1. Getting to Know Visio 2013

Allow us to introduce you to Visio 2013. We are confident that you will be excited to learn all about this application. This chapter briefly considers ways that you can use Visio; you even create your very own diagram in the first few pages. This chapter also shows you some of the differences between versions as well as the improvements included with Visio 2013.

The idea behind Visio is to provide standardized tools that enable you to easily assemble drawings or diagrams using basic building blocks or shapes, so you do not need to be an artist or even know how to draw. This approach to diagramming makes it possible for anyone to create amazing charts and diagrams by putting shapes together from groups of shapes called stencils. Templates make this even easier by providing you with a basic starting point that determines formatting and which stencils are used. You start working by dragging and dropping shapes into a drawing.

Follow these steps to create a basic flowchart:

1. Open the Visio application.

2. To the left you see a list of the most recent drawings you have opened. As you work with Visio this grows, even if it is now empty. To the right where you see a list of drawing types, select Basic Flowchart as shown in Figure 1.1.

FIGURE 1.1 Choose a basic flowchart to start a new diagram.

3. A smaller window appears, labeled Basic Flowchart. Click the Create button for now.

4. To the left you see a few shapes with different names. Look for the Start/End shape and drag it over to the drawing window by selecting it and dragging it. Drop it toward the top of the page, as shown in Figure 1.2.

FIGURE 1.2 To begin making a diagram, drag a shape onto the drawing window.

5. While the shape is still selected, type the words Start flowchart and then press the Esc key on your keyboard when you are done. The shape is still selected, and the words “Start flowchart” are now centered in the shape.

6. Position your mouse pointer over the shape for a couple of seconds to see four faint blurry arrows. Move the mouse pointer until you hover over the arrow pointing down. A group of four shapes appears; select the left-most rectangle with a click, as shown in Figure 1.3.

FIGURE 1.3 Add additional shapes using your mouse with a hover technique.

7. A rectangle is placed below your start shape, and a line with an arrow connects the two shapes. With the rectangle selected, type the words Add shapes to identify steps in the flowchart and press Esc again.

8. Hover your mouse pointer over this rectangle and then the arrow pointing down, as in step 6. Select the right-most oval shape as an end shape for your flowchart.

9. With this end shape selected, type in the words End flowchart. Press Esc when finished.

Your flowchart should look like the one in Figure 1.4. Congratulations! You have created a simple but complete flowchart that summarizes the nine steps just completed.

FIGURE 1.4 Text can be added to shapes to make steps in a flowchart easy to follow.

TABLE 1.1 The 26 Templates Included with Visio 2013 Standard

To see which templates you have, open Visio and scroll through the templates listed in the template gallery as shown in Figure 1.5. You learn more details about templates in Chapter 3, “Working with Basic Diagrams.”

FIGURE 1.5 The template gallery offers many choices of drawings. These are a few of the templates that you can choose from in Visio Professional 2013.

Although these templates are included to provide the basic tools specific to a variety of fields and situations, you are not limited to these choices. Chapter 13, “Unique Needs: Touchscreens, Custom Templates, and Complex Printing Concerns,” looks at how you can create templates of your very own. Chapter 16, “Additional Visio Resources,” also suggests recommendations for websites that offer downloadable resources like templates.

To help you make sense of the way some of these templates are used, consider a few common examples:

• Connected diagrams include flowcharts, network diagrams, brainstorming, org charts, database diagrams, and many types of engineering schematics that use lines to show how elements of the chart relate to one another or a correct flow for processes. Figure 1.6 shows an org chart that uses lines to show hierarchy.

FIGURE 1.6 Connected diagrams like this organization chart use lines to show relationships.

• Block diagrams are often used to show concepts and illustrate relationships without using lines. Instead, shapes, colors, style, and the position are used to communicate how shapes and ideas relate to one another. Figure 1.7 shows a basic block diagram where smaller shapes represent components of a computer.

FIGURE 1.7 Block diagrams use positioning, color, size, and other visual cues to explain the relationship between shapes.

• Measured drawings include plans, maps, layouts, and views that rely on scale and measurements to communicate to the viewer. These are often used for planning and design and can be used to present ideas to clients. Figure 1.8 shows a floor plan with an assortment of dimensions that can be hidden or displayed as needed.

FIGURE 1.8 Measured drawings use measurements to accurately capture the position and size of drawing elements such as walls, doors, and windows.

• Visio Standard 2013 is designed to work with basic business diagrams, organization charts, basic flowcharts, and multipurpose drawings. Table 1.1, shown earlier in this chapter, lists the 26 templates that are included. Some of the more advanced features are not included in this edition, such as importing external data and SharePoint integration.

• Visio Professional 2013 includes 50 more templates that allow you to create more advanced types of drawings, such as advanced process diagrams, engineering schematics, floor plans, logical network layouts, software mapping, and database and modeling. Enhanced tools for collaboration and many tools for linking data to your drawings are included.

• Visio Pro for Office 365 is a completely new subscription-based offering that includes the features of Visio Professional 2013. A person with an active subscription can install Visio Pro on up to five computers. Additionally, with an active subscription you can use Visio on Demand temporarily from any computer you happen to be using while logged in to your Office 365 online account, even if you are not the administrator or do not own the computer. You can save your work as you would with other Visio versions. Because it does not install onto the temporary computer, it simply is gone when you close the application.

Visio 2013 boasts updated and modern shapes and stencils. Many stencils have been improved with new shapes (see Figure 1.9), and new stencils have been created. Regarding shapes, the capability to change a shape has been added without the need to redo work or data when you decide a different shape would be appropriate.

FIGURE 1.9 Visio 2013 includes updated stencils with modern shapes. Here the shapes in the Department stencil are shown.

For Visio Professional, drawings can be shared to a SharePoint server and then, using SharePoint Services, individuals without Visio can view Visio drawings from a SharePoint server. Multiple individuals can work on the same Visio drawing simultaneously, and even communication tools have been improved for collaboration from within Visio.

FIGURE 1.10 Enable Touch mode to increase the spacing around your menus when using a touchscreen.

→ To learn more about using touch controls, see page 246.

FIGURE 1.11 Visio makes good use of context menus that offer tools only when needed.

Another area that has been improved by this streamlining effort is the print preview. Shown in Figure 1.12, the Print Preview pane is a print-what-you-see live preview tool. You look closer at how to use this tool in Chapter 11, “Printing Visio Diagrams.”

FIGURE 1.12 You will really like the improved Print Preview pane.

Drawings that have been created and saved to the older 2003–2010 drawing format can be converted to this new format, allowing you to take advantage of new themes, styles, and tools like co-authoring. You learn more about this format in Chapter 3.