Create a New Visio Drawing from the Start Dialog

1 Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Select the template category if the desired template is not recent

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Now pick the template from the category, then click Create

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Elements of a Visio Drawing

Ribbon

Palette or Page

Shapes

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Setting the Page Layout, select Design, then size, then orientation

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Recommended Settings: 8 by 11, orientation to fit goals

The working page after page setup

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Set the Snap Settings Select View, then Visual Aids

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Snap & Glue Dialog Box Recommended Settings

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Set up how the shapes are displayed Right click the Shapes title bar, select your style

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

Example Add a column

Change Zoom settings to fineadjust

Select the shape group

Drag & Drop to approximate location

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

10

Control Points, square & green, change length & height of shape Click and drag the control point

Use these to change height

Use these to change width

Use the corner points to enlarge or diminish keeping the aspect ratio constant

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

11

Control Points, round & green, rotate the shape Click and drag the control point
To move a shape, click and drag it (The cursor will become a 4 headed arrow) To move multiple shapes, either select them by dragging a box or use Ctrlclick to select them

To Copy a shape, use one of the following: Click on the shape, copy, paste (Edit menu or right click) Click on the shape and press the keys Ctrl and D Or click the shape, drag it to the new location, hold control key down, release the mouse button

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

12

Labels move with the shape

To add your own label, click on the shape and type in the label
To modify an existing label, click on the shape and press F2

To format the label box or text, right click the text, select Format

To move the label relative to the shape, drag the yellow diamond shaped control point

To make the label disappear, right click on the object and select Hide Tag. To make it re-appear, right click the object and select Show Tag.

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

13

Shapes overlapping other shapes

Use these menu selections to change the order of the shapes

E-12 is in front of E-11 E-10 is in front of E-9

Or right click the object to change its order

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

14

Shapes can have opaque color or be transparent Right click on the shape to get the menu

Use this menu selection to change the pattern of the shape to none to make it tranparent Use this menu selection to get the Fill dialog box Use this menu selection to change the color of the shape

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

15

Summarizing what has gone on before, a simple example

These items were added by drag & drop, then adjusted by size and rotation

Nudge shapes with fine control using the shift + arrow keys

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

16

Connecting the Shapes

Click on this menu selection to change to the connector pointer

Click on the connection point, a blue x, on the first shape, then drag to the desired connection point on the second shape

The connectors are dynamic, if either shape is moved, Visio will automatically re-route the connector

Connectors have labels just like shapes

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

17

About Connectors
Use this menu selection to add arrows to a connector

Connectors dont have to start or end on a shapes connection point. This connector starts in free space.

If the end of a connector is green, it is not attached to anything. If it is red, it is connected to a connection point

To break a connection, click on the red end point and drag it away from the shape.
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 18

Tweaking the connectors

Right click on a connector, select this menu to get the line format dialog box

These connectors were rounded from the dialog box

The upright of this connector was moved by clicking on it, then dragging its square control point to the left

The width or weight of this connector was changed in the dialog box

This connector was made a dotted line by changing the pattern in the dialog box

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

19

Everything put together

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

20

Opening other shape collections

Use the More Shapes option to open other shape collections Or use Search for Shapes to find a specific shape

This coupling set is from the Mechanical Engineering Fluid Power Valve shape collection

When you are done with a shape collection, right click its title and select Close

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

21

Exporting to Word

After you have saved as VSD, do a Save As

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

22

Exporting to Word

Select WMF as the type

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

23

Exporting to Word
In WORD, do an Insert Picture Select your saved file

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

24

Exporting to Word

Resize & Tweak to your hearts content

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

25

Advanced Topic: Using Grouping

Drop the components on the page

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

26

Advanced Topic: Using Grouping

Arrange the components

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

27

Advanced Topic: Using Grouping

Use Ctrl+click to select the desired components

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

28

Advanced Topic: Using Grouping

Right click on any selected shape, select Group

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

29

Advanced topic Adding connection points

Suppose you want to connect a connector line here, but there is no connection point

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

30

Advanced topic Adding connection points

Select the connection point tool

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

31

Advanced topic Adding connection points

Click and drag an existing connection point to a new location, or Ctrl-click to create a new connection point

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

32

Advanced topic Finding more shapes

Where would we be without Google?

Google Visio Shapes Download

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

33

Advanced topic Finding more shapes

Microsoft provides some free Educational shapes

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c4d6f3d5-1b4a-4a6bad12-197b8e2a0c61&displaylang=en
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 34

Advanced topic Finding more shapes

Microsoft provides some free Educational shapes

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c4d6f3d5-1b4a-4a6bad12-197b8e2a0c61&displaylang=en
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 35

Advanced topic Finding more shapes

After installation, new shapes are in MyShapes menu selection

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

36

Advanced topic Finding more shapes

This is the organic compounds shape collection

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

37

Advanced topic Finding more shapes

Some manufacturers will supply Visio shapes, some call them stencils. This is from Cisco communications.

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

38

Get Visio Cheap (Students)!

Visio Professional 2007 - $55.95

http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatest eal-us/terms.aspx
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 39

Advanced topic Making your own shapes

Select the Options

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

40

Advanced topic Making your own shapes

Select Customize Ribbon

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

41

Advanced topic Making your own shapes

Check the Developer box, then OK

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

42

Advanced topic Making your own shapes

Now you have a Developer tab

The Operations box is a powerful tool

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

43

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow

Select the ellipse pointer

Use Shift + drag to create a circle

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

44

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow
Do it again to make a smaller circle

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

45

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow

Drag the small circle on top of the larger one, center them

Click on the large circle, then Control + click on the smaller

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

46

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow

In the Developer tab, select Operations, then Subtract

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

47

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow

Now you have a torus, the center is not part of the shape

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

48

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow
We can save the torus so we can use it later

Select More Shapes, then MyShapes, then Favorites

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

49

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow
Use Control + drag the torus to the Favorites stencil

Answer Yes to put your shape into the stencil

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

50

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow
Click on the Save icon to save the stencil with your torus

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

51

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow

Use the rectangle pointer to draw a rectangle covering the upper half of your torus

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

52

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow
Click on the torus, Control + click on the rectangle, select Operations from the Developer tab, then Subtract. This gives you a half torus

Repeat this process with a rectangle covering half of the half torus, now you have an elbow

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

53

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a 90 degree elbow
Use the connection point tool with Control + click to make connection points, then use Control + drag to put your elbow in the Favorites stencil, then save the stencil

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

54

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a tubular reactor with a feed
To make the shape on the left:

Use the line pointer to draw the reactor feed vessel

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

55

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a tubular reactor with a feed

Use the rectangle pointer to draw the reactor tube

Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng

56

Advanced topic Making your own shapes Example: Make a tubular reactor with a feed

Click on the vessel, Control + click on the tube, then from the Developer tab, select Operations, then Union Add connection point to your reactor, then Control + drag it to the Favorites stencil You can also create new stencils from the Developer Tab, for example a Reactors stencil, and save shapes there
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 57