For more information about how to connect shapes, see Add connectors between shapes in Visio. When you start typing, Visio switches the selected shape to text editing mode. Select the shape again. A small yellow control handle appears in the text area. Drag the yellow control handle to move the text. On the Home tab, in the Tools group, click the Text tool. The text box now has the characteristics of other shapes. You can select it and type to change the text, you can drag it to another part of the page, and you can format the text by using the Font and Paragraph groups on the Home tab.

In addition, when you hold the pointer over the text, AutoConnect arrows appear so you can connect the text to other shapes. For more information about how to add text blocks, see Add, edit, move, or rotate text and text blocks.

In the Shape Data window, in the property row that you want, enter the data that you want. In the Type list, select the type of data that you want to be entered into that property.

Right-click the shape again, point to Data , and this time click Shape Data. The Shape Data window opens and displays all the data that has been defined for the shape. If all of the shapes have specific information, you can leave the Shape Data window open and click the shapes you are interested in to see the data that they contain.

Adding shape data manually can add a lot of value to your diagram, but if your data is in a database or an Excel workbook, you can pull that data into your diagram automatically and connect the rows of data with specific shapes. Use the Data Selector wizard to import your data into the External Data window. The data that appears in the External Data window is a snapshot of your source data at the time of import.

You can update the data in your drawing to match the changes in your source data by clicking Refresh All on the Data tab. On the first page of the Data Selector wizard, choose which of the following types of data sources have the data you’re using:. Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services list. After you click Finish on the last page of the Data Connection wizard, the External Data window appears with your imported data shown in a grid.

Drag a row of data onto a shape to add automatically the data to the Shape Data for that shape. Or, in the Shapes window, select a shape that you want to hold the data, and then drag a row of data and drop it on an empty area of the page.

The selected shape is added to the page, connected to the data. Click the background that you want. A new background page is added to the diagram, which you can see in the page tabs along the bottom of the diagramming area.

To apply a border or title to your drawing:. The title and border are added to the background page named VBackground-1 by default. To change the title and other text, you must make the changes on the background page; you can’t change the title on any other pages. Click the title text. The entire border is selected, but if you start typing it changes the default title text. To apply a unified color scheme and other formatting effects:. On the Design tab, in the Themes group, hold your pointer over the various themes.

A preview of the theme shows up on the page. Appropriate grid size and ruler measurements Some drawings require a special scale. Special tabs Some templates have unique features that you can find on special tabs in the ribbon.

Wizards to help you with special types of drawings In some cases when you open a Visio template, a wizard helps you get started. Rotating and resizing shapes Rotation handles The round handle located above a selected shape is called a rotation handle.

Connection arrows for AutoConnect The connection arrows help you easily connect shapes to one another, as you saw in the previous section. Selection handles for resizing shapes You can use the square selection handles to change the height and width of your shape. Visio shapes can hold data You can add data to each shape by typing it in the Shape Data window — on the View tab, in the Show group, click Task Panes , and then click Shape Data.

Visio shapes with special behavior Many Visio shapes have special behavior that you can find by stretching, right-clicking, or moving the yellow control handle on the shape. On the Design tab, hover the mouse pointer over the various themes. Visio temporarily applies each theme as you hover the mouse pointer over them.

Click the theme that you want to apply to the diagram. Click Design and then click Backgrounds. Click a background. Click a title style. The title and border appear on the background page. At the bottom of the diagramming area, click the VBackground-1 tab. The entire border is selected, but when you start typing it changes the title text.

Type your title, then press ESC. Tutorial: 3 basic steps to create a Visio diagram: Choose and open a template Arrange and connect shapes Add text to shapes and connectors Choose and open a template Templates include stencils, shapes, and grid measurements to help you get started quickly and easily when making your diagram.

Download Summary:. Total Size: 0. Back Next. Microsoft recommends you install a download manager. Microsoft Download Manager.

Manage all your internet downloads with this easy-to-use manager. It features a simple interface with many customizable options:. Download multiple files at one time Download large files quickly and reliably Suspend active downloads and resume downloads that have failed.

Yes, install Microsoft Download Manager recommended No, thanks. What happens if I don’t install a download manager? Why should I install the Microsoft Download Manager?

By paying close attention as your instructor leads. A Short Tutorial on Using Visio for Entity-Relationship Diagrams by Nezar Hussain Microsoft Visio is a flexible software tool that allows users to create some diagrams and charts, providing an alternative to using traditional drawing software such as MS Paint.

Entity — Relationship. The first step you need to do is open Microsoft Visio Step 2. To do this, click on your start button located on the desktop. Step 3. Once there, type in Visio in the search bar and click on Microsoft Visio To fit the page to the current window size. The shape is still selected and the page returns to its previous zoom level.

Type Design approved? To exit text mode and view the entire page again. This means you can add text to connectors by using the same methods you use for adding text to shapes. There are advantages to adding text to connectors: The text moves with the connector, and if the connector length is changed, the text is adjusted automatically.

To exit text mode. Basic diagrams 3—25 Manipulating shape text Explanation Every shape contains a text block area you can move and manipulate by using either the Text tool or the Text Block tool. The Text tool vs. When you use the Text tool to select a text block, you enter text mode.

You can press Esc to exit text mode and select the text block itself. You can then move, resize, or rotate the text block as needed. When you use the Text Block tool, the text block is selected, not the text inside the block. Like the Text tool, you can use the Text Block tool to rotate the text within its shape, and move and resize a text block.

Rotating a text block You can rotate a text block by selecting it with either the Text tool or the Text Block tool. A round rotation handle appears outside the text block, as shown in Exhibit Drag this handle to rotate the text. When you use the Pointer tool to select a shape, the rotation handle rotates the shape, not the contents of the shape.

Rotation handle Exhibit A rotation handle 3—26 Do it! In the Tools group. Basic diagrams 3—27 Topic D: Organization charts Explanation An organization chart depicts the systematic flow of authority and responsibility.

You can use these charts to show superior-subordinate relationships, report hierarchies, and inter-department links in an organization. Creating organization charts To create an organization chart, you use the Organization Chart template. When you use this template, the Organization Chart stencil opens and the Org Chart tab is added to the Ribbon. Then start building the organization chart by dragging shapes from the Organization Chart stencil to the page.

Each organization chart shape typically contains the name and title of a particular person in the organization. Adding multiple shapes You can add more than one shape of the same type to an organization chart.

For example, you might need five Manager shapes under an Executive shape. You can insert all of the Manager shapes at once by dragging the Multiple Shapes shape onto the page. This opens the Add Multiple Shapes dialog box, shown in Exhibit In this dialog box, enter the number of shapes you want to create, select the shape type, and click OK. Exhibit The Add Multiple Shapes dialog box Automatic linking If you want to create a reporting relationship automatically when you add a new organization shape, you can drag the new shape onto the shape that represents the person or position to which it reports.

Click New If necessary. The Connecting Shapes dialog box appears. To prevent this dialog box from appearing each time you drag a shape from the Organization Chart Shapes stencil. Type President To enter the title of the executive. Manager Set the Number of shapes to 4 Click the up-arrow to the right of the box, or click the default value and type 4.

Click OK Four Manager shapes appear, linked under the Executive shape to show the reporting structure. Deselect the shapes Basic diagrams 9 Add two Position shapes under the leftmost Manager shape Drag the Multiple Shapes shape onto the leftmost Manager shape. In the dialog box, select Position, change the value to 2, and click OK. You might want to change the layout of the shapes to change the hierarchy in an organization chart. The options on the Org Chart tab provide various layout styles, such as horizontal and vertical layouts.

Changing the layout of a superior shape changes the layout of all subordinate shapes. Basic diagrams 3—31 Unit summary: Basic diagrams Topic A In this topic, you learned how to plan a basic flowchart.

You also learned some tips for using flowchart shapes. Topic B In this topic, you learned how to create a basic diagram. You learned how to insert shapes by dragging from stencils and by using AutoConnect.

Then you learned how to connect and move shapes, and apply different connector types. Topic C In this topic, you learned how to add text to a drawing and format text. You learned how to apply text to a page, and to individual shapes and connectors. You also learned how to rotate text blocks. Topic D In this topic, you learned how to create and modify an organization chart. Change the font face and increase the font size.

Exhibit The diagram after step 2 3—32 Visio Basic Exhibit The diagram after step 3 Exhibit The diagram after step 5 Basic diagrams 3—33 Review questions 1 What is the grid? The grid is a series of horizontal and vertical lines, similar to graph paper, that help you to position shapes precisely. The grid does not print. Text blocks can be placed along a connector, within a connector, within a shape, our anywhere on the page.

Choose all that apply. For example, if you use the Organization Chart template, the Org Chart tab appears on the Ribbon and organization chart stencils are displayed. B Format shapes and lines, create a shadow effect, and use the Format Painter. You can format each of these elements to make your diagrams appealing and impactful.

For example, you can apply different font faces, alignments, colors, shadows, and line properties. To format the elements of a drawing, you can use the tools in the Font, Paragraph, and Shape groups on the Home tab, or you can use the Text dialog box. Basic text formatting To apply basic text formatting such as bold and italic, or change fonts, font sizes, and text color, you can use the commands in the Font group on the Home tab. You can select a text block to apply formatting to the entire block of text, or you can select and format individual letters or words.

To format specific letters or words, double-click the text to enter text mode, and then select the letters or words that you want to format. Formatting drawings Do it! To select the text block. To increase the font size one increment, which forces it to wrap to the next line.

Re-size the text block downward To increase the space between this text and the heading text. Under Standard Colors, select the dark red color swatch 9 Click To change the text color in the selected shape. To make the selected text bold. To select only this word. Make the text bold Press g twice To exit text mode and deselect the shape. Click 13 Apply the same formatting to the No connector 14 Save your changes To make the text italic.

Select the connector, decrease the font size one increment, and make the word italic. Formatting drawings 4—5 The Text dialog box Explanation You can also click the dialog box launcher in the Font or Paragraph groups to open the Text dialog box, shown in Exhibit Choose the desired options from each tab and then click Apply.

The tabs and their functions are described in the following table. Tab Use it to… Font Change font styles, such as font face, size, style, color, casing, and transparency.

Character Set character spacing and scaling. Paragraph Set paragraph alignment, spacing, and indentation. Text Block Set margins, alignment, background color, and background transparency. Tabs Define the position and alignment of tab stops in text blocks.

Bullets Select bullet styles and related options. The following table describes the options on the Text Block tab. Option Used to… Alignment Position text vertically within the text box. The options are top, middle, and bottom. Margins Specify the distance between the text and each of the four sides of the text box. This option is useful if you have visible borders on a text box and you want to ensure that the text is sufficiently offset from the edges of the text box. Text background Specify a background color for the selected text.

This does not fill the entire text box, but only the text background. You can also control the transparency level of the background color by dragging the Transparency slider. Paragraph formatting On the Paragraph tab of the Text dialog box, you can control horizontal alignment, indents, and spacing.

If you select the text box, the formatting you apply affects all the text in that text block. You can also select only certain paragraphs in a text block and then open the Text dialog box to format only the selected paragraphs. The following table describes the formatting options on the Paragraph tab.

Option Used to… Alignment Align the selected paragraphs horizontally. The options are left, right, centered, and justified. Indentation Set paragraph indentation. You can indent from the left or the right margin, or only the first line of a paragraph. Spacing Specify the gap between paragraphs. Move the text box so that you can see the selected text block 3 Under Spacing, in the After box, click the up arrow Click Apply To increase the spacing after paragraphs to 6 points 6pt.

To apply the formatting without closing the dialog box. There is now more space between the two paragraphs in the text box. Click Apply To align both paragraphs to the middle of the text block. Under Margins, click the up-arrow next to each value three times, or enter the values manually. To view the result. From the Size list, select 12 pt. Each theme consists of a color scheme and styles for fonts, shadows, and connectors.

To apply a theme, click the Design tab and then point to a theme in the Themes group. Live Preview shows you the effect the theme will have on your drawing. Click a theme to apply it.

Or, click the downward-pointing arrow at the end of the Themes group to open the Themes gallery, which displays all available pre-configured themes, as shown in Exhibit Exhibit The Themes Gallery The Effects list In addition to the pre-built themes in the Themes gallery, you can use the options in the Effects list to quickly apply eye-catching effects and styles.

Pre-built effects will override any existing line, connector, text, and shadow styles. The shapes have color, rounded edges, and a slight shadow to create depth. To preview it. To preview this theme. A ScreenTip showing the name of the theme appears. Select Bevel Highlight 6 Save and close the file To apply the effect. Notice that the new styles override some of the theme styles.

You can also use the commands on the Design tab to apply colors and effects, and customize the background and layout. The Fill, Line, and Shadow tools When applying colors, each shape has a separate line and fill.

The line color is the border around the shape; you can also customize the line style and thickness. Exhibit The Fill, Line, and Shadow tools, in the Shape group on the Home tab You can use the Line dialog box, shown in Exhibit , to customize the appearance of a selected line.

For example, you can apply rounded corners, set dashed or dotted lines, and control the line fill transparency.

To open the Line dialog box, open the Line list and choose Line Options. Exhibit The Line dialog box Formatting drawings Do it! Select a light blue color 4 Open the Line list Click it.

To change the color of the shape. In the Shape group, click Line. Select Weight To open a submenu of different line weight width options. Point to 1pt Live Preview shows how a 1-point border width will look on the selected shape. Point to 3pt To see how a 3-point border will look on the selected shape.

Formatting drawings 4—13 The Shadow dialog box Explanation You can use the Shadow dialog box to create a custom shadow effect. For example, you can control the shadow color, transparency, and angle.

To open the Shadow dialog box, click Shadow and choose Shadow Options. Exhibit The Shadow dialog box 4—14 Do it! To open the Shadow Color list. The preview on the right shows how the shadow will be applied to the shape. You might have to move the dialog box to see the shape. This will decrease the depth of the shadow. To decrease the depth of the shadow on the Y axis.

Click OK To close the dialog box. Formatting drawings 4—15 The Format Painter Explanation After you have formatted a shape, you might want to apply the same styles to other shapes in the drawing. You can do this by using the Format Painter, which applies the formatting attributes of one shape to one or more other shapes. To use the Format Painter, first select the shape that contains the formatting attributes you want to copy, and then click the Format Painter button, located in the Clipboard group on the Home tab.

Then, click another shape in the drawing to apply the same formatting. If you want to format multiple shapes, double-click the Format Painter button. This prevents Visio from switching back to the previous tool after you format a shape. To deselect the Format Painter, press Esc. To copy the formatting of the selected shape. To copy formatting to multiple shapes, you need to double-click the Format Painter.

To undo the changes. Press g To deselect the shapes. Topic B In this topic, you learned how to format shapes and lines. You learned how to apply line and corner styles, create a custom shadow effect, and use the Format Painter to copy formatting to one or more other shapes.

Hint: Double-click the text to enter text mode. Hint: Open the Fill list. Hint: Double-click the Format Painter. Hint: Click the Design tab. Formatting drawings 4—17 Review questions 1 How can you select individual letters or words in a text block for formatting?

Double-click the text to enter text mode, and then select the letters or words that you want to format. Themes are predefined sets of colors and styles that you can quickly apply to a drawing. Each theme consists of a color scheme and styles for fonts, shadows, and connectors: 3 True or false?

When you apply effects from the Effects list, the new styles might override existing theme styles. True 4 True or false? When the amount of text is too much for a text block to contain, the text becomes hidden from view. False 5 How can you copy formatting to multiple shapes by using the Format Painter?

A Click the Format Painter button and then click the shapes you want to format. B Select all the shapes you want to format and then click the Format Painter button. D Double-click the Format Painter button and then click the shapes you want to format. B Create and apply background pages, use fields to display information, and add a graphic to a page.

C Create hyperlinks to internal detail pages, external files, multiple files, and specific locations in a file. For example, you might want to put your name and company name on the file, the manager for the project, and a brief title or description. In addition, you should prepare your diagram to print successfully, which entails checking and modifying page and printer properties. Viewing and setting file properties To view and set properties for a file, click the File tab to open the Backstage view.

Then click Info to view information about the file. To specify a property, click the prompt to the right of the property and enter a value.

In the right pane. Visio shows a thumbnail preview and a list of information about the file. You can use the commands in the Page Setup group on the Design tab, and the Page Setup dialog box, to make sure that the printer paper size is optimized for the drawing page you want to print. If the drawing extends beyond the printer paper size, content will be cut off and printed on a separate page. Page orientation The page orientation defines how the drawing will be printed on the page. The options are Portrait 8.

For example, if your diagram is wider than it is long, you can change its orientation to Landscape so that as much content as possible can be printed on a page. The default orientation depends on the template in use. To change the page orientation, click the Design tab, click the Orientation button in the Page Setup group, and select either Portrait or Landscape. This feature is on by default. The Page Setup dialog box You can use the Page Setup dialog box to control page size and printer settings.

This is the Auto Size feature. You can disable this by selecting Pre-defined size and then selecting a page size from the lists below it. Working with pages 5—5 Exhibit The Page Setup dialog box with the Page Size tab active The Page Setup dialog box contains six tabs, each described in the following table. Tab Description Print Setup Contains settings for the current printer. The Preview window shows the orientation of the paper against the drawing page.

Page Size Contains size and orientation settings for the drawing page. You can define the page size for each page in a drawing. Drawing Scale Defines a scale for the drawing. This is helpful for floor plans and other architectural drawings. Page Properties Use this tab to specify a name for the page, set the desired measurement units, and assign a background page. Layout and Routing Use this tab to define how shapes and lines will appear in print. Shadows Use this tab to define shadow settings for a page.

Printer paper size You can change the printer paper size by using the Size options in the Page Setup command group. Click the Size button and select a page size. Or, open the Page Setup dialog box, click the Print Setup tab, and select a paper size from the list. The Auto Size button is active by default. This feature automatically resizes the page if content extends beyond the page boundaries.

This is the default orientation when the flowchart template is used. Letter size 8. The Print Setup tab is active. Letter size is the default paper size. Working with pages 5—7 7 Select Pre-defined size From the second list, select To change the size of the drawing page. Legal: 14 in. Observe the preview window The preview shows that the drawing page and the printer page do not match.

You can use the Page Setup dialog box to make sure that the printer paper size is optimized for the page you want to print. From the Paper size list, select Legal 8. The preview window shows that the size of the printer paper now matches the size of drawing page. The drawing page is resized. To open Print Preview, click the File tab and select the Print category.

Then click Print Preview. The application window changes to show only the File tab and a new Print Preview tab, which contains several print options and controls, as shown in Exhibit Exhibit The Print Preview window Headers and footers You can add headers and footers to your printed pages. Headers appear at the top of each page, and footers appear at the bottom of each page. Or, click the arrows next to each position and select an option from the list. For example, to show the file name in the top center of the page, select File name.

The box displays a variable that will be replaced with the file name when the page is printed. Headers and footers created in Print Preview appear only in print. The Print Preview tab is active and all other tabs except for the File tabs are absent in this view.

The header text and the current date appear at the top corners of the page, and the page number is displayed in the lower-right corner. To return to the drawing page. Notice that the header and footer are not displayed on the actual diagram.

They appear in print only. You can print from inside the Print Preview window by clicking the Print button. Then click Quick Print to send the document to the default printer, or click Print to open the Print dialog box, shown in Exhibit In the Print dialog box, you can select the printer and choose which pages to print and the number of copies to print.

Click OK to send the document to the selected printer. Exhibit The Print dialog box 5—12 Do it! The default printer is selected. You can select a different printer if necessary.

By default, all pages in the document will print. You can specify the pages you want to print. You would select this option if you want to print only the current page.

You can print one or more copies of your drawing by specifying a number in this box. Working with pages 5—13 Topic B: Working with background pages Explanation You can use background pages to display information you want to repeat on multiple pages in a drawing. Background pages Background pages provide additional information for foreground pages.

When you designate a page as background, the fields you add to the page appear on multiple foreground pages, as illustrated in Exhibit You can use background pages to consistently display important information such as a company logo or page numbers. You can have more than one background page in a file, but you can apply only one background page to a foreground page.

The same background page is automatically applied to each new page that you add to a drawing.

 
 

 

Featured Visio templates and diagrams – Microsoft Support

 

Entity — Relationship. The first step you need to do is open Microsoft Visio Step 2. To do this, click on your start button located on the desktop. Step 3. Once there, type in Visio in the search bar and click on Microsoft Visio With Visio you can choose Building Plan templates suited to the type of plan you want to create. Although the Office Layout template is available, the Floor Plan template is better because it creates a standard architectural size page and opens stencils with more shapes for walls, doors, windows, and other common building components.

This manual is written for users of Visio although the principles described apply to most versions of Visio with some minor variations. It is recommended that a start is made with A3 or B as the contents of this size can generally be.

Introducing Microsoft Project xv Introducing Microsoft Project Microsoft Project is a powerful program that helps you plan and manage a wide range of projects. From meeting crucial deadlines and budgets to selecting the right resources, Project offers easier and more intuitive experiences to help you be more.

Visio to create a variety of diagrams for business and personal use. The content of the book is designed to be useful for people who have previously used earlier versions of Visio and for people who are discovering Visio for the first time. Microsoft Visio adalah tools untuk membuat pelbagai jenis diagram, mulai dari diagram jaringan sampai ke kelender dan mulai dari tampilan teks biasa, sampai ke bentuk flowchart.

Visio membuat dokument visual secara profesional untuk membantu analisa dan komunikasi informasi, sistem dan proses yang kompleks. Ribbon tabs Each tab displays groups of related commands.

Some Ribbon tabs are contextual— they appear only if the object they control is inserted or selected. Ribbon groups Commands on each Ribbon tab are organized logically in groups. For example, commands for formatting text are arranged together in the Font and Paragraph groups on the Home tab. Shapes window Displays the stencils associated with the current file or template. Stencils are collections of related shapes. Each stencil is specialized for a specific type of drawing. You can open multiple stencils with each drawing.

The top and left sides of the Drawing window show rulers that display measurement units to help you precisely position objects in a drawing. Rulers also provide access to guides that help you align objects and shapes while drawing. Page tabs at the bottom of the Drawing window allow you to switch between pages in a multi-page drawing.

To switch to a different page, click one of the tabs. You can also use the navigation buttons to the left to scroll page tabs. Visio also incorporates standard Office application components such as the title bar, which displays the name of the current document at the top of the window, and the status bar, which is located at the bottom of the application window and displays the page number, View commands, and the Zoom controls.

Minimizing the ribbon While the Ribbon makes it easy to access frequently used commands, it also takes up a lot of space on the screen. You might prefer to minimize the Ribbon at times to have more screen space in which to work. You can minimize the Ribbon either by clicking the Minimize the Ribbon button or by double-clicking the active tab. The Minimize the Ribbon button is the caret-shaped button at the right end of the Ribbon. When the Ribbon is minimized, you can click a tab to temporarily show it to access a command.

The Ribbon will be displayed until you click a command or click elsewhere in the window. Then it will be hidden again. To expand the Ribbon and keep it expanded, click the Expand the Ribbon button the downward-pointing caret or doubleclick a tab.

You can personalize the Quick Access toolbar by adding commands that you use frequently. The Quick Access toolbar is located above the Ribbon by default, but you can display it below the Ribbon. To do so, click the arrow on the right side of the toolbar and choose Show Below the Ribbon from the Quick Access Toolbar menu. Quick Access toolbar Dialog box launchers Exhibit Additional interface components Dialog box launchers In some Ribbon groups there are more commands and settings than can be displayed on the Ribbon.

Dialog boxes are available to display more options when necessary. To open a dialog box, click the dialog box launcher in the lower-right corner of a Ribbon group, as shown in Exhibit In this example, the launchers in both groups open the Text dialog box, with either the Font tab or Paragraph tab active by default.

This is where you manage your documents and related data. To open the Backstage view, click the File tab. In Backstage view, you can also create a file or see a list of recently opened files, manage information about a file, such as permissions and properties, and change application settings. Visio file types There are three types of Visio files: drawings. Templates contain the associated stencils, page layout, and styles used to format shapes, text, and other drawing objects.

By default, the Open dialog box displays only Visio drawing files. To select a different file type, use the File types list, which includes all Visio file types as well as file types from some other applications. When you import a drawing from another application, the file is converted to Visio format. Getting started Do it! To display the Start menu. To start Visio. This displays the Backstage view, which provides options for creating new files and managing documents.

Navigate to the current topic folder Select Overview. You can customize the commands that appear on the Quick Access toolbar.

When you open a file, the Home tab is active by default. This area displays the stencils associated with the current file or template. Each group contains related commands and menus. In the Illustrations group, point as shown After a few moments, a ScreenTip appears, describing the functionality of the Picture button.

You can point to any command to view information about that command. By default, a grid is visible on empty areas of the page. You can use the grid to help you place objects precisely. On the top and left sides of the Drawing window.

The rulers can help you to line up and arrange objects precisely. To open the Page Setup dialog box. You can use dialog boxes to access additional options. Click Cancel To close the dialog box. Click an empty area on the page 17 Double-click the Home tab Click an empty area on the page The Ribbon is minimized again.

Clicking a tab once does not return the Ribbon to its default state. To expand the Ribbon. The Ribbon is not minimized—double-clicking a tab when the Ribbon is minimized returns the Ribbon to its default state. Getting started 1—7 Visio overview Explanation Visio is a vector-based illustration tool. Vector images are composed of mathematically computed lines, resulting in sharp images that are not resolution-dependent as bitmap images are. Bitmap images are composed of dots called pixels, the smallest unit of color that a monitor can display.

The number of pixels per square inch determines the resolution, or fineness of detail. The more pixels per inch an image has, the greater its resolution. High-resolution images are sharp but can result in large files. Although Visio is a vector-based application, you can include bitmap images, such as photographs, in your illustrations. Shapes, stencils, and styles The basic drawing object in a Visio file is a shape. Shapes are grouped together on stencils.

Stencils hold the basic master shapes, or building blocks, used for specific types of drawings. For example, for flowchart diagramming, you use the flowchart stencil. In addition, you can use drawing tools to create basic objects such as lines and boxes.

By drawing and editing basic shapes, you can create different elements that you can combine with other objects to create complex drawings. By modifying object attributes, called styles, you can produce a variety of design features and effects. For example, you can apply colors, shadows, fill patterns, line properties, and many other formats.

Visio provides several tools that you can use to view and navigate a drawing. The View tab You can quickly change view settings by using the commands and options on the View tab.

For example, you can show or hide various elements of the work area, enable or disable visual aids, and zoom in and out of a particular region. One way to zoom in and out is to use the Zoom dialog box. On the View tab, click the Zoom button to open the Zoom dialog box, which contains several magnification levels to choose from, as shown in Exhibit You can also select Percentage and then enter your own zoom level.

Another way to open the Zoom dialog box is to click the percentage value on the right side of the status bar. Exhibit The Zoom dialog box Zooming with the keyboard You can also zoom in and out of drawings quickly by using combined keyboard commands and mouse clicks. The Zoom slider Another option for adjusting the display magnification is the Zoom slider, shown in Exhibit The Zoom slider is located on the right side of the status bar, at the bottom of the Visio window.

You can click the minus sign to zoom out or the plus sign to zoom in. Or, you can drag the slider to the left or right to set the desired zoom level.

The current zoom level is displayed to the left of the Zoom slider. A red box represents the area on the drawing currently in view in the Drawing window. You can click anywhere on the thumbnail to move the focus to that region, or drag from inside the red box to move the focus. This is called panning. Getting started 1—9 You can drag on the thumbnail to define a new panning region red box. Do it! In the Show group, uncheck To turn off the rulers.

The rulers can help you to arrange items precisely. Uncheck Grid To turn off the grid display on empty areas of the page. The grid is another visual aid to help to you place and arrange items precisely.

To view the page at actual size. To open the Zoom dialog box again. The status bar displays the current zoom level. To zoom in on the diamond shape. What is the current zoom level? The pointer changes to a small hand and drags the page around the drawing area. You might prefer this method to using the horizontal and vertical scroll bars. To zoom out. A red rectangle shows the area currently visible in the Drawing window.

From inside the red box, drag to another location in the thumbnail To pan to that region of the drawing. Click any shape in the thumbnail outside of the red box The red box moves to that location, bringing the shape into view in the Drawing window. To fit the page into the current window size. Getting started 1—11 Page navigation Explanation Drawings may contain more than one page.

To navigate through a multi-page drawing, click the page tabs at the bottom of the Drawing window. You can navigate page tabs by using the controls on the left side, shown in Exhibit Using these controls brings only page tabs into view, not actual drawing pages. Renaming pages is useful if the drawing has many pages, because you can locate the exact chart or diagram you want based on the page title instead of cycling through to find the one you want.

To rename a page, double-click the page tab, type the new name, and press Enter. Or, you can right-click the page tab, choose Rename from the menu, type the new name, and press Enter.

To return to the first page and select the page title. Visio provides a comprehensive Help system to support you as you work. There are several ways you can get information about Visio components and techniques. The Help window The Visio Help window, shown in Exhibit , provides assistance and information on practically all Visio-related topics. You can use it to search for specific content by using keywords or by selecting from a list of topics in the table of contents. To open the Visio Help window, click the question-mark icon in the upper-right corner of the Visio window, or press F1.

Exhibit The Visio Help window with an expanded table of contents ScreenTips ScreenTips are another way you can get more information about components of the Visio environment. As shown in Exhibit , ScreenTips appear when you point to Ribbon tools or stencil shapes. To show the contents of the Help system, organized by topics. Creating diagrams 5 Click Find more shapes and stencils Information on the selected topic appears in the window.

To open the Visio Help window again. The Table of Contents pane is open if it was open when the window was last closed. To place the insertion point. You can customize many items of the workspace to suit your preferences. Docked windows vs. A docked window is attached to the left or right side of the application window, and it stretches across the entire height of the screen, regardless of its content.

The default position of the Shapes window is an example of a docked window. To dock a window, drag it to the left or right side of the application window until it snaps into place.

An anchored window is attached to an edge of the Drawing window, and you can manually change its width and height. You can also temporarily hide or expand anchored windows by clicking the AutoHide button.

When you point outside the window, it collapses automatically. To anchor a window, slowly drag from its title bar toward an edge of the Drawing window until it snaps into place. Floating windows A floating window is neither docked nor anchored, but floats independently wherever you want it on screen.

For example, Exhibit shows the Basic Shapes stencil as a floating window. You can manually resize a floating window by pointing to any of its four edges and then dragging. Exhibit A floating stencil window To float a docked or anchored window, drag its title bar toward the center of the Drawing window. You can also right-click the title bar and choose Float Window. After you have floated a window, you can drag it anywhere in the work area. However, if you drag too close to an edge of the work area, the window will automatically snap to that edge and will be either anchored or docked.

You can prevent this by holding down the Ctrl key as you drag. To dock a floating window, right-click its title bar and choose Dock Window. Getting started 1—15 Working with stencils When you create a drawing based on a template, only the stencils associated with the template are shown by default. You can open new stencils by choosing them from the More Shapes menu. By default, open stencils are grouped together in the Shapes window, and only one set of stencil shapes is visible at a time. To switch stencils, click the title bar of the stencil you want to view.

To close a stencil, right-click its title bar and choose Close. To dock a floating stencil, drag it onto the Shapes window. You can open and close stencils as you need them. Brainstorming Shapes US units 7 Point to the Shapes window title bar, as shown The pointer changes to indicate that you can move the Shapes window.

Pressing Ctrl as you drag prevents the window from docking to other parts of the work area. To re-dock the Shapes window. A menu opens. Choose Float Window The stencil becomes a floating window.

Drag the floating window to the center of the Drawing window Drag from its title bar. Getting started 1—17 11 Slowly drag the floating stencil to the lower left corner so that it snaps into place, as shown 12 Point to the right edge of the anchored window, as shown The pointer changes to indicate that you can resize the window.

Drag to the right until the window widens to show more shapes 13 On the left side of the window, click The Turn On AutoHide button. To close the Brainstorming Shapes stencil. You need to select objects before you can change them. For example, after you select an object or group of objects, you can move or resize them.

Selection methods To select an object, first verify that the Pointer tool is selected and then click the object you want to select. The Pointer tool is on the Home tab, in the Tools group. When you select an object, a selection box appears around it, as shown in Exhibit The selection box has eight selection handles. You can use the handles to resize or rotate the object. For example, you might want to move objects simultaneously or change their color. Instead of selecting and changing each object individually, you can select them all and make your changes to all of them at the same time.

This selects all objects on the page. Then select the desired options and click OK. Then draw a freeform shape around the objects.

Moving an object After you select one or more objects, you can drag them to a new location in the drawing. When you want to move an object, remember to point to the middle of the object.

Otherwise, if the pointer gets too close to a selection handle, you might accidentally resize the object instead of moving it. Getting started 1—19 Saving a Visio file You should save your work regularly. To save a file, you have two options: Save and Save As. When you use the Save command, Visio updates the open file with its current name in its current location.

Save the file as My Selecting 2 On the Home tab, in the Tools group, verify that the Pointer tool is selected This is the default selection tool. Selection handles appear around the shape. A pink border appears around each object, and selection handles appear around the entire group of objects.

Drag the objects below the text 9 Click a blank area of the drawing To deselect the objects. If you have several different types of objects, you can use this dialog box to narrow down the selection.

Getting started 11 Press and hold s 12 Click the star, square, polygon, and line shapes To select all of these objects. Move the objects above the text 13 Deselect the objects Click a blank area of the drawing. Scaling maintains the height-to-width proportions, while resizing changes the size without maintaining the proportions. Scaling an object To scale an object, select it and point to any corner selection handle until the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow.

Then, drag away from the object to increase the size proportionally, or drag toward the center of the object to decrease the size proportionally. Use corner handles to scale objects Use center handles to resize objects Exhibit Scaling and resizing an object Resizing an object Use the center selection handles to resize an object without maintaining its proportions. This is useful if you want to stretch an object or otherwise change one of its proportions.

To resize an object, point to any of the center selection handles and drag. To increase the size of the star. The shape is scaled proportionally. Observe the polygon The height increases but the width does not. Deselect the polygon 6 Select the square Press and hold s Point to a center selection handle and drag toward the center 7 Save and close the file While continuing to hold Shift.

To decrease the size of the square proportionally. You learned how to start Visio, open a file, and navigate in a drawing. You learned how to change view settings and navigate between pages. You also learned about the Visio interface and Help system. Topic B In this topic, you learned how to manipulate windows and stencils.

You learned how to reposition stencils in the Shapes window and how to float and dock stencils in the work area. Finally, you learned how to select objects by using several methods, and you learned how to scale and resize objects.

Getting started 1—25 Review questions 1 Which of the following is not true about Visio? A Visio is a vector-based drawing program. B Most new drawings are based on templates. C Visio cannot work with bitmap images. D Stencils are collections of shapes.

In the Shapes window, to the left of the Drawing page 7 Name two ways you can select multiple objects. B Work with compound lines and use several methods to duplicate objects. C Align, distribute, group, and rotate objects.

Visio provides several tools for drawing shapes and lines. Drawing tools To draw your own shapes, you use the Drawing tools, located in the Tools group on the Home tab. The drawing tools are described in the following table. Tool Button Use it to… Line Create single-segmented lines. Arc Create simple arcs. Rectangle Draw rectangles and squares. Hold the Shift key while using this tool to create a square. Ellipse Create ovals and circles. Hold the Shift key while using this tool to create a circle.

Pencil Draw lines and arcs without changing tools, and reshape other objects. Freeform Create multi-segmented curved lines. To create basic shapes, select the Rectangle, Ellipse, Arc, or Line tool, and then drag on the drawing area. An example is shown in Exhibit Starting point Drag to create the shape. Exhibit Using a drawing tool to create a basic shape Drawing tools Do it! Save the file as My Drawing Observe the first page The shape outlines are guides to help you practice drawing.

Observe the Shapes window There are currently no stencils associated with this file. You can drag on the page to draw a rectangle. Click the Rectangle tool and point anywhere on the page The pointer changes to a crosshair with a small rectangle next to it.

As you drag, the status bar displays information about the size of the object. To view the rectangle and its control handles. By default, the shape is drawn with a thin black line.

Press s The pointer shape changes to a square. Release s The pointer changes back to a rectangle. Drag to the lower-right corner of the outline Release the mouse button and the s key 9 Click the arrow next to the Rectangle tool Select Ellipse and point anywhere on the page On the Ribbon, in the Tools group.

To open a menu of shape tools. The pointer now has an ellipse next to it. Drawing tools 2—5 Lines and arcs Explanation You can create and edit lines and arcs by using the Line and Arc tools. To draw straight lines, select the Line tool and drag on the page. By default, Visio is configured to snap lines to degree increments. When the line is at a degree angle, a gray guideline appears and extends across the page. To constrain lines to degree increments only, press and hold the Shift key as you drag.

You can draw curved lines with the Arc tool. The direction of the arc depends on the direction you drag, as illustrated in Exhibit For example, if you drag up and to the right, the arc will bend up and to the right. If you drag slightly down, and then up and to the right, the arc will bend in the opposite direction.

Exhibit Drawing curved lines with the Arc tool 2—6 Do it! Click To select the Line tool. Without releasing the mouse button, slowly drag down until a guideline appears again The guideline indicates a degree angle. Release the mouse button To create the line. Drag in any direction 7 When the line is at a degree angle, release the mouse button Endpoints appear at both ends of the line. Release s 8 Select the Pointer tool Point to one of the endpoints 9 Drag the endpoint up or down 10 From the Tools menu, select the Arc tool The pointer changes to four arrows pointing in opposite directions.

To change the angle of the line. You can use the Pointer tool to modify existing lines and shapes. Drawing tools 2—7 11 In a blank area of the page, drag up and to the right To create an arc. The direction you drag determines the direction of the arc. When you complete the arc, release the mouse button. Endpoints appear at both ends of the arc.

If you select an arc with the Pointer tool, a control handle appears in the middle of the arc, in addition to endpoints at both ends. To change the curve of the arc, drag the center control handle, as shown in Exhibit When you select the Pencil tool, the control handle in the center of the arc changes from a square to a circle, and eccentricity handles extend from it, as shown in Exhibit To select it.

Endpoints appear at both ends, and a control handle appears in the center. If you drag around in a circle, you can rotate the arc. Release the mouse button 4 Point to the control handle in the center of the arc Drag the control handle 5 From the Tools menu, select Pencil The pointer changes to a two-headed arrow.

You can adjust the arc more precisely by using the Pencil tool. When you select the tool, the control handle in the arc changes from a square to a circle. Compound lines consist of multiple line segments.

You can create two types of compound lines in Visio. You can create a freeform line with the Freeform tool, or you can connect line segments by using the Line, Arc, and Pencil tools. Freeform lines If you want to create a free-flowing compound line, use the Freeform tool. This tool creates exactly what you draw as you drag the pointer, similar to the way you draw with a pencil and paper. When you drag with the tool, Visio automatically creates multiple control points as needed to shape the curves, as shown in Exhibit Control points Exhibit A freeform line Drawing tools Do it!

Freeform 3 Point to the left end of the curved line at the top of the page Using a smooth motion, drag to trace the curves of the line 4 Observe the line 5 Save your changes As your hand changes direction, the line bends with it.

It does not need to exactly match the template line. Visio automatically creates control points as necessary to control the curves of the line. Select the tool you want and then create each segment in succession. To begin a new segment, point to the endpoint of the previous segment and then drag. When you use this technique, the segments are connected by vertex points, the diamond-shaped points shown in Exhibit Drag to the center point of the tracing arc and release the mouse button where shown To draw half of the arc.

The endpoints of both lines change to vertex points, indicating that the line is now a compound line. There are now four vertex points. The type of line segment you create is determined by the way you drag with the tool. Drag in a straight line to create straight line segments, and drag in the shape of an arc to create curved segments.

To delete the line. Drawing tools 2—15 Adjusting compound lines Explanation You can adjust compound lines by manipulating the control and vertex points. If you created a freeform line, you can make adjustments by moving the control points with either the Pointer tool or the Pencil tool. If you created a compound line with the Line, Arc, or Pencil tools, you can move control points as well as vertex points. To do both, you need to use the Pencil tool. To change the curve for a portion of the line.

Eccentricity handles extend from the vertex point. Drag the eccentricity handles to change the shape of the line 4 Click the compound line at the bottom of the page To select it. The segment is divided into two segments, and control points appear on both sides of the vertex point.

Drawing tools 2—17 Topic C: Editing objects Explanation There are many ways you can edit shapes and lines. Some of the common techniques include duplicating, aligning, distributing, grouping, and rotating shapes.

Duplicating an object You can duplicate an object by using several methods. Or, you can hold down the Ctrl key as you drag an object. When you do this, Visio creates a duplicate of the object. Maintain alignment when duplicating If you duplicate an object by pressing Ctrl as you drag it, you can also use the Shift key to maintain its alignment.

Be sure you do not press Shift until after you start dragging; otherwise, the tool will change to the Magnification tool. Using the F4 key to duplicate objects The F4 key functions as a Repeat key. In many cases, it repeats your last action. Drag the circle to the other end of the dotted line To create a copy of the circle on the other end. Release the mouse button; then release c Otherwise, you will move the circle rather than copy it.

To create two more copies of the circle. Slowly begin dragging down To begin creating a duplicate. As you drag, press and hold s To maintain vertical alignment for the duplicate circle. To create two more evenly spaced duplicates. There are many ways to accomplish these actions, but the easiest way to align objects is to use the options in the Position menu.

For example, you can select several adjacent objects and then select Align Center from the Position menu to center the objects precisely. Reference objects When you align objects, the order in which you select them is critical. The first object you select is the reference object: all other objects you select will be aligned to it. When you select multiple objects, the reference object has a thick pink border, while the other selected objects have thin pink borders, as shown in Exhibit Reference object Exhibit A reference object in a group of selected objects Use the Shift key to select multiple objects Earlier you learned how to select multiple objects by dragging to create a marquee.

However, if you want to select specific objects but leave others unselected, you can hold down the Shift key and click the objects you want to select. Live preview You can preview the effect of an alignment command by pointing to an option in the Position menu. For example, if you have selected multiple objects, open the Position menu and point to different alignment options; the objects move on the page to show you how that selected command will affect the shapes. Drawing tools Do it!

In the Arrange group, click On the Home tab. To open the Position menu. Position Point to Align Left The shapes move on the page to show you the effect of this command on the selection. Point to Align Top The objects are aligned to the top of the reference object.

The distance between the first and last objects determines the overall distance. All other objects are distributed evenly to fill the space between the first and last objects. You can distribute objects vertically or horizontally. To distribute objects, open the Position menu, point to Space Shapes, and select an option from the submenu. Button Function Top and bottom inside edges are spaced evenly apart. Top edges of objects are spaced evenly apart.

Vertical centers of objects are spaced evenly. Bottom edges are spaced evenly apart. Left and right inside edges are spaced evenly apart. Left edges are spaced evenly apart. Horizontal centers of objects are spaced evenly apart. Right edges are spaced evenly apart. Distribute Options… 4 Under Vertical distribution, click This setting will distribute the selected shapes evenly based on their bottom edges.

To open the Distribute Shapes dialog box. Distribute Options… Under Horizontal distribution, click This setting will distribute the selected shapes evenly according to their horizontal centers. Click OK The diamond shape is no longer vertically aligned with the light blue rectangles. Grouping holds objects together and allows them to act as a single object. Then, when you distribute or align the group, all of the objects in the group move together.

To group objects, select the objects you want to group, click Group, and choose Group. To ungroup objects, select the group, click Group, and choose Ungroup. Now there is only one set of selection handles. Select the three yellow shapes Release s 6 Choose Position, Space Shapes, Distribute Horizontally 7 Save your changes The yellow shapes are distributed uniformly using the group as a reference object.

Drawing tools 2—25 Rotating objects Explanation You rotate objects around a point called the center of rotation by using rotate handles. When you select an object with the Rotate tool, the center of rotation appears in the middle of the object. In addition, a round Rotate Shape tool appears at the top of the selected object. You can use this tool to rotate the object clockwise or counterclockwise around the center of rotation.

You might want to do this if you need to rotate one object around another. To move a center of rotation, you drag it to a new location. To undo the rotation. To activate the Rotate Shape tool again. To move the center of rotation. Around the earth shape. You drew closed and open shapes and objects, and you learned how to reshape objects.

Topic B In this topic, you learned how to use the Freeform tool. You also created compound lines by using the Line, Arc, and Pencil tools. Topic C In this topic, you learned how to duplicate, align, and distribute objects. You also learned how to group and rotate objects. Hint: Use the Freeform tool for Shape D. Hint: You can use the Arc and Line tools or the Pencil tool.

Place the duplicates under the original, and group the duplicates. Drawing tools 2—27 Review questions 1 Which of the following tools can you use to draw a square in one stroke?

Simple lines consist of a single line segment. The eccentricity handles change the angle and magnitude of the elliptical line from the arc, and they are used to lean the arc in a specific direction. They also maintain the symmetry of the arc. A Eccentricity handles B Vertex points C Control handles D Arc handles 6 Which of the following techniques holds objects together and allows them to act as one? B Create a basic diagram and insert, connect, and modify shapes.

C Insert and format text. D Create and modify organization charts. One type of diagram is a flowchart, which typically represents a process. For example, a flowchart could depict the assembly of a motor on an assembly line.

Visio provides other types of charts and diagrams you can use to represent a variety of information. Design tips Effective design begins with an audience analysis. The answers to these basic questions will help you target the right diagram to the right people. If you have a wide audience, the questions might be harder to answer.

Next, consider the design and purpose of your diagram. Will it be distributed online across a company network? Will you be printing the diagram? If so, will you print in color or black and white? If you are printing in color, use highly contrasting colors to make it easy for your audience to read the diagram and distinguish its components. Diagram shapes Each step, action, or idea in a diagram is represented by a shape. Some shapes are standard across most processes, such as those used in process mapping.

Visio organizes commonly used shapes in stencils and incorporates these stencils into diagram templates. When you use a Visio template, the stencils most commonly used for that type of diagram are included in the file. Often the shapes found on the Basic stencil are enough to get started. Research what your company has done in the past, and find out if there are any company standards you should be following. Often, a graphic can effectively convey a simple idea or action.

Consider using a universal type of graphic, such as an industry icon. You can always go back and replace a shape without rebuilding the entire diagram.

Basic diagrams Do it! A Discussing diagram planning Questions and answers 1 What kind of information is typically best represented by a flowchart? When you begin a diagram, stencils containing specific master shapes are automatically displayed in the Shapes window.

Inserting and connecting shapes You can add shapes to a diagram by dragging shapes from the stencils onto the page. Each shape serves a specific purpose and demonstrates a particular process or function in the diagram. For example, decision shapes in flowchart diagrams represent decisions within a flow of events, while process shapes represent specific steps or tasks.

AutoConnect You can save time by using AutoConnect to connect shapes as you add them to the page. AutoConnect is optional but active by default in Visio When you point to a shape, direction handles appear, as shown in Exhibit AutoConnect handles Exhibit AutoConnect handles When you point to any of these handles, a toolbar of shapes is displayed, as shown in Exhibit The shapes that are displayed are from the currently selected stencil.

You can point to a shape to preview a connection, or click one to add and connect the shape. When you do, the last shape you selected in the stencil will automatically be added to the drawing and connected to the shape. Then move the shape over any of the AutoConnect handles and release the mouse button to add and connect it to the shape.

Basic diagrams 3—5 Moving and deleting shapes You will likely need to make ongoing adjustments as you work on a diagram. To delete a shape, select it and press delete. To move a shape, drag it to a desired location. When you move a shape, orange guides appear, indicating the alignment and spacing for precise shape placement.

If you want to move multiple shapes at once, select them and drag the selection box to the desired location. Moving shapes does not remove their connections to other shapes. As you drag, the shape snaps to the grid increments. Click the bottom AutoConnect handle Another Process shape is added below the existing one. However, you want to add a Decision shape. To view the AutoConnect handles. A toolbar appears with shapes from the currently selected stencil.

Click the diamond To add and connect another Decision shape. When you position the new shape over the existing one, the AutoConnect handles appear. Center the new shape over the right AutoConnect handle The AutoConnect handle darkens to indicate that the shape will be connected off that point.

Release the mouse button To add and connect the new shape. Again, because you used AutoConnect, the new shape is automatically connected to the previous one. Press d 12 Complete the flowchart as shown To remove the shape.

Basic diagrams 3—7 13 Select the Process shape shown Drag the shape down, as shown The orange guides indicate the alignment and spacing of the shape relative to the other shapes. To add space between steps in the diagram. Basic diagrams 3—9 Manually connecting shapes Explanation After you have added shapes to a drawing, you can connect them to illustrate their relationship or flow. You have already connected shapes by using AutoConnect features. You can also manually connect drawings with the Connector tool.

You can use the Connector tool to connect shapes that are not adjacent. On the Home tab, in the Tools group, select the Connector tool and then drag the pointer from a connection point on one shape to a connection point on another shape. Connect shapes in the direction of the process flow because arrows are automatically added to connecting lines that point in the direction in which the connection is made. To ensure that your shapes are properly connected, you can attach them at their connection points.

To create a shape-to-shape connection, select the Connector tool and drag from the center of a shape to the center of another shape. Using AutoConnect for adjacent shapes If two shapes are next to each other, you can quickly connect them by using AutoConnect.

With the Pointer tool, simply point to one of the shapes to display the AutoConnect handles. Then click the handle that points to the other shape. Connector 3 Point to the same Process shape The shape has a bold red border and the pointer changes to a crosshair with a connection line. Basic diagrams 3—11 6 Point to the left connection point in the top Process shape Release the mouse button 7 Press g 8 Save your changes To make a point-to-point connection.

Notice that the arrow flows upward, in the direction you made the connection. For example, if you want to add text to a connector shape you can use large arrows that provide space for text, as shown in Exhibit Connector shapes are located on various stencils, but you can view them all at once on the Connectors stencil.

Then choose Visio Extras, Connectors. Exhibit An example of alternate connector shapes Basic diagrams Do it! You can also add connector shapes by using AutoConnect. Press g 9 Verify that the 1-D single connector shape is selected To deselect the connection. In the stencil. Point to the endpoint, as shown The pointer changes to a four-sided arrow and a ScreenTip indicates that you can move the endpoint. Drag the endpoint down to the Decision shape, as shown Deselect the connector 14 Save and close the file 3—16 Visio Basic Topic C: Working with text Explanation You can add text to a diagram, format the text, and apply text to shapes and connectors to provide important information and instruction.

Text blocks Unlike in a typical word processor, text in Visio is contained in a text block, a container for the text. When you add text to a drawing, there are two things at work: the text block and the text itself. Each has its own properties and can be formatted separately. You can add text blocks to shapes, connectors, and other objects. Exhibit shows an example of text in shapes and connectors. Exhibit Examples of text in objects Text blocks give you added flexibility in how text is displayed.

For example, you can rotate a text block so that the text is diagonal or vertical. Simply select the Text and then click the text you want to edit. Formatting text To format text, select the text block and then use the options in the Font and Paragraph groups to apply the desired formatting. For example, if you want to change the text size, select the text block and select a new font size from the Font Size list in the Font group.

To align text in its text block, select the text block and then click an alignment button in the Paragraph group. You can also format specific sections of text within a text block. For example, you can make a single letter or word larger than other text in a text block, or change the text color or font face.

You can also resize a text box as needed by selecting it and then dragging a handle with the Pointer tool.

Type Product development process 4 Press g To exit text mode. The text block appears with handles around it. Select 16pt. To increase the text size to 16 points.

Point to various fonts in the list Live Preview shows how the text will appear. Select Arial Black 10 Resize the text box so that the text fits on one line 11 Deselect the text box 12 Save your changes Press Esc or click a blank area of the page. The text box will increase in size to accommodate the text that you enter. You can then move and resize the text block as needed by using the Pointer tool. Or, you can create a large text block first, and then begin typing.

In this way, you can control how large the text area will be before you add text. Select the Text tool and drag to draw a text box of the desired size. The insertion point will be placed in the center of the text box automatically so that you can begin typing immediately. Text automatically wraps when it reaches the end of the text block area.

Drag down and to the right to create a text box 1 inch high and 2 inches wide 3 Type To help increase our Use the status bar to view the size of the box as you drag. In the text block. Your feedback is appreciated. Press e twice To create a new line.

Click as shown To align the text to the bottom of the text block. As soon as you add a new shape to a drawing, you can type to add text in the center of the shape. To add text to an existing shape, select the shape with the Pointer tool or the Text tool and then start typing. You can also double-click a shape with the Pointer tool. Visio automatically enters text mode and if necessary, zooms in so that you can see the text more easily.

Exhibit shows a Decision shape in text mode—the text block becomes visible. Double-click a shape to enter text mode In text mode, the text block border is visible Exhibit Adding text to a shape Do it!

To fit the page to the current window size. The shape is still selected and the page returns to its previous zoom level. Type Design approved? To exit text mode and view the entire page again. This means you can add text to connectors by using the same methods you use for adding text to shapes. There are advantages to adding text to connectors: The text moves with the connector, and if the connector length is changed, the text is adjusted automatically. To exit text mode. Basic diagrams 3—25 Manipulating shape text Explanation Every shape contains a text block area you can move and manipulate by using either the Text tool or the Text Block tool.

The Text tool vs. When you use the Text tool to select a text block, you enter text mode. You can press Esc to exit text mode and select the text block itself.

You can then move, resize, or rotate the text block as needed. When you use the Text Block tool, the text block is selected, not the text inside the block.

 
 

Microsoft Visio download free tutorial in pdf

 
 
For practice file download instructions, see the introduction. In Chapter 8, “Work with shape data,” you viewed and reported on data stored in Visio shapes. The Microsoft Visio Compatibility Pack opens files in Microsoft Visio that were created in the newer Visio drawing file format. Following a brief introduction to general Automation (previously referred to as ActiveX Automation or OLE Automation), you will cover the basics.