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Visio for Desktop

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Post-Processing Paste from Clipboard in Visio

One of my current Visio VSTO add-in projects requires me to react to users pasting custom shapes in the Visio page from the clipboard. The process involves registering the ExitScope event and then checking the Clipboard contents. Initially, I was merely testing for a line in the DataObject that started with the word “Visio “, but then testing revealed that copying and pasting text from one shape to another was also getting processed, so then I added a further check that the line also finished with the word ” Shapes”. This works fine, but then I got to wonder if I could also post-process tables copied and pasted from Excel because the standard paste maintains font settings but omits the tabs and line feeds, making the text unusable without serious manual editing. This article explains how this can done.

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Are Master Shortcuts useful in Visio?

Many Visio users may not even understand the question, but this almost hidden feature has been available for many years. A Master Shortcut looks like a normal Master in a stencil, but it is merely holds a reference to another Master in a Stencil, not necessarily the same one, and has an option to add actions that can change properties of the target Master when it is dropped on the page. The advantage is that the shapes on the page are still instances of the target Master in the document which makes customisation and maintenance much easier. So, why would you use them?

One good reason is that you are providing a custom stencil, but you want to include some of the built-in Microsoft ones. Just including a Master Shortcut to the Microsoft Stencil and Master does not break any copyright laws that I am aware of.

Another good reason is that many users prefer to just drag’n’drop a Master from a Stencil rather than further mouse clicks to configure the dropped shape with the Shape Data window or the right mouse actions.

This article describes how to use Master Shortcuts using BPMN shapes as an example.

  • The BPMN Task has 10 types available from Shape Data window and context menu
  • Copy Master then Paste Shortcut into an editable Stencil
  • Edit Master Shortcut Properties and rename, then copy/paste as required
  • Multiple Master Shortcuts but only one Master
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Co-authoring and Commenting with Visio Documents

Microsoft Visio can be used in the web browser and on the desktop, but there are several licensing options available, so which ones can be used concurrently whilst supporting co-authoring and commenting? This article tests the various scenarios but assumes that the Visio documents are stored in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online\Teams. The Microsoft article, Work together on Visio drawings, explains most of the scenarios, but does not clearly explain the scope of the Visio web licenses with respect to diagram types or customisations.

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Using Button Face Ids in Visio

Microsoft Visio desktop has the ability to display icons from a built-in list of Office icons on Actions and Action Tags (nee Smart Tags). These can be set in the ShapeSheet by using the desired number from several thousand in the ButtonFace cell. Although there is the ability to add better icons using code, the quick ShapeSheet formulas are useful way of indicating the purpose of a command. This article simply lists the first 3,600 of these fas a quick and easy reference for me, and othe ShapeSheet disigners out there!

  • Face Ids from 0001 to 0360
  • Face Ids from 0361 to 0720
  • Face Ids from 0721 to 1400
  • Face Ids from 1441 to 1800
  • Face Ids from 1801 to 2160
  • FaceI ds from 2161 to 2520
  • Face Ids from 2521 to 2880
  • Face Ids from 2881 to 3240
  • Face Ids from 3241 to 3600
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Optimize Visio Flowcharts: Swimlane Reordering Tips

Microsoft Visio desktop Plan 2 and Professional editions provides the ability to create and synchronize cross-functional flowcharts between the diagram and an Excel table. This is great, and widely used for many types of processes. The Excel table normally has a Function / Swimlane column that contains text that becomes labels on the swimlane containers, and a Phase / Timeline column that contains text that becomes the label of the phase or separator containers. The import provides the option to order the diagram by Function and/or Phase, but it is impossible to get them ordered by both! This article provides a solution using a free macro-enabled Visio stencil.

  • Excel table with Function and Phase columns
  • Visio Data \ Create from Data
  • Step 2 More Options to order by Phase
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Setting Default Measurement Units in Visio Pages

Microsoft Visio can handle many different units of measurements which can be set for a page and separately for shapes, such as dimensions, within the page. This can confuse some users who expect them both to be the same all the time. In fact, the dimension units can be set to be the same as the page units, but not necessarily so. It is possible to have different units on different dimension shapes, but is also possible to set all the same with one click, and to synchronise them with the page units.

  • Page Units
  • Dimension Units
  • Page Scale
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