I needed to check the maximum size of Visio pages for a current project of mine, so I devised a simple test with a diamond shape with its vertices pinned automatically to the edge of the Visio page, with text fields inserted in the center. I started with a standard A0 Landscape page, then multiplied the page width and height using the Page Setup dialog…
[Read more…] about Maximum Size of a Visio Page and Text blockShapeSheet Formulas
Using Emojis in Visio
In the new normal of social distancing, we can easily miss the nuances of facial expressions with the the various electronic communication platforms that we utilise. In our personal communications via mobile apps, we have all started to use Emojis to express sentiment and actions, although we can sometimes convey the wrong meanings unintentionally as some Emojis get re-purposed by certain sections of society. Microsoft Windows 10 added native support for Emojis a year ago, and they can be inserted into many Microsoft applications using the onscreen keyboard 👀:
Using CODE() and UNICODE() functions in Visio
Microsoft Visio does have CHAR() and UNICHAR() ShapeSheet functions, just like Excel, but it does not have the inverse CODE() and UNICODE() functions, unlike Excel. However, there is a way to create a formula in the Visio ShapeSheet to provide these functions.
The following worksheet demonstrates how the CHAR(), CODE(), UNICHAR(), and UNICODE() functions work in Excel.
| Column | Formula |
| Index | n |
| Char | =IFERROR( CHAR(INT([@Index])),””) |
| Code | =IFERROR( CODE([@Char]),””) |
| Unichar | =UNICHAR(INT([@Index])) |
| Unicode | =UNICODE([@Unichar]) |
Preventing Deletion of Container Members in Visio
The concept of Structured Diagrams was introduced in Visio 2010 and is featured in many of the templates supplied with Microsoft Visio, and in some third-party solutions, like mine. Connectors, callouts, containers and lists are the key parts of a structured diagrams, and there are times when preventing the deletion of members of a container or list is desirable.
[Read more…] about Preventing Deletion of Container Members in Visio
Displaying Visio Number Shapes data clearly
Visio has had a Number Shapes add-on for many years, even since before Microsoft bought the application in 2000. The add-on autmatically creates three Shape Data rows to hold the number, any prefix text, and a value to indicate whether the shape number text should be shown. It is useful, but it can also be very annoying if you also want to label your shapes, such as with process flow shapes, or you want the shape number to be displayed outside of the main shape. Fortunately, there is a solution….
[Read more…] about Displaying Visio Number Shapes data clearly
Multi-line text in Visio Shape Data
The Shape Data (nee Custom Properties) dialog and window only provides a single line to view or edit text values. It is a great shame because the value can be up to 64k characters, and long text can be pasted into it. I, and many others, have complained about this for many years to Microsoft, but nothing has been done to rectify this. Of course, I do develop custom user interface components for many customers, but that is not always desirable. Therefore I sometimes re-purpose standard Visio elements to provide the ability to view or edit multi-line text in Shape Data rows.
[Read more…] about Multi-line text in Visio Shape Data
