• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

bVisual

  • Home
  • Services
    • How Visio smartness can help your business
    • Visio visual in Power BI
    • Visio Consulting Services
    • Visio Bureau Services
    • Visio Training and Support Services
  • Products
    • Visio Shape Report Converter
    • SS Plus
    • LayerManager
    • visViewer
    • Metro Icons
    • Rules Tools for Visio
    • The Visio 2010 Sessions App
    • Multi-Language Text for Visio
    • Document Imager for Visio
    • multiSelect for Visio
    • pdSelect for Visio
  • Case Studies
    • Case studies overview
    • Visualizing Construction Project Schedules
    • Visio Online Business Process Mapping
    • Nexans Visio Template
    • CNEE Projects, WorldCom
    • Chase Manhattan Bank
  • News
    • Recent news
    • News archive
  • Resources
    • Articles➡
      • ShapeSheet Functions A-Z
      • Comparing Visio for the Web and Desktop
      • Customising Visio Shapes for the Web App
      • Key differences between the Visio desktop and web apps
      • Using the Visio Data Visualizer in Excel
      • Using Visio in Teams
      • Creating Visio Tabs and Apps for Teams with SharePoint Framework (SPFx)
      • Designing Power Automate Flows with Microsoft Visio
      • Innovative uses of Visio Lists
    • Webcasts ➡
      • Visio in Organizations
      • My session and other Visio sessions at MSIgnite 2019
      • Power up your Visio diagrams
      • Vision up your Visio diagrams
      • The Visio 2010 MVP Sessions
    • Visio Web Learning Resources
    • Books➡
      • Mastering Data Visualization with Microsoft Visio
      • Microsoft Visio Business Process Diagramming and Validation
      • Visualizing Information with Microsoft Visio
  • Blog
    • Browse blog articles
    • Visio Power BI articles
    • Visio for Web articles
    • A history of messaging and encryption
  • About us
    • About bVisual
    • Testimonials
    • Bio of David Parker
    • Contact Us
    • Website Privacy Policy
    • Website terms and conditions
    • Ariba Network
You are here: Home / Visio / Introducing celMaker 2

Published on April 29, 2009 by David Parker

Introducing celMaker 2

I was recently asked to provide a  new version of celMaker that works with Visio 2007 and Excel 2007, so I got my old VB6 code out of SourceSafe and upgraded it so that I could run it on my Vista 64 laptop too.  I also decided that I would release this version to the public as freeware because I have added no new features.So, what is celMaker? And where can you download it?

Last one first … you can download it from here : http://www.bvisual.net/products/celMaker/publish.htm (under review)

Most Visio users will have the components, so you can just click the Launch link.

1. Introduction

celMaker is a developer(ish) tool for Visio which allows the most often used sections of a Visio ShapeSheet to be copied into an Excel spreadsheet, or from an Excel spreadsheet onto a Visio master.
This means that the Visio Shape designer can create one master with its Shape Data (nee Custom  Properties), User Cells, Actions, Smart Tags, Controls and Connection Points, and then save this to an Excel spreadsheet for backup, verification, discussions, documentation or transfer to another Master.
The Excel spreadsheet can be created manually or by reverse engineering existing Visio masters.
celMaker is provided as a stand alone executable that requires both Visio and Excel to be running, and can be used for many different types of diagram projects.

2. Direction

2.1 From Excel to Visio

This will forward engineer a suitable Excel worksheet to selected Visio Masters.

image

2.1.1 Remove all existing cells first

If checked, will remove all cells for the selected ShapeSheet sections on the master, before adding any.

2.1.2 Match Master name

If checked, will only process changes from the spreadsheet to the master if the master names match.

2.1.3 Avoid Reserved words

If checked, will not process any custom properties with the following reserved names:

  • Name
  • OpRisk
  • AvailOpt
  • ActualOpt
  • ActualDiscrete
  • RedundancyOpRisk
  • AvailDiscrete
  • IsTemplate

You can edit this list on the Settings tab.

2.2 From Visio to Excel

This will reverse engineer selected Visio Masters into a formatted Excel worksheet.

image

2.2.1 Insert Header

If checked, will create the headers row in the Excel spreadsheet.

2.2.2 Insert at end

If checked, will preserve any existing rows in the selected Excel spreadsheet, by adding new ones at the end.

3. Excel

Select an open Excel workbook (document) from the upper list box, and then the worksheets will be listed in the lower one.

image

Select a single worksheet in the lower list box.

3.1 Refresh

Click this button to refresh the list of open Excel documents and worksheets

4. Visio

The Open Visio Documents panel only lists editable documents. If you want to copy from a Master on a read-only stencil, then just drag and drop it onto an editable document.

Select an open Visio document in the upper list box, then its Masters will be listed in the lower one.

image

You must select one or more Visio Masters of an open Visio document.

4.1 Refresh

Click this button to refresh the list of open Visio documents and Masters

5. Sections

This tab allows the required sections to be selected for forward or reverse engineering.

image

6. Settings

This tab enables you to edit the reserved words or check the column headers.

image

7. Close

Closes celMaker

8. Help

Opens a pdf of this file

9. About

Opens the About dialog (and a shameless plug for my book!).

image

10. Apply

The Apply button becomes enabled when you have selected both an Excel worksheet and a Visio Master.

10.1 From Visio to Excel

If the Direction select is Visio to Excel, then you will be prompted to confirm the copy operation.

image

Here is the Server Master whose cells are being copied in the following example:

image

The selected section’s cells are copied to the selected Excel worksheet:

image

10.2 From Excel to Visio

You need to select an editable Master to copy the cells to from a worksheet.

image

You will be prompted to continue.

image

After processing, the Master will have all of the ShapeSheet sections that you have in your worksheet.

image

10.3 Excel Worksheet Columns

If you reverse engineer Visio cells to Excel then a row will be created in the worksheet for every cell in Visio. The source Master and Master prompt will be listed in the first two columns, with the Section and Cell name or number in the third and fourth columns.

  Worksheet Column   Visio element Comment   Section  
A Master The name of the Master that was reverse engineered. (ignored for forward engineering – to Visio) All
B MasterPrompt The prompt for the master All
CShapeThis is either the name of the shape in the Master, or it is Sheet.0, which means it is the Master PageAl
D Section The Visio ShapeSheet section name – Prop, User, Action. SmartTag, Controls or Connections All
E CellName The hidden name of the cell. All
F Value Any default value for the property or for the user-defined cell, for example. All
G SolutionXML Valid Solution XML statement to be added to the property. (Reserved for future use) Prop User and Connections
H Prompt (Tip) The long description of the property Prop, User, Connections, Controls
I Label The displayed name of the property or user-defined cell. Prop
J Type Must be, or evaluate to, a number from 0 to 7: 0=Text, 1=Fixed List, 2=Number, 3=Boolean, 4=Variable List, 5=Date, 6=Duration, 7=Currency Prop, Connections
K Format Must be a valid format for the Type. For example, if Type = 1 or 4, then the Format should be a semi-colon separated list. Default is 0. Prop
L SortKey Used for alpha sorting of properties in the normal custom properties window or dialogue, Prop
M Invisible Must be, or evaluate to, 0 or 1, which will show or hide the property. Default is 0 Prop
N Verify (Ask) Must be, or evaluate to, 1 or 0, which will prompt or not for the property when a new master instance is created. Default is 0. Prop
O LangID Valid language ID Prop
P Calendar Valid non-western calendar Prop
Q Action The action to do, expressed as a valid ShapeSheet formula. Actions
R Menu The displayed menu text for the action. Actions
S TagName Associates SmartTag actions to SmartTags Actions, SmartTags
T ButtonFace Must be a valid Microsoft Office button face ID (0 to approx. 7000),or empty Actions, SmartTags
U Checked Must be, or evaluate to, 1 or 0, which will check or uncheck the menu item. Default is 0. Actions
V Disabled Must be, or evaluate to, 1 or 0, which will enable or disable the menu item. Default is 0. Actions
W ReadOnly Must evaluate to 0 or 1Actions
X Invisible Must evaluate to 0 or 1Prop
Y BeginGroup Must evaluate to 0 or 1Actions
Z X The X position of the Connection Point or Control Connections, Controls, Scratch
AA Y The Y position of the Connection Point or Control Connections, Controls, Scratch
AB DirX The X direction of the Connection Point Connections
AC DirY The Y direction of the Connection Point Connections
AD XJustify Must be 0 = left, 1 = center, or 2 = right. SmartTags
AE YJustify Must be 0 = top, 1 = middle, or 2 = bottom SmartTags
AF DisplayMode Must be 0 = Mouse Over, 1 = Shape Selected, or 2 = Always SmartTags
AG Description Any text SmartTags
AH Disabled Must evaluate to 0 or 1 SmartTags
AIAReserved for future use Scratch
AJBReserved for future use Scratch
AKCReserved for future use Scratch
ALDReserved for future use Scratch
AMAutoGenA value of 1 indicates that the connection point is generated automatically Connections
ANXDynX coordinate of the controlControls
AOYDynY coordinate of the controlControls
APXCon (XBehavior)X behavior of the controlControls
AQYCon (YBehavior)Y behavior of the controlControls
ARCanGlueDetermines if the control handle can be gluedControls

See Microsoft Office Visio 2007 SDK Documentation for more information on these elements.

10.4 Processing has Finished

Once you have finished an operation, you will be prompted to close celMaker, or not.

image

Related

Filed Under: ShapeSheet Formulas, Visio

About David Parker

David Parker has 25 years' experience of providing data visualization solutions to companies around the globe. He is a Microsoft MVP and Visio expert.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Update to LayerManager add-in for non-English users
  • Pushing Data Visualizer in Visio beyond its limits
  • Pushing Data Visualizer in Visio to the limits!
  • Teams Tuesday Podcast Recording about Visio
  • Linking Data to Visio Shapes in Code

Categories

Tags

Accessibility Add-Ins Connectors Containers Data Export Data Graphics Data Import Data Visualizer Educational Excel GraphDatabase Hyperlinks Icon Sets JavaScript Layers Legend Link Data to Shapes Lists MSIgnite MVP Office365 Org Chart PowerApps PowerBI PowerQuery Processes Shape Data Shape Design ShapeSheet ShapeSheet Functions SharePoint 2013 SQL Teams Themes Validation VBA Video Visio Visio 2007 Visio 2013 Visio for the Web Visio Online Visio Services Visio Viewer Webinar

Footer

bVisual Profile

The UK-based independent Visio consultancy with a worldwide reach. We have over 25 years experience of providing data visualization solutions to companies around the globe.

Learn more about bVisual

  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Search this website

Recent posts

  • Update to LayerManager add-in for non-English users
  • Pushing Data Visualizer in Visio beyond its limits
  • Pushing Data Visualizer in Visio to the limits!
  • Teams Tuesday Podcast Recording about Visio
  • Linking Data to Visio Shapes in Code

Copyright © 2023 · Executive Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in