Welcome to Class!

• Microsoft Visio Professional 2003 Introduction

• This course will offer some Visio 2003 tricks and tips on flowcharts and organization charts for first time Visio users:– Toolbars and Templates – Shapin’ Up – Pointers on Pointers – Organizing Flowcharts and Organization Charts – Using Visio with other Microsoft Office products

Benefits?

• Easy• Built-in intelligence• Compatible with MS products

Terminology

• Template = drawing type = shapes = symbols = masters

• Template = group of stencils• Stencil = collection of shapes• Master = shape that can’t be changed• Find a shape! (very literal; basic

description)• Favorite Shapes = make your own stencil• vsd files• vss files (open just a stencil to use shapes

in Word or Powerpoint)

Different versions

• Visio Standard: people, projects, and processes

• Visio Professional: database, software programmers, and engineers

• Microsoft Office Drawing Toolbar and Diagram Gallery: simple drawing in the context of another document

New Drawing Orientation

• Choose a drawing type to open specific:– Menu/toolbars

• Customize menus—just like other MS applications

• Dock/float menus or toolbars to make it easy for you

– Rulers/guides– Stencils with specific shapes

• View names, icons, descriptions, etc.

– Backgrounds

Tools

• Pointer Tool• Text Tool• Connector Tool• Drawing Tool

Placing Shapes• Drag and Drop from stencil• Search for shapes• Open other stencils• Select and de-select (wait for green to go!!)• The Pointer Tool• Movement

– Select the shape– Hover and wait for the 4-pronged arrow– Click and drag– Use the undo!– Shift key + arrow keys

• Select multiples (green and pink!)– CTRL+A or Edit…Select All to select all shapes on page– Hold the Shift key down and click on several– Click and drag to box around several (have to be fully surrounded to

select)– Lasso tool– Select Multiple Tool (toggle)

Maneuvering Shapes

• Green handles are for resizing– Some have special control points (yellow)

• Rotation handles and rotation point– Rotate (CTRL+L or R)– Flip (CTRL+H or J)

• Order• Align• Group• Enlarge your screen if you can’t click or

align a small item

Formatting Shapes

• Consult Status bar• View shape Properties• Format lines • Format fills

– Format…Fill– Format…Shadow– Transparency– Format…Corner Rounding

Adding Text• Click on shape and type!• Text area auto-enlarges for easy reading• Double click text to edit• Or…use text tool for free text

– Select text tool– Drag an area– Type– Format as needed

• Typical text tools: Spell check, no grammar check, and Find and Replace…

• Text block is part of the shape• Moving text location in relation to shape

– Text Block Tool– Rotate it– Resize it– Move it with yellow connector

• For grouped shapes, you’ll have a text entry for the group + all the individual shapes

Other Text Options

• Create a separate layer – View…Layer Properties – [each person can have a separate layer…] – or use Tools…Track Markup

• Pop-up notes (Insert…Shape Screen Tip)

• Call Out shapes (can be dragged into Word, too!) (Visio Extras…Callouts)

• Custom Call outs (IP Address, machine name from Properties display)

Perfected Format

• Format Painter• My Shapes (vss file)• Shape button…Show Document

Stencil

Connecting Shapes• Connectors are special shapes• Most commonly placed with Connector Tool Select Connector Tool and click and drag out a connector shape

– Begin point/End point– Format line/arrow head

• Select the connector’s end point and drag and drop to a shape• Connection point should highlight red

– Connect to a point (blue) for specific, static connection– Connect to a shape for general, dynamic connection

• Select the Pointer tool and move the shape to watch the connector follow based on connection type

With Connector tool selected, click and drag between shapes to connect at points– CTRL+click and drag from between shapes for shape to shape connection

• Connection Point tool will let you move connection points on a shape (create or delete)

Add a shape, select the connector tool, add another shape = auto connection Select multiple shapes in a deliberate order and select Shape…Connect

Shapes Add a connector from a Stencil—different behaviors than basic connectors• Connectors have text blocks, too!!

Other Shapes

• Shapes….Charts and Graphs– Grid– Row Header– Column Header– Group of shapes, so be careful!

• Borders and Titles

Flowcharts

• It’s all about moving and connecting• Continuing to another page

– Drag the off-page reference

• Add background (Shapes…Visio Extras)• Add border/title (Shapes…Visio Extras)• Format with styles (Format…Define Styles)• Apply color schemes (Tools…Visio

Extras..Color Schemes)

Cross-Functional Flowchart

• Add new bands with dragging shapes• Copy and paste bands• Shapes stay in bands on movement• Separator is a default shape

Org Charts• Drop on Top• Let Visio arrange• Use Properties for employee details• Re-layout—don’t do it yourself• Wizard

– Import from a data source• Name, title, Department, Reports To

– Build a source to track data• Show/hide/arrange subordinates• Best fit to page• Looser/tighter spacing• Add/remove lines/fields• Change all text/shapes

Other Cool Features

• Tree and Onion Diagrams (Block Diagrams)

• Vanishing Points (Blocks with Perspective)

• Timelines• Calendars (import data from Outlook)• Slideshow view (F5)

Page Setup and Printing

• File…Page Setup…Page Size• Drawing page vs. printer paper

– Centering on a page (Print Setup)

• Printing layers• Foreground/background• Right click…Color scheme • Page tabs

Including Visio in other documents

• Link to Visio– Both Apps must be on workstation– Drawing maintained in Visio and accessed from

link• Paste Special as a Visio drawing

– Double click on drawing to edit with Visio• Paste Special as a picture (saves space)• Paste as graphic (embedded)• Drag and drop (CTRL drag)• Insert…Object (to create new drawing from

other app)• Export a shape as a graphic

Sharing

• Microsoft Visio Viewer is an ActiveX control that allows users to open and view Visio drawings. (displayed in a Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5.0 or later) window).

• Export the diagram in a graphic format • Save the diagram as a Portable Document

Format (PDF) file that can be viewed in Adobe Acrobat Reader

• Save the diagram as an HTML file

References

• Top Tips for Visio– http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/HA010830661033.

aspx

• Quick Reference for using Visio in other files– http://office.microsoft.com/training/Training.aspx?AssetI

D=RP010943001033&CTT=6&Origin=RC010942961033

• Visio Viewer– http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?Famil

yId=3FB3BD5C-FED1-46CF-BD53-DA23635AB2DF&displaylang=en

• Microsoft® Office Visio® 2003 Inside Out by Mark H. Walker and Nanette Eaton, Chapter 21