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Enhancing Visio Data Graphics Text Callouts

Visio 2007 Professional introduced the wonderful Data Graphics feature to display Shape Data in a clear visual way, but it is not clear how you may, for example, change the font of even the simplest Graphic Item type, Text Callouts.  In this blog, I’ll show you one method that I employ to vary the appearance of Text Callouts.  The same technique can be used for other Graphic Item types, Icon Sets and Data Bars.

I am using the  the sample IT Asset Management drawing to demonstrate throughout, which can be found in the Samples Template Category.  In this diagram, the server shapes on the topology page use the Topology 1 Data Graphic, which can be seen in the Data Graphics panel.

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Visio FMPrint Add-on

A recent newsgroup post asked about accessing a network printers management page from a Visio page, so I thought I would share some things that I discovered a while back.  Visio 2003 and Visio 2007 Professional edition include an add-on called FMPrint, which you can use with any shape in Visio.  I used it with some network printer shapes in a couple of add-ins myself. I’m not aware of any public documentation about this handy little add-on, so here is what I have discovered.
You can see the add-on in action by opening the Shapes Maps and Floor Plans Building Plan Resources stencil and dropping the Printer shape onto your page.  Alternativaly you can start a new Maps and Floor Plans Space Plan drawing. Notice the SmartTag in the bottom left corner which gives you access to the FMPrint add-on:
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 ELRES_e9487652-b664-4177-9640-9abe274eac80SELRES_7ee59eae-24c4-4b67-a7c4-14f5a00ae6deSELRES_3c86ab09-c348-43d6-bb46-3a8e764deba7SELRES_e28b5ce5-fd6b-45cd-af68-839c48db024e

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Linking Visio WBS Modeler Diagrams to Project

I have recently been asked if it is possible to update the % Complete data diagrams created with the WBS Modeler Visio 2007 Add-in ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=26229 ).  Well, it is always possible with custom code, but it is intended that the WBS Modeler diagrams can be refreshed using the Link Data to Shapes feature in Visio 2007 Professional.  I know this because I wrote WBS Modeler, and in this article, I will tell you how.

Firstly, I will use the Commercial Construction project that is installed with the Visio SDK for this example, which I show an extract from below.

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Wanna See Some Visio MVPs?

Last week, Microsoft invited all worldwide MVPs to the annual MVP shindig in Seattle.  So, I thought it may be interesting for some to see what a Visio MVP looks like!

3Amigos2

Left to right – me (MVP UK), Senaj Lelic (MVP Germany) and John Marshall (MVP Canada) – the oldest and longest serving Visio MVP!

2Amigos

David Salaguinto (Microsoft), Dave Edson (MVP USA – currently), Tim Davenport (Microsoft), Graham Wideman (MVP USA/Canada), and Dan Albertson (Microsoft).

3Amigos

Senaj Lelic (again), Al Edlund (MVP USA) and Chris Roth (MVP USA/Austria/Germany/…)

We would like to thank Microsoft Visio product team for two very enjoyable days on campus (trying to beat the Outlook guys to the food), and I’m sure they really do appreciate our feedback!

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Setting Visio Shape Cell Values By Connections

A recent newsgroup poster asked me to explain how to set the line color and weight of a connector according to the shapes it is connected to.  So, in this article, I have tried to explain one method of achieving this with minimal external coding.

In this example, I have created a rectangle shape that has a single Shape Data row, MyData, which has a fixed list of values, A;B;C.

The connector shape has been modified to trigger an event whenever a connection is made or unmade.  If the user successfully connects two rectangles with the same MyData value, then the line (weight and color) of the connector shape is amended to match the rectangle shapes.

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UK User Groups IT Pro Community Event

In my quest to promote Visio 2007 Professional as the visual information system of choice, I am presenting at the IT Pro Community event for the next two days, so I have posted my slides here. (Day 1 has little code, but Day 2 has lots of VBA code examples.):

http://www.ukusergroups.co.uk/index.html

Day 1 – Visualizing Information with Microsoft Visio 2007 slides:

http://cid-3350d61bc93733a9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Blogs/Visio%202007%20visualising%20data.pptx

Visio is a unique data visualization application, and the 2007 edition adds three new important data features that provide brand new data links, data graphics and pivot diagrams. These capabilities, along with the existing and often under-exploited tools, firmly position Visio as the foremost practical, easy to use visual information system that can be applied to a multitude of business scenarios. Microsoft Visio has been able to link ODBC data sources for many years via the Database Wizard, but this has limitations such as only a single data link per shape, and no support for stored procedures. Microsoft Visio 2007 overcomes both of these with the new Link Data programmable API, making it simple for end users and developers to create data rich diagrams that can be refreshed simply. In addition, the new Data Graphic features enable you to enhance linked shapes with icons, data bars, text callouts and color by value. The new Pivot Diagrams can be linked to data sources, including SQL Server Analysis Services, to provide interactive drill-downs of data diagrams, allowing the user to visualise, analyse, and present aggregate information in a new appealing manner. I’ll demonstrate the new features…and show how these data links can be made.

Day 2 – Visualizing Information the Smart (Diagram) Way slides:

http://cid-3350d61bc93733a9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Blogs/Visualising%20info%20the%20smart%20diagram%20way.pptx

Visio is a smart drawing tool, but it is even smarter when linked to corporate data, systems or processes, enabling it to be automatically refreshed to visualize the latest facts and figures. Data-linked Visio diagrams can be used for visualization of complex information; analysis of statistics; and communication to a broader audience with the Visio Viewer or as web pages.
This session will demonstrate linking Visio shapes to data from a variety of sources, including SQL Server stored procedures and XML files; how to drill-down into information using PivotDiagrams; and how to display data values with Data Graphics (and how to create your own). It will also include methods to automatically connect shapes together from data to create an Organization Chart without the Org Chart Wizard; and how to create legends for data graphic items.