Tom Potts UARK Chem.

Eng
1
Create a New Visio Drawing from the Start Dialog
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 2
Select the template category if the desired template is not recent
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 3
Now pick the template from the category, then click Create
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 4
Elements of a Visio Drawing
Shapes
Palette or
Page
Ribbon
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng
5
Setting the Page Layout, select Design, then size, then orientation
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 6
Recommended Settings: 8 by 11, orientation to fit goals
The working page after page setup
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 7
Set the Snap Settings
Select View, then Visual Aids
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 8
Snap & Glue Dialog Box Recommended Settings
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 9
Set up how the shapes are displayed
Right click the Shapes title bar, select your style
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 10
Example Add a column
Select the shape
group
Drag & Drop to
approximate
location
Change Zoom
settings to fine-
adjust
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 11
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 12
Control Points, round & green, rotate the shape
Click and drag the control point
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
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 Ctrl-
click to select them
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 13
To move the label relative to the
shape, drag the yellow diamond
shaped control point
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
Labels move with the shape
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.
To format the label box or text, right
click the text, select Format
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 14
Shapes overlapping other shapes
E-12 is in front of E-11
E-10 is in front of E-9
Use these menu selections to
change the order of the shapes
Or right click the object to
change its order
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 15
Use this menu selection to get the
Fill dialog box
Use this menu selection to change
the color of the shape
Use this menu selection to change
the pattern of the shape to none to
make it tranparent
Shapes can have opaque color or be transparent
Right click on the shape to get the menu
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 16
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 17
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 18
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 19
Tweaking the connectors
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
Right click on a connector, select
this menu to get the line format
dialog box
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 20
Everything put together
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 21
Opening other shape collections
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
Use the More Shapes option to
open other shape collections
Or use Search for Shapes to find
a specific shape
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 22
Exporting to Word
After you have saved as VSD, do a
Save As
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 23
Select WMF as the type
Exporting to Word
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 24
In WORD, do an Insert Picture
Exporting to Word
Select your saved file
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 25
Resize & Tweak to your hearts
content
Exporting to Word
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 26
Advanced Topic: Using Grouping
Drop the components on the page
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 27
Arrange the components
Advanced Topic: Using Grouping
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 28
Use Ctrl+click to select the desired
components
Advanced Topic: Using Grouping
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 29
Right click on any selected shape,
select Group
Advanced Topic: Using Grouping
Advanced topic Adding connection points
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 30
Suppose you want to connect a
connector line here, but there is no
connection point
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 31
Select the connection point tool
Advanced topic Adding connection points
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 32
Click and drag an existing
connection point to a new location,
or Ctrl-click to create a new
connection point
Advanced topic Adding connection points
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 33
Where would we be without Google?
Advanced topic Finding more shapes
Google Visio Shapes Download
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 34
Microsoft provides some free
Educational shapes
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c4d6f3d5-1b4a-4a6b-
ad12-197b8e2a0c61&displaylang=en
Advanced topic Finding more shapes
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 35
Microsoft provides some free
Educational shapes
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c4d6f3d5-1b4a-4a6b-
ad12-197b8e2a0c61&displaylang=en
Advanced topic Finding more shapes
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 36
After installation, new shapes are in
MyShapes menu selection
Advanced topic Finding more shapes
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 37
This is the organic compounds
shape collection
Advanced topic Finding more shapes
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 38
Some manufacturers will supply
Visio shapes, some call them
stencils. This is from Cisco
communications.
Advanced topic Finding more shapes
Get Visio Cheap (Students)!
http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatest
eal-us/terms.aspx
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 39
Visio Professional 2007 - $55.95
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 40
Advanced topic Making your own shapes
Select the Options
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 41
Advanced topic Making your own shapes
Select Customize Ribbon
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 42
Advanced topic Making your own shapes
Check the Developer box, then OK
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 43
Advanced topic Making your own shapes
Now you have a Developer tab The Operations box is a powerful
tool
Tom Potts UARK Chem. Eng 44
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 45
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 46
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 47
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 48
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 49
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 50
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 51
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 52
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 53
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 54
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 55
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 56
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 57
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