaturecanmakeyourdiagramsmoreaccessible.

Viewweb-publisheddiagramsFigure12-22showsanetworkdiagramthathasbeenpublishedtothewebbyusingdefaultoptions.

Figure12-22Anetworkdiagramrenderedasawebpage

Important

DependingonwhereyourVisio-generatedwebpagesarestored,awarningmightappearwhenyouattempttoviewthepages.Toproceed,clickAllowBlockedContent.

Important

Thefourleft-panelnavigationpanesshowninFigure12-22arespecialfeaturesthatrequireInternetExplorerandMicrosoftSilverlight.IfyouhavenotpreviouslyinstalledSilverlightwhenyouviewaVisio-generatedwebsite,abuttonwillappearinInternetExplorerthatyoucanclicktoinstallit.InformationaboutSilverlightisavailableatwww.microsoft.com/silverlight.

Youcanusethenavigationpanesontheleftsideofthebrowserwindowtodothefollowing:

GoToPageSelectfromthelistofallpagesinthecurrentdiagram,asshowninFigure12-23.

Figure12-23Thediagraminthewebbrowsercontainsthreepages

PanAndZoomSetthezoomlevelandpanpositionfortheviewingpane,asshowninFigure12-24.

Figure12-24Youcansetpanandzoombydragginginthepaneorbyusingthebuttonsontheright

Youcan’tcontroltheshapeoftheboxyoudrawinthePanAndZoompane.Itwillmaintainthesameaspectratioastheviewingpanetotheright.

DetailsViewshapedata,asshowninFigure12-25.

Figure12-25ShapedatadetailsareavailableinthewebpageversionofaVisiodiagram

SearchPagesViewresultsoffull-textsearch,asshowninFigure12-26.

Figure12-26Clickingaresulthighlightsthetargetshape

Thefull-textsearchfeaturecreatesahyperlinkedlistofsearchresults.Clickinganyresultpresentsthepagecontainingtheselectedshapeandhighlightsthetargetshapewithanorangearrowfortwoorthreeseconds.

Thedefaultbehaviorforfull-textsearchistoexaminetheshapename,shapetext,andallshapedatafields.YoucanalterthatbehaviorbyclickingAdvancedbelowthesearchbox.

Whenyoupointtoashapecontainingahyperlink,aScreenTipappearswithuptothreeentries,asshowninFigure12-27.Thefirstentryistheshapetextandwillnotbepresentiftheshapedoesnotcontaintext.ThesecondentryprovidesinstructionsthatresultinthedisplayofshapedataintheDetailspane,asshowninFigure12-25.Thethirdentrydescribesstandardwebbehavior—clicktofollowalink.

Figure12-27TheSalesFileServerishyperlinkedtoanotherpageinthediagram

IfyouviewtheVisio-generatedwebsitewithoutSilverlight,orinabrowserthatdoesnotsupportSilverlight,themaincontent—thewebpages—willappear.However,theleftpanelisreducedtoahyperlinkedlistdisplayingeachofthepagenamesintheVisiodiagram;

youcanclickapagenametoviewthatpage,asshowninFigure12-28.

Figure12-28Partofaweb-renderednetworkdiagramwithalimited-functionnavigationpane

Tocreateawebsitefromadiagram1.OntheExportpageoftheBackstageview,clickChangeFileType.

2.IntheOtherFileTypessection,clickWebPage(*.htm),andthenclickSaveAs.

3.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,navigatetothelocationyouwant,andthenclickSave.

2.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,clicktheSaveastypearrow,clickWebPage(*.htm;*.html),andthenclickSave.

Toviewadifferentpage1.IntheGotoPagepane,clickthedown-arrow,andthenclickthepagenameyouwant.

•PressEnter.

•ClickthegreenGotoselectedpagebutton.

Tochangethezoomsetting1.DoanyofthefollowinginthePanandZoompane:

•Clickthewebpagethumbnailanddrawaboundingboxaroundtheareaofinterest.

•Ifthereisared-borderedrectangleonthewebpagethumbnail,draganyedgeoftherectangle.

•ClicktheZoomin(+)orZoomout(-)button.

•ClickanyoftheZoomtox%buttons.

•ClicktheZoompageto100%button.

Topanthewebpage1.Ifthereisnotared-borderedrectangleonthewebpagethumbnailinthePanandZoompane,dragtocreateone.

2.Dragthered-borderedrectangletoanewlocation.

Toviewshapedata1.HolddowntheCtrlkeywhileclickingtheshapewhosedatayouwanttoview.

Tosearchfortext1.IntheSearchPagestextbox,enterthetextyouwanttolocate.

2.Clickanyofthesearchresultstoviewtheshapecontainingyoursearchtext.

Tofollowahyperlink1.Clicktheshapecontainingthehyperlinkyouwanttofollow.

SetpublishingoptionsWeb-publishedVisiodrawingsincludefullsupportforembeddedhyperlinksalongwithrichnavigationandsearchcapabilities,asyoudiscoveredintheprecedingsection.However,youdon’tnecessarilyneedallofthosecapabilitiesineveryVisio-generatedwebsite,soitisconvenienttobeabletochangethepublishingoptions.

Inaddition,youmightwanttochangetheformatinwhichVisiocreatesyourwebsite.Bydefault,Visio2016createswebpagesbyusingtheExtensibleApplicationMarkupLanguage(XAML).XAMLisresponsiblefortheleft-panenavigationfeaturesandrequiresSilverlight.Ifyoupreferawebpageformatthatdoesn’trequireSilverlight,youcanselectoneofthefivealternativesdescribedlaterinthissection.

ThekeytocustomizingVisiowebpagesisapairofbuttonsinthelowerportionoftheSaveAsdialogbox(showninFigure12-29):

YoucanclicktheChangeTitlebuttontomodifythetextthatwillbedisplayedinthetitlebarofthewebbrowser.

ThePublishbuttonopenstheSaveAsWebPagedialogbox,whichincludesbothGeneralandAdvancedtabs.

Figure12-29YouusetheChangeTitleandPublishbuttonstocustomizeyourVisio-generatedwebsite

UsethesettingsontheGeneraltab

TheGeneraltaboftheSaveAsWebPagedialogbox,showninFigure12-30,includesonenote-worthyfeaturethatiseasytomiss:youcanincludereportoutputalongwiththepagesofyourdiagram.ThelistinthePublishingOptionssectionincludesbothnavigationpanesandreports.

Figure12-30Whenyoucreateawebsite,youcanchangewhatcontentitwillcontain

TheGeneraltabisdividedintothreesections:

PagestopublishYoucanselectasubsetofthediagram’spagestoincludeinthe

web-publishedoutput.

PublishingoptionsYoucanselectwhichnavigationpaneoptionsandwhichreports,ifany,shouldbeincludedinyourwebsite.

Important

Theonlywaytoviewreportsinyourweb-publisheddrawingisviatheGoToPagenavigationpane.Consequently,ifyouincludereportsaspartofyourwebsite,youmustleavetheGoToPagecheckboxselected.

Visioremembersthesettingsforthenavigationpaneoptionsyouselect;thesamesettingswillappearthenexttimeyousaveadrawingasawebpage.However,Visiodoesnotrememberthesettingsforthereportsyouchoose;noneofthereportcheckboxeswillbeselectedthenexttimeyousaveadrawingasawebpage.

AdditionaloptionsThissectioncontainsthreeoptions:

•Eachtimeyoucreateawebsite,Visioopensitinyourbrowser.YoucancleartheAutomaticallyOpenWebPageInBrowsercheckboxtopreventthisfromoccurring.

•Visionormallycreatesasubfoldertostorethemajorityofwebsitefiles.YoucancleartheOrganizeSupportingFilesInAFoldercheckboxtoinstructVisiotostoreallwebsitefilesinasinglefolder.

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutthefilescreatedbytheSaveAsWebPagefunction,seethe“What’sinaVisio-generatedwebsiteandwhereisitstored?”sidebarlaterinthissection.

•YoucanenteradifferenttitleinthePageTitletextboxasanalternativetousingtheChangeTitlebuttonshowninFigure12-29.

Figure12-31providesoneexampleofcustomizingwebpageoutput.ThewebpageappearswithonlytheGoToPageandPanAndZoomnavigationpanes.

Figure12-31Awebsitewithonlytwonavigationpanes

Figure12-32showsthatthecustomizedwebsiteincludesthreeVisiodiagrampagesplustheMilestonesByStartDatereport.

Figure12-32Areportnameappearswithdiagrampagenames

AportionoftheMilestonesByStartDatereportisshowninFigure12-33.

Figure12-33Amilestonereportshowstasknamesandstartdates

UsethesettingsontheAdvancedtab

Figure12-34showstheAdvancedtaboftheSaveAsWebPagedialogbox.

Figure12-34XAMListhedefault,butyoucanselectotheroutputformats

YoucanusetheOutputFormatslisttoselectanyofthefollowinginsteadofXAML:

VMListhewebpageformatusedbyVisio2007andearlierversionsofVisio.ThefeaturesofVMLwebsitesareverysimilartowebsitescreatedwithXAMLbutrequireInternetExplorer.

SVGisaspecializedformatthatissupportedbysomebutnotallbrowsers.Likethethreeimageformatsdescribedinthefollowingbulletpoint,SVGwebsitesdisplay

fixed-sizepageswithnoPanAndZoompane.

GIF,JPG,andPNGprovidefewercapabilitiesthaneitherVMLorXAML.Forexample,theviewingwindowfortheseformatsisafixedsizeanddoesnotincludethePanAndZoompaneintheleftnavigationpane.However,websitesproducedintheseformatsretainallhyperlinksandarelikelytobecompatiblewithawiderrangeofwebbrowsers.(Notethatyoucanhavethebestofbothworlds—fullnavigationfunctionsinInternetExplorerandsupportforolderbrowsers;refertothefollowingparagraph.)

IfyouselectXAML,VML,orSVGastheoutputformat,VisiodefaultstoselectingtheProvideAlternateFormatForOlderBrowserscheckbox,asshowninFigure12-35.YoucanusethelistunderthisheadingtoselectGIF,JPG,orPNGoutputasabackuptoyourprimarychoice.

Figure12-35PNGisoneofthreealternateoutputformats

IntheDisplayOptionssection,youcanusetheTargetMonitor,HostInWebPage,andStyleSheetsettingstofurthercustomizeyourwebpages.Thesecondandthirdsettings,inparticular,areintendedtohelpyouintegrateaVisio-generatedwebsitewithanotherexistingwebsite.

TochangethetitleofaVisio-generatedwebsite1.OpentheSaveAsdialogbox,andthenclicktheChangeTitlebutton.

2.IntheEnterTextdialogbox,enteratitle,clickOK,andthenclickSave.

TocustomizetheappearanceofaVisio-generatedwebsite1.OpentheSaveAsdialogbox,andthenclickthePublishbutton.

2.IntheSaveasWebPagedialogbox,changetheitemsyouwanttocustomize,andthenclickOK.

TocustomizetheformatofaVisio-generatedwebsite1.OpentheSaveAsdialogbox,andthenclickthePublishbutton.

2.IntheOutputformatssectionoftheSaveasWebPagedialogbox,clickthename

oftheformatyouwant.

3.(Optional)ClickthenameofanalternateformatintheProvideAlternateFormatForOlderBrowserslist.

4.(Optional)ChangetheDisplayoptions.

5.ClickOK.

What’sinaVisio-generatedwebsiteandwhereisitstored?

WhenyouusetheSaveAsWebPagefeature,Visiocreatesahomepageforthewebsite.Italsocreatesasupportingfilesfolderthatcontainsgraphicsandwebpagesforeachpageinthedrawing,inadditiontoJavaScript,XML,andotherfilesthatcomprisethewebsite.

Bydefault,VisioplacesthehomepageinthesameWindowsfolderthatcontainsyourVisiodrawing,andgivesitthesamenameasthedrawingplusan.htmfileextension.ForEnglishversionsofVisio,thenameofthesupportingfilesfolderisthesameasthedrawingnamebutappendedwith_files.

Forexample,ifyouuseanEnglish-languageversionofVisioandcreateawebsiteforadiagramcalledTimelinediagram.vsdx,thefolderthathousestheVisiodiagramalsocontainsthefollowing:

AfilecalledTimelinediagram.htm

AfoldercalledTimelinediagram_files

Ifyouwanttocopyormoveyournewwebsite,it’simportanttocopyormoveboththe.htmfileandthesupportingfilesfoldertothenewlocation.Youcancopyyourwebsitetoashareddrive,toyourorganization’sintranet,ortoanywebservertoprovideaccesstoyourVisiodiagram.

Important

ThedefaultnameforthecompanionsubfoldervariesbasedonthelanguageversionofOfficethatisinstalledonyourcomputer.Foracompletelistofdefaultnamesforvariouslanguageversions,gotosupport.office.com/en-us/article/Save-all-or-part-of-a-workbook-to-a-static-Web-page-5AD26DEE-8739-4D80-B9D9-CF0530AB1968.EventhoughthearticleappliestoMicrosoftExcel,thelistisalsocorrectfortheVisio2016websitefolder.

Creategraphics

Createtemplates

Practicetasks

PreviewandprintdrawingsOpenthePreviewDrawingsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DisplaythePrintpageoftheBackstageviewtopreviewthediagram.

2.(Optional)Printthediagram.

3.Addaheaderandfooter.Noticethatthechangeisvisibleintheprintpreview.

4.Moveshapesoffthepagebreakstoimprovetheprintedoutput.

RemovepersonalinformationOpenthePreviewDrawingsdiagramyouusedinthe“Previewandprintdrawings”practicetask,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Viewthedocumentproperties,andthenchangethenameofthecompany.

2.Removepersonalinformationfromthediagram.

CreategraphicsOpentheCreateGraphicsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.CreateaPNGimageoftheroundtableandtwoadjacentchairs.

2.CreateaJPEGimageoftheplantandgreendeskchair.

3.Createanytypeofimageofallshapesonthepage.

4.Createanytypeofimageoftheentireprintableareaofthepage.(SeethetipfollowingFigure12-16forassistancewiththistask.)

SavedrawingsinotherfileformatsOpentheSaveInFormatsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.CreateaPDFofallpagesinthediagram.

2.CreateaPDFthatincludesonlypages1and2.

3.Savethediagramasamacro-enableddocument.

4.SavethediagramasaVisio2003-2010diagram.

CreatetemplatesOpentheCreateTemplatesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Savethediagramasatemplate.

2.Createadiagramfromthenewtemplate.

SharediagramsbyusingtheVisioViewerTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

PublishdiagramstothewebOpenthePublishToWebdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Createawebsite.

2.ViewtheHospitalVisitspage.

3.ReturntotheProjectSchedulepage.

4.Zoominontheexpandedtimelinebelowthemaintimeline.

5.Panuptothemaintimeline.

6.Viewtheshapedataforthemaintimeline.

7.SearchforFDA,andthenclickFDAApprovalProcess.

8.FollowthehyperlinkontheFDAApprovalProcessmilestonelocatedontheleftendofthemaintimeline.

9.Republishthewebsitewithanewtitle,omitthePanandZoompane,andincludetheMilestoneSummaryreport.

10.RepublishthewebsiteinVMLformat.

13.Addstructuretoyourdiagrams

Inthischapter

Practicefiles

InmanytypesofVisiodiagrams,it’susefultocreatevisualorlogicalrelationshipsamongasetofshapes.ThetraditionaltechniquefordoingthisinVisiohasbeentousebackgroundshapesandgroups.However,Visio2016offersthreespecialshapetypes—containers,lists,andcallouts—thatcanbeevenmoreeffectivewhenyouwanttoestablishrelationshipsandaddstructuretoyourdiagrams.

StructureddiagramshapesaresousefulthatVisioitselfreliesonthemforagrowingnumberoftemplatesandspecialuses.Forexample,youwillfindlistsandcontainersinswimlanediagrams,wireframes,anddatagraphiclegends;andyouwillencountercalloutsintheBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)template(VisioProfessionalonly).

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtoorganizingshapesbyusingcontainersorlists,findingcontainersandlistsinVisio,andannotatingshapesbyusingcallouts.

Understandcontainers,lists,andcalloutsVisio2010introducedthreestructureddiagramshapetypes:

ContainersAcontainerprovidesavisualboundaryaroundasetofobjects,butitalsoestablishesalogicalrelationshipbetweenthecontainerandtheobjectswithinit—shapesknowwhentheyaremembersofacontainerandcontainersknowwhichshapestheycontain.

Thekeyadvantageofacontaineristhatwhileyoucanmove,copy,ordeleteitanditsmembersasaunit,eachcontainedshapemaintainsitsindependence.Unlikegroupedshapes,selectinganobjectinsideacontaineronlyrequiresoneclick,whichmakesitsimpletoaccesstheshapedataandotherpropertiesofacontainermember.

Acontainercancontainshapes,othercontainers,andlists.

ListsAlistisaspecialtypeofcontainerthatmaintainsanorderedrelationshipamongitsmembers.Eachobjectinalistknowsitsordinalposition,andnewobjectsarenotmerelyaddedtoalistbutareaddedtoaspecificpositioninalist.

Alistcancontainshapesandcontainersbutcannotcontainotherlists.

CalloutsInpreviousversionsofVisio,acalloutwasmerelyashapethatyougluedtoanothershapetoaddacomment.AVisio2016–stylecalloutstillprovidesawaytoaddannotationtoashape,butthecalloutknowstheshapetowhichitisattached,andtheshapecanidentifyanyattachedcallouts.

Whatisthevaluetoyouifshapesknowwheretheyliveandcontainersandlistsknowwhattheycontain?Thinkaboutashapethatautomaticallyknowswhetherit’sfirst,second,orthirdinalistanddisplaysthatdata(explainedinthesection“Addshapestolists”inthe“Organizeshapesbyusinglists”topiclaterinthischapter).Orthinkaboutthepotentialusesforashapethatdisplaysdatafromitsparentcontainer—andthedatachangesautomaticallyifyoumovetheshapetoadifferentcontainer(coveredinthe“Exploreswimlanes”sectioninthe“FindcontainersandlistsinVisio”topiclaterinthischapter).

Althoughit’struethatcontainers,lists,andcalloutsarejustVisioshapes,eachincludesuniquepropertiesandformulasthatgiveitspecialcapabilities.

ComparegroupsandcontainersYoucanuseeithergroupsorcontainerstovisuallyconnectasetofshapes.However,thetwohavekeybehavioraldifferencesthatarelikelytoleadyouinonedirectionortheother.Thediagramsinthistopiccontaintwosetsofshapesthatwillservetoillustratethesimilaritiesanddifferences.Thegreenshapesontheleftinthediagramsarepartofagroup;thegoldshapesontherightarelocatedinsideacontainer.

IntheimageontheleftinFigure13-1,thearrowsandsquarearegroupedwithagoldrectanglebyusingthetraditionalVisiotechnique:

1.Drawarectangle(orothershape).

2.SendthenewshapetothebackoftheZ-order.

3.Selecttherectangleandtheshapesyouwantinthegroup.

4.Grouptheselectedshapes.

Figure13-1Shapesaregroupedorcontained

Forinformationaboutcreatingandusinggroups,seeChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”ThesamechapteralsodescribesmovingshapesbackwardandforwardintheZ-orderofapage.

PriortotheintroductionofcontainersinVisio2010,thiswastheonlytechniqueforcreatingavisualassociationamongasetofshapes.

Incontrast,theshapesontherightinFigure13-1wereplacedintoacontainer.Onedifferenceisimmediatelyapparent:containersarenotjustplainrectangles;theyincludebothamainsectionandaheading.

ThreeadditionaldifferencesthatarenoteasilycapturedinascreenshotbecomeobviouswhenyouworkwithgroupsandcontainersinVisio:

Ifyouclickashapethatislocatedinagroup,youselectthegroupandnottheshape.However,ifyouclickashapeinacontainer,thefirstclickselectstheshape.Inessence,agroupstandsbetweenyouanditsshapes,butacontainerisinvisibleasyouselectshapes.

IfyourunVisioindevelopermode,youcanaltertheselectioncharacteristicsofagroup.Formoreinformationaboutdevelopermode,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Toselectacontainerandnotamemberofthecontainer,youmustclicktheheadingoranedgeofthecontainer.

Asaresultoftheclickbehaviordescribedintheprecedingbullets,usingaboundingboxtoselectinteriorshapesinacontaineriseasy—justclickinsideoroutsidethecontainer,andthendrag.However,toselectshapesinagroupbyusingaboundingbox,youmuststarttheboundingboxoutsideofthegrouporyouwillinadvertentlydragthegroup.

Groupsandcontainersshareseveralbehaviors.Forexample,ifyoumoveeitherone,youmoveallshapes.Ifyoudeleteeitherone,youdeleteeverything.Similarly,youcancopy

andpasteeitherasaunit.

Onedifferenceariseswhenyouwanttolabelthecollection,however.Whenyouclickagroupandstartenteringtext,thetextappearsinthecenterofthegroupshapebydefault.Sometimesthisplacementisfine,butothertimesit’snot.Theusefulnessofthetextinagroupalsodependsonthecolorandstyledefaultsofthethemeyou’reusing.

InthegroupshownontheleftinFigure13-2,forexample,thetextisillegiblebecauseitsdefaultcoloristoosimilartothecolorofthebackgroundshape.Youcan,ofcourse,usetheTextBlocktoolyouworkedwithinChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages,”tomovethetext,oryoucanchangeitscolor,butthatrequiresextrasteps.

Figure13-2Textinagroupcanbeobscuredbythedefaultfontcolororbytheshapesinthegroup

Clickingacontainerandenteringtext,ontheotherhand,automaticallyplacesthetextintheheading,asshownontherightinFigure13-2.

Ifyoudragashapeoutofagroup,isitstillpartofthegroup?Whatifyoudragashapeoutofacontainer?

TheupperhalfofFigure13-3showsadouble-headedarrowthathasbeendraggedoutofthegroupontheleftandanotherthathasbeenremovedfromthecontainerontheright.Inthelowerhalfofthefigure,thegroupandcontainerhavebeenmovedtotheright.

Figure13-3Theeffectsofdraggingashapeoutofagroupandacontainer

Noticethefollowing:

Thegreenarrowmovedwiththegroup.

Thegoldarrowremainedinafixedlocation.

Fromtheseobservations,youcanconcludethefollowing:

Draggingashapefromagroupdoesnotremoveitfromthegroup.

Draggingashapefromacontainerremovesitfromthecontainer.

Attemptingtoaddshapesexposesasimilardifference.IntheupperhalfofFigure13-4,acirclehasbeenplacedontopofthegroupontheleftandthecontainerontheright.Inthelowerhalfofthefigure,thegroupandthecontainerhavebeenmovedtotheright.

Figure13-4Theeffectsofplacingashapeontopofagroupandacontainer

Herearetheconclusionsyoucandrawfromthis:

Placingashapeontopofagroupdoesnotaddittothegroup.

IfyourunVisioindevelopermode,youcanchangethebehaviorofagroupsoitwillacceptdroppedshapes.Formoreinformationaboutdevelopermode,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Placingashapeontopofacontaineraddsittothecontainer.

TheprimarylessonfromFigure13-3andFigure13-4isthatunlikegroups,Visiocontainersbehavelikephysicalcontainers:ifyouputanobjectin,itbecomespartofthecontainer;ifyouremoveanobject,itisnolongerassociatedwiththecontainer.

Figure13-5illustratesafinalbehaviordifference:resizinggroupsandcontainersproducesstrikinglydifferentresults.Inthefigure,boththegroupandthecontainerwerestretchedbydraggingthebottomresizehandledownward.

Figure13-5Resizingagroupresizesallsubshapes;resizingacontainerdoesnotaffectmembershapes

IfyourunVisioindevelopermode,youcanchangethebehaviorofagroupsotheinteriorshapesdonotresize.Formoreinformationaboutdevelopermode,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Thefollowingtablesummarizesthekeydifferencesbetweengroupsandcontainers.

Containers,lists,andcalloutswereintroducedinVisio2010andweredescribedbytheVisiodevelopmentteaminaseriesofblogpoststhataresummarizedatblogs.msdn.com/b/visio/archive/2010/09/02/new-structured-diagrams-whitepaper-for-visio-2010.aspx.

Visio2013includedadditionalcontainersandcalloutsandupgradedthestyleandappearanceofboth,asdescribedinablogpostatblogs.office.com/2012/11/05/containers-and-callouts-in-visio/.

Forthetechnicallyinclined,thefollowingarticleprovidesdetailsabouttheinnerworkingsofcontainers,lists,andcalloutsandisstillrelevantforVisio2016structureddiagrams:msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff959245.aspx.

OrganizeshapesbyusingcontainersGroupedshapesarestillvaluableformanypurposes,includingholdingcollectionsofsubshapesthatareunlikelytochange.However,Visiocontainersoffernumerousadvantages,especiallyfordynamicallygrouping,moving,andmanagingasetofrelatedshapes.

Oneregularribbontabandonetooltabarevitalforworkingwithcontainers.TheInserttab,showninFigure13-6,ishometotheContainergallery,whichyouusetoaddcontainerstoapage.

Figure13-6TheContainergalleryoffers14containerstyles

YouusevariousfunctionsontheFormattooltabintheContainerToolstabgroup,showninFigure13-7,tomanagecontainersinwaysyouwillexploreinthesectionsofthistopic.

Figure13-7TheFormattooltabappearsonlywhenyouselectacontainer

UsecontainersYoucancreateanemptycontainerandaddshapestoitlater,oryoucancreateacontaineraroundexistingshapes.Ineithercase,yourcontainerscanappearinavarietyofstyles.Figure13-8showsthesamesetofnetworkshapesinfivedifferentcontainerstoillustratetherangeofchoices.

Figure13-8Examplesofdiversecontainerstylesfromsimpletohighlystylized

Containersprovidevisualfeedbackwhileyouinteractwiththem.AsshownontheleftinFigure13-9,draggingashapeintoacontainercausestheborderofthecontainerto“lightup”ingreen.Thistypeoffeedbackisawaytodistinguishacontainerfromagrouporanordinaryshape.

Figure13-9Addingorselectingshapeshighlightsthesurroundingcontainer

Thecontainerborderalsolightsupwhenyouselectanycontainedshape,asshownontherightinFigure13-9.Thisbehaviorisevidenceoftherelationshipbetweencontainersandmembersthatwasdescribedin“Understandcontainers,lists,andcallouts”earlierinthischapter.

Becausecontainersweredesignedtoremainconnectedtotheirmembers,it’seasytocopyordeletebothasaunitbyselectingthecontainer.Theonlytrickwhenselectingthecontaineristorememberthatthebodyofacontainerisinvisibletomouseclicks.Youmustclicktheheaderoroneoftheedgestoselectit.

Ifyouwanttocopyordeletejustthemembersbutnotthecontainer,that’salsoeasybecausethereareseveraltechniquesforselectingallmembersofacontainer—thenyoucanjustcopyordeletetheshapesintheusualway.

Todeletethecontainerbutleaveitscontentsbehind,youcoulddragthecontentsoutandthendeletethecontainer.However,VisioprovidesaDisbandContainercommandforthispurpose.

Youcanlockacontainertopreventshapesfrombeingaddedordeleted.Ifyouattempttoaddashapetoalockedcontainer,theborderdoesnotlightupasyoudragtheshapeontothecontainerandthenewshapesitsontopofthecontainer.Ifyouattempttodeleteacontainedshape,youreceiveanerrormessage.

Toplaceanemptycontaineronthepage1.OntheInserttab,intheDiagramPartsgroup,clickContainer.

2.IntheContainergallery,clickthethumbnailofthecontainertypeyouwant.

Tocontainexistingshapes1.Selectoneormoreexistingshapes,andthendooneofthefollowing:

•DisplaytheContainergallery,andthenclickthethumbnailofthecontainertypeyouwant.

•Right-clickoneoftheselectedshapes,andthenclickAddtoNewContainer.

•Iftheshapesareontopof,butarenotmembersof,acontainer,right-clickoneoftheselectedshapes,andthenclickAddtoUnderlyingContainer.

Toaddshapestoacontainer1.Dragoneormoreshapesintothecontainer.

•Resizeacontaineruntilitcoverstheshapesyouwanttoadd.

•Dragacontaineruntilit’sontopoftheshapesyouwanttoadd.

2.Right-clickoneoftheshapes,andthenclickAddtoUnderlyingContainer.

Toselectacontainer1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Clicktheheadingsectionofthecontainer.

•Clickanyedgeofthecontainer.

Toselectallcontainedshapes1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Selectthecontainer,andthenontheFormattooltab,intheMembershipgroup,clicktheSelectContentsbutton.

•Right-clickanyedgeofthecontainer,pointtoContainer,andthenclickSelectContents.

Toremoveshapesfromacontainer1.Dragtheshapeyouwanttoremoveuntilitisoutsidethecontainer.

Todeleteacontainerbutleavecontainedshapes1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Selectthecontainer,andthenontheFormattooltab,intheMembershipgroup,clicktheDisbandContainerbutton.

•Right-clickanyedgeofthecontainer,pointtoContainer,andthenclickDisbandContainer.

Tolockorunlockacontainer1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Selectthecontainer,andthenontheFormattooltab,intheMembershipgroup,clicktheLockContainerbutton.

•Right-clickanyedgeofthecontainer,pointtoContainer,andthenclickLockContainer.

FormatcontainersWhenyoudragacontainerontothepage,itincludesasetofpredefinedstyleattributes.YoucanchangesomeofthemostvisiblecontainerattributesbyusingthecommandsontheFormattooltabthatisshowninFigure13-7.YoucanalterothercontainercharacteristicsbyusingbuttonsontheotherVisiotabs.

Containerattributesyoucanalterincludethefollowing:

Youcanswitchtoanotherofthe14containerstyles.

Youcanchoosealternateheadingstyles;Visioofferseithertwoorfourheadingstylespercontainertype.Youcanalsohidetheheading.

Youcanselectdifferentthemes,variants,andeffects.Becausecontainersrespondtothosechanges,theappearanceofthecontainersonyourdrawingpage(andtheirthumbnailsinthegallery)canbeverydifferentfromonediagramtothenext.

Youcanchangethefill,line,andshadowattributesofacontainerasyouwouldanyotherVisioshape.

Tochooseadifferentcontainerstyle

1.Doanyofthefollowing:

•OntheFormattooltab,intheContainerStylesgroup,displaytheContainerStylesgallery.

•OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheChangeShapebutton.

•Right-clicktheheadingoredgeofthecontainer,andthenontheminitoolbar,clicktheChangeShapebutton.

2.Clickthecontainerstyleyouwant.

Tochooseadifferentheadingstyle1.OntheFormattooltab,intheContainerStylesgroup,clicktheHeadingStylebutton.

2.IntheHeadingStylesgallery,clickthethumbnailoftheheadingstyleyouwant.

Tohidetheheading1.DisplaytheHeadingStylesgallery,andthenintheNoHeadingsection,clicktheNoHeadingthumbnail.

Ontheborder

Whenyoudragashapeintoacontainer,agreenoutlineappearsontheborderofthecontainer.Thisistrueevenwhenyoudragashapemostoftheway,butnotfullyintothecontainer.InFigure13-10,thewirelessaccesspointisbeingdraggedintoacontainerandwillbeaddedtothecontainerwhenitisreleased,eventhoughitisnotfullywithinthebordersofthecontainer.(Dependingontheresizeoptionsdescribedjustafterthissidebar,thecontainermightexpandtoencompassthenewshape.)

Figure13-10Themajorityofthewirelessaccesspointiswithinthecontainer

ThepairofimagesinFigure13-11showsadifferentcontainerbehaviorthatcanbeusefulinsomediagrams.Intheimageontheleft,thewirelessaccesspointhasnot

beendraggedquiteasfarintothecontainerasitwasinFigure13-10.Thecontainersignalsthedifferencebydisplayingagreenoutlineonlyonthetopborderandnotallthewayaround.

Figure13-11Awirelessaccesspointisaddedtotheborderbecauseitwasdroppedontheedge

Whenyoureleasethewirelessaccesspointinthissituation,itbecomesamemberofthecontainer,butitremainsattachedtotheedge.Ifyouexpandthesizeofthiscontainerupwards,thebordershapewillmovealongwiththetopofthecontainer,asshownintheimageontheright.

Anotherexampleofashapeontheborderofacontainerisincludedinthe“Buildwireframes”sectionofthe“FindcontainersandlistsinVisio”topiclaterinthischapter.

ControlcontainersizeVisiocontainersexpandautomaticallywhenyouaddshapesneartheedgeofthecontainer.YoucanchangethisdefaultbehaviorbyusingtheAutomaticResizebuttonlocatedintheSizegroupontheFormattooltab.ClickingtheAutomaticResizebutton,whichisshowninFigure13-7,revealsthreemutuallyexclusiveoptions:

NoAutomaticResizeThecontainerdoesnotexpandwhenyoudragshapesneartheedge.

ExpandasNeededThecontainerexpandswhenyoudropshapesneartheedge.Notethattheoppositeisnottrue—thecontainerdoesnotshrinkwhenyouremoveshapes.

AlwaysFittoContentsThecontainerexpandsandcontractsautomaticallywhenyouaddorremoveshapes.

YoucanalsoaffectcontainersizebyusingtheotherbuttonsintheSizegroup:

MarginsSetsthespacingbetweentheedgesofthecontainerandthecontainedshapes

FittoContentsSetsthecontainersizetotheminimumrequiredforthecontainedshapesplusthemargin

Youcanalsoresizeacontainertofititscontentsbyopeningthecontainer’sshortcutmenuandthenchoosingfromtheoptionsontheContainersubmenu.

OrganizeshapesbyusinglistsAlistisaspecialtypeofcontainerthatmaintainsitsmembersinorderedsequence.Whenyoudraganobjectintoalist,ittakesaspecificplacebefore,between,orafterexistingmembers.Eachlistmemberknowsitsrelativepositioninthelist.

Visiodoesn’tprovidealistgalleryontheInserttabinthesamewaythatitoffersaContainergallery.Consequently,creatingalisteitherrequiresreusinganexistinglistshapeorhavingenoughtechnicalknowledgetomakechangestotheShapeSheet.

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutmodifyingtheShapeSheetandcreatingcustomlistshapes,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Thistopicexploresaddingshapestoalistandreorderingshapeswithinalist.ThelistshapeforthishypotheticalscenarioiscalledMyNewPC,towhichwillbeaddedrectangularshapesthatrepresentthesoftwaretoloadontothePC.ThestartingpointisshowninFigure13-12,withthelistinthecenterandthesoftwareshapesoneitherside.

Figure13-12Alistshapesurroundedbycandidatemembers

Thesoftwareshapesforthisexamplewerecreatedwithtwospecialattributes:

Eachshapedisplaysthenameofasoftwareproductthatisstoredasshapedata.TheshapedatavalueisdisplayedbyusingaVisiofield.

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationaboutVisiofields,seeChapter8,“Workwithshapedata.”

Eachshapedisplaysitsrelativepositioninthelistwhenitisinalist.Whentheshapeisnotinalist,itdoesn’tdisplayanynumber.DisplayofthelistpositionforeachshapewasaccomplishedbyusingtwoShapeSheetformulas.

ThegoalfortheexampleinthistopicistocreatealistthatshowstheinstallationsequenceforanewPC.AlthoughyouareunlikelytouseaVisiolistforthisspecificpurpose,thisexamplemightstimulateyoutothinkofyourownapplicationsforposition-awareshapes.

AddshapestolistsDraggingashapeintoalisttriggersthesameresponseshownforacontainerearlierinthischapter:thelistissurroundedbyagreenrectangle,asshownontheleftinFigure13-13.Alsolikeacontainer,thelistdisplaysthegreenborderwhenanymembershapeisselected,asshownontheright.

Figure13-13Listbordersilluminatewhenshapesarebeingaddedorarecontained

Intherealworld,itisn’tpossibletoinstallVisiowithoutinstallingWindowsfirst,soFigure13-14showstheWindows10shapebeingdraggedintothelist.Ontheleft,astheWindowsrectanglefirstapproachesthelist,therearethreevisualresponses:

Thelistborderturnsgreen.

AScreenTipappears,displayingthewordsInsertShape.

Ahorizontal,orangeinsertionbarappearsbelowtheVisio2016shape.

Figure13-14Newshapesareaddedtoalistinspecificpositions

TheinsertionbarisVisio’swayoftellingyouthatthenewshapewillbeaddedtothelistatthatspecificlocation.

TheimageinthecentershowstheWindowsshapepositionedpartiallyabovetheVisioshape,withtheresultthattheinsertionbarisnowlocatedabovetheVisiorectangle.

TheresultofdraggingtheWindowsrectangleabovetheVisioshapeisshownontheright.

NoticethatthelabelWindows10isnowprecededbythenumber1andthedigitinfrontofVisio2016haschangedfroma1toa2.

Youcaninsertnewshapesbetweenexistinglistshapes.InFigure13-15,theOffice2016shapeisbeingaddedbeforeVisio2016andafterWindows10.

Figure13-15Youcaninsertashapebetweenexistinglistshapes

AlthoughthebluetrianglethatappearsattheleftendoftheorangeinsertionbarintheimageontheleftinFigure13-15mightappearwhenyoudragashapeintoalist,itisprimarilyusefulwhenyouarenotdraggingashape.

Ifyoupausewhenpointingtotheedgeofalistbetweenexistingshapes,theInsertShapetriangleappears.ClickingthetrianglecausesVisiotoinsertashapeatthatlocationinthelist.Iftheshapedesignerspecifiedadefaultlistshape,thenthatshapeisinserted.Ifthereisn’tadefaultlistshape,theshapeadjacenttotheinsertionbarisaddedtothelist.“FindcontainersandlistsinVisio”laterinthischapterincludesanexampleofshapeinsertion.

TheprecedingfiguresillustrateakeybehaviordifferencebetweenVisiolistsandcontainers:containermemberscanbelocatedanywherewithinacontainer,butlistmembersarealwaysinfixedpositions.

Figure13-16illustratesanotherimportantdifference:unlikeshapesinacontainer,listmemberscannotresideontheborderofthelist.Ontheleft,theVisioAdd-Inshapeispositionedontheborderofthelist.Onlyasmallpercentageoftherectangleisactuallytouchingthelist,andyetreleasingtheshapeatthispointcausesitto“fly”intothelist.

Figure13-16Listsdonotallowbordershapes

Notonlycanshapesbeinsertedintospecificpositionsinalist,theycanberearrangedwithinthelist.OntheleftinFigure13-17,theVisio2016shapeisbeingrelocatedsoitwillappearabovetheVisioadd-inshape.Noticethateachshapeisrenumberedautomaticallybasedonitsnewlistposition.

Figure13-17Listshapescanbedraggedtonewlocations

Theexampleinthissectionusesaverticallistinwhichshapesareautomaticallyplacedfromtoptobottom.AVisiolistcanbeeitherverticalorhorizontalandcansequenceshapesineitherdirectionwithinthelist.Theseattributesarecontrolledbyparametersanddon’trequirewritingcode,butyoucan’tchangethemfromtheVisioribbon;youmustmakechangesintheShapeSheetforthelist.

Toaddshapestoalist1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Dragoneormoreshapesintothelist.

•UsetheInsertShapearrowtopositionashapewhereyouwantit.

SeeAlso

Forproceduresrelatedtoselectingalist,selectingallmembersofalist,lockingorunlockingalist,deletingalist,ordisbandingalist,seetheproceduresinthe“Usecontainers”sectionofthe“Organizeshapesbyusingcontainers”topicearlierinthischapter.

FormatandsizelistsYoucanadjustmostofthesameformatandsizeoptionsforalistthatyoucanforacontainer,withonenotableexception:youcannotchangethesizeofaVisiolistshape.Visiocontrolsthesizebyexpandingandcontractingalistsoitistheexactsizeofitsmembershapesplusthemarginaroundtheshapes.

TheFormattooltabdescribedearlierinthischapterprovidesthefollowinglist-relatedgroupsandthefunctionswithinthem:

SizegroupYoucanusetheMarginsbuttontoadjustthespacingbetweentheedgesofthelistandthecontainedshapes.BecauseVisiocontrolsthesizeofalistshape,FitToContainerandAutomaticResizearedimmed.

ContainerStylesgroupYoucannotchangethestyleofaVisio2016list.However,youcanchangethestyleofalistcreatedinVisio2010byusingtheContainerStylesgallery.ThisistrueeveniftheVisio2010listislocatedinaVisio2016diagram.YoucanusetheHeadingStylegallerytochoosealternateheadingplacementandstyleoptions.

MembershipgroupTheLockContainer,SelectContents,andDisbandContainerbuttonsprovidethesamefunctionsforliststhattheydoforcontainers.

FindcontainersandlistsinVisioSeveralVisio2016templatestakeadvantageofthepropertiesofcontainersandliststoenhanceeaseofuseandtoaddvaluablefeatures.Inthissection,youwilldiscoverthreeexamples.

ExploreswimlanesCross-functionalflowcharts,alsoknownasswimlanediagrams,provideoneofthemostprominentexamplesoflistandcontainerusageinVisio.

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutswimlanediagrams,seeChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams.”

Theswimlaneadd-inwascompletelyredesignedwhenlistsandcontainerswereintroducedinVisio2010.Theneteffectoftheredesignisthatacross-functionalflowchart(CFF)isalistofcontainers:theframeworkthatholdsswimlanesisalist,andeachswimlaneisacontainer.

Important

SwimlanediagramscreatedinVisio2016,Visio2013,orVisio2010willopendirectlyinVisio2016becausetheysharethesameunderlyingcontainerandliststructure.However,swimlanediagramscreatedinearlierversionsofVisiomustbeconvertedtothenewswimlanestructure,and,onceconverted,theycannolongerbeeditedwiththeoldersoftware.Towarnabouttheimpendingconversionwhenyouopenanolderdiagram,Visiodisplaysadialogboxthatgivesyouanopportunitytosavetheolderversionofthediagrambeforeconvertingit.

Evidenceofcontainersandlistsappearsassoonasyoudragashapeintoaswimlane—agreenborderappearsaroundthelane,asshowninFigure13-18.

Figure13-18ThecombinationofcontainerfeedbackandtheDynamicGridsimplifypositioningofnewshapesinaswimlane

NoticethattwoDynamicGridfeedbackelementsalsoappearinsidetheswimlane,informingyouthatthenewshapeisattheleftmarginofthelaneandiscenteredverticallywithinthelane.FormoreinformationabouttheDynamicGrid,seeChapter2,“Creatediagrams.”

Becausetheoverallswimlanestructureisalist,itincludesaheading.Similarly,eachswimlanehasaheading.Youcanchangethetextofeither,whichwasdoneintheimageshowninFigure13-18,byselectingtheswimlanestructureoraswimlaneandthenenteringtext.

FurtherevidencethattheswimlanestructureisalistisshowninFigure13-19.Withthepointerattheleftendofthelanesandpositionedontheboundarybetweentwolanes,theInsertShapetriangleappears.

Figure13-19Addingnewlanestoadiagramiseasybecauseoftheliststructure

IfyoucomparetheInsertShapetriangleinFigure13-19withtheoneshowninFigure13-12,you’llnoticethattheoneinFigure13-19includesthenameofaspecificshape.Thenameappearsbecausetheswimlanelistwaspreconfiguredtoinsertaspecificshape.

ClickingtheInsertShapetriangleproducestheresultshowninFigure13-20.NoticethatVisioextendsdynamicconnectors,asrequired,toaccommodatethenewlane.

Figure13-20Visiorearrangesexistinglaneswhenyouaddorremovelanes

Becauseswimlanesresideinalist,youcanrearrangethesequenceofswimlanesbydraggingtheheadingofalaneupordown.

Swimlanediagramsderiveanotherbenefitfrombeingbuiltbyusingcontainers:shapesinacontainerknowwheretheyarecontained.Tofindevidenceofthis,examinetheFunctionfieldintheshapedataforanyflowchartshapeinaswimlane.

Asanexample,datafortheprocessshapeintheupperleftofFigure13-20isshowninthe

imageontheleftinFigure13-21,andthedataforthedecisiondiamondisshownontheright.Inbothcases,thevalueintheFunctionfieldisderiveddynamicallyfromtheswimlaneheading.Ifyouchangethevalueoftheswimlanetitle,theFunctionfieldwillbeupdatedforallcontainedshapes.Ifyoumoveashapetoanewlane,theFunctionfieldwillreflecttheheadingofthenewlane.

Figure13-21TheFunctionfieldautomaticallydisplaysthenameoftheswimlanethatcontainseachflowchartshape

Buildwireframes

Important

Visio2016includesarevampedsetofuserinterface(UI)designshapesthatwereinitiallyintroducedinVisio2010.Forthistopic,thekeypointofinterestabouttheredesignedshapesisthatmanyofthemareeithercontainersorlists.

Softwaredesignersusewireframeshapestocreatemockupsofdialogboxesandothervisualelementsthatwillbedisplayedbytheirapplications.WhenyouuseVisio2016tocreateamockupofadialogbox,youwillfindthattheDialogFormshapeisacontainer.Consequently,asyouaddbuttonsandcontrolstoyourdialogbox,thosebuttonsandcontrolsbecomecontainermembers.Ifyoumove,copy,ordeleteyourdialogbox,allofthecontainedshapesareautomaticallyincluded.IfyouhaveevercreatedaUImockupbyusingVisio2007orearlier,itwon’ttakemorethanamomentortwoofexperimentationtorealizehowsignificantanimprovementthisis.

SomeVisio2016UIshapesarelists,including,notsurprisingly,theListBoxcontrol.WhenyoudragoneintoaDialogFormcontainer,thelistisprepopulatedwiththreelistmembers.Youcanadd,delete,andresequencelistmembersbydraggingthem,asdescribedin“Addshapestolists”earlierinthischapter.

Asashapedesigner,youcanconfigurealisttoautomaticallyaddoneormoremembershapeswhenthelistisaddedtoapage.Creatingashapewiththatfeatureisoutsidethescopeofthisbook,butyoucanfindinformationonthissubjectatmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff959245.aspx.

Thefollowingthreefigureshighlightsomeofthecontainersandlistsinthewireframetemplate.

AddingabuttoncontroltoaDialogFormcontainerlightsuptheborderofthedialogboxshape,asshowninFigure13-22.

Figure13-22TheDialogFormshapeisacontainer

OntheleftinFigure13-23,apanelisaddedtothedialogboxcontainer.Becausethepanelshapeis,itself,acontainer,addingatabtothetopedgeofthepanelcausesthetoppanelbordertoilluminate.

Figure13-23Multiplecontainerscomprisethewireframeshapes

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutbordershapes,seethe“Ontheborder”sidebarearlierinthischapter.

Becausethepanelshapeisacontainerbutdoesn’thaveavisibleheading,youcanselectitonlybyclickingitsedges.

Thelistboxcontrolexhibitsstandardlistbehaviorwhenaddingnewlistelements,asshowninFigure13-24.

Figure13-24Alistinsideacontainerinsideacontainer

ThewireframeshapesprovidefurtherevidencethatnestedcontainersandlistsarepracticalsolutionsforcreatingVisiodiagrams.

Insertdatagraphiclegends

Important

InChapter9,“Visualizeyourdata,”youworkedwithdatagraphicsandthenaddedanautomaticallygeneratedlegendtoyourdiagram.Adatagraphiclegendisactuallyastructureconsistingofanouterlist,oneormorecontainersaslistmembers,andlistswithinthosecontainers.

Forexample,thesamelegendisshowninbothimagesinFigure13-25.Thestructureislooselyvisibleontheleft.However,afterselectingtheentirelegend,thetelltalegreenbordersareapparentontheright.Youcanidentifythreecontainers—Legend,Owner,andRisk—andtwoverticallists,oneineachoftheOwnerandRiskcontainers.

Figure13-25Datagraphiclegendsarecreatedfromlistsandcontainers

Whenyouworkwithdatagraphiclegends,youwilldiscoverthatyoucanadd,delete,rename,edit,andmovelegendcomponents,justasyoucanwiththeheadingsandmembersofanyunlockedcontainersandlists.

AnnotateshapesbyusingcalloutsManygenerationsofVisiohaveincludedmorethanthreedozencalloutsthatyoucanusetoaddcommentstoanyshapeonthedrawingpage.ThosecalloutsstillexistinVisio2016.Figure13-26showssomeexamples.

Figure13-26Sixclassiccalloutexamples

Tolocatetheclassiccallouts,intheShapeswindow,clickMoreShapes,clickVisioExtras,andthenclickCallouts.

However,usingclassiccalloutsisoftenachallengebecausefundamentallytheyarejustordinaryshapes.Forexample,allofthefollowingarecommonannoyancesoftheclassiccallouts:

Deletingtheshapetowhichacalloutisattacheddoesnotdeletethecallout,whichcanleaveorphancalloutsthroughoutyourdiagram.

Movingtheshapetowhichacalloutisattacheddoesnotmovethecallout.

Movingacalloutdisconnectsthecalloutfromtheshapetowhichit’sattachedunlessyouknowexactlywhichcontrolhandletodrag.

Visio2016structuredcalloutsbehavemorelogically,primarilybecause,likecontainersandtheirmembers,thereisanactiveassociationbetweenacalloutandtheshapetowhichit’sattached.

JustasthereisaContainergallery,thereisalsoaCalloutgallery,asshowninFigure13-27.

Figure13-27TheCalloutgalleryfeatures14calloutstyles

Figure13-28illustratesthefollowingwaysthatstructuredcalloutsappearandbehavemorelogicallythangroups:

Intheimageontheleft,selectingacallouthighlightstheshapetowhichit’sattachedbyusingafamiliargreenborder.Notethattheoppositeisnottrue:selectingtheattachedshapedoesnothighlightthecallout.

Figure13-28Structuredcalloutsareassociatedwiththeattachedshapeandremainattachedevenwhenyoumovethem

Thecalloutinthisimageisconnectedtotheshapebyavisibletail,whichmightmakethegreenhighlightseemredundant.Notallcalloutstyleshavevisibletails,however.Consequently,thisfeatureisparticularlyvaluableforthosestyles.

Inthecenterimage,movingacalloutbydraggingitappearstodisconnectit.However,whenyoureleasetheconnectoritisstillattached,asshownontheright.

Unlikecontainersandlists,calloutsdonothaveatooltabthatyoucanusetoswitchstyles.However,youcantakeadvantageoftheChangeShapesfeatureinVisiotoreplace

anycalloutstylewithadifferentone.Figure13-29usesLivePreviewandtheminitoolbartoshowhowthecalloutfromFigure13-28canbechangedtotheWordBalloonstyle.

Figure13-29AlternatecalloutstylesareavailableviatheChangeShapesfeature

Thefollowinglistsummarizesthebehaviorofnewstylecallouts:

Ifyoudeleteacallout,itdoesn’taffecttheshapetowhichitwasattached.However,ifyoudeletetheshape,thecalloutisalsodeleted.

Ifyoucopyashapethathasacalloutattached,boththeshapeandthecalloutarecopied.

Youcanattachmorethanonecallouttoashape.

Ifyoudonothaveanyshapesselectedwhenyouinsertacallout,Visioinsertsthecalloutinthecenterofthedrawingwindow.

Ifyouselectmorethanoneshapebeforeinsertingacallout,Visioattachesacallouttoeachselectedshape.

Calloutsrespondtothemesandvariants,sotheirappearanceonthepageremainsconsistentwiththerestofyourdiagram.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutconfiguringcalloutstoreadanddisplayshapedatafromtheshapetowhichtheyareattached,gotoblog.bvisual.net/2014/04/08/adding-configure-callout-functionality-to-visio-callouts/.Formoreinformationaboutcallouts,visittheVisiodevelopmentteamblogatblogs.office.com/b/visio/archive/2012/11/05/containers-and-callouts-in-visio.aspx.

Toattachacallouttoaselectedshape1.OntheInserttab,intheDiagramPartsgroup,clicktheCalloutbutton,andthenclickthecalloutstyleyouwant.

Tochangeacallouttoadifferentstyle1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•OntheHometab,intheEditinggroup,clicktheChangeShapebutton,andthen

clickthecalloutstyleyouwant.

•Right-clickthecallout,andontheminitoolbar,clicktheChangeShapebutton,andthenclickthecalloutstyleyouwant.

Torelocateacallout1.Clickanywhereonthecalloutoritstail,andthendooneofthefollowing:

•Dragthecallouttoanewlocation.

•Movethecalloutbyusingthearrowkeys.

1.Relocatetheshapetowhichthecalloutisattached.

Todetachacallout1.Selectthecallout,andthendragtheyellowcontrolfromthecenteroftheattachedshapetoanywhereoutsidetheattachedshape.

Todeleteacallout1.Dooneofthefollowing:

•Clickthecallout,andthendeleteit.

•Clicktheshapetowhichthecalloutisattached,andthendeletetheattachedshape.

Practicetasks

Understandcontainers,lists,andcalloutsTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

ComparegroupsandcontainersTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

OrganizeshapesbyusingcontainersOpentheOrganizeByContainersdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Placeanemptycontaineronthepage,andthenlabelthecontainerDatacenter.

2.PlacetheBranchOffice1shapesintoacontainer,andthenlabelthecontainerChicago.

3.AddseveralnewshapesfromtheServersstenciltotheemptycontainer.

4.AddseveralnewshapesfromtheServersstenciltotheChicagocontainer.

5.EnlargetheChicagocontainer,selectallshapesintheDatacentercontainer,andthenmovethemtotheChicagocontainer.

6.DragtwonetworkshapesfromtheChicagocontainertotheDatacentercontainer,andthenlocktheChicagocontainer.

7.DisbandtheDatacentercontainer.

8.PlacealloftheBranchOffice2shapesintoanewcontainer.

9.ChangethestyleoftheBranchOffice2container,andthenmovetheheadingtoanewlocation.

OrganizeshapesbyusinglistsOpentheOrganizeByListsdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.DragvarioussoftwareshapesintotheMyNewPClist,beingsuretoaddshapesatthetopandbottomofthelistandbetweenexistinglistmembers.

2.Moveashapefromthemiddleofthelisttothetop.

3.MakeacopyoftheMyNewPClist,andthenlockthecopiedlist.

4.DragshapesfromtheRackMountedServersstenciltotheStoreShelflist.Noticethatthelistgrowsfromlefttorightandnotfromtoptobottom.

5.MovetheStoreShelflisttoanotherpartofthepage.

FindcontainersandlistsinVisioTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

AnnotateshapesbyusingcalloutsOpentheAnnotateShapesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Attachacallouttotheparkshape,andthenassignanametothepark.

2.Attachadifferentstyleofcallouttotheairportshape.

3.Movetheairportshapeandobservethechangeinitscallout.

4.Changethelocationofthecalloutattachedtothepark.

5.Detachthecalloutfromtheairportandattachittothecityinstead.

6.Deletethecity.

7.Deletethecalloutthatisattachedtothepark.

14.Validatediagrams

Inthischapter

Practicefiles

Isyourdiagramcorrect?Arealloftheshapeslinkedastheyshouldbe?Didyoucompletealloftherequirementsforadiagramofthistype?

TheCheckDiagramfeatureinVisioProfessional2016canhelpyouanswertheseandmanyotherquestions.YouwillfindpredefinedvalidationrulesbuiltintoselectedVisiotemplates,whichisagoodplacetobeginexploringthispowerfultool.Youcanalsocreatecustomrulestocheckthevalidityofyourowndiagrams.

Important

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtovalidatingflowchart,swimlane,andBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)diagrams,andreusingexistingvalidationrulesets.Italsoprovidesreferencestolearnhowtolisttherulesinarulesetandcreatenewvalidationrules.

UnderstandVisiorulesIt’spossibletocreateavalidationruletocheckvirtuallyanyaspectofaVisiodiagram,fromasingleconditiontoasophisticatedsetofinterrelatedconditions.MultiplerulesarethengroupedintoarulesetforusebyVisio.

Forexample,aruledevelopermightcreatearuletoansweranyofthefollowingquestions:

Arethereanyshapesonthepagewithoneconnectionbutnottwo?

Arethereanyunconnectedshapesonthepage?

Arethereanyshapesderivedfromthe“widget”masterthatarelocatedonthe

bottomhalfofthepage?

Aretheremorethanthreeblueshapesonanyonepageormorethanfiveredshapesintheentirediagram?

Arethereanycontainerswithfewerthanthreeormorethansevenshapes?

ArethereanyshapesoftypeX,containingafieldnamedYwithavalueofZ?

Althoughafewoftheseexamplesmightbeabitfanciful,theyareintendedtodemonstratetheflexibilityofthevalidationcapabilityinVisio.

SixVisio2016templatesincludepredefinedbusinessrulesets:

BasicFlowchart

Cross-FunctionalFlowchart

SixSigmaDiagram

BPMNDiagram(Professionalonly)

MicrosoftSharePoint2010Workflow(Professionalonly)

MicrosoftSharePoint2016Workflow(Professionalonly)

It’salsopossibletocreateyourowncustomrulesetsforvalidatinganykindofVisiodiagram.Althoughthespecifictechniquesforeditingorcreatingcustomrulesetsarebeyondthescopeofthisbook,linkstoappropriateresourcesareinthe“Reuseexistingvalidationrulesets”and“Createnewvalidationrules”topicslaterinthischapter.

ValidateflowchartsandswimlanediagramsDespitetheirvisualdifferences,flowchartsandswimlanediagramsusethesameflowchartshapesandshareacommonvalidationruleset,asyou’lldiscoverinthefollowingsections.

ThesamerulesetisusedtovalidateSixSigmaDiagrams,althoughthischapterdoesnotincludeaSixSigmaexample.

ValidateflowchartsAgoodwaytogetstartedwiththeCheckDiagramfeatureistovalidateafamiliardiagram.Inthissection,youwillexperimentwithrulesbyapplyingthemtoaflowchartyouworkedwithinChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams.”Thereisoneimportantdifferenceintheversionusedinthissection:itcontainsdeliberateerrors.

Ifvalidationissuesexistwhenyoucheckadiagram,theyappearintheIssueswindow,asshowninFigure14-1.ClickingarulenameintheIssueswindowtypicallyhighlightsthecorrespondingshapeinthedrawingwindow.InFigure14-1,thepointerisrestingonDecisionShapeShouldHaveMoreThanOneOutgoingConnector.Asaresult,theCandidateAccepts?shapeisselected.

Figure14-1SelectingalmostanyruleintheIssueswindowselectstheoffendingshape

Clickingaruledoesnotalwaysresultinaselectedshape;somerules,bytheirnature,don’tapplytoaspecificshape.Oneexample:whenarulereportsthatashapeismissing,thereisnothingtoselect.

Youcanclickanycolumnheadertosortissuesintoadifferentsequence.Youcanalsoright-clickanywhereinsidetheIssueswindowandthenclickArrangeBytoselectadifferentsequence.

ThefactthatVisioselectsashapewhenyouclickaruleintheIssueswindowisevenmorevaluablewhentheviolationappliestoaverysmallshapeortoanobscureviolation.Forexample,youcan’ttellbylookingatthetoprowoftheflowchartinFigure14-1,butoneofthedynamicconnectorsisungluedatoneend.However,theoffendingconnector

becomesobviouswhenyouclickConnectorIsNotGluedAtBothEnds.,asshowninFigure14-2.

Figure14-2SomeissueswouldbeverydifficulttolocatewithouttheCheckDiagramfeature

Ifthegapissosmallthatyoucan’tseeanungluedconnection,whydoesitmatter?Formanydiagramsitwon’t,butitmightincertaincircumstances.Forexample,aworkflowbasedonaflowchartcouldbehaltedbyanunconnectedlink,oracustomreportthatcreatesabillofmaterialsfromanengineeringdrawingmightbeincompleteifaconnectionismissing.

TheunconnectedshapeinFigure14-2isagoodexampleofaviolationthatgeneratesmorethanoneissue.TheselectedissueandshapeinFigure14-3areactuallytheresultofthesameunderlyingerror.GluingtheconnectortotheAdvertiseOpenJobshapewillremovebotherrorsfromtheIssueswindowthenexttimeyouvalidatethediagram.

Figure14-3Sometypesoferrorsgeneratemorethanoneissue

YoucanclicktheCheckDiagrambuttonintheDiagramValidationgroupontheProcesstabatanytimetorefreshtheIssueswindow.

Notallissuesneedtobecorrected,soyoucantellVisiotoignoreanyviolation.TheissuehighlightedinFigure14-4isagoodexample.Althoughthemessageiscorrect—thedocumentshapedoesnothaveanyoutgoingconnectors—that’sacceptableforthisshapebecauseadocumentisn’taprocessstep.It’ssimplyarepresentationofaprocessartifactanddoesnotneedanoutgoingconnector.

Figure14-4Someissuescanbeignored

Ifyourdiagramhasmorethanonepageandthereareissuesonmultiplepages,theIssueswindowwillincludeaPagecolumn.

Whenyouignoreanissue,VisioremovesitfromtheIssueswindowbutdoesn’tlosetrackofit.Forexample,ignoringtheissueforthedocumentshapeinFigure14-4causesVisiotoupdatethecountofignoredissuesinthestatuslineatthebottomoftheIssueswindow,asshowninFigure14-5.

Figure14-5VisiotracksignoredissuesanddisplaysacountonthestatusbarbelowtheIssueswindow

Right-clickingintheIssueswindowprovidesoptionsbesidesIgnoreThisIssueandIgnoreRule.Youcanalsoreverseyourchoicetoignoreissuesandrules,makeignoredissuesvisibleintheIssueswindow,andchangethesortsequenceofdisplayedissues.

Important

AlthoughyoucansafelyignoretheissuedescribedinFigure14-4,otherviolationsofthesameruleshouldnotbeignored,whichiswhyVisioprovidestwooptionsforignoringanissue:IgnoreThisIssueandIgnoreRule.Thedistinctionbetweenthetwoiscritical—theformerignoresasingleissue,whereasthelatterignoresallissuescreatedbyarule.YoushoulduseIgnoreRuleverycarefully,oryoumightinadvertentlyhideimportantissues.

Tovalidateaflowchart1.OntheProcesstab,intheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheCheckDiagrambutton.

Tohighlightashapethatviolatesarule1.ClicktherulenameintheIssueswindow.

Toignoreanissue1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Right-clickthenameoftherule,andthenclickIgnoreThisIssue.

•OntheProcesstab,intheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheIgnoreThisIssuebutton.

Toignoreallissuesthatresultfromarule

•Right-clickthenameoftherule,andthenclickIgnoreRule.

•IntheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheIgnoreThisIssuearrow(notitsbutton),andthenclickIgnoreRule.

Toshoworhideignoredissues1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Right-clickintheIssueswindow,andthenclickShowIgnoredIssues.

•IntheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheIgnoreThisIssuearrow,andthenclickShowIgnoredIssues.

Tostopignoringanissueorarule1.Withignoredissuesvisible,right-clickthenameofanignoredissue,andthendoeitherofthefollowing:

•ClickStopIgnoringThisIssue.

•ClickStopIgnoringRule.

1.Withignoredissuesvisible,clickthenameofanignoredissue.

2.IntheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheIgnoreThisIssuearrow,andthendooneofthefollowing:

•ClickStopIgnoringThisIssue

•ClickStopIgnoringRule

ToclosetheIssueswindow1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•ClicktheClosebutton(X)inthecorneroftheIssueswindow.

•IntheDiagramValidationgroup,cleartheIssuesWindowcheckbox.

ValidateswimlanediagramsSwimlanediagramsarevalidatedbyusingthesamerulesetthatyouworkedwithintheprecedingsection.However,theflowchartrulesetincludesafewrulesthatapplyonlytoswimlanes.Figure14-6showsanexampleofthistypeofrule.

Figure14-6Theflowchartrulesetincludesspecialrulesforswimlanediagrams

Afteryouresolveallactiveissuesandnoignoredissuesremain,VisiodisplaysthemessageshowninFigure14-7.

Figure14-7Amessageconfirmingthatnoactivenorignoredissuesremain

Iftherearenoactiveissuesbutthediagramstillcontainsignoredissues,theIssueswindowdisplaysthemessageshowninFigure14-8.

Figure14-8Amessagenotingthatthediagramcontainsignoredissuesbutnoactiveissues

Tovalidateaswimlanediagram1.OntheProcesstab,intheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheCheckDiagrambutton.

ValidateBPMNdiagramsYouworkedwithBPMNdiagramsinChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams.”TheBPMNvalidationrulesetincludesafewrulesthataresimilartothoseusedwithflowchartsandswimlanediagrams,butthecomplexnatureofBPMNmeansthatitsrulesetalsocontainsmanyuniquerules.Bywayofcomparison,theflowchartrulesetincludes11rules,butBPMNincludes76rules.

Figure14-9showsanexampleinwhichthewrongconnectortypebetweentheStartandCheckSeatInventoryshapescausesthreeissues.

Figure14-9BPMNdiagramsincludemanyrulesthataremoresophisticated

BecauseofthepotentialcomplexityofBPMNdiagrams,thetextofmanyBPMNruledescriptionsislongerthanthewidthoftheIssueswindow.However,ifyoupositionthepointeroveranyitemintheIssueswindow,VisiodisplaysthefulltextinaScreenTip,asshowninFigure14-9.

TovalidateaBPMNdiagram1.OntheProcesstab,intheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheCheckDiagrambutton.

ReuseexistingvalidationrulesetsYoucanimportarulesetintoanydiagram.Forexample,ifyouhaveaflowchartthatwascreatedpriortoVisio2010,whichwaswhenvalidationruleswereintroduced,youcanaddrulestothediagram.

Figure14-10showsthedialogboxthatappearsifyouattempttovalidateadiagramthatdoesnotcontainanyrules.Notethatthedialogboxprovidesspecificinstructionsforaddingrules.

Figure14-10Olderdiagramsmightnotcontainrulesets

ClickingRulesToCheck,showninFigure14-11,confirmsthatthediagramcontainsnorules.

Figure14-11Therearenovalidationrulesinthecurrentdocument

Toimportaruleset1.OntheProcesstab,intheDiagramValidationgroup,clicktheCheckDiagramarrow,andthenclickImportRulesFrom.

2.Clickthenameoftherulesetyouwanttoimport.

Theflowchartrulesetisavailabletoimportintoanydiagram.Inaddition,ifyouhaveotherdiagramsopenthatcontainrulesets,youwillfindthemlistedandcanimporttheirrules.

ListtherulesinarulesetTheVisio2016userinterfacedoesnotprovideawaytolisttherulesinaruleset.However,anexperiencedMicrosoftVisualBasicforApplications(VBA)programmercanwriteashortprogramtolistalloftherulesinaset.Evenbetter,VisioMVPDavidParkerhasalreadydonetheworkforyoubyincludingcodesamplesforthisandotherdiagramvalidationpurposesinanarticlehewroteforMSDN.Althoughhewrotethearticleaboutthe2010releaseofVisio,itappliesequallytoVisio2016.

SeeAlso

Fordetailedinformationaboutrules,seeDavidParker’sarticle,“IntroductiontoValidationRulesinVisioPremium2010”atmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff847470.aspx.

Althoughnotusedinthepracticetasks,youwillfindlistingsofalloftherulesineachofthefiveVisio2016rulesetsintheVisio2016SBS\Ch14practicefilesfolder.Lookforthefive.htmlfileswhosenamesstartwiththewordRuleSets.ThelistingswereproducedbyusingDavidParker’sRulesTools,whicharedescribedinthenexttopic.

CreatenewvalidationrulesHavingseenthevaluethatrulesaddtobusinessprocessdiagrams,youmightbeimaginingwaysthatyouwouldliketovalidateotherdiagramtypes.Perhapsyouwanttodooneofthefollowing:

Verifyconnectivityinanetworkdiagram.

Ensurethatthenumberoflinksoneachnetworkdevicedoesn’texceedthemaximumallowableforthatbrandandmodelofequipment.

Confirmthateachpieceoffurnitureinanofficefloorplanwasselectedfromanapprovedlistandmeetsbudgetguidelines.

Verifythatallpartsofanelectricalschematicmeetminimumandmaximumpowerthresholds.

Ensurethatabuildingplanconformstolocalbuildingcodes.

Thegoodnewsisthatyoucanbotheditexistingrulesandcreatenewrules.ThebadnewsisthatVisiodoesnotprovideaneasymeanstoaccomplisheithertask.

OneresourceforlearningaboutcustomruledevelopmentisabriefarticlewrittenbytheVisiodevelopmentteam.AlthoughitwaswrittenforVisio2010,thearticlestillappliestoVisio2016andcanbefoundatblogs.msdn.com/b/visio/archive/2009/09/10/creating-custom-validation-rules-for-visio-2010.aspx.

ThemostcompleteresourceforlearningmoreabouteditinganddesigningvalidationrulesisabookwrittenbyDavidParker.Hisbook,MicrosoftVisio2013BusinessProcessDiagrammingandValidation(PacktPublishing,2013),providesextensive,technicalcoverageofvalidation,inadditiontodetailsaboutmanypartsofVisiothattouch,oraretouchedby,diagramvalidation.ThevalidationfeaturesofVisio2016arelargelyunchangedfromVisio2013,soDavid’sbookisstillrelevant.

DavidalsofilledasignificantgapleftbyMicrosoft:hewroteaVisioadd-incalledRulesToolsthatprovidesauserinterfaceforexploringandworkingwithvalidationrules.IfyouinstallDavid’sRulesToolsandrunVisioindevelopermode,you’llfindanadditionalgroupofbuttonsontherightendoftheProcesstab,asshowninFigure14-12.

Figure14-12TheRulesToolsgroupontheProcesstabprovidesrulemanagementfunctions

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutrunningVisioindevelopermode,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutDavidParker’sbookandaboutRulesTools,gotowww.visiorules.com.

Afteryoucreateacustomruleset,youcanimportitintoanydiagram.It’salsousefultoknowthatonediagramcancontainmultiplerulesets,asshowninFigure14-13.

Figure14-13Thecurrentdiagramcontainstworulesets

Practicetasks

UnderstandVisiorulesTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

ValidateflowchartsandswimlanediagramsOpentheValidateFlowchartsandValidateSwimlanesdiagramsinVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Validatetheflowchartdiagram.

2.ResolveorignoretheFlowchartshapehasnotextlabelissue.

3.IgnoretheFlowchartshapehasnooutgoingconnectorsandisnotaStart/Endshapeissueforthetwodocumentshapes.Donotignoretherule.

4.ResolvetheFlowchartshapehasnooutgoingconnectorsandisnotaStart/EndshapeissuefortheHirecandidateshape.

5.ResolvetheConnectorisnotgluedatbothendsissue.

6.Rerunthevalidation,andthenresolveanyremainingissues.

7.Rerunthevalidation.

8.Showtheissuesthatyoupreviouslyignored.

9.Validatetheswimlanediagram.

10.Resolveallopenissues,andthenrerunthevalidation.

ValidateBPMNdiagramsOpentheValidateBPMNdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.Validatethediagram.

2.Resolveanyopenissues.

ReuseexistingvalidationrulesetsOpentheReuseRulesdiagraminVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ImporttheFlowchartRuleSet.

2.Validatetheflowchart.

3.Resolveanyopenissues.

ListtherulesinarulesetTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

CreatenewvalidationrulesTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

15.Collaborateandpublishdiagrams

Inthischapter

Commentondiagrams

Coauthordiagrams

Practicefiles

Chapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams,”describedtechniquesforsharingVisiodiagramsinavarietyofformats,includingascollectionsofwebpages.Allofthetechniquesdescribedinthatchapterarevaluable,butsometimesyouneedmore,suchasdynamicupdatestoweb-publisheddiagrams,threadedcommentsamongteammembers,orevenlive,simultaneouscoauthoringofadiagraminprogress.

ThecombinationofVisioandtheVisioServicescomponentofMicrosoftSharePoint2016providesallofthesecapabilities.Evenbetter,twoofthosethreefeaturescanbeusedbypeoplewhodonothaveVisio,furtherextendingthepowerandreachofthediagramsyoucreate.

Important

Thischapterguidesyouthroughproceduresrelatedtostoring,viewing,andrefreshingVisiodiagramsinSharePoint,andcollaboratingbycommentingonandcoauthoringVisiodiagrams.

UnderstandVisioServicesinSharePointVisioServicesisaMicrosoftSharePointServer2016featureyoucanusetosharediagramswithpeoplewhodon’thaveVisio.TherearefourkeyadvantagestosharingdiagramsviaVisioServicesinsteadofpublishingstaticwebpagesasdescribedinChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams”:

TheVisioWebAccessbrowserviewisdynamicandreflectsnearlyalldiagramchanges.Thewebviewcanbeupdatedeitherautomaticallybyaprogramortimer,ormanuallybytheuser.

Data-connectedVisiodiagramsthatusedatagraphicsprovideparticularlyimpressiveresultswhenpublishedtoSharePoint,becausewheneverthesourcedatachanges,thedatagraphicsonthewebpagechange.

VisioServicessupportsinteractivecommentingondiagramsbymultiplepeople,regardlessofwhethertheyareusingtheVisioclientorawebbrowser.

YoucanincorporateVisiodiagramsintoSharePointappsinthefollowingways:

•YoucanembedaVisiowebdrawinginaSharePointWebPart.

•YoucancreatedynamicconnectionsbetweenWebPartsthatcontainVisiowebdrawings,andbetweenthedrawingsandothertypesofWebParts.

•YoucanusetheVisioServicesMash-upAPItoprogramdynamicchangesinthebrowserastheusernavigatesaroundadrawingortakesotheractionsonaSharePointpage.

CreatingSharePointWebPartsandappsisoutsidethescopeofthisbook.

TheVisioclientandVisioServicesusethesame.vsdxfileformat.Consequently,eitheryoucansavedirectlytoSharePointfromtheVisioclientoryoucancopyaVisiodiagramfiletoSharePointaftercreatingoreditingitlocally.

SeeAlso

ForinformationabouttheVisio.vsdxfileformat,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Inadditiontotheprecedingadvantages,theuserexperienceinthewebbrowserisenhancedinthefollowingwaysinVisiowebdrawingswhencomparedtoVisiowebsites:

Panandzoomareprovidedbyclick-and-dragtechniquesandbyrollingthemousewheel,respectively.(Othertechniquesarealsoavailable.)

Shapedataiseasiertoviewviaafloatingpropertieswindow.

Thepropertieswindowthatdisplaysshapedataalsoliststhehyperlinks,ifany,thatareattachedtotheselectedshape.

MicrosoftSilverlightisnotrequired.

OnekeyfeatureismissingfromVisiowebdrawings:full-textsearch.ItisanimportantpartofVisio-createdwebpagesbutisnotavailableindiagramssavedtoVisioServices.

Asyouplanthebestwaytousedata-linkeddiagramsinconjunctionwithVisioServices,keepinmindoneimportantlimitation,whichisthatconnectionsinadiagrampublishedtoSharePointarerefreshableonlyifyoulinkyourdiagramtooneofthefollowingdatasources:

MicrosoftExcelworkbooksthatarestoredontheSharePointsite

SharePointlists

MicrosoftSQLServertablesandviews

DatabasesaccessedviaOLEDBorODBCdrivers

LinkingtoSQLServerandOLEDB/ODBCdatabasesisnotsupportedforSharePointOnlineinMicrosoftOffice365.

Visiohasalwaysbeengoodforbuildingdata-driven,visualrepresentationsofprocesses,networks,organizations,orotherentities.WhenyouaddthecapabilitytocreatedynamicallyupdateablewebpagesviaSharePoint,Visiobecomesakeycontenderforbuildingbusinessintelligencesolutionsinalmostanyworkdomain.

FordetailedreasonstouseVisioaspartofabusinessintelligencesolution,includingnumerousexamples,refertoChapter9,“VisioandVisioServices,”inBusinessIntelligenceinMicrosoftSharePoint2013byNormWarren,MarianoNeto,StaciaMisner,IvanSanders,andScottHelmers(MicrosoftPress,2013).

ThediagramusedinthistopicwascreatedbyusingtheBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)2.0templatethatispackagedwithVisioProfessional2016.FormoreinformationaboutBPMN,refertoChapter4,“Createbusinessprocessdiagrams.”

Asnotedintheprecedingtopic,Visio2016filescanbesaveddirectlytoaSharePointserver.Visio2016makesthiseasytodobyincludingSharePointserversontheSaveAspageoftheBackstageview,asshowninFigure15-1.YoucansavedirectlytoarecentlyusedfolderorbrowsetolocateadifferentfolderonanypreviouslyconfiguredSharePointserver.

Figure15-1YoucansavedirectlytofoldersonSharePointservers

YoucanalsosavetoaSharePointsitethatisn’tlistedbyusingeitheroftwotechniques:

YoucanmakeanadhocselectionbyclickingtheBrowsebuttonandthenlocatingtheserveryouwant.

YoucanaddaservertotheSaveAsmenubyclickingtheAddAPlacebutton.

OftentheeasiestwaytoselectthefolderyouwantonthecorrectSharePointsiteistonavigatetoitfirstinyourwebbrowser.Afterlocatingthecorrectfolder,copyandpasteitsURLintotheaddressbaratthetopoftheSaveAsdialogbox.

VisioServicesoperatesthesamewayonbothin-houseSharePointserversandOffice365SharePointservers.

Regardlessofwhichtechniqueyouusetoselectaserver,theSaveAsdialogbox,showninFigure15-2,openssoyoucancompletetheaction.

Figure15-2TheSaveAsdialogboxcandisplaycontentsofeitherlocalfoldersorfoldersonSharePoint

TheSaveAsdialogboxincludesanOptionsbuttoninthelowersectionthatyoucanusetorefinehowyourdocumentissaved.ClickingtheOptionsbuttondisplaysthePublishSettingsdialogboxshowninFigure15-3.

Figure15-3YoucancontrolwhichpagesordatarefreshoptionsareavailableinthewebbrowserviewofaVisiodocument

InthePagesareaontheleft,youcanselectasubsetofthediagram’spagesiftherearesomeyoudon’twanttoincludeinyourweb-publisheddrawing.

Ifyourdiagramislinkedtooneormoredatasources,youcanusetheDataSourcesareaontherighttoallowordisallowrefreshingfromspecificsources.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutlinkingdiagramstodata,seeChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata.”

Important

NotethecommentatthetopofthePublishSettingsdialogbox:clearingthecheckboxforpagesordatasourcesinthisdialogboxeliminatesthemfromthebrowserviewofthedrawing.However,theunselectedpagesandsourcesarestillavailabletoanyonewhoopensthediagraminVisio.

TosaveadiagramtoSharePoint1.IntheBackstageview,clickSaveorSaveAs.

2.ClickthenameofanexistingSharePointsiteintheleftsideoftheSaveAspage,andthendoeitherofthefollowing:

•Clickafolderontherightside.

•ClicktheBrowsebutton.

ClickBrowse.

3.IntheSaveAsdialogbox,navigatetotheSharePointsiteandfolderwhereyouwanttosavethefile,andthenenterafilename.

4.(Optional)ClickOptions,andtheninthePublishSettingsdialogbox,selectasubsetofpagesanddatasourcestomakeavailableintheweb-renderedviewofthediagram,andclickOK.

5.ClickSave.

ViewdiagramsbyusingawebbrowserWithyourdocumentsavedinVisioServicesonSharePoint,youcanclickthefilenameinanywebbrowsertoopentheVisioWebAccessviewshowninFigure15-4.NoticethatthisviewcanincludetheShapeInfopane.

Figure15-4Thehigh-fidelityrenderingofaVisiodiagramthatisavailableviaawebbrowsercanincludeadditionalshapedetails

Ifyourdiagramislinkedtoadatasource,themessageshowninFigure15-5mightappearinyourbrowser.YoucanclicktheAllowRefreshbuttontoproceed.

Figure15-5VisioWebAccessnotifiesyouifadiagramislinkedtoadatasource

TheVisioWebAccesspaneprovidesbuttonsandcontrolsinbothuppercornersandinthelower-rightcornersoyoucanmanipulatetheviewedimageandopenotherviewingpanesortheVisioapplication.

ToviewadiagramstoredinSharePoint1.OpentheSharePointsiteinawebbrowser.

2.Navigatetothefolderthatcontainsthediagramyouwanttoview,andthenclickthefilename.

Tozoominandout1.Doanyofthefollowingbyusingthecontrolsinthelower-rightcornerofthebrowserwindow:

•ClicktheZoomOut(-)orZoomIn(+)buttontodecreaseorincreasethezoomlevel.

•Usethezoomslider.

•Clickthedisplayedpercentageandenteranewpercentage.

•ClicktheZoomToFitPageToViewbuttontoviewtheentireVisiopageinthebrowserwindow.

Rollthemousewheel.

Topanthediagram1.Clickanddraganywherewithintheviewingpane.

Toviewadifferentpage1.Intheupper-rightcorner,clickthearrownexttothecurrentpagename,andthenclickthenameofthepageyouwanttoview.

Toviewshapedata1.IftheShapeInfopaneisnotvisible,intheupper-leftcorner,clickShapeInfo.

2.Clicktheshapewhosedatayouwanttoview.

ToclosetheShapeInfopane1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•ClickShapeInfo.

•ClicktheClosebutton(X)intheupper-rightcorneroftheShapeInfopane.

Toshoworhidethecommentspane1.Intheupper-leftcorner,clickComments.

ToopenthediagraminVisio1.Intheupper-leftcorner,clickOpeninVisio.

RefreshdiagramssavedinSharePointNowthatyoucansavediagramsinSharePoint,thenextstepistomakechangestothediagramoritslinkeddatasourcetodiscoverhowthataffectsthewebview.

Forexample,youcanapplydatagraphicstothediagramshowninFigure15-4,savethechanges,andrefreshtheVisioWebAccesspanetoproducetheviewshowninFigure15-6.

Figure15-6Thewebviewdisplaystheresultsofacolor-by-valuedatagraphic

WhenyousavechangestoadiagramthatisstoredinSharePoint,VisiodisplaystwomessagesinthestatusbaratthebottomoftheVisiowindowwhilethesaveisinprogress.ThemessageintheupperhalfofFigure15-7appearsfirst,followedbythemessageinthelowerhalf.

Figure15-7Visiokeepsyouinformedaboutthesavestatusofyourdiagram

TheTheaterTicketingProcessdiagramislinkedtoanExcelworkbookthatisalsostoredinSharePointandhasthedatavaluesshowninFigure15-8.YoucancomparethedatavaluesinthisfiguretotheshapecolorsandlegendinFigure15-6.

Figure15-8ExceldatadisplayedbyExcelOnline

Important

InorderforVisioServicestohaveaccesstodatainanExcelworkbook,theworkbookmustbestoredinSharePointpriortolinkingtoitfromyourVisiodrawing.

ChangingthevaluesfortheStatusfieldtothoseshowninFigure15-9,andthenrefreshingthebrowserviewoftheVisiodiagramresultsintheviewshowninFigure15-10.

Figure15-9Updatedprocessstatusdata

Figure15-10Thecolor-by-valuedatagraphicinthewebviewofaVisiodiagramreflectschangesinthelinkeddata

TherefreshintervalfordataanddiagramsstoredinSharePointismanagedbySharePointadministrators.Ifyouusein-houseservers,diagramrefreshmighthappenimmediatelyorafterashortinterval.IfyouuseSharePointOnlineinOffice365,refreshmightbeimmediate,butevenifyouneverclicktherefreshbutton,thediagramwillupdateinamaximumoffiveminutes.

Diagramrefreshisnotlimitedtoupdatingdatagraphics.Forexample,thesecondpageoftheticketingdiagramconsistsofthefulfillmentprocessshowninFigure15-11.

Figure15-11ThePrintAndFulfillpageoftheTheaterTicketingProcess

YoumightdecidetochangethelookofthepageandupdatetheprocesstoaccommodateeTickets.Todoso,youopenthediagraminVisioandperformthefollowingactions:

AddaneTickets?decisionshapewithtwooutcomepaths.

Shiftexistingshapestotherighttoaccommodatethenewshape.

Applyanewborderstyle.

Changethetextontheexistingdecisiondiamond.

Savethechanges.

Afteryourefreshthediagram,thebrowserviewisupdatedautomaticallyandmightlooklikeFigure15-12.

Figure15-12AshapehasbeenaddedtothePrintAndFulfillpage

TheexampleinthistopicusesadiagramlinkedtoanExcelworkbook,butrememberthatyourVisiodiagramcanbelinkedtoavarietyofdatasourcesandeventomultipledatasourcesatonce.

Pictureamoreelaboratescenarioinwhich:

Aweb-rendereddiagramislinkedtoseveraldatasources.

Somedatasourcesareupdatedbypeople,butsomeareupdatedbyITsystems.

Variousdatagraphicsareattachedtotheshapesandchangecolor,size,shape,ortextlabelsastheunderlyingdatachanges.

Youcancreatepowerfuldashboardsandvisualrenderingsofday-to-dayoperationsinanyorganizationbyusingVisioandSharePoint.Bestofall,youalreadyknoweverythingthatisrequiredtomakeitwork:youcancreateadiagram,linkittodata,adddatagraphics,saveitinSharePoint,andautomaticallyormanuallyrefreshitwhenthedatachanges.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutcreatingandusingdatagraphics,seeChapter9,“Visualizeyourdata.”Forinformationaboutcreatingandlinkingtodata,seeChapter10,“Linktoexternaldata.”

Asafinalnote,youcancreateevenmoresophisticatedviewsinSharePointbyusingWebPartpages.Inthisscenario,eachWebPartcancontaindifferentitems.Forexample,oneormoreWebPartsmightcontainVisiodiagrams,whileotherWebPartsdisplaysupportingdatathatmightresideinExcel,aSharePointlist,oranotherdatasource.It’salsopossibletolinkWebPartstoeachothersothatanactioninoneWebPartupdatesthe

viewinoneormoreoftheotherWebPartsonthepage.

AlthoughbuildingWebPartpagesisoutsidethescopeofthisbook,resourcesareavailableonline,includingthesetwo:

“VisioServicesinSharePoint2013”atmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/jj164027.aspx

“ConnectaVisioWebdrawingtoanotherWebpart”atsupport.office.com/en-us/article/Connect-a-Visio-Web-drawing-to-another-Web-part-D04356A5-0E1E-46E3-9EF6-814D8CB554BF

Important

BothofthearticlescitedapplytoVisio2013andSharePoint2013.Atthetimeofthiswriting,comparableresourcesforthe2016versionsarenotyetavailable,buttheymightbebythetimeyouarereadingthis.

Torefreshthediagramview1.Doeitherofthefollowing:

•Intheupper-leftcorneroftheVisioWebAccesspane,clickRefresh.

•Waituntiltheupdateintervalforyourdiagramexpires.

CollaborateondiagramsThecollaborationcapabilitiesinVisio2016taketwoprincipalforms:commentingandcoauthoring.BothcapabilitiesrecognizethegrowingimportanceofcollaborationamonggeographicallydispersedworkersandareimplementedbyusingVisioServices,eitherviaSharePointwithinanenterpriseorSharePointOnlinethroughanOffice365subscription.CoauthoringcapabilitiesarealsosupportedwhenadiagramisstoredinOneDrive.

The“Commentondiagrams”topicthatfollowsexploresascenarioinwhichtwopeoplereadandwritecommentsinaVisiodrawing,eventhoughoneofthemdoesnotuseVisio.

The“Coauthordiagrams”topiclaterinthischapterexaminesthesimultaneouseditingcapabilitiesofVisio.

BothtopicsusethediagramshowninFigure15-13,whichwascreatedfromtheBrainstormingDiagramtemplatethatislocatedintheBusinesstemplatecategory.

Figure15-13AbrainstormingdiagramsummarizingthecommentingandcoauthoringfeaturesofVisio2016

ThecontentofthediagramusedintheremainderofthischapterisaconvenientsummaryofthecollaborationcapabilitiesofVisio2016.

CommentondiagramsCommentinginVisio2016isflexibleandincludesthefollowingfeatures:

YoucanreadandwritecommentsfromeithertheVisioclientorawebbrowser;thelatterrequiresstoringtheVisiodiagramonaSharePointserverorinSharePointOnlineinOffice365.

Youcanattachcommentstoshapesandtothedrawingpage.

Acommentindicatorappearsintheupperrightofashapeortheupperleftofapagethatcontainsacomment.

Whenyoumoveorcopyandpasteashapecontainingacomment,thecommenttravelswiththeshape.

YoucanviewallcommentsatoncebyopeningtheCommentspane.

SeeAlso

Foradditionalinformationaboutcomments,seeChapter3,“Managetext,shapes,andpages.”

Figure15-13isafull-pageviewofabrainstormingdiagramthatcontainstwocommentballoons,oneintheupper-leftcornerthatisattachedtothepage,andonenearthecenterthatisattachedtothebrainstormingshapelabeledCommenting.

Inthescenarioforthistopic,twopeoplearecollaboratingonthediagram.ScottHelmersisusingVisio2016onhiscomputer,andRebeccaLaszloisusingInternetExploreronhercomputer.

WhenScottclicksacommentindicator,Visioopensthecommentonthedrawingpage,asshowninFigure15-14.

Figure15-14ClickingacommentballooninVisiodisplaysthetextofthecomment

Figure15-15wascapturedonRebecca’scomputer.WhensheusesInternetExplorertoopentheVisiodiagram,itappearsintheVisioWebAccesspane.Then,whensheclickstheCommentsbuttonintheupperleft,sheseesScott’scomments.

Figure15-15CommentsdisplayedinthewebviewofaVisiodiagram

ThedefaultviewintheVisioWebAccesspanehidescommentindicatorsunlesstheCommentspaneisopen.However,thedefaultpresentationforcommentsinVisioistheopposite:commentballoonsarevisibleregardlessofthestateoftheCommentspane.

InFigure15-15,Rebeccaclickedthecommentballoonattachedtotheupper-leftcornerofthepage.Consequently,boththecommentballoonandtheframearoundthecorrespondingcommentintheCommentspaneareblue.

RebeccarespondstoScott’scommentsbyenteringtextintheReplyboxbeneatheachcomment.

Whenyouenteracommentviaawebbrowser,anexplicitsaveisnotrequired.WhenyouclickanywhereoutsidetheReplybox,Visioimmediatelysavesthechangestothediagram.

Meanwhile,backinVisioonScott’sPC,henoticesthatthetextUpdatesAvailablehasappearedinthelower-rightsectionofthestatusbar,asshowninFigure15-16.

Figure15-16AnotificationappearsontheVisiostatusbarwhendiagramupdatesareavailablefromtheSharePointserver

ScottclicksthewordsUpdatesAvailable,andVisioappliesthechangestohisviewofthediagram.WhenScottopenstheCommentspane,bothofRebecca’srepliesarevisible,asshowninFigure15-17.

Figure15-17TheCommentspaneinVisioshowsthreadedcomments

Attheconclusionofthiscommentingscenario,thediagramcontainsonlyfourcomments.Inadiagramthatincludesalargenumberofcomments,youcannavigatethroughthecommentsbyusingthePreviousandNextbuttonsatthetopoftheCommentspane(shownontheleftinFigure15-18).Youcanalsoselectsubsetsofcommentsbasedonlocation,timing,author,andwhetherthecommentsinthediagramareexpandedorcollapsed,byusingtheFilterBylist(shownontherightinFigure15-18).

Figure15-18Commentpaneviewingcontrols

TheVisiocommentingfeaturemakesiteasytoconnectinotherwayswithanotherpersonwhohasenteredcomments.Ifyoupointtothecommenter’snameorphotograph,eitherintheCommentspaneorinacommentdisplayedonthedrawingpage,aminicontactcarddisplaysthecontact’sphotoanduptofourwaystoconnect.TheminicontactcardissimilartotheoneshowninFigure15-24inthetopicthatfollowsthisone.

Theconnectionoptionsincludetelephone,video,email,andlivechatifbothpartiesareonlineatthesametime.Clickingthearrowinthelower-rightcorneroftheScreenTipopensacontactcardforthisperson.

ThespecificcommunicationoptionsthatappearontheScreenTip,andwhichdetailsappearonthefull-sizedcontactcard,dependontheuser’ssoftware,connectivity,andprivacysettings.Generally,ifbothusersrunSkypeforBusinessandarewithinthesameorganization,allfouroptionsshouldbeavailable.

ToshoworhidetheCommentspaneintheVisioclient1.OntheReviewtab,intheCommentsgroup,clicktheCommentsbutton.

ToshoworhidetheCommentspaneinawebbrowser1.IntheupperleftoftheVisioWebAccesspane,clickComments.

ToaddacommentintheVisioclient1.Right-clickashapeorablankplaceonthepage,andthenclickAddComment.

1.Clickashapeorablankplaceonthepage.

•OntheReviewtab,intheCommentsgroup,clicktheNewCommentbutton.

•OpentheCommentspane,andthenclickNewComment.

Toaddacommentinawebbrowser1.OpentheCommentspane.

2.Clickashapeorablankplaceonthepage,andthenintheCommentspane,clickNew.

TofilterthecommentsintheCommentspaneintheVisioclient1.IntheCommentspane,clicktheFilterbyarrow,andthenclickthefiltertypethatyouwant.

ToshoworhidecommentindicatorsintheVisioclient1.OntheReviewtab,intheCommentsgroup,clicktheCommentsarrow,andthenclickRevealTags.

ToapplydiagramupdatesintheVisioclient1.Onthestatusbar,clickUpdatesAvailable.

Toapplydiagramupdatesinawebbrowser1.IntheupperleftoftheVisioWebAccesspane,clickRefresh.

ToviewacommentintheVisioclientorwebbrowser1.Clickthecommentindicator.

ToeditacommentintheVisioclientorwebbrowser1.Clickthetextofthecomment,enterchanges,andthenclickoutsidethetextofthecomment.

ToreplytoacommentintheVisioclientorwebbrowser1.ClicktheReplyboxbeneaththecommenttowhichyouwanttorespond.

TodeleteacommentorareplyintheVisioclientorwebbrowser1.ClicktheClosebutton(X)inthecornerofthecommentorreply.

CoauthordiagramsCoauthoringinVisio2016meansthatmultiplepeoplecaneditthesamediagramsimultaneouslywhenthediagramisstoredonOneDrive,SharePoint,orSharePointOnline.Nothingelseisrequiredotherthanopeningthedrawing—coauthoringisautomatic.

IntheVisio2016implementation,shapesandpagesarenotlockedduringacoauthoringsession.TheassumptionisthattherearesomanypossiblethingstochangeinaVisiodiagramthatit’sunlikelytwopeoplewillbechangingexactlythesamethingatthesametime.Ontherareoccasionthatdoesoccur,thelastchangewins.

Topreventpossibleconflictsandtohelpeveryoneworkingonadiagramunderstandwhatishappening,Visioprovidesseveralmarkersintheupper-rightcornerofashapeduringcoauthoringsessions.Themarkersindicatewhenanotheruseriseditingsomeaspectofashape(theleftimageinFigure15-19),whenchangestoashapehavebeensynchronizedamongauthors(center),andwhenanotherauthorhasdeletedashape(right).

Figure15-19CoauthoringindicatorsappearontheupperrightofaVisioshape

ClickingthechangeindicatorsshownontheleftandrightinFigure15-19tellsyouwhichauthorismakingthatchange.

Important

Normally,ifonecoauthordeletesashapeandthensaveschanges,theshapewilldisappearfromotherauthors’diagramswhentheyapplyupdates.Thereisanimportantexception:theshapeisretainedandmarkedasshownontherightinFigure15-19ifoneofthecoauthorsmadewhatVisiodeterminestobesignificantchangestotheshape.Ifthatauthorthensavesthediagram,Visioreinstatestheshapeforallauthorsandaddsadifferentindicatoricon.

Itispossibleformorethanonemarkericontoappearatthesametime.Inaddition,undercertaincircumstances,VisiomightaddacommentliketheoneshowninFigure15-20.

Figure15-20Visiowarnsyouofpotentialoverlapconditions

ThestatuslineatthebottomoftheVisiowindowalsoshowsimportantcoauthoringinformation,suchasthefollowing:

Towardtheleftendofthestatusbar,aniconindicatesthatotherusersareeditingthediagramanddisplayshowmanyaredoingso.Pointingtoorclickingtheiconcanprovideadditionaldetails.

•Eachtimeanewcoauthoropensthediagram,heorsheisannouncedinatext

balloon,asshowninFigure15-21.

Figure15-21Newcoauthorsareannouncedwhentheyopenadiagram

•Atanytimeaftertheannouncementboxhasdisappeared,pointingtotheiconpromptsyoutoclickfordetails,asshowninFigure15-22.

Figure15-22ScreenTiptextdescribeshowtoviewalistofcoauthors

•Clickingtheiconproducesalistofcoauthorswithgreenpresenceindicators,asshowninFigure15-23.

Figure15-23Photos,ifavailable,aredisplayedwiththenamesofcoauthors

Pointingtooneofthecoauthor’snamesproducestheshortformcontactcardshowninFigure15-24;thecardindicateshowthepersoncanbecontactedviaaseriesoficons.ThenumberofilluminatediconsdependsontheconnectivityavailablefortheauthorsandwhetherbothareusingSkypeforBusiness.

Figure15-24AminicontactcardforScottHelmers

Clickingthearrowinthelower-rightcorneryieldsafullcontactcardthatdisplaysasmuchinformationaboutthecoauthorasthatpersonhaschosentomakeavailable.

Towardtherightendofthestatusbar,youwillsometimesfindseveraltransientmessagesthatwereshownearlierinthischapterinFigure15-7andFigure15-16.

Important

Unlikecommenting,coauthoringisnotpossibleviaawebbrowser.AllauthorsmustusetheVisioclient,viaeitheradesktopsoftwarelicenseoraVisioProforOffice365subscription.

Thecommentingscenariofromtheprecedingtopiccontinueshere;theopeningstateofthediagramisshowninFigure15-13earlierinthischapter.Afterexchangingcomments,ScottandRebeccadecidetoworktogetheroneditingpartofthediagram.

RebeccastartsVisioandopensthediagramfromtheSharePointsite.HerfirstactionistoaddtexttotheshapethatdescribestheroleofSharePointincoauthoring.Shewantstoclarifythatcoauthoringappliestocorporate(on-premises)SharePointinstallationsandtoSharePointOnline.Consequently,shemakesthechangeshowninFigure15-25.

Figure15-25Rebeccaeditedtextononeshape

InhiscopyofVisio,Scottreceivesthetextchangesalongwithanotificationmarkerthatisattachedtothealteredshape,asshowninFigure15-26.

Figure15-26ScottseesevidenceofRebecca’schanges.

Meanwhile,RebeccadecidestodeletetheOneDriveshape.Whenshedoesso,Visioalsoremovesthearrowleadingtoit.BothchangesareshowninFigure15-27.

Figure15-27RebeccadeletedtheOneDriveshape

NotknowingyetthatRebeccaisdeletingashape,Scottdecideshelikesthechangeshe

madetotheSharePointshape,andchoosestomakethefollowingedits:

Hetakesadvantageofabrainstormingtemplatefeaturetochangetheshapetypebyright-clickingtheshapeandselectingtheCloudsymbol.

HechangesthetextontheOneDriveshapetoOneDriveforBusiness.

HeincreasestheheightofboththeOneDriveforBusinessandtheSharePoint(Corporate)cloudshapes.

WhenRebeccasavesherchangesthatincluderemovingashape,Scottisnotifiedbytheshape-deletedsymbolsthatappearontheOneDriveForBusinessshapeandthearrowpointingtoit,asshowninFigure15-28.

Figure15-28Scottnoticesshapedeletedindicators

Scottimmediatelysaveshischanges,whichpreservestheshapeRebeccadeleted.Inaddition,thenexttimeRebeccaappliesupdatestoherdiagram,theOneDriveforBusinessshapewillreappear.

Important

IfScotthadnotpreviouslymadechangestothesameshapeRebeccadeleted,theshapewouldhavebeendeletedfromhisdiagramalso.

Finally,whenbothScottandRebeccahavesavedchanges,thediagramappearsinfinalform,asshowninFigure15-29.

Figure15-29Thefinal,jointlyediteddocument

Tobegincoauthoring1.OpenadiagramlocatedineitherOneDriveforBusinessorSharePoint.

Todeterminewhoelseiseditingthesamediagram1.ClicktheAuthorseditingthisdocumentindicatorontheVisiostatusbartorevealalistofallcoauthors.

Tofindcontactinformationforacoauthor1.Clickthenameofthecoauthorafteropeningthelistofcoauthors.

Toapplyupdatesmadebyacoauthor1.ClicktheUpdatesRequiredbuttonontherightsideoftheVisiostatusbar.

Commentondiagrams

Coauthordiagrams

Practicetasks

Important

ThetasksforalltopicsinthischapterrequireaccesstoVisioServicesonaSharePoint2016server.VisioServicesareavailablewithaSharePointServer2016EnterpriseClientAccessLicense(ECAL)orbyusingSharePointOnlineinOffice365.

UnderstandVisioServicesinSharePointTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

StorediagramsinSharePointStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

•CreateadiagrambyusinganyoftheVisio2016templates.

•OpenanexistingVisio2016diagram.

2.SavethediagramtoSharePoint.

1.CopyaVisiodiagramtoafolderonaSharePointsite.

ViewdiagramsbyusingawebbrowserStartawebbrowser,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ClickthenameofaVisiodiagramlocatedinaSharePointsite.

2.Zoominandoutonthediagram.

3.Pantheviewingareaofthediagram.

4.Ifthediagramhasmultiplepages,viewadifferentpage.

5.OpentheShapeInfopaneandviewdataforoneormoreshapes.

6.ClosetheShapeInfopane.

7.OpentheCommentspane.

8.OpenthediagraminVisio.

RefreshdiagramssavedinSharePointStartawebbrowser,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

1.ViewaVisiodiagramthatisstoredonSharePointandislinkedtodata.

2.Makechangestodatavaluesinthedatasource.

3.Makechangestotheshapesononeormorepagesinthediagram.

4.Refreshthebrowserview.

CollaborateondiagramsTherearenopracticetasksforthistopic.

CommentondiagramsStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

•OpenanexistingVisio2016diagramthatisstoredinSharePoint.

•EithercreateadiagrambyusinganyoftheVisio2016templatesoropenanexistingVisio2016diagram,andthensavethediagramtoSharePoint.

2.Haveacolleagueviewthesamediagraminawebbrowser,andthenopentheCommentspane.

3.EnterseveralcommentsbyusingVisio.

4.Enterseveralcommentsbyusingthewebbrowser.

5.Replytotheotherperson’scomments.

6.Deleteacomment.

CoauthordiagramsStartVisio,andthenperformthefollowingtasks:

•OpenanexistingVisio2016diagramthatisstoredinSharePoint.

•EithercreateadiagrambyusinganyoftheVisio2016templatesoropenanexistingVisio2016diagram,andthensavethediagramtoSharePoint.

2.HaveacolleagueopenthesamediagraminVisio.

3.Determinethenameofthecolleaguewhoiscoauthoringwithyou.

4.Locatecontactinformationforyourcolleague.

5.Makechangestothediagramandhaveyourcolleaguedothesame,andthensavechanges.

6.Applyupdatesmadebyyourcolleague.

AppendixA.Lookbehindthecurtain

Visio2016servestwodistinctcommunitiesthatsometimesoverlap.Ononehand,therearepeoplewhocreatediagramsbyusingjustthetoolsinthestandarduserinterface.Thediagramstheycreatemightbesimpleorsophisticated,butthisgroupofpeoplecompletestheirdiagramswithoutneedingtolook“behindthecurtain.”ThesecondgroupofpeoplelovestopushVisiobeyonditsoff-the-shelfcapabilitiesbyexploringandmodifyingtheShapeSheetorbywritingcodetodrivethebehaviorofVisio.

ThepurposeofthisappendixisnottoturnmembersofthefirstgroupintocodersandShapeSheetdevelopers.However,youcanaccomplishsomuchmorewithVisioifyouhavejustalittlebitofextraknowledge.Consequently,thegoalforthisappendixistoequipyouwithafewextratips,techniques,andtoolssoyoucancustomizeVisioandcreateevenmoreinteresting,attractive,andfunctionaldiagrams.

CustomizetheVisiouserinterfaceVisio2016employsthefamiliarandeasilycustomizableribbonandQuickAccessToolbaruserinterface.

CustomizetheribbonYoucanalterthebuilt-intabsontheribbonbyaddingorremovingbuttons(althoughnotallbuttonscanberemoved).Youcanalsodesignyourowntabstoholdyourmostfrequentlyusedbuttons.

YoubeginbyopeningtheVisioOptionsdialogbox,whichyoucandoineitheroftwoways:

Right-clickanunusedareaoftheribbon,andthenclickCustomizeTheRibbon.

ClicktheFiletabtodisplaytheBackstageview,clickOptions,andthenclickCustomizeRibbon.

TheleftsideoftheVisioOptionsdialogboxpresentsallpossibleVisiocommandsandfunctions,organizedintoeightgroupsinthelistnamedChooseCommandsFrom.OneofthegroupsisAllCommands,andasthenamesuggests,itprovidesafulllistofallpossibleVisiocommands,includingthosethatarenotconfiguredtoappearontheribbon.

Ifyoupointtoanycommandinthissection,aScreenTipindicatesitslocationontheribbon.Forexample,thepointerinFigureA-1isrestingonAutomaticResize,acommandthatisontheFormattabintheContainerToolstabgroup.Ifyoupointtoacommandthatisnotontheribbon,theScreenTipbeginswiththewordsCommandsNotInTheRibbon.

FigureA-1CreatingacustomtabontheVisioribbon

TherightsideoftheVisioOptionsdialogboxcontrolsthesequenceandnamesoftabs,groups,andbuttons.Eachtabandgroupcanbeexpandedorcollapsedbyclickingtheplusorminussigninfrontofthename.Inaddition,tabscanbeincludedorexcludedfromtheribbonbyselectingorclearingtheappropriatecheckbox.

Tocreateyourowntab,clicktheNewTabbuttonlocatedinthelower-rightsideofthedialogbox,andthenaddandarrangebuttonsfromthoseavailableontheleft.YoucancreategroupsbyclickingtheNewGroupbutton,andthenrenametabsorgroupsbyclickingtheRenamebutton.Finally,youcanchangethepositionofyournewtabrelativetotheothertabsontheribbonbyusingtheMoveUpandMoveDownarrowslocatedontherightsideoftheMainTabsarea.

YoucanrestoretheQuickAccessToolbarandtheribbontoacleanstartingstatebyclickingtheResetbuttonthatislocatedinthelower-rightcorneroftheVisioOptionsdialogbox.

FigureA-1showsthesettingsforatabnamedMyTabtowhichseveralbuttonshavebeenaddedinagroupnamedMyFavoriteButtons.

BecauseitislocatedbelowtheDeveloperentryontherightinFigureA-1,thenewtabispositionedtotherightoftheDevelopertab,asshowninFigureA-2.

FigureA-2Atabwithuser-selectedbuttons

Ifyoucreateacombinationoftabsandbuttonsthatyoulikeandwanttousethemonanothercomputerorsharethemwithcolleagues,usetheImportandExportbuttonsinthelower-rightcornerofthedialogboxinFigureA-1.

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutcustomizingribbontabs,gotooffice.microsoft.com/en-ca/visio-help/customize-the-ribbon-HA010355697.aspx.

CustomizetheQuickAccessToolbarTheQuickAccessToolbarresidesintheupper-leftcorneroftheVisiowindowandprovideseasyaccesstocommonlyusedfunctions.Visioprovidesadefaultsetofbuttons,butyoucanaddbuttons.Onetechniqueistoright-clickanybuttonontheribbon,suchastheNewCommentbuttonshowninFigureA-3,andthenclickAddToQuickAccessToolbar.TheresultofaddingtheNewCommentbuttonisvisibleinFigureA-4.

FigureA-3CustomizingtheQuickAccessToolbar

FigureA-4SelectanyoptionsonthismenutoaddthemtotheQuickAccessToolbar

ThepointerinFigureA-4isrestingonthearrowattherightendoftheQuickAccessToolbarthatprovidesalistofcommonfunctionsyoucanaddtoorremovefromthetoolbarwithaclick.Ifyouwanttoaddbuttonsthatarenotontheshortcutmenu,clickMoreCommandstodisplaytheQuickAccessToolbarpageoftheVisioOptionsdialogbox.YoucanusetheQuickAccessToolbarpagetoadd,remove,orrearrangetoolbarbuttons,justasdescribedfortheribbonintheprecedingsection.(YoucanalsodisplaythetoolbarconfigurationpagebyclickingOptionsintheBackstageview,andthen,intheVisioOptionsdialogbox,clickingQuickAccessToolbar.)

FigureA-5showsoneconvenientcombinationoffileandwindowmanagementfunctionsthatyoucanaddtotheQuickAccessToolbar.Itincludes,fromlefttoright,Open,OpenRecentFile,Save,SaveAs,PublishAsPDFOrXPS,Undo,Redo,SwitchWindows,andTouch/MouseMode.

FigureA-5AhighlycustomizedQuickAccessToolbar

AlthoughtheQuickAccessToolbarusuallyshowsfileandwindowmanagementfunctions,don’trestrictyourthinkingtothosecategories.Doyouuseacertainfillcolorregularly?DoyoufrequentlyopenandclosetheShapeDatawindow?DoyoufrequentlyusetheCheckDiagrambutton?YoucanaddthoseandalmostanyotherbuttontotheQuickAccessToolbar.

CreatecustomshapesandstencilsSeveralchaptersinthisbookdescribetechniquesforcreatingandalteringVisioshapes.Whenyoucreateshapesyouwouldliketoreuse,youcandragthemintoanyopenstencil.

Youcanalsocreateacustomstencil:intheShapeswindow,clickMoreShapes,andthenclickeitherNewStencil(USUnits)orNewStencil(Metric).AnewstencilheaderappearsintheShapeswindowanddisplaysaredasteriskontherightendtoindicatethatthe

stencilisopen,asshowninFigureA-6.

FigureA-6Auser-createdstencilisopenintheShapeswindow

LikeallVisio2016stencils,thenewstencilisdividedintotwopartsbyahorizontalgrayline.InFigureA-6,thelineisvisiblebelowthewordsDropQuickShapeshere.Ifyoupositionamastersoitisoneofthefirstfourabovethegrayline,itwillappearontheQuickShapesmenu.Ifyoupositionitbelowtheline,itwillbeinthestencilbutwillnotbeoneoftheQuickShapes.

Whenyoudragashapeintoanopenstencil,VisioassignsapreviewimageandanameintheformofMaster.n,wherenisaninteger.Inaddition,theredasteriskchangestoadisketteicon,indicatingthatthestencilcontainsatleastoneunsavedchange.

Atthispoint,youcandragyournewmasterontothedrawingpagetocreateashape.Ifyouwanttomakethemastermoreusefulinthefuture,youcangiveitamoremeaningfulnamebyusingoneofthefollowingtechniques:

Right-clickthenewmaster,andthenclickRenameMaster.

Double-clickthecurrentmastername(donotdouble-clicktheicon).

Selectthemaster,andthenpressF2.

Regardlessofwhichtechniqueyouuse,enteraname,andthenpressEnter.

Important

Ifyouwanttocreatenewmastersfromseveralshapes,youmustdragtheshapesintothestenciloneatatime.Ifyoudragmultipleshapesintothestencilatthesametime,Visiowillgrouptheshapesandcreateasinglemaster.

Tosaveyourstencil,right-clickthestencilheader,andthenclickSave.Bydefault,theSaveAsdialogboxopenstoaspecialfoldernamedMyStencilsthatislocatedinyourWindowsDocumentsfolder.WhenyouenteranameandclickSave,yournewstencilnameappearsonthestencilheader.

ThenewstencilisavailableforuseinanyVisiodiagram.Toopenit,pointtoMore

Shapes,andthenpointtoMyShapes.Amenucontainingalistofanystencilsyou’vesavedintheMyShapesfolderappears.AsshowninFigureA-7,threestencilsandafoldernamedCustomNetworkShapescontainadditionalstencils.AsistrueforthestencilsthatcomewithVisio,youcanclickastencilnametoopenitintheShapeswindow.

FigureA-7CustomstencilsareeasilyaccessedwhenstoredintheMyShapesfolder

SeeAlso

Tolearnmoreabouttheinteractionsamongstencils,masters,andshapes,referto“VisioStencils,MastersandShapes:Howaretheyrelated?”writtenbyScottA.HelmersandpublishedbyExpertsExchangeatrdsrc.us/VXpJrB.

RunindevelopermodeWhenyoudecidetostepbeyondtheranksofordinaryVisiousers,oneofthefirstthingsyoushoulddoisrunVisioindevelopermode.Don’tletthenamefrightenyou—therearenoprogrammingorhardcoretechnicalrequirementsforrunningVisiointhismode.

Theprimaryadvantageofdevelopermodeiseasyaccesstoseveralusefulfeatures.Indevelopermode,youcanperformthefollowingfunctions:

CreateandrunmacrostoautomateVisiofunctions.

Manageadd-inprograms.

AddcustomcontrolstoVisioshapes.

Designnewshapesandalterthelookandbehaviorofexistingshapes.

Createnewstencils.

View“behindthescenes”partsofVisiodocuments,mostnotably,theShapeSheet.

SeeAlso

FormoreinformationabouttheShapeSheet,see“ViewandmodifytheShapeSheet”laterinthisappendix.

OpenandclosetheDrawingExplorerpane.YoucanusetheDrawingExplorertonavigatetoandexaminemanydiagramcomponents,includingpages,shapes,masters,themes,anddatagraphics.

TheDevelopertabisalwaysavailableinVisiobutisinactivebydefault.Toactivatedevelopermode,clickOptionsintheBackstageview.ThenontheleftsideoftheVisioOptionsdialogbox,clickCustomizeRibbon.Ontherightsideofthedialogbox,selecttheDevelopercheckbox,asshowninFigureA-8.

FigureA-8ActivatingtheDevelopertabintheVisioOptionsdialogbox

Afteryouactivatedevelopermode,themostobviousdifferenceistheappearanceoftheDevelopertabontheribbon,asshowninFigureA-9.

FigureA-9TheDevelopertabontheribbon

DevelopermodealsoaddstheShowShapeSheetentrytotheshortcutmenuforevery

Visioobject,asshowninFigureA-10.

FigureA-10Indevelopermode,theshortcutmenuforashapeincludesalinktoopentheShapeSheet

ThereisnodownsidetorunningVisioindevelopermode,evenifyoudon’tregularlyusethefeaturesitprovides.

SeeAlso

Formoreinformationaboutrunningindevelopermode,gotowww.visguy.com/2015/06/19/how-to-show-the-developer-ribbon-tab-and-why.

ControlshapepropertiesandbehaviorTheShapeDesigngroupontheDevelopertabincludesthreebuttonsyoucanusetoviewandsetselectedshapeproperties:

ShapeNameThisbuttondisplaysadialogboxinwhichyoucanviewkeyshapeattributessuchasthenameoftheshapeandthenameofthemasterfromwhichitwasderived.

BehaviorYoucanusethedialogboxthatopenswhenyouclickthisbuttontoadjustpropertiesofbothshapesandgroups.ExamplesofthesettingsincludeResizeBehavior,GroupBehavior,Double-Clickbehavior,andshaperoutingandplacement.

ProtectionYoucanusethedialogboxthatopenswhenyouclickthisbuttontolockalmost20shapeattributes,includingWidth,Height,XPosition,YPosition,andText.Youcanalsopreventashapefrombeingdeletedorformatted.

ViewandmodifytheShapeSheet

Important

YoumustberunningVisioindevelopermodetoaccesstheShapeSheet.

ThefollowingthreeelementscombinetogiveVisioitspowerandversatility:

VisioengineThisisthepreprogrammedheartofVisio.

Add-inprogramsThesetypicallyextendVisiobyprovidingfeaturesthattheVisioenginedoesnot.TheyarecreatedbyMicrosoft,othersoftwarecompanies,orindividuals.

ShapeSheetThisisaspreadsheet-likedatastorethatexistsbehindeveryobjectinVisio.Everytwo-dimensionalshape,everyline,everycontainer,everypage,andeventhedocumentitself,hasaShapeSheet.ThevaluesandformulasintheShapeSheet,inconjunctionwiththeVisioengineandadd-incode,controleveryaspectoftheappearanceandbehaviorofVisioobjects.

Forthetechnicallyinclined,youmightprefertothinkoftheShapeSheetasawindowintopartsoftheVisioobjectmodel.

ToviewtheShapeSheetforanyshapeonthedrawingpage,selecttheshape,andthenontheDevelopertab,intheShapeDesigngroup,clicktheShowShapeSheetbutton.ToviewtheShapeSheetforthepageorthedocument,clicktheShowShapeSheetarrow(notthebutton)andchooseamenuentry.

ThereisaquickalternativemethodforopeningtheShapeSheetforeachofthethreeprimarytypesofVisioobjects:

ShapeRight-clicktheshape,andthenclickShowShapeSheet.

PageRight-clickthepagebackground,andthenclickShowShapeSheet.

DocumentRight-clickthepagebackground,holddowntheShiftkey,andthenclickShowShapeSheet.

ThecellsintheShapeSheetareorganizedintosectionsandeachsectionhasaspecificformat.InFigureA-11,somesectionsareopenandvisible,suchasShapeTransform,andsomeareclosed,suchasProtection.Youcanopenorcloseanysectionbyclickingthebluesectionheader.

FigureA-11TheDesigntooltabprovidesShapeSheet-specificfunctionswhenevertheShapeSheetisopen

TheShapeDatasection,notshowninthisfigure,isthehomefortheattributesandvaluesforallshapedatafields.VisiodevelopersoftenstoredatathereinadditiontotheUser-DefinedCellssection,theheaderofwhichisvisibleinFigureA-11.

YoucanuseShapeSheetcellsfortwopurposes:toobservethecurrentattributesofaVisioobjectortochangetheobject’sappearanceorbehavior.YoudothelatterbyenteringeitheraconstantoraformulaintoaShapeSheetcell.ExamplesofbothappearinFigureA-11,whichshowspartofaShapeSheetforarectangularshape.

TheWidthcellintheShapeTransformsectionfortherectanglehasavalueofoneinch,sotheshapeonthepageisexactlyoneinchwide.Ifyoudrageithertheleftorrightresizehandleontheshape,thevalueintheWidthcellwillchangetoreflectthenewwidth.Conversely,ifyouenteradifferentvalueintotheWidthcell,theshapeonthepagewillreactaccordingly.

IncontrasttothatcellistheformulaWidth*2intheHeightcell.Thisformulaensuresthattheheightoftherectanglewillalwaysbetwotimesitswidth.IfyouchangethewidthoftheshapebydraggingaresizehandleorbyenteringanewnumberintotheWidthcell,the

heightoftheshapewilladjustautomatically.

JustasmanuallychangingthewidthoftherectangleoverwritesthevalueintheWidthcell,thesameistruefortheformulaintheHeightcell.Ifyoudragtheresizehandlestochangetheheightoftheshape,Width*2willbeoverwrittenbythenewheightvalue.

It’simportanttorecognizethattheramificationsofoverwritingaformulacanbemoresignificantthanoverwritingavalue—byoverwritingaformula,youarechangingthebehavioroftheshape.Inourexample,theheightoftherectanglewillnolongerchangeinresponsetochangesinthewidth.

OnewaytopreventaformulafrombeingoverwrittenisbyusingaShapeSheetfunctionnamedGUARD().InformationaboutShapeSheetfunctionsisintheSoftwareDeveloper’sKitthatiscitedinthelistattheendofthistopic.

Width*2isobviouslyasimpleformula.ManyVisioshapesemploymuchmorecomplexformulas.Inaddition,therearedozensofShapeSheetfunctionsthatcanbepartofaformulaandcantakeactionssuchasreadingdatafromothercellsinthisShapeSheet,readingdatafromtheShapeSheetsofotherobjectsinthedocument,performingsophisticatedcalculations,settingavaluebasedonan“if”condition,triggeringactionsinthedrawing,andrespondingtoevents.

TheformulaintheLineColorcellintheLineFormatsectionshowninFigureA-11providesanexample.TheTHEME()functionretrievesthedefaultlinecolorusedinthecurrentthemeandappliesittothelineonthisshape.Ifauserappliesadifferentthemetothediagram,thelinecolorforthisshapeautomaticallychangestothelinecolorinthenewtheme.

SeeAlso

ForinformationaboutVisiothemes,seeChapter6,“Addstyle,color,andthemes.”

Asasecondexample,lookattheformulaforLinePatternintheLineFormatsection.TheIF()functioninthatcellisinterpretedthisway:iftheheightoftheshapeislessthanorequalto2inches,setthelinearoundtheshapetopatternnumber1;iftheheightisgreaterthan2inches,setthelinepatternto4.TheresultsofthisformulaareapparentinthetwoshapesshowninFigureA-12,andareasfollows:

Fortherectangleontheleft,thewidthis1inch,whichmeanstheheightis2inches;asaresult,thelinepatternissetto1(asolidline).

Fortherectangleontheright,thewidthis1.25inches,sotheheightnowexceeds2inches,andthelinepatternhaschanged.

FigureA-12ShapeappearancechangedasaresultofaShapeSheetformula

Ifyouwouldliketoexperimentwitharectangleconfiguredliketheonejustdescribed,opentheViewShapeSheetdiagramlocatedintheVisio2016SBS\AppApracticefilefolder.

Theprecedingexampleisasimpleone,butitshouldhelpyoutounderstandthecentralroleplayedbytheShapeSheet.ItshouldalsohelpyourealizethatonesectioninanappendixtoabooklikethiscanbarelyscratchthesurfaceoftheusesandfunctionsoftheShapeSheet.UsethefollowingreferencestocontinueyourexplorationoftheVisioShapeSheet:

UK-basedVisioMostValuableProfessional(MVP)JohnGoldsmithstartedhisVisioblogin2007withaconcise,nicelyorganizedtutorialontheShapeSheet,whichcanbefoundatvisualsignals.typepad.co.uk/vislog/2007/10/just-for-starte.html.BesuretocheckoutotherpostsonJohn’sblogforadditionalShapeSheet-relatedexamples.

TwootherVisioMVPsblogregularlyaboutabroadarrayoftopicsandfrequentlydescribeclevermanipulationsoftheShapeSheet:

•ChrisRoth,alsoknownasTheVisioGuy,atwww.visguy.com

•DavidParkeratblog.bvisual.net

TheaforementionedDavidParkerwroteabookondiagramvalidationthatiscitedinChapter14,“Validatediagrams.”Chapter3ofDavid’sbookisavailableatmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg144579.aspx;thefirstthirdofthechapterisanexcellentShapeSheetoverview.

TheultimatereferencefortheShapeSheetiscontainedintheVisioSoftwareDevelopmentKit(SDK).Asofthiswriting,the2016SDKisnotavailable,butthe2013versionisstillvalid.Youcanviewitatmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff768297.aspxordownloaditfromwww.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36825.

RecordandrunmacrosAswithmostoftheprogramsintheMicrosoftOfficesuite,youcanrecordandrunmacrosinVisio.Amacroisastoredsetofinstructions.Macrosareagreatwaytoperformrepetitiveactions:yourecordasetofactionsonceandcanreplayitasmanytimesasyou’dlike.Tostartrecordingamacro,clicktheMacrobuttonthatislocatedtotherightoftheLanguagesectionoftheVisiostatusbar.ThebuttonisshownontheleftinFigureA-13.

FigureA-13Theappearanceofthemacrobuttonchangeswhenamacroisrunning

IntheRecordMacrodialogboxthatopens,clickOKtobeginrecording.Notethattheappearanceofthebuttonchangestoasquarestopbutton,asshownontherightinFigureA-13.Whenyoucompletethestepsyouwanttocapture,clickthesamebuttonagain.

Important

Themacrorecorderdoesnotrecordmousemovementsorspecifickeystrokes.Instead,itrecordstheinstructionsthatproducetheresultofyouractions.

Torunamacrothatyou’verecorded,ontheViewtab,intheMacrosgroup,clicktheMacrobutton.SelecttheappropriatemacrointheMacrosdialogbox,andthenclickRun.

Althoughyouarenotrequiredtobeindevelopermodetorecordandrunmacros,youcandoboththingsveryeasilybyusingbuttonsintheCodegroupontheDevelopertab.

SeeAlso

ForinformationabouttheDevelopertab,see“Runindevelopermode”earlierinthisappendix.

MacrosecurityinVisio

ThedefaultsecuritysettingformacrocodeisDisableAllMacrosWithNotification.ThismeansthatVisioopensanydiagramcontainingmacrosinprotectedmodeanddisplaysasecuritywarningbarabovethedrawingpage,asshowninFigureA-14.

FigureA-14Visiodisplaysawarningwhenyouopenadiagramthatcontainsamacro

Ifyouignorethewarning,youwillbeabletoeditthedrawingbutnotrunmacros.IfyouclickEnableContent,thedrawingwillcloseandreopenwithmacrosenabled.

Tochangemacrosecuritysettings,clickOptionsintheBackstageview.IntheleftpaneoftheVisioOptionsdialogbox,clickTrustCenter,andthenclicktheTrustCenterSettingsbuttononthefarright.WhentheTrustCenterdialogboxopens,asshowninFigureA-15,clickMacroSettingsifit’snotalreadyselected.

FigureA-15TheMacroSettingspageoftheTrustCenter

IntheMacroSettingssectionofthedialogbox,clickwhicheversettingmeetsyourneeds,andthenclickOK.

IfyouarerunningVisioindevelopermode,youcanviewtheMacrosettingswithasingleclick:ontheDevelopertab,intheCodegroup,clickMacroSecurity.

ProgramVisiobyusingVisualBasicforApplicationsMicrosoftVisualBasicforApplications(VBA)isthebuilt-inprogramminglanguagethataccompaniesmostMicrosoftOfficeapplications.WithVBA,youcanextendorchangethewaythatanOfficeapplicationfunctions.InVisio,forexample,youcanautomatetasks,addnewfeatures,orintegrateVisiowithothermembersoftheOfficesuite.

UsingVBAtointegrateoneOfficeapplicationwithanothercanyieldveryinteresting

results.Forexample,youmightwriteVisioVBAcodethatcreatesaMicrosoftExcelworkbookandwritesdatatoit,oryoumightwritecodetosavealldrawingpagesasimagesandcreateaMicrosoftPowerPointpresentationfromthem.Thesearejusttwoexamplesamongmanyotherpossibilities.

ToreadanarticleandviewsamplecodeforcreatingaPowerPointpresentationfromaVisiodiagram,referto“HowtoCreatePowerPointSlidesfromaVisioDrawing”byScottHelmers,publishedbyExpertsExchangeatrdsrc.us/rRxZnU.

TowriteaVBAprogram,youneedtoopentheVisualBasicEditor(VBE)bypressingAlt+F11.Alternatively,ontheDevelopertab,intheCodegroup,clickVisualBasic.ThisbookwillnotteachyouhowtowriteVBAprograms,butmanybooksandonlinetutorialsareavailable,includingthefollowing:

“GettingStartedwithVBAinOffice2010”atmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee814735.aspxisstilluseful,despitethefactthatVisiowasomittedfromthe“Appliesto”listofproductsonthepage.

TheVisiopageintheOfficeDevCenteratmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/fp161226.aspxincludeslinkstoanumberofhelpfulpages,includingthefollowing:

•“VisioVBAreference”atmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ee861526.aspx

•“WelcometotheVisioShapeSheetreference”atmsdn.microsoft.com/EN-US/library/office/ff768297.aspx

Ifyou’veprogrammedVisiopriortoVisio2013,“NewinVisiofordevelopers”atmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff767103.aspxshouldbehelpfulforunderstandingwhathaschangedsinceVisio2010.

TheVisioSDKatwww.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36825containsdozensofcodesamplesthatareexcellentstartingpointsforwritingprograms.

Ifyou’venevercreatedamacroorwrittenaVBAprogram,youmightbewonderingaboutthedifferencebetweenthetwobecausetheysoundsimilar.TheansweristhataVisiomacroisnothingmorethanaVBAprogramcreatedforyoubyVisio.Todiscoverthisforyourself,recordamacrobyusingtheinstructionsintheprecedingtopic,andthenopentheVisualBasicEditorwindow.ThemodulenamedNewMacroscontainsthemacrocode.

BecauseVBAandmacrosarecloselyrelated,recordingmacrosisoneofthebestwaystolearnhowtowriteVBAprograms.LetVisiogeneratethecodeforataskthatyouwanttoperform,examinethecode,andthenincorporateitintoyourVBAprogram.Althoughthisisanexcellentstrategy,youshouldbeawarethatautomaticallygeneratedmacrocodetendstobeveryverboseandisspecifictothesituationinwhichitwasrecorded.Overtime,youwilllearnwhichpartsofthemacrocodeyouneed,whichpartsyoudon’tneed,andwhichpartsyouneedtomodify.

CreatecontainersandlistsInChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams,”youlearnedaboutcontainers,lists,andcallouts.YoulearnedhowtoinsertpreformattedcontainersfromtheContainergallery,andhowtoaddcalloutsfromtheCalloutgallery.Youalsolearnedthatthereisn’tacorrespondinglistgallery,whichmeansthatyoucan’tcreatealistbyusingtheVisiouserinterface.

Sohowdoyoucreatealist?Theanswerissurprisinglysimple:youaddoneentrytotheShapeSheetforanyshapeanditbecomesastructureddiagramcomponent.

SeeAlso

Ifyou’renotfamiliarwithmodifyingtheShapeSheet,see“ViewandmodifytheShapeSheet”earlierinthisappendix.

Important

YoumustberunningindevelopermodetoaccesstheShapeSheet.See“Runindevelopermode”earlierinthisappendix.

Tocreatealist,followthesesteps:

1.OntheHometab,intheToolsgroup,clicktheRectangleToolanddrawarectangle.

2.Right-clicktherectangle,andthenselectShowShapeSheet.

3.Right-clickanywhereintheShapeSheetwindow,andthenclickInsertSection.

4.IntheInsertSectiondialogbox,selectUser-definedcells,andthenclickOK.TheresultshouldlooklikethecellsshowninFigureA-16.

FigureA-16AnewrowintheUser-DefinedCellssectionoftheShapeSheet

5.ClickUser.Row_1,entermsvStructureType,andthenpressEnter.

6.ClicktheValuecell,enter“List”(includethequotationmarks),andthenpressEnter.TheresultwilllookliketheimageinFigureA-17.

FigureA-17TheonlyrequiredentryintheShapeSheettoturnashapeintoalist

You’vejustcreatedalist!Itisn’tfancyanddoesn’thaveanyofthenicetieslikemargins,aheader,color,orstyle,butitisalist.

Totestyournewlist,closetheShapeSheetwindow,andthendragseveralshapesintothelist.Asyouaddeachshape,you’llfindthatyourrectanglebehavesexactlylikethelists

youworkedwithinChapter13,“Addstructuretoyourdiagrams.”

Creatingacontainerisaseasyascreatingalist:simplyenterContainerintheValuecellformsvStructureType.Creatingacalloutrequiresafewextrastepsbutcanalsobedonefairlyeasily.

Ifyouwouldliketoenhancetheappearanceandbehaviorofyourlist,container,orcallout,youwillneedtoaddadditionalrowstotheUser-DefinedCellssectionoftheShapeSheet.Foranexcellentsummaryoftheuser-definedrowsandvaluesrequiredforstructureddiagramcomponents,gotoblogs.msdn.com/b/visio/archive/2010/01/12/custom-containers-lists-and-callouts-in-visio-2010.aspx.Foradditionaltechnicaldetails,includingsamplecodeforworkingwithstructureddiagramcomponentsinVBA,gotomsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff959245.aspx.

Insertfields:advancedtopicsInChapter8,“Workwithshapedata,”youlearnedhowtodisplaythevalueofashapedatafieldonashape.Althoughthatactionisveryhelpful,youcandosomuchmorethanthatwiththeFielddialogbox.

ToopentheFielddialogbox,selectashape,andthenontheInserttab,intheTextgroup,clicktheFieldbutton.ThefirstthingtonoticeabouttheFielddialogbox,whichisshowninFigureA-18,isthattheCategorysectionincludessevenentriesbelowShapeData.Eachofthesecategoriescontainsmultipledatafields.TheDate/Timecategory,forexample,showsfourtypesofdates.

FigureA-18Youcaninsertdatesintoafield

Othercategoriesdisplaydataaboutthedocument(showninFigureA-19),thepage,ordetailedattributesoftheselectedshape.

FigureA-19Youcaninsertdocumentpropertiesintoafield

Finally,youcaninsertjustaboutanythingyou’dlikebyselectingtheCustomFormulacategory,shownselectedinFigureA-20.Acustomformulacanincludemathandtextfunctions,referencestoanyofthedataelementsintheothersevenfieldcategories,andalmostanyShapeSheetcellorfunction.

FigureA-20Youcaninsertacustomformulaintoafield

Asoneexample,thecustomformulashowninFigureA-20consistsoftwoparts:atextlabel,Purchasedon,concatenatedwithavaluestoredinthePurchaseDateshapedatafield.Theresult,insertedonaconferencetableshapefromtheOfficeLayouttemplate,isshowninFigureA-21.

FigureA-21Ashapedisplayingacombinationoftextandshapedata

TheFielddialogboxoffersarichsetofoptionsformakingthedatainyourdocumentvisibletousersofyourdiagrams.

UnderstandtheVisio2016fileformatsAllversionsofVisiobeforethe2013releaseusedaproprietaryfileformat.Withthe2013release,VisiojoinedmostothermembersoftheOfficeproductfamilyinusingtheXML-basedOpenPackagingConventionfileformat.Thechangewon’tbeparticularlynoticeabletomostVisiousers,withtheexceptionofencounteringnewfileextensions;however,thenewfileformatoffersmultipleadvantages,suchasthefollowing:

Mostdiagramfilesaresignificantlysmallerthantheywereinthepreviousfileformat.

Diagramscanbesavedto,andthenopenedandreadby,VisioServicesonMicrosoftSharePoint.Neitherafileconversionnoraspecialfileformatisrequired.

DiagramscanbeopeneddirectlyinSharePointDesignerforeditingandpreparationforSharePointWorkflow.Anintermediatefileformatisnotrequired.

SoftwaredeveloperscanreadandmanipulatetheXMLfilesoutsideofVisio.

TheVisiofilesfordrawings,templates,andstencilseachhavetwovariationsinthenewfileformat,onethatprohibitsmacrosandonethatallowsmacros:

Macro-freedrawings,templates,andstencilsuse.vsdx,.vstx,and.vssx,respectively.

Macro-enableddrawings,templates,andstencilsuse.vsdm,.vstm,and.vssm,respectively.

ThefollowingnotesrelatetoopeningfilesfrompreviousversionsofVisio:

Visio2016canopenallfilescreatedinVisio2010throughVisio2003andcansavefilesinmost2010-2003formats.SeeChapter12,“Print,reuse,andsharediagrams,”fordetailsaboutsavingVisiodiagramsinotherformats.

Visio2016canopen.vsdand.vdxfilesfromVisio2002butcannotsaveineitherofthoseformats.

WhenyouopenafilefromanearlierversionofVisio,thewordsCompatibilityModeappearafterthefilenameintheWindowstitlebar.Thecompatibilitymarkerindicatesthatsomenewerfeatures,includingthemes,variants,styles,andcoauthoring,havebeendisabled.

OpeningafilecreatedinanolderversionofVisioandthensavingitintotheVisio2016fileformatisnotsufficienttoenableVisio2016features.Toupgradeafileyouhaveopenedincompatibilitymode,youmustclicktheConvertbuttonontheInfopageintheBackstageview.

ThefollowingresourcesareavailablefordevelopersinterestedinlearninghowtoworkwiththenewXMLfileformats:

“WelcometotheVisiofileformatreference”atmsdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/jj684209.aspxincludeslinkstomultiplearticles.

FormerVisioMVP,AlEdlund,createdasetofutilitiesforinvestigatingandmanipulatingVisiofiles,whichcanbefoundat

pkgvisio.codeplex.com/documentation.

AppendixB.KeyboardshortcutsforVisio

ThekeyboardshortcutsdescribedinthisappendixrefertotheUSkeyboardlayout.

Shortcutsstyledasitalicareamongtheauthor’sfavorites.

Zoom,pan,andnavigateMovingaroundwithinaVisiodiagramcanbesignificantlymoreefficientwhenyouusekeyboardorkeyboard-plus-mouseshortcuts.

ZoomTheneedtozoominandoutoccurssofrequentlythatmultipletechniquesareavailable.

Movearoundinthedrawingwindow

Movearoundinfull-screenviewUsethesekeyboardshortcutstomovebetweenpageswhenyouareinfull-screenview.

MovearoundawebpageUsethesekeyboardshortcutstomovearoundwithinaVisio-generatedwebpageoradrawingviewedinaVisioWebAccesspage.

NavigatetheRibbon1.PressAlt.

AsshowninFigureB-1,theKeyTipsaredisplayedovereachfeaturethatisavailableinthecurrentview.

FigureB-1KeyTipsaredisplayedasnumbersorletters

2.PressthelettershownintheKeyTipoverthefeaturethatyouwanttouse.

3.Dependingonwhichletteryoupress,youmightbeshownadditionalKeyTips.Forexample,iftheHometabisactiveandyoupressN,theInserttabisdisplayed,alongwiththeKeyTipsforthegroupsandfeaturesonthattab.

4.Continuepressinglettersuntilyoupresstheletterofthecommandorcontrolthatyouwanttouse.Insomecases,youmustfirstpresstheletterofthegroupthatcontainsthecommand.Forexample,iftheHometabisactive,pressingAlt+H,F,SwilltakeyoutotheSizelistboxintheFontgroup.

TocanceltheactionthatyouaretakingandhidetheKeyTips,pressAlt.

VisioshapesandwindowsUsetheseshortcutstoorganizeandarrangeshapesandwindowsinaVisiodiagram.

Editshapetext

UsetheSnap&Gluefeatures

Move,group,rotate,andflipshapes

Arrangedrawingwindows

Visio-specifictoolbarsThesekeyboardshortcutssaveconsiderablemousemovementandtimewhenyouarecreatingandeditingVisioshapes.

Selecttools

Selectthedrawingtools

VisiomastersandstencilsTheseshortcutsareusefulwhenyouarecreatingmastersandsavingtheminastencil.

SeeAlso

Forinformationaboutcreatingmastersandstencils,seeAppendixA,“Lookbehindthecurtain.”

Workwithmastersinastencil

Workwithstencilsineditmode

TextYourhandsarealreadyonthekeyboardwhenyou’reworkingwithtext,soitonlymakessensetousekeyboardshortcutsinthatsituation.

Edittext

Formattext

Aligntext

TheHelpwindowTheHelpwindowprovidesaccesstoallOfficeHelpcontent.TheHelpwindowdisplaystopicsandotherHelpcontent.

Glossary

1-DshapeAVisioshapethathastwoendpointsandbehaveslikealine,sometimesinspiteofitsphysicalappearance.1-Disanabbreviationforone-dimensional.

2-DshapeAVisioshapethathasaborderandaninteriorandbehaveslikeapolygon.2-Disanabbreviationfortwo-dimensional.

absolutelinkAtypeofhyperlinkthatcontainsalloftheinformationrequiredtolocatethelinkedobject—suchasD:\MyFolder\MyDocument.docxorhttp://www.taskmap.com/Downloads.html.Seealsorelativelink.

actiontagVisioshapescanbedesignedtodisplayaspecialiconwhenyoupointtotheshape.Clickinganactiontagdisplaysamenuthatcontainsoneormoreitems.PriortoVisio2010,actiontagswerecalledsmarttags.

activepageThedrawingpagethathasthefocuswithinthedrawingwindow.

activewindowOfthewindowsinsidetheVisiowindow,thisistheonethathasthefocus;mostoftentheactivewindowisthedrawingwindow.

Activity(BPMN)OneofasetofrectangleshapesthatrepresentsastepinaBPMNdiagram.SeealsoBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN).

Activity(General)Ataskorstepinaworkprocess.

add-inSoftwarewrittenbyMicrosoft,othercompanies,orindividualsthataddsfeaturesandcapabilitiestoVisio.

add-intabAtabontheVisioribbonthatispresentonlywhenaVisioadd-inisrunning—forexample,theOrgCharttabfortheOrganizationChartadd-in.SeealsoShapeSheet;Visioengine.

anchorshapeTheprimaryshapewhenmultipleshapesareselected.Ifyouselectmultipleshapesatonetimebyusingaboundingbox,theanchorshapeistheonefarthesttotheback(seeZ-order).Ifyouselectmultipleshapesoneatatime,theanchorshapeisthefirstoneyouselect.Theanchorshapeaffectstheresultsofalignment,spacing,andnumberingoperations.

AreaSelectAVisiotoolusedtoselectmultipleshapeswithinarectangulararea.Seealsoboundingbox;LassoSelect.

AutoSizeAVisiooptionthatautomaticallyexpandsorcontractsthedrawingpageasyoumoveshapesacrosspageboundaries.IntroducedinVisio2010.

AutoAddOccurswhenyoudropashapeontoanexistingdynamicconnectorthatisgluedtotwoshapes.Visiodisconnectsthedynamicconnectorfromthesecondshape,gluesittotheshapeyoudropped,andautomaticallyaddsanewdynamicconnector,whichitthengluestothenewshapeandtothesecondshape.SeealsoAutoDelete.

AutoConnectAVisiofeaturethatgluesadynamicconnectorfromoneshapetoanotherwithasingleclick;AutoConnectarrowsaresmallbluetrianglesthatappearwhenyoupointtoashape.

AutoDeleteOccurswhenyoudeleteashapethatisconnectedtotwoothershapeswithdynamicconnectors.Visioremovesthedeletedshape,deletesthedynamicconnectorgluedtothesecondshape,andthengluestheremainingdynamicconnectortothesecondshape.SeealsoAutoAdd.

backgroundAnareaofthedrawingpagethatdoesnotcontainanyshapes.

backgroundpageAVisiopagethatcanbeattachedbothtoforegroundpagesandtootherbackgroundpages.Shapesonabackgroundpageappearonotherpagestowhichthebackgroundpageisattached;however,theshapescanbeselectedoralteredonlywhenthebackgroundpageistheactivepage.

BackstageviewAfull-pageUIviewthatexposesfile-levelfunctionalityinOfficeapplications.ThisisacompanionfeaturetotheOfficeribbonandhelpsusersdiscoverandusethefeaturesthatfalloutsideoftheauthoringfeaturesontheribbon.

boundingboxAtemporaryrectangularshapecreatedbyclickingthebackgroundofapageanddraggingtoselectoneormoreshapes.Bydefault,Visioselectsallshapesthatarefullycontainedwithintheareaoftheboundingbox.SeealsoAreaSelect;LassoSelect.

BPMNSeeBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN).

businessprocessAcollectionoftasksandactivitiesthatleadstoadesiredresult;alsoknownasaworkprocess,orjustaprocess.Seealsoprocessmap.

BusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)Astandardforgraphicallyrepresentingbusinessprocesses.Visio2016conformstothe2.0versionofthestandard.SeealsoActivity(BPMN);ConnectingObject;Events;Gateway.

calloutAshapeyouusetoannotateothershapesinadrawing.Visio2016calloutsexhibitmoreintelligentbehaviorbecausetheymaintainalogicalassociationwiththeshapestowhichtheyareconnected.

canvasSeedrawingcanvas.

ChangeShapeAfeatureintroducedinVisio2013thatyoucanusetosubstituteadifferentshapeforashapealreadyonthedrawingpage;shapedataandmostothershapeattributesarepreservedaftertheswap.

CheckDiagramAVisioProfessionalfeaturethatvalidatesadiagramagainstapredefinedsetofrules.Seealsorule;ruleset.

colorbyvalueAtypeofdatagraphicthatappliescolortoshapesbasedondatavalueswithintheshapes.Seealsodatagraphic.

collaborationAsitappliestoVisio2016,twonewfeatures:thecapabilityformultipleauthorstoeditadiagramsimultaneously,andthefacilityformultiplepeopletoentercommentsinadiagrambyusingeitherVisioorawebbrowser.

comma-separatedvalue(CSV)Adatafileconsistingoffieldsandrecords,storedastext,inwhichthefieldsareseparatedfromeachotherbycommas.

commentAVisioannotationobjectthatcanbeattachedtoashapeortothedrawingpage.SeealsoScreenTip.

ConnectingObjectOneofasetofarrowshapesthatlinksothershapesinaBPMNdiagram.SeealsoBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN).

connectionpointAlocationonaVisioshapetowhichothershapescanbeglued;representedbyasmalldarksquarethatappearswhenyoupointtoashape.

connectorAnyone-dimensional(1-D)shapethatcanbegluedbetweentwoshapesinadrawingtoconnecttheshapes.

ConnectortoolAVisiotoolthatyouusetoadddynamicconnectorstoadrawingbydraggingfromoneshapetoanotherorfromoneconnectionpointtoanother.

containerAstructureddiagramshapethatcancontainothershapes.Containersknowwhichshapesaremembers;membershapesknowtheidentityoftheircontainer.IntroducedinVisio2010.

controlhandleAyellowsquareordiamondthatyouusetoaltertheappearanceorfunctionofashape.Mostshapesdonothavecontrolhandles;whentheydoexist,theyappearwhenyouselectashape.Seealsoresizehandle;rotationhandle;selectionhandle.

cross-functionalflowchartAtypeofflowchartinwhicheachprocessstepisplacedintoahorizontalorverticallanebasedonwhichperson,department,orfunctionisresponsibleforthatstep.Commonlyreferredtoasaswimlanediagram.

CSVSeecomma-separatedvalue.

CustomImportAVisiofeatureyoucanusetoconnectadiagramtoanexternaldatasource.TheCustomImportwizardquidesyouthroughidentifyingandconfiguringtheconnectiontothedatasource.Seealsodatalinking;QuickImport.

custompropertyAdatavaluethatisstoredinsideaVisioshape.StartingwithVisio2007,custompropertiesareknownasshapedata.

datagraphicAVisiofeaturethatyouusetoannotateashapebyusingiconsandtextcalloutsbasedondataintheshape.Adatagraphiccontainsoneormoregraphicitems.

datagraphiclegendAkeytothedatagraphicsusedonaVisiodrawingpage.

datalinkingTheactofbuildingadynamicconnectionbetweenaVisiodiagramandanexternaldatasource;thedatainthediagramcanberefreshedmanuallyorautomaticallywheneverthelinkeddatachanges.SeealsoCustomImport;QuickImport.

developermodeAspecialVisiooperatingmodethatprovidesadditionalfeaturesandtoolsbeyondthenormaluserinterface.Whenyouturnondevelopermode,VisioactivatesaDevelopertabontheribbon.

diagramSeedrawing.

drawingAVisiodocumentthatcontainsadrawingwindowandcancontainotheropenwindows.Alsoreferredtoasadiagram.Visiodrawingsusethe.vsd,.vsdx,or.vsdmfileextension.

drawingcanvasThespaceinthedrawingwindowthatisoutsidetheVisiodrawingpage.IfAutoSizeisturnedonwhenyouplaceashapeonthedrawingcanvas,Visioautomaticallyexpandsthepagesizetoincludetheshape.IfAutoSizeisturnedoff,you

canstoreshapesonthecanvas;theyaresavedwiththedrawingbutdonotprint.Seealsodrawingpage.

DrawingExplorerAwindowthatshowsahierarchicalviewofadocumentandupdatesittoreflectthecurrentdrawinghierarchyasitems(suchasshapesorpages)areaddedordeleted.

drawingpageTheprintabledrawingsurfacewithinthedrawingwindow.Insometemplates,thedrawingpagedisplaysagridtoaidinpositioningandaligningshapes.Seealsodrawingcanvas;drawingwindow.

drawingscaleAratiothatexpressesthesizeofanobjectinadrawingcomparedtoitscounterpartintherealworld.Inametricdrawing,1:10meansthat1cmonthepagerepresents10cmintherealworld.InaUSunitsdrawing,1”:1’meansthat1inchinthedrawingrepresents1footintherealworld.

drawingtoolsAsetofsixtools—Rectangle,Ellipse,Line,Freeform,Arc,andPencil—thatenablesthecreationoralterationofshapes.

drawingwindowTheVisiowindowthatcontainsthedrawingpage.Seealsodrawingpage.

DuplicatePageAfeatureinVisio2013andlaterthatyoucanusetocopybothapageanditscontents.

dynamicconnectorAspecialtypeoflinethataddsandremovesbendsastheshapestowhichitisgluedaremovedorresized.Eachendofadynamicconnectorcanbegluedtoanothershape.

dynamicglueTheresultofattachingadynamicconnectortothebodyofashape.Whenyoumovedynamicallygluedshapes,thepointofattachmentoftheconnectorcanchange.Seealsoglue;staticglue.

DynamicGridAVisiofeaturethatprovidesvisualalignmentandpositioningfeedbackwhenyoumoveshapesnearothershapesornearthepagemargins.Visio2016alsoprovidesdynamicfeedbackasyouresizeshapes.

effectAcoordinatedsetoffonts,fillpatterns,gradients,shadows,andlinestyles.Seealsotheme.

embellishmentAnextensionofthethemeconceptthathelpssettheoveralltoneofadiagrambyalteringthegeometryofselectedshapes.Eachthemehasadefaultembellishmentlevel,butyoucanchooseadifferentlevel.

EventsOneofasetofcircleshapesthatmarkstart,intermediate,andendeventsinaBPMNdiagram.SeealsoBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN).

ExtensibleApplicationMarkupLanguageSeeXAML.

ExtensibleMarkupLanguageSeeXML.

fixedlistAtypeofshapedatalistfromwhichusersmustselectanentry.Seealsovariablelist.

flowchartAdiagramthatillustratestheactivities,decisions,andeventsthatoccurina

workprocessorthelogicofaprogram.

foregroundpageAVisiodrawingpage.Aforegroundpagecanhaveabackgroundpageattachedtoit.

functionalbandAverticalorhorizontalrectangleinacross-functionalflowchartthatcontainsprocesssteps.Alsoknownasaswimlane.

GatewayOneofasetofdiamondshapesthatidentifydivergenceandconvergenceinaBPMNdiagram.Gatewaysoftenrepresentdecisions.SeealsoBusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN).

GIFSeeGraphicsInterchangeFormat.

glueApropertyofaVisioshapethatletsitremainattachedtoanothershape.Seealsodynamicglue;staticglue.

graphicitemOnegraphicelementwithinadatagraphic.Agraphicitemrepresentsonedatafieldinaspecificway.Seealsodatagraphic.

GraphicsInterchangeFormat(.gif)AdigitalimagefileformatdevelopedbyCompuServethatisusedfortransmittingrasterimagesontheInternet.Animageinthisformatcancontainupto256colors,includingatransparentcolor.Thesizeofthefiledependsonthenumberofcolorsactuallyused.

gravityInVisio,amathematicalfunctionthatcreatestheappearanceofgravity.Forexample,ifthetextangleinashapeissetbyusingthegravityfunction,thetextremainsuprightwhenyourotatetheshape.

gridThebackgroundpatternofintersecting,perpendicularlinesonadrawingpage.Bydefault,shapesonaVisiodrawingpagesnaptothegridlinesasyoumovetheshapesacrossthepage.

groupInadrawingprogram,totransformanumberofobjectsintoagroup.Agroupalsorelatestoalabeledcollectionofcommandsandcontrolsthataregroupedtogetheronaribbontab.

guideAVisioshapeyoucreatebydraggingeitherthehorizontalorverticalrulerontothedrawingpage;usedtoalignothershapes.

handleSeeselectionhandle.

htm/htmlAfileextensionforwebpages;shortforHypertextMarkupLanguage.

Hue-Saturation-Lightness(HSL)Acolormodelinwhichhueisthecoloritselfasplacedonacolorwheel,where0°isred,60°isyellow,120°isgreen,180°iscyan,240°isblue,and300°ismagenta;saturationisthepercentageofthespecifiedhueinthecolor;andlightnessisthepercentageofwhiteinthecolor.SeealsoRed-Green-Blue(RGB).

hyperlinkbaseThestartingpointfordeterminingthepathtoahyperlinktarget;Visiodocumentsincludeahyperlinkbasefield,whichisblankbydefault.

HypertextMarkupLanguage(HTML)Atextmarkuplanguageusedtocreatedocumentsfortheweb.HTMLdefinesthestructureandlayoutofawebdocumentbyusingavarietyoftagsandattributes.

InformationRightsManagement(IRM)Apolicytoolthatgivesauthorscontroloverhowrecipientsusethedocumentsandemailstheysend.

insertionbarAnorangehorizontalorverticallinethatappearswhenyoudragashapeneartheedgeofashapethatisalreadyinaVisiolist.Theinsertionbarindicateswheretheshapeyouaredraggingwillbeinserted.Seealsolist.

JavaScriptAnobject-orientedscriptinglanguageusedbyVisiotoimplementsomenavigationfunctionsforwebsitescreatedbyusingSaveAsWebPage.

JPG/JPEGAdigitalimagefileformatdesignedbytheJointPhotographicExpertsGroupforcompressingeitherfull-colororgrayscalestillimages.Itworkswellonphotographs,naturalisticartwork,andsimilarmaterial.Imagessavedinthisformathave.jpgor.jpegfileextensions.

LassoSelectAVisiotoolusedtoselectmultipleshapeswithinafreeformareadrawnbytheuser.SeealsoAreaSelect;boundingbox.

layerAmeansfororganizingsetsofshapesinadrawing;layershavepropertiesthataffectallshapesinthelayeratonce.Forexample,withoneortwoclicks,youcanshoworhideallshapesonalayer,preventshapesonacertainlayerfromprinting,andrecolorallshapesonalayer.

LinetoolOneofsixdrawingtools;usedtocreatestraightlinesorcombinationsofmultiplestraightlines.

listAstructureddiagramshapethatcancontainothershapes.Alistmaintainsitsmembershapesinorderedsequence;membershapesknowtheirordinalpositionwithinthelist.IntroducedinVisio2010.Seealsoinsertionbar.

LivePreviewAnOfficefeaturethatshowstheresultsofmanyoperationsbeforeyouimplementthechange.UsedinVisioformanyfont,size,color,alignment,theme,anddatagraphicoperations.

localareanetwork(LAN)Anetworkofcomputers,printers,andotherdeviceslocatedwithinarelativelylimitedarea(forexample,abuilding).ALANenablesanyconnecteddevicetointeractwithanyotheronthenetwork.

macroAstoredsetofinstructions.InVisio,youcanrecordamacroandplayitbacktorepeatasetofactions.

masterAnobjectinaVisiostencil.Draggingamasterfromastencilontothedrawingpagecreatesashape.Seealsoshape;stencil.

metricAsystemofmeasurementusedinVisiodrawingsandtemplatesinmostcountries/regionsoutsideNorthAmerica.SeealsoUSUnits.

minitoolbarAfloatingtoolbaraccessedbyright-clickingeitherashapeorthedrawingpage.ItcontainsthedrawingtoolsandConnectortool,alignmentandsendtofront/backbuttons,fontandtextenhancementbuttons,theFormatPainter,andaccesstoshapestyles.

ObjectLinkingandEmbeddingDatabase(OLEDB)AcomponentdatabasearchitecturethatprovidesefficientnetworkandInternetaccesstomanytypesofdatasources,includingrelationaldata,mailfiles,flatfiles,andspreadsheets.OLEDB

comprisesaspecializedsetofCOMinterfacesthatexposedatafromavarietyofdatastores,bothrelationalandnonrelational.

OpenDatabaseConnectivity(ODBC)IntheMicrosoftWOSA(WindowsOpenSystemArchitecture)structure,aninterfaceprovidingacommonlanguageforWindowsapplicationstogainaccesstoadatabaseonanetwork.

orgchartsSeeorganizationchart.

organizationchartAdiagramthatrepresentsthestructureofanorganization.

pagecontrolsAcollectionofbuttonsandtabsatthebottomoftheVisiodrawingwindowthatyoucanusetonavigatefromonepagetoanotherwithinthedrawing.

pagenametabAtabatthebottomoftheVisiodrawingwindowthatdisplaysthenameofapage.Right-clickingthetabprovidesaccesstopagemanagementfunctions.

panTochangewhichpartofadrawingisvisiblebymovingthepagehorizontally,vertically,orboth.

pinThecenterofrotationforashape.Seealsopinposition.

pinpositionThelocationofthepinforashape.Seealsopin.

PNGSeePortableNetworkGraphic.

PointerToolAVisiotoolyoucanusetoselectshapesonthedrawingpage.

PortableNetworkGraphic(.png)Adigitalimagefileformatthatuseslosslesscompression(compressionthatdoesn’tlosedata)andwascreatedasapatent-freealternativetothe.giffileformat.

printtileTheportionofthedrawingpagethatisthesizeofapieceofprinterpaper;tilesaremarkedbydashedlinesinprintpreviewmodeandonthedrawingpageifthePageBreakscheckboxisselectedintheShowgroupontheViewtab.

processSeebusinessprocess.

processmapAdiagramthatshowsthetasksandactivitiesthatcompriseabusinessprocess.Seealsobusinessprocess.

QuickAccessToolbarAcustomizablecollectionofbuttonsforfrequentlyusedfunctionsthatappearsinthetitlebaroftheVisiowindowandisalwaysvisible.

QuickImportAVisiofeatureyoucanusetoconnectadiagramtodatainaMicrosoftExcelworkbook.Afteryouselecttheworkbook,QuickImportlinkstotheworkbook,linksdatarowstoshapesonthedrawingpage,andappliesoneormoredatagraphics.SeealsoCustomImport;datalinking.

QuickShapeOneofuptofourmastersthatappearonaminitoolbarwhenyoupointtotheAutoConnectarrowforashapeonthedrawingpage.ClickonaQuickShapetoaddittothedrawingpage.

QuickStylesAsetofpredefinedcolorsandstylesthatcanbeappliedtooneormoreshapes.EachthemehasitsownsetofQuickStyles,ensuringthatyoucanapplystyleswhilemaintainingtheoveralllookofthetheme.

rackunitAunitofmeasureforthespaceoccupiedbyequipmentmountedinanetworkordatacenterequipmentrack.Eachrackunit,orU,equals1.75inches(44.45mm);equipmentheightisdescribedasamultipleofrackunits,forexample,3Uor5U.

Red-Green-Blue(RGB)Acolormodelthatdescribescolorinformationintermsofthered(R),green(G),andblue(B)intensitiesthatmakeupthecolor.SeealsoHue-Saturation-Lightness(HSL).

relativelinkAtypeofhyperlinkthatcontainsonlypartoftheinformationrequiredtolocatethelinkedobject.Theremainderoftherequiredinformationisderivedfromthelocationofthedocumentcontainingthehyperlinkorfromthedocument’shyperlinkbase—forexample:MyFolder2\MyDocument.docxorDownloads.html.Seealsoabsolutelink.

replaceshapeSeeChangeShape.

reportAVisiofeaturethatyoucanusetogenerateasummaryofthedataononeormorepagesinadrawing.Areportcanbeexportedin.html,Excel,orXMLformatorcanbedroppedonthedrawingpageasaVisioshape.

resizehandleOneofuptoeightsmallsquaresthatappearontheedgeofashapewhenyouselecttheshape;twohandlesadjustthewidth;twoadjusttheheight;thefourcornerhandlesadjustbothdimensionsproportionally.Seealsocontrolhandle;rotationhandle;selectionhandle.

ribbonAnareainawindowinwhichcommandsandothercontrolsaredisplayedinfunctionallyrelatedgroups.Aribboncanbedividedintomultipleviews,knownastabs,andeverytabcancontainmultiplegroupsofcontrols.Typically,aribbonappearsatthetopofawindow.

rotationhandleAcirclethatappearswhenyouselectashapebyusingthePointerToolortheTexttool;draggingthehandlerotatestheshapeortext.Seealsocontrolhandle;resizehandle;selectionhandle.

ruleAconditiontobevalidatedinaVisiodrawingbyusingtheCheckDiagramfeature.Forexample,aVisiovalidationrulemightspecifythatall1-Dshapesmustbeconnectedonbothends.SeealsoCheckDiagram;ruleset.

rulesetAcollectionofVisiovalidationrules—forexample,theflowchartrulesetortheBPMNruleset.SeealsoCheckDiagram;rule.

rulerAnon-screenscalemarkedoffininchesorotherunitsofmeasureandusedtoshowlinewidths,tabsettings,paragraphindents,andsoon.

scaleddrawingAdiagraminwhichboththedrawingpageandobjectsonthepagehavebeenexpandedorreducedproportionallyfromtheirsizeintherealworld.Scaleisexpressedasaratio—forexample,ascaleof1:5meansthatanobjectthatoccupies1unitofspaceinthediagramoccupies5unitsofspaceintherealworld.

ScreenTipAtextannotationthatcanbeaddedtoashape.TheScreenTipappearswhenyoupointtotheshapeonthedrawingpage.Seealsocomment.

selectionhandleSmallcircles,diamonds,orsquaresthatappearwhenyouselectashape;usedtoresizeoradjusttheappearanceofashape.Seealsocontrolhandle;resizehandle;

rotationhandle.

selectionrectangleArectanglewithsizinghandlesthatsurroundsaselectedobjectorobjects.

shapeAnobjectonaVisiodrawingpage.Youcreateshapesinthreeways:1)usingtoolsfromtheToolsgroupontheHometabtodrawthem;2)draggingmastersfromstencils;or3)pastingobjectsfromtheClipboard.Alternatively,aprogramcancreateshapesforyou.Seealsomaster;stencil.

shapedataAdatavaluestoredinsideaVisioshape;knownasacustompropertypriortoVisio2007.Seecustomproperty.

ShapeDatawindowAwindowthatdisplaysshapedatanamesandvaluesforaselectedshape.Seeshapedata.

shapenameTheinternalnameofaVisioshape.

shapetextTextthatispartofashapeandisusuallyvisibleonorneartheshape.

ShapeswindowAVisiowindowthatcontainsoneormorestencils.

ShapeSheetAspreadsheet-likedatastorethatexistsbehindeveryobjectinVisio:every1-Dor2-Dshape,everycontainer,everypage,eventhedocumentitself.ThevaluesandformulasintheShapeSheet,inconjunctionwiththeVisioengineandadd-incode,controleveryaspectoftheappearanceandbehaviorofVisioobjects.Seealsoadd-in;smartshape;Visioengine.

sheetAninternalVisiotermforashape.

smartshapeAVisioshapewhoseappearance,behavior,orotherattributeschangesinresponsetoeventsortoalterationswithinoroutsidetheshape.MostsmartfeaturesareimplementedbyplacingformulasintotheShapeSheetofthesmartshape.SeealsoShapeSheet.

staticglueTheresultofattachingadynamicconnectororalinetoaconnectionpointonashape.Whenyoumovestaticallygluedshapes,thepointofattachmentfortheconnectorremainsfixed.Seealsodynamicglue;glue.

statusbarAnareaatthebottomoftheVisiowindowthatdisplaysinformationaboutthedrawingpageandselectedshapes;alsocontainsbuttonsandcontrolstoadjustthepageandselectedshapes.

stencilAVisiodocumentthatcontainsacollectionofmasters.Stencilsusea.vss,.vssx,or.vssmfileextension.Seealsomaster;shape.

subnetAsectionofanetwork.

subprocessAsubsetofaprocess.InVisio,asubprocessshapeononepagerepresentsacollectionofprocessstepsthataretypicallylocatedonanotherpage;thesubprocessshapeisusuallyhyperlinkedtotheotherpage.

SVGShortforScalableVectorGraphics;anXML-basedformatfordescribingandrenderingvectorgraphics.

swimlaneAverticalorhorizontalrectangleinaswimlanediagramthatcontainsprocess

steps.

swimlanediagramAtypeofflowchartinwhicheachprocessstepisplacedintoahorizontalorverticallanebasedonwhichperson,department,orfunctionisresponsibleforthatstep.Sometimesknownasacross-functionalflowchart.

tabOntheVisioribbon,asetofbuttonsthatproviderelatedfunctions.

taskpaneAfixedpanethatappearsononesideofanappwindowandcontainsoptionsrelatedtothecompletionofaspecifictask.

taskAsteporactivityinaprocessmap.

templateAVisiodocumentthatincludesoneormoredrawingpageswithpresetdimensionsandmeasurementunits.Atemplatecanalsoincludeoneormorestencils;itcanincludebackgroundpagesanddesigns;itspagescancontainshapesortext.Atemplatecanalsoincludespecialsoftwarethatoperatesonlyinthattemplate.Templatesusea.vst,.vstx,or.vstmfileextension.

textblockThepartofashapethatcontainstext.

TexttoolAVisiotoolyoucanusetomanipulateshapetextwhenyouusethetooltoselectashape.Youcanalsouseittocreateatext-onlyshapebydraggingacrossthebackgroundofthedrawingpage.

themeAcoordinatedsetofcolorsandeffectsdesignedtoenhancethepresentationofaVisiodiagram.Seealsoeffect.

tileSeeprinttile.

tooltabAtabontheVisioribbonthatappearsonlywhenyouselectanobjectforwhichitisrelevant.Tooltabsareorganizedintotooltabgroups.

tooltabgroupAcollectionofoneormoretooltabsthatappearsonlywhenyouselectanobjectforwhichitisrelevant;forexample,theContainerToolstabgroupappearswhenyouselectacontaineroralist.

USeerackunit.

URLShortforUniformResourceLocator.URLsareusedtoidentifythelocationofadocumentorotherelectronicobject.

USUnitsAsystemofmeasurementusedinVisiodrawingsandtemplatesintheUnitedStatesandpartsofCanadaandMexico.Seealsometric.

user-definedcellsDatanamesandvaluesthatcanbestoredintheUsersectionoftheShapeSheetforaVisioshape,page,ordocument.

validationAVisioProfessionalfeaturethatyoucanusetoverifythatadrawingmeetscertainpredefinedrequirements.Seealsorule;ruleset.

variablelistAtypeofshapedatalistfromwhichuserscanselectanentryorcanenteranewvalue.Seealsofixedlist.

variantOneoffourvariationsonathemethatincludesalternatecolorsandshapedesignssoyoucanaddyourownflairtoadrawingwhileretainingtheoveralllookofthetheme.

VBASeeVisualBasicforApplications.

VBESeeVisualBasicEditor.

.vdwFileextensionforaVisio2010webdrawing;notusedinVisio2013andlater.SeealsoVisiowebdrawing.

VisioengineThecoresoftwarethatprovidesVisiofeaturesandfunctions.Seealsoadd-in;ShapeSheet.

VisioServicesAserviceprovidedbySharePointServer,whichyoucanusetopublishdynamicallyupdateableVisiodrawingssotheycanbeviewedbypeoplewithoutVisio.

VisiowebdrawingAVisio2010fileformatthatyoucanusetopublishVisiodrawingstoSharePointsitesbyusingVisioServices.VisiowebdrawingscanbeviewedbyanyonewithInternetExplorer.WebdrawingscanbedynamicallyupdatedwhenthedataintheVisiodrawingchanges.Usesa.vdwfileextension.NolongerusedinVisio2013andlater.

VisioWorkflowInterchangeAVisio2010fileformatthatyoucanusetoexchangeVisioSharePointWorkflowdrawingswithSharePointDesigner.Usesa.vwifileextension.NolongerusedinVisio2016.

VisualBasicEditor(VBE)AnenvironmentinwhichyouwritenewandeditexistingVisualBasicforApplicationscodeandprocedures.TheVisualBasicEditorcontainsacompletedebuggingtoolsetforfindingsyntax,run-time,andlogicproblemsinyourcode.

VisualBasicforApplications(VBA)AprogramminglanguagebuiltintomanyMicrosoftOfficeproducts.

VMLShortforVectorMarkupLanguage.AmarkuplanguageusedtodefineandrenderwebpagescreatedbyusingSaveAsWebPage.VMLwastheprimarySaveAsWebPageoutputformatinversionsofVisiobeforeVisio2010;itisstillavailableinVisio2010andlaterversionsasanalternateoutputformat.

.vsdxThefileextensionintroducedwithVisio2013.UsesOpenPackagingConventionstostoreVisiodiagramsinastandards-basedXMLformat.

.vwiSeeVisioWorkflowInterchange.

workprocessSeebusinessprocess.

workflowAsetofprocesssteps,someorallofwhichhavebeenautomated.Fortheautomatedpartsofaworkflow,documentsandfilesarestoredandmovedelectronically,accordingtoasetofpredefinedrules,sothattheyareavailabletoparticipantsasrequired.

workspaceAcollectionofVisiowindowsandwindowsettings.Atminimum,theworkspaceconsistsofthedrawingwindowandthezoomsettingsforthepagesinthedrawing;frequently,italsoincludesaShapeswindowcontainingoneormorestencils.

X-coordinateDefinesthehorizontalpositionofashapeonthedrawingpage.

XAMLShortforExtensibleApplicationMarkupLanguage.AmarkuplanguagebasedonXMLthatwascreatedbyMicrosoft.UsedbymanyMicrosoftproducts.VisiocreatesXAMLdocumentswhenyouusetheSaveAsWebPagefunction.

XMLShortforExtensibleMarkupLanguage.Amarkuplanguagefordescribingand

exchangingstructureddatainaformatthatisindependentofoperatingsystemsandapplications.XMLisaWorldWideWebConsortium(W3C)specificationandisasubsetofStandardGeneralizedMarkupLanguage(SGML).

Y-coordinateDefinestheverticalpositionofashapeonthedrawingpage.

zoomTomagnify(zoomin)orshrink(zoomout)thedisplayofadrawing.

Z-orderDefinestherelativefront-to-backpositionofashapeonthedrawingpage.Thefirstshapeyouaddtoapageisatthebackandeachsubsequentshapeisinfrontofallpreviousshapes.YoucanchangetheZ-orderbyusingtheSendForward/SendBackwardorSendToFront/SendToBackbuttons.

Symbols1-Dshapes65,76,525

2-Dshapes65,245,525

3-Dequipmentshapes244

3-Drotationeffects222

Aabsolutelinks366–370,525

Accountpage(Backstageview)20–21

actiontags525

activepages525

activewindows525

Activity(BPMN)shapes525

Activity(General)525

add-intab525

add-ins24–25,150,525

Addondropdatafieldattribute280

AdvancedDataGraphicsbutton308

AdvancedDataGraphicsgallery334,342

aligning

shapes,automatically211–213

shapes,manually206–209

text523

anchorshapes525

attachingcomments104

designating208

anglesofrotation30

annotatingshapes440–443

annotations

addingtoshapes96–97

callouts105

comments104–105

ScreenTips104–105

Arctool68

AreaSelecttool52,525

AutoSize128–129,525

AutoAdd83–85,525

AutoCAD392

AutoConnect525

activating78

addingshapes81,82

connectingshapes79

flowcharts78,144

linkingshapes82

livepreview80

turningoff82

autocorrectoptions22

AutoDelete86–87,526

AutomaticallyOpenWebPageInBrowseroption406

Bbackgroundpages526

applying132,134–136

assigningtoexistingpages133

automaticvs.manual132

changingtitlesintitleblocks132

creatingautomatically132

creatingmanually134

deletingfromdiagrams132

linkingtoforegroundpages121,130

removingfromforegroundpages132,134

valueof121

backgrounds378,526

Backstageview7,13,526

accessing13

Accountpage20–21

commands13

Exportpage20

Infopage14–16

Newpage16

Openpage17

Printpage18

returningtodiagramsfrom13

Saving/SaveAspage17–18

Sharepage18–20

viewingmetadata380

VisioOptions22

BasicElectricaltemplate6

BasicFlowchartvalidationruleset448

BasicNetworkDiagramstencils240

BasicNetworkDiagramtemplate242

beveleffects222–223

BlankDrawingtemplate9

Booleanshapedatafield268,278

borders

containers428–429

insertingonbackgroundpages130

boundingboxes37,51–52,526

selectingshapesincontainers418,422

selectingshapesingroups422

BPMN(BusinessProcessModelandNotation)526

BPMNDiagramtemplate6

BPMNDiagramvalidationruleset448,456

BPMNdiagrams

Seealsodiagrams

Activityshapes525

activitytypes157

addingtextannotations163

annotatingshapes162

basicshapes158

calloutshapes162

connectortypes157

coreshapesets156

creatingsubprocesses164–167

designing158–163

eventtypes156

Gatewayshapes528

gatewaytypes157

settingactivitytypes163

settinggatewaytypes163

settinglooptypes163

symbolset156

usesfor155–156

validating456

BusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)526

businessvalidationrulesets448

Ccalloutshapes162

callouts308,416

attachingtoshapes443

changingstyles443

deleting443

detaching443

gluingtoshapes162

locating440

relocating443

using440–442

canvas29

categories10,12

ChangeShape526

chartsSeeorganizationcharts

CheckDiagram449,526

CivilEngineeringdiagrams258

coauthoring483–484,489

collaborating105,526

ColorByValuegraphics308,310–311,313,526

colorpalette214

colorpicker227,229–230,232

colorschemes213,220

colorselector228

colors

applyingsolidfills229

applyingtolines232

changingforiconsets310

choosing219

creating228

customizing219,221

deletingcustomsets220

hue529

Hue-Saturation-Lightness(HSL)529

lockingforshapes227

saturation529

specificvalues228

comma-separatedvalue(CSV)526

commentindicators

balloons105

hiding/showing109

comments526

addedbydifferentauthors106

adding481–482

addingtodiagrams104

addingtopages106,108

addingtoshapes104,108

attachingtoanchorshapes104

balloons105

collapsing106

deleting482

deletingindividual106

displaying105

drawingpages477

editing482

indicators105,109,477,482

interactive464

orderofdisplay104

replyingto108,482

vs.ScreenTips105

threaded104,106

viewing482

viewingall107

viawebbrowsers479

Commentspane478

filteringcomments481–482

opening/closing108,471

CompatibilityMode15,513

Configurationbutton342

ConnectingObjectshape526

connectingshapes

usingdynamicconnectors70–76

usinglines65–69

connectionpoints66,526

Seealsolines

connectingshapescontaining70–72

Ethernetshapes240

rackshapes249

staticglue71–72

connectorsegments,adjusting75

Connectortool72,527

connectors526

Seealsodynamicconnectors

changingstyles221

types157

unglued450

containers416–419,527

addingshapes420,425

borders428–429

boundingboxes418

choosingstyles427

creating509–511

deleting425

draggingshapesoutof422

droppingshapesinto422

enteringtext422

formatting426–427

vs.groups417–422

hidingheadings427

locking/unlocking425–426

organizingshapes423–424

placingonpages425

removingshapes426

resizingcontents422

selecting418,424

selectingshapes418,422,424,426

sizing429

styles424

andswimlanes435

using424–426

controlhandles527,531

hiding241

locked61

movinginteriorverticallines61

reshapinglines68

rotationhandles61

shapesize,adjusting62

yellowhandles62

copyingshapes53–54

croppingphotos201

cross-functionalflowchartdiagramsSeeswimlanediagrams

Cross-FunctionalFlowchartvalidationruleset448

CSV(comma-separatedvalue)526

Currencyshapedatafield268,278

CustomImport326,527

linkingdiagramstodata333

using330

customproperties527

customtemplates,storing395–396

DDataBargraphics308,312,317

datafields268,308–309

attributes279–280

changingattributes281–283

changingproperties281

creatingnew281–283

labeling283

predefined270

rules276

DataGraphicFieldstaskpane343

datagraphiclegends306,319–320,527

datagraphics527

Seealsoshapes

applying343

applyingduringdatalinking334

applyingmultipletoprocesssteps314

applyingtomultiplepages315

applyingtoshapes313–316,342

assessingriskusing306–307

basedonshapedatafields309

callouts308

capturingnear-real-timeinformation305

changing342–343

changingdisplayproperties317

changingpositions343

ColorByValue308,310–311,313,526

creating308–313

creatingbasedoncalculatedresults309

creatingbasedondocumentproperties309

creatingbasedonpageproperties309

creatingDataBargraphics312

creatingIconSetgraphics313

creatinginunlinkeddiagrams308

creatingTextgraphics312

DataBargraphics308,312,317

deleting319

duplicating318

editing316–319

enhancingrackdiagrams302–305

graphicitemsin309

hiding315

IconSetgraphics308

improvingswimlanediagrams304

insertinglegends439

modifyingcharacteristics316

multiplegraphicitemswithin315

optionsforlinkeddata341–342

organizationcharts305–306

positioning342

previewing313

removing343

removingfromshapes313,315–316

renaming318

selectingfieldsforcreating312

selectingshapesusing318

settingconditions310

settingdefaultpositions316

settingvalues317

DataGraphicsgallery308,313,342

datalinking527

Seealsolinkeddata

applyingdatagraphics334

changingcolumnsettings340

CustomImport330,333

datasources330

draggingdatatoexistingshapes334–335

dynamiclinks326

toExceldata327

toexternaldata327

linkingautomatically335–337

linkingmanually330

linkingtoSharePointlists330

networkdiagrams259

process326

QuickImport326

toshapes333–339

uniqueidentifiers331–332

unlinkingdatarowsfromshapes340

unlinkingdiagramsfromdatasources340

unlinkingshapes340

datarowslinkedtoshapes339

datavalues

entering268

insertingonshapes284–285

Dateshapedatafield268,276,278

DefineShapeDatadialogbox281

DetailedNetworkDiagramtemplate240,242

Detailsnavigationpane400

developermode499–501,527

diagramming

enterprisenetworks244

Ethernetnetworks242

racks251

diagrams

SeealsoBPMNdiagrams;flowcharts;networkdiagrams;shapes;swimlanediagrams

addingcomments104

addingScreenTips104–107

addingshapes83–85

addingswimlanes154–155

addingvalueusingdatagraphics302–305

applyingthemestoallpages218

AutoAdd83–85

AutoConnect78–84

BusinessProcessModelandNotation(BPMN)155–163

CheckDiagram526

closing20

coauthoring483–489

collaborating476–477,526

commenting477–482

creatingfromexisting10,13

creatingfromtemplates9–10

creatingfromtemplatethumbnails10

creatingwebsitesfrom402

deletingbackgroundpages132

deletingshapes86–87

effects213

enhancingeffectiveness302–305

flowcharts140–148

hiddendata381–383

identifyingrisksandcontrols306–307

importingvalidationrulesets457

incorporatingintoSharePointapps464

linkingpages357

linkingtodata326,330–333

linkingtodatausingCustomImport333

linkingtomultipledatasources332

near-real-timedatagraphics305

opening12

orientation142

andpages120–121

panning37–39,41

panninginwebbrowsers470

presentationmode30

previewing376–379

printing379

publishingtotheweb398–409

QuickShapes81–83

refreshinglinkeddata344

refreshingonSharePoint474–479

removingtipspane28

restrictingaccess384–385

savingasPDFs393

savingastemplates394

savinginotherformats390–394

savingtoSharePoint468–469

sharing18–20

sharingusingVisioViewer397

stencils45

swimlanes149–155

TaskMapadd-in306–307

templates45

themes213

unlinked,creatingdatagraphicsin308

unlinkingfromdatasources340

updating482

usingstarters25–28

validationissues449

variants213

viewingallcomments107

viewingdifferentpages31

viewinginOffice397

viewinginSharePoint470

viewinginwebbrowsers469–471

viewinglistofallpages31

viewingnetworkperformance302–304

viewingpublished398–403

zooming37–39

documentproperties382–383

documents

checkingout15

linkingto361–362

openingShapeSheet502

versionhistory15–16

drawingcanvas527

DrawingExplorerwindow527

drawingpages

AutoSize128,525

canvas29

ChangeShape526

changingattributes127

changingsizes128

creatingimagesof389

fittowindow31,40

grid528

placingemptycontainers425

printtile530

drawingscale,527

changing255–257

changingCivilEngineeringdiagrams258

changingMechanicalEngineeringdiagrams258

changingMetricdiagrams258

creatingcustom253

predefinedtypes253

DrawingScaletab,displaying257

drawingtools520

Seealsoshapes

aligningshapes50

creatingshapes48,50

displaying66

lines65,68

sizingshapes50

drawingwindows28–29,528

arranging519

movingaroundin516

pagecontrols29

pagenametab530

panandzoom37

statusbar29–31

zoomingin/out37

drawings527

AutoCAD392

changingtounscaled258

language30

pagenumbers30

previewing376–379

runningreportsstoredin290

savinginotherfileformats390–394

DuplicatePage528

duplicatingshapes55

Durationshapedatafield268,278

.dwgfileextension392

.dxffileextension392

dynamicconnectors65,70,528

Seealsoconnectors;diagrams;shapes

applyingstyles220

AutoAdd525

AutoConnect77–83,525

AutoDelete526

changingstyles74–76

connectingshapes148

connectionpoints71

dynamicglue74

gluingtoconnectionpoints72,79

gluingtoshapes74

linebends,creating76

movingsegments76

movingshapes75

removingtextblockbackgrounds161

resetting75–76

segmentation,changing74–76

staticglue72,74

dynamicglue74,77,528,146–147

DynamicGrid528

activating49

aligningshapes46,49

drawingtools48

guidelines46,153

spacingshapes46,49

verticalspacingofshapes48

dynamiclinks326

Eeffects213,528

3-Drotations222

applying222–224

bevels222–223

changing224

controllingproperties223

customizing221

glows222

reflections222

removing224

selecting220

shadows222

softedges222

types222

emailaddresses,hyperlinksto360

embellishments528

endpointsSeeconnectionpoints

enterprisenetworks,diagramming244

errata,submittingxix

Ethernetnetworks,diagramming242

Ethernetshapes

addingdevicesto242

networkdiagrams240–241

eventtypes163

Eventsshapes528

displayingreportoutputin287

linkingtocells363

Exportpage(Backstageview)20

ExtensibleApplicationMarkupLanguage(XAML)404,534

ExtensibleMarkupLanguage(XML)534

ExternalDatawindow326

FFeaturedtemplates9,12

feedback,submittingxix

fields

indatagraphics312

inserting511–512

fileextensions391–392

fileformats

graphics386–388

macros391

previousVisioversions391

XML-basedOpenPackagingConvention513

filetypes392

openingfrompreviousversions513

openingincompatibilitymode15

savingtoSharePoint466–467

fillcolors229

fillpatterns228

fills,removing230

fittowindow515

FixedListshapedatafield268,278

fixedlists276–277,528

flippingshapes519

flowcharts528

Seealsodiagrams

addingshapes148

addingtexttoshapes148

buildingquickly145

connectingshapes78,148

creating142–145

cross-functional527

defaultfontsize142

exitingtextentrymode149

guidelines145

ignoringvalidationissuesandrules453

livepreview144

orientation142

templates140–141

validating449–454

footers,printing378–379

foregroundpages528

addingafterexisting123

autosizing127

choosingpapersize126

configuring125–128

definition121

including/excludinggridlines126

linkingtobackgroundpages121

managingproperties122

orientation127

pagenametabs122

previewing126

removingbackgroundpages132,134

scalingforprinting126

settingzoomlevel126

Formatdatafieldattribute279

FormatPainter233

formatting

text523

textboxes102

formulas,overwriting504

Freeformtool68

full-screenview,movingaroundin517

functionalbands528

GGatewayshapes528

.gif(GraphicsInterchangeFormat)528

GIFwebpageformat408

gloweffects222

glue528

gluedlines67

gluingshapesonlayers118

GotoPagenavigationpane399,405

gradientfills228

applyingtolines233

applyingtoshapes229

grammaroptions22

graphicitems308,528

creating309

editing316

graphics,fileformats386–388

GraphicsInterchangeFormat(.gif)528

gravity528

grid528

gridlinesonforegroundpages126

groupingshapes417,519

reasonsfor114

selections116

groups528

addingshapes420

vs.containers417–422

draggingshapesoutof422

droppingshapesinto422

enteringtext422

vs.layers118

resizingcontents422

selectinginteriorshapes422

selectingshapesusingboundingboxes422

selectingshapeswithin116,418

guides529

aligningshapes57–61

deleting59

displaying57

gluingshapesto58

hiding57

movinggluedshapes59

sizingshapes57–61

vertical58

HHandDrawntheme214–215

handlesSeecontrolhandles

headers,printing378–379

Helpwindow524

Hiddendatafieldattribute280

hiddendata,removing381–383

HideUSizecommand250

hidingcommentindicators121

horizontalaxis209

HSL(Hue-Saturation-Lightness)529

.htm/.htmlfileextension392,529

HTML(HypertextMarkupLanguage)288,529

hue529

Hue-Saturation-Lightness(HSL)529

hyperlinkbase370–372,529

hyperlinks401

Seealsolinking

absolute366–370

adding365

addingtomultipleshapesatonce356

deleting364

displayingdescriptions365

editing364

emailaddresses360

following354

openingHyperlinksdialogbox355

relative366–370

relativepaths362

specifyingtarget355

symbolonshapes354

toVisiopages356

HypertextMarkupLanguage(HTML)288,529

IIconSetgraphics308

iconsets310–311

ignoringvalidationrules453

images

creatingfromshapes386–390

creatingshapesusing109

fileformats386–389

inserting110

usingasbackgrounds130

Infopage(Backstageview)14–16,380–383

InformationRightsManagement(IRM)6,384–385,529

insertionbar529

IRM(InformationRightsManagement)6,384–385,529

Issueswindow450,454

JJavaScript529

JPG/JPEG529

JPGwebpageformat408

Kkeyboardshortcuts515–524

KeyTips517

LLabeldatafieldattribute279

labels,addingtoshapes103

lanesSeeswimlanes

languages

drawings30

parameters22

LAN(localareanetwork)529

LassoSelecttool51,529

layers529

addingnewshapes118

assigningshapesto120

benefitsofusing117

controllingvisibilityofshapes118

creatingonpages118–119

gluingshapes118

lockingshapes118

managingobjectcolors118

predefined117

printing118

properties116,118

removingfrompages119

removingshapes120

selectingallshapes120

snappingshapes118

vs.groups118

legends,datagraphics306,319–320,439,527

Linetool68,529

Seealsoconnectionpoints;shapes

applyinggradients233

applyingsolidcolors232

arcs68

changingarrowtypes232

changingpatterns232

changingweights232

colorpicker230,232

connectingshapes65–70

connectionpoints66,71

create2-Dshapesusing69

creating65

customizing231

drawingtools68

formatting71

freeform68

glued/unglued67

gluingtoshapes69,71

staticglue71,74

tailoringproperties231

linkeddata

Seealsodatalinking

changingcolumnsettings339

datagraphicoptions341

identifyinglinks339

managing339–340

refreshing344–345

usingdatagraphicoptions341–344

linking

Seealsohyperlinks

adjacentshapes82

backgroundpagestoforegroundpages130

todocuments361–362

toExcelcells363

foregroundpagestobackgroundpages121

non-adjacentshapes82

toOneDrive21

topagesindifferentdiagrams357

topageswithindiagrams357

toPowerPointslides363

shapesusingAutoConnect77–83

toSharePointsites21

tospecificlocationsinOfficedocuments362–364

tospecificshapes356,359

toVisiopages356

towebsites360

toWordbookmarks363

listfields276–277

lists416,430,529

addingshapes431–434

creating509–511

formatting434

andswimlanes435

LivePreview529

localareanetwork(LAN)529

LoopTypedatafield277

Mmacrorecorder30

macros391–392,529

recording506

running506

securitysettings507

vs.VBA509

Markertheme215

masters8,529–531

MaximumValuefield317

measurementunits11

MechanicalEngineeringdiagrams258

metadata380–384

metric530

Metricdiagrams258

metrictemplates11

MicrosoftPresscontactinformationxix

MicrosoftPressStorexviii

MicrosoftSharePoint2010Workflowvalidationruleset448

MicrosoftSharePoint2016Workflowvalidationruleset448

MicrosoftSilverlight399,404

MicrosoftVisualBasicforApplications(VBA)508–509

MinimumValuefield317

minitoolbar530

Moderntheme214

NNamedatafieldattribute280

networkdiagrams

Seealsodiagrams

2-Dshapes245

addingnetworkcabling259

addingrackdiagrampages252

buildingbasic240–242

buildingdetailed242–244

choosingshapestyles245

datalinking259

enhancing259

Ethernetnetworks242

Ethernetshapes240–241

findingshapes246

predefinedreports260

real-time259

stencils242

networkperformance302–304

networks244

Newpage(Backstageview)16

nullentries282

Numbershapedatafield268,278

ObjectLinkingandEmbeddingDatabase(OLEDB)530

objects

managingonlayers118

masters8

shapes8

ODBC(OpenDatabaseConnectivity)530

OLEDB(ObjectLinkingandEmbeddingDatabase)530

one-dimensionalshapes

identifying76

lines65

OneDrive,linkingto21

OpenDatabaseConnectivity(ODBC)530

Openpage(Backstageview)17

OrganizationChartWizard

creatingdatacharts185–186

includingphotos201

usingwithexistingdata178–184

organizationcharts530

add-intabs172

addingmultipleshapes176

addingnames174

addingphotographs196

addingtitles174

applyingstyles188

applyingthemes197

arrangingshapes189

buildingfromexistingdata177–184

buildingmanually173–177

buildingwithOrganizationChartWizard178–184

centeringonpages189

changinglayouts187–189

changingshapeappearance191–195

changingshapepositions176–177

changingstyle194

correctingshapepositions189

correctingshapespacing189

creatingdatacharts186

croppingphotos201

datasourcetypes177

defaultstyle193

deletingphotos197

editingphotos201

enhancingwithdatagraphics305–306

hidingsections189

hyperlinkingemployeeshapes183

importingphotos198–200

layouts187

movingshapes189–190

replacingphotosinshapes196

restoringshapespacing188

showing/hidingphotos197

showing/hidingsubordinates190

specifyingpagecontents182

synchronizingemployeeshapes183

undoingchanges194–195

usingtemplates173

verticalspacing189–190

OrganizeSupportingFilesInAFolderoption406

orientation

changingforpages128

flowcharts142

ofshapetext99

swimlanes150,151

pagebreaks,movingshapesoff211

pagecontrols530

pagenametabs122,124,530

addingcomments106,108

assigningbackgroundpages133

backgrounds121

changingorientation128

copyingattributes122

creatingfromselections164

creatinglayers118–119

creatingnew164

deleting125

duplicating124

duplicatingcontents122

foregrounds121

linkingtoshapes164

moving124

on-screendrawingsettings121

physicalpagesettings121

previewing376

removinglayers119

renaming123

resequencing124

scrolling32

viewingonweb398

PanandZoomnavigationpane400

Pan&Zoomwindow37–39

panning516,530

diagrams37–39,41,470

printpreviewimages376

webpages400,403

pastingshapes53–55

patternfills230

PDF(AdobePortableDocumentFormat)392–393

Penciltool68

personalinformation,removing381,383

photos

addingtoorganizationcharts196

cropping201

deletingfromshapes197

deletingplaceholders197

editing200–201

importingintoorganizationcharts198

showing/hidingplaceholders197

pictures,creatingshapesusing109

PinPosSeepinposition

pinposition61,63,530

.png(PortableNetworkGraphic)530

PNGwebpageformat408

PointerTool530

PortableNetworkGraphic(.png)530

Positionbutton342

positioningshapes207,209–211

practicefilesxvi–xviii

predefinedreports,running286–290

presentationmode30

previewing

datagraphics313

diagrams376–379

drawings376–379

printerpaperdimensions377

Printpage(Backstageview)18

printpreview376–379

printtile530

printers,choosingpapersize126

printing376–378

backgrounds378

changingpageorientation128

configuringpagesettings127

diagrams210,379

footers378–379

headers378–379

imagequalitysettings378

layers118

MoveOffPageBreaks377

movingshapesoffpagebreaks379

pageranges378

scalingforegroundpages126

processmap530

Professionaltheme214

Promptdatafieldattribute280

properties

changingforlayers120

foregroundpages122

layers118

publishingdiagrams398–403

differentformats404

settingoptions404–409

QQuickAccessToolbar23,496–497,530

QuickImport326–330,530

QuickImportwizard6

QuickShapes77,530

addingshapes83

changingorderofmasters81

livepreview81

masters83

QuickStartguide12

QuickStyles213,225–226,530

Rrackdiagrams247

addingtonetworkdiagrams252

changingdrawingscale255–256

creating251

enhancingwithdatagraphics302–306

publishing259

scaleddrawings252

shapeheights250

stencils247–248

RackMountedServersstencils242

rackshapes

addingdatato259

adjusting250,252

connectionpoints249

displayingheights249

gluingonracks249

andscaleddrawings249

showing/hidingUheights251

rackunits249,531

addinghyperlinks259

gluingshapes249

Uheights251

Red-Green-Blue(RGB)531

reflectioneffects222

relativelinks366–370,531

relativepath362

RemoveHiddenInformation380–383

ReportDefinitionWizard291

reports531

creating291–296

displayinginExcel287

displayinginshapes288

displayinginwebbrowsers288

displayinginXML289

modifying291–295

modifyingdefinitions296

networkdiagrams260

outputchoices287

predefined286

running290

savingdefinitions295

updating289–290

resizehandlesSeecontrolhandles

resizing

Ethernetsegments242

Ethernetshapes241

Servershapes250

shapes56,242,252

reviewer’smarks,removing381

RGB(Red-Green-Blue)531

ribbon531

add-intabs24–25

customizing23,493–496

KeyTips517

navigating517–518

tabs532

tooltabgroups533

tooltabs23–24

rotating

shapes100,102

textindependentofshape102

textinshapes100–101

rotationangles

displaying30

rotationhandles61–62,531

rulesetsSeevalidationrules

rulers531

aligningshapes56

displaying/hiding56

positioningshapes56,57

sizingshapes56

rules531

templates448

validation448–449

Ssaturation529

saving

diagramsasPDFs393

options22

Save/SaveAspages(Backstageview)17–18

toSharePoint466–469

ScalableVectorGraphics(SVG)532

scaleddrawings531

adjustingscalingfactors255,257

creatingcustomratios253

definition252

predefinedscales256

rackshapes249

scaletypes253

ScreenTips104,280,365,531

addingtodiagrams104

vs.comments105

scrollbarsinShapeswindow34

scrollingpages32

SearchPagesnavigationpane401

searching

full-text401,465

fortemplates9,13

webpages401

security,macros507

selectionhandlesSeecontrolhandles

selectionrectangles531

selectiontools520,525

Servershapes250

Serversstencil242

shadoweffects222

Shape&Positionwindow63

shapedata532

Seealsoshapes

datafields268,275

editing275–278

enteringdatavalues268

enteringintextfields278

exitingfields278

formatting275

listfields276–277

viewing269–274,471

shapedatafields268

allowingblanks282

changingattributes281,283

changingdefaultvalue281–282

creatingdrop-downlists282

defining283

labeling283

specifyinginternalname283

specifyingsortkeyvalue283

types268

viewingattributes279–281

workingwithmultipleshapes280

ShapeDatawindow532

changingdatavaluesin275–278

closing273

docking269,273

hiding269

locating274

opening273

positioning273

resizing269

settingdefaultvalue281

shapenames532

shapes8–9

Seealsodatagraphics;diagrams;drawingtools;dynamicconnectors;lines;shapedata

2-D,creatingwithlines69

2-Dnetwork245

3-Dequipment244

actiontags525

Activity(BPMN)525

activitytypes157

addingcomments108

addingdatafields283

addingfromstencils82

addinghyperlinks356,365

addinglabels103

addingphotos196

addingScreenTips107

addingtext96–97,148

addingtocontainers425

addingtoflowcharts148

addingtolayers118

addingtolists431–434

addingtoorganizationcharts176–177

addingtoswimlanediagrams153

addingwithAutoAdd84–86

addingwithQuickShapes83

adjacent,linking82

adjustingheights252

adjustingsizes163

adjustingspacing209

adjustingwithcontrolhandles62

aligning49–50,206–209,211,213

aligningonaxes49

aligningusingDynamicGrid241

aligningusingguides57–61

aligningusingrulers56

anchors208,525

annotating96,162,163

annotatingusingcallouts440–443

applyingdatagraphics306,313,315,342

applyingeffects222–225

applyinggradientfills229

applyingpatternfills230

applyingQuickStyles226

applyingsolidfills229

applyingthemes214

areaselection51–52

assigningtolayers120

attachingcallouts443

attributes62–65

AutoAdd83–85

AutoDelete86

automaticallyapplyingdatagraphics315

basic158

behavior501,504

boundingboxes51–52

bringingtofront207

callouts162,440–443

canvas29

changingdatagraphics342

changingeffects224

changingheight/width195

changingverticalspacing190

circles50

coauthoring483

collapsingcomments106

commenting477

ConnectingObject526

connectingusingdynamicconnectors70–76

connectingusinglines65–70

connectingwithoutconnectionpoints72–74

connectionpoints66

connectortypes157

controlhandles60–65

controllingvisibilityonlayers118

coordinates62–64

copying53–54

copyingformatting233

creatingcustom497–499

creatingfromdata338–339

creatingimagesfrom386–390

creatingmultiple339

creatingnewpagesfrom164

creatingtext-only102

creatingusingdrawingtools48,50

creatingusingimages109

datafields309

deleting86

deletingphotos197

determiningnames358–359

disallowingthemes219

displayingdimensions30

displayingreportoutput288

displayingrotationangles30

displayingtextinmultipleplaces114

distributing209–210

draggingdatatoexisting334–335

draggingontoracks249

duplicating54–55

DynamicGrid46–51

editingtext518

embellishing220–221

Ethernet240–242

Events528

eventtriggers163

eventtypes156,163

exitingtextentrymode97

finding246

flipping211,519

formulas504

gatewaytypes157,163

glue528

gluedtoguides,moving59

gluingcallouts162

gluinglines69

gluingonlayers118

gluingtoguides58

gridlines48

grouping114,116,519

guidelines47

guides57–59

horizontalaxis209

horizontalposition207

hyperlinksymbol354

hyperlinks401

insertingdatavalues284–285

insertingdocumentproperties285

insertingfields284,511–512

interiorverticallines,moving61

lassoselection51–52

lines65–70

linkingdataonepageatatime337–338

linkingtodata333–339

linkingtodataautomatically335–337

linkingtoexternaldata327

linkingtomultipledatasources333

linkingtopages164

linkingusingAutoConnect77–84

listinglinks365

livepreview223

locked60

lockedtext96

locking118

lockingcolors227

looptypes163

Microsoft-specific246

moving189–190,516,519

movingoffpagebreaks211

movingtextblocks99

MultipleShapes174

names358,532

non-adjacent,linking82

one-dimensional62

organizingusingcontainers423–424

orientingtext99

pasting53–55

pinposition63

placingonpages49

positioning48,55–59,207,209–211

positionsonaxes207

properties65,501

protection501

QuickShapes81–83

QuickStyles225

rack249

removingdatagraphics313,315–316

removingeffects224

removingfills230

removingfromcontainers426

removingfromlayers120

removingfromselection53

removingthemes219

replacing111–113

replacingphotos196

repositioning163

repositioningtext98–99

resizing50,56,60,163,242

resizingtext98–99

resizingtextblocks99–100

restoringspacing188

retainingalignment54

rotating61–63,100,102,211,519

rulers,using56–57

runningreportsstoredin290

savingasmasters315

savingincustomstencils315

selecting51–53,516,525

selectingallonlayers120

selectingallthatusedatagraphics318

selectingfromstencils112

selectingmultiple52

selectingwithingroups116

selectiontypes52–53

sendingbackwards207

sheets358

showing/hidingUheights251

Size&Positionwindow62–65

sizeusingguides57–61

sizing46–47,50

smartshapes532

snappingonlayers118

spacing46–50,209–211,213

squares50

subshapes,protectingalignment114

text532

textposition96

ThreePositions174

two-dimensional62

ungrouping115–116

unlinkingfromdata340

usingdifferentdatagraphics314

values63

verticalaxis209

verticalpositions207

wireframes437–439

X-axis207

Y-axis207

Z-axis207

Shapeswindow28,532

adjustingwidth34,36

docking36

expanding/minimizing33,36

floating34

opening/closing34,36

openingstencils36

scrollbars34

statusbar29–31

switchingtoopenstencils33

undocking/floating34,36

ShapeSheet430,433,502–505,532

Sharepage(Backstageview)18–20

SharePoint

incorporatingdiagrams464

linkingto21

refreshingdiagrams471–476

refreshintervals474

savingdiagramsto468–469

savingfilesto466–467

viewingdiagrams470

VisioServices464–465

sharingdiagrams18–20,464

sheets358,532

ShowUSizecommand250

SixSigmaDiagramvalidationruleset448

Size&Positionwindow62–65

smartshapes532

Snap&Glue518

softedgeseffects222

Sortkeydatafieldattribute280

spacingshapes46–50

automatically213

manually209–211

spellingoptions22

starterdiagrams25–28

staticglue71,74,77,532

vs.dynamicglue146–147

statusbar29–31,532

Statusshapedatafield276

stencils8,521,532

addshapesusingAutoConnect82

BasicNetworkDiagram240,242

creatingcustom497–499

DetailedNetworkDiagram242

diagrams45

finding247

networkdiagrams242

QuickShapes81

RackMountedServers242

savingshapesin315

selectingshapesfrom112–113

Servers242

shapes45,48

templates45

titles,revealing242

Stringshapedatafield268,278

subnet532

subprocesses164–166,532

subshapes114–115

SVG(ScalableVectorGraphics)532

SVGwebpageformat408

swimlanediagrams532

Seealsodiagrams

addingflowchartshapes153

addinglanes152,154–155

add-ins150

building152–154

functionalbands149

improvingprocessstepswithdatagraphics304

labeling155

laneorientation150–151

numberingprocesssteps304

usesfor149

validating454–455

swimlanes532

addingtodiagrams154

andcontainers435

labeling155

andlists435

rearrangingsequence436

Ttabs532

taskpanes532

TaskMapadd-in25,306–307

tasks532

TellMe5

templates8,532

BasicElectrical6

BasicNetworkDiagram242

BlankDrawing9

BPMNDiagram6

businessrulesets448

categories10,12

creating394

custom395–396

DetailedNetworkDiagram240,242

displayinginformationabout10

featured12

flowcharts140–141

frequentlyused9

measurementunits11

metric11

predefinedlayers117

savingdiagramsas394

searchingfor9,13

starterdiagrams27

stencils8

UnifiedModelingLanguage(UML)6

usingexistingdiagrams13

USUnits11

viewingfromStartscreen7

wireframes438–439

addingtocontainers422

addingtogroups422

addingtoshapes96–97,148

aligning523

aligninginshapes98

aligningintextblocks99

annotations163

controllinganglewithformulas101

editing522

formatting523

lockingonshapes96

orientationinshapes99–101

positiononshapes96

presetpositions98

removingbackgrounds161

repositioningonshapes98

resizingonshapes98

rotatingindependentofshape101–102

rotatingonshapes101

rotatingwithshapes100

TextBlocktool98–99

textblocks98–99,532

textboxes102–103

textfields,enteringdata278

Textgraphics312

Texttool102,533

Themegallery214

themes533

applying214,216–218

categories214

choosingcolors219

colorpalettes214

customizing219–221

diagrams213

disallowingforfutureshapes219

effects213

HandDrawn214

Marker215

Modern214

organizationcharts197

Professional214

QuickStyles213

removing225

removingfromcurrentpage218

removingfromselectedshapes219

selectingalternatecolorschemes220

selectingeffects220

Trendy214

variants213,217,533

Thermometergraphics317

threadedcomments104,106

tintslider228

tipspane,removing28

titleblocksinbackgroundpages132

toolbars520

tooltabgroup533

tooltabs23–24

transparency228

Trendytheme214

TrustCenter23

TwitteraddressforMicrosoftPressxix

two-dimensionalshapes65,245

Typedatefieldattribute279

UUheights251

ungluedlines67

ungroupingshapes116

UnifiedModelingLanguage(UML)templates6

UniformResourceLocator(URL)533

uniqueidentifiers331–332

unscalingdrawings258

upgradingfrompreviousVisioversions15

URL(UniformResourceLocator)533

user-definedcells533

USUnitstemplates11

Vvalidating

BPMNdiagrams456

flowcharts449–454

swimlanediagrams454–455

validation533

validationissues

highlightingshapes453

ignoring453–454

Issueswindow450–451,454

showing/hiding454–455

sorting450

validationrules448–449

adding457

creatingnew458–460

editing459

ignoring452–454

importingintodiagrams457

Issueswindow450–451

listing458

selecting450

Valuedatafieldattribute280

VariableListshapedatafield268,278

variablelists276,533

variants533

applying218

changingconnectorstyles221

changingembellishmentlevels221

VBA(VisualBasicforApplications)508–509,533

VBE(VisualBasicEditor)508,533

.vdwextension533

VectorMarkupLanguage(VML)533

verticalaxis209

fittowindow515

full-screen517

Visio2003-2010Drawing391

Visio2003-2010Stencil391

Visio2003-2010Template391

Visio2016

add-ins23

editionsof4

fileformats512–514

filetypes391

newfeatures4–6

productID21

programmingwithVBA508–509

QuickStartguide12

scrollingpages32

Startscreen7

switchingwindows31

toolbars520

userinterface(UI)designshapes437

versioninformation21

VisioDrawing391

VisioMacro-EnabledDrawing391

VisioMacro-EnabledStencil391

VisioMacro-EnabledTemplate391

Visioengine533

VisioOptions(Backstageview)22

VisioProfessional20164,439

QuickImportwizard6

starterdiagrams27

VisioProforOffice3654

VisioServices464–465,533

collaboratingondiagrams476–477

data-linkeddiagrams465

VisioStencil391

VisioTemplate391

VisioViewer397

VisioWebAccess464,470–471

Visiowebdrawing533

VisioWorkflowInterchange533

VisualBasicEditor(VBE)508,533

VisualBasicforApplications(VBA)533

VML(VectorMarkupLanguage)533

VMLwebpageformat408

.vsdfileextension391

.vsdmfileextension391

.vsdxextension534

.vsdxfileextension391

.vssfileextension391

.vssmfileextension391

.vssxfileextension391

.vstfileextension391

.vstmfileextension391

.vstxfileextension391

Wwebbrowsers

Commentspane481–482

filteringcomments482

reading/writingcomments477,479,482

updatingdiagrams482

viewingdiagramsin469–471

WebPageformat392

WebParts475–476

webpages,movingaroundin517

web-publisheddiagrams

allowing/disallowingspecificsources468

navigating398–403

settingoptions404–409

websites,linkingto360

websites,Visio-generated

advancedsettings408–410

automaticallyopeninginbrowsers406

changingtitles404–405,409

contents410

copying410

creatingfromdiagrams402

folderlocation410

generalsettings404–407

homepages410

moving410

navigationpanes399,405

outputformats408

panposition400

panning403

publishingdiagrams398

publishingindifferentformats404

searchingfortext403

settingpublishingoptions404

specifyingincludedcontent405

storingpages406

viewingdifferentpages403

viewingshapedata403

viewingspecificpages399

viewingusingInternetExplorer399–401

zoomlevel400

windows

drawing528

DrawingExplorer527

Help524

ShapeData532

Shapes532

switching31

wireframeshapes437–439

Word,linkingtobookmarks363

workflow534

workspace9,534

XXAML(ExtensibleApplicationMarkupLanguage)404,534

X-axis207

X-coordinate534

XML-basedOpenPackagingConventionfileformat513

XML,displayingreportoutput289

XML(ExtensibleMarkupLanguage)534

XMLPaperSpecification392

.xpsfileextension392

XPSDocument392

YY-axis207

Y-coordinate534

ZZ-axis207

zoom534

zoomlevel

displayingcurrentpercentage31

settingforforegroundpages126

webpages400

zoomsettings,changing403

zoomslider376

zooming515

diagrams37–40,376

diagramsinwebbrowsers470

InternetExplorer397

zoomslider30

Z-order207,534

Abouttheauthor

ScottA.HelmersisaMicrosoftMostValuableProfessional(MVP)forMicrosoftVisioandistheprimaryVisioexpertatExperts-Exchange.com.HehashelpedcompaniescreatecustomVisioadd-instoenhanceorganizationalefficiencyandemployeeproductivity,andhastaughtthousandsofpeoplehowtousetechnologymoreeffectively.

HeisVicePresidentofProductPlanningandSupportattheHarvardComputingGroup,asoftwareandconsultingfirmthathelpsclientsunderstandandimplementbusinessprocesssolutions.Scottisaco-inventorofTaskMap(www.taskmap.com),aVisioadd-inthatanyonecanusetodocumentandimprovealloftheimportantaspectsofanybusinessprocess.

ScotthasworkedwithclientsinAfghanistan,Egypt,India,Ireland,Jordan,Malaysia,SaudiArabia,Singapore,Canada,andtheUnitedStatesonprojectsinvolvingknowledgemanagement,specificationofnewITsystems,processmappingandredesign,andtechnologytraining.Inaddition,hehasbeenanAdjunctProfessoratbothNortheasternUniversityandBostonUniversity.

Scottistheauthorofthreepreviousbooks:MicrosoftVisio2013StepbyStep(MicrosoftPress,2013),MicrosoftVisio2010StepbyStep(MicrosoftPress,2011),andDataCommunications:ABeginner’sGuidetoConceptsandTechnology(Prentice-Hall,1989).HealsocontributedChapter9,“VisioandVisioServices,”toBusinessIntelligenceinMicrosoftSharePoint2013byNormWarren,MarianoNeto,StaciaMisner,IvanSanders,andScottHelmers(MicrosoftPress,2013).InformationaboutScott’sbooksisavailableatwww.VisioStepByStep.com.

WhennotworkingorspendingtimewithhisfamilyinAndover,Massachusetts,Scottcanusuallybefoundonhisbicycleorworkingwithalocalcommunitytheatercompany.

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