I work a lot with layers in Visio, and written an add-in, LayerManager, to assist, but I was asked an interesting question recently: How can shapes by assigned to layers automatically from a list in Excel? So, I thought I would present my solution. This particular request was for a Timeline diagram, where the Milestone shapes are to be on specific layers. So, I just used one of the samples provided with Visio.
[Read more…] about Assigning Visio Shapes to Layers from Excel TableSearch Results for: Link Data to Shapes
Customising Visio Shapes for the Web App
In my last article, I explained some of the differences between Visio for the Desktop and Visio for the Web, and how the web app is constantly being enhanced until perhaps it will emulate most of the features in the desktop app. You can always check out Microsoft 365 Roadmap for Visio to see what has been released, and what is coming soon. It is my experience that all improvements are listed here, but that might be because they are not considered a milestone by themselves but are necessary for some features to be possible.
A lot of the smartness of Visio is derived from it’s unique ShapeSheet, which can contain formulas similar to the cells in an Excel worksheet. Open Functions (Visio ShapeSheet Reference) to see what can be programmed in Visio for the Desktop. A lot of these functions also work in the web app, but there is no official list yet. Of course, there are some functions that are never going to be able to work in the web, such as RUNADDONWARGS(…) or CALLTHIS(…). These function allows for an add-on and a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) procedure to be called. The former is used extensively for desktop app add-ons, many of which are utilised by Microsoft-provided templates within the desktop app. VBA also does not work within the web, so Microsoft have developed a JavaScript-based interface for Office, initially in Excel (see Office Scripts in Excel on the web (preview) ). However, VBA is used extensively to create solutions for Excel desktop and it will be many years before support for it can be removed. Visio development usually lags several years behind its more-widespread Microsoft 365, stable mates, so do not expect Office Scripts within Visio just yet. Currently, the application programming interface (api) for Visio web app is read-only, and you can read Visio Add-ins documentation on the Microsoft web. Confusingly, Microsoft decided to re-use the word Add-Ins for these web solutions, even though it is still used for desktop Visio solutions.
[Read more…] about Customising Visio Shapes for the Web AppUsing some Visio Shape Data in Visio for the Web
Like a lot of UK TV viewers last week, I watched Quiz, a drama about Major Charles Ingram who apparently cheated his way to the jackpot in Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Some of the questions that he was asked were quoted in that show, and I was surprised how easy the last two questions were for me, but that was probably because of my own education as a building architect. However, I decided to lookup the rest of the questions, and I would have fallen before getting to those questions unless my Phone-A-Friend could have helped me on one in particular. At the same time, I was thinking about the differences between Visio desktop and web editions (yeah, really!), so I have created a Visio document that contains all of the questions that the Major answered correctly. This document can be viewed by everyone and downloaded. If it is saved into OneDrive or SharePoint Online and then viewed online.
[Read more…] about Using some Visio Shape Data in Visio for the WebUsing the Visio Data Visualizer in Excel
Microsoft have recently released a preview of the Microsoft Visio Data Visualizer for Excel, and if you have not yet tried it … you should! I am sure that it is far more powerful than one might expect because you can create some very useful Visio diagrams without a Visio license! Sure, you do need a Visio license to edit the diagram, but, if you keep your source table updated, then the diagram will automatically update itself. You can now create, update and share process flow diagrams and organisation charts from Excel and add them to Power BI reports!
[Read more…] about Using the Visio Data Visualizer in ExcelMastering Data Visualization with Microsoft Visio
Master the art of presenting information visually using Microsoft Visio Desktop and Visio for Web
Microsoft Visio Professional is a data visualization application that is used by many different market sectors and many different departments to represent information visually, from network infrastructure to organization charts, and from process diagrams to office layouts. The book starts off with a brief introduction to Visio Professional 2016 and then moves on to data storage, linking data to shapes, and working with SQL Server Access, Excel, and SharePoint. Then we’ll cover topics such as refreshing data, working with geographical data, working with various graphics, and diagrams, and more. Finally, you’ll find out how to deploy custom stencils, templates, and code.
While Microsoft Visio offers a great range of accessibility features, it can’t always provide a seamless experience. Fortunately, with the right customisations, you can change this.
Who this book is written for:
This book is aimed at the departmental-level operational or business intelligence professional or Microsoft Office power-user who wants to create data diagrams with Microsoft Visio that can accurately represent business information visually.
What you will learn from this book:
- Understand the evolution of data linking in Visio and learn about its latest features
- Add external data from a variety of data sources
- Represent information with data graphics data from structured diagrams
- Create custom data-like shapes and export
- Present information graphics to non-Visio users
- Use the pivot diagram add-on to create a base diagram superimposable with refreshable, linked data
- Navigate external data and add data-linked shapes to Visio documents, and connect and add them to containers
- Automate visualizations from data and develop custom templates and code for others
Table of contents
- Chapter 1. Data within Visio Essentials
- Chapter 2. Understanding How Data is Stored within Visio
- Chapter 3. Linking Data to Shapes
- Chapter 4. Using the Built-In Data Graphics
- Chapter 5. Using the Pivot Diagram Add-On
- Chapter 6. Creating Custom Master Shapes
- Chapter 7. Creating Custom Data Graphics
- Chapter 8. Validating and Extracting Information
- Chapter 9. Automating Structured Diagrams
- Chapter 10. Sharing Data Diagrams
- Chapter 11. Choosing a Deployment Methodology
- Index
More Information
Changing Visio Shape Size and Angle with Linked Data
I was recently laying out a computer room floor plan to scale in Visio, from survey data of the cabinets\racks within it, and it occurred to me that I could work a bit smarter than I first thought. Originally, I was going to just add lots of rectangles, size them, rotate them, and label each them with their name. Then I thought, why not use the Width, Depth and Name columns from the survey data to do most of the work for me? It was so simple to do, and only took a few minutes, so I thought I would share my methodology because it demonstrates how easy it is to work smarter with Visio….
These are the simple steps shown above, written out for your education….
[Read more…] about Changing Visio Shape Size and Angle with Linked Data