Copyright: ® 1991-1993 Shapeware Corporation
Citation: VISIO Sampler Online Help, ® 1991-1993 Shapeware Corporation


Contents

Basic Visio tips

How to use the Visio Sampler

Visio Sampler introduction

Instructions for common tasks

Using the Visio Sampler stencil and template

Product information

System requirements

Purchasing information

Shapeware License Packs

About Visio 2.0

Additional features of Visio 2.0

Additional stencils in Visio 2.0

About Visio Shapes

Additional Visio Shapes products


Visio Sampler introduction

The Visio Sampler provides an overview of the stencils and functionality available in Visio 2.0, Shapeware's® drag and drop drawing program for everyday drawings and diagrams. The Visio Sampler gives you an introductory look at Visio's drag and drop drawing approach. Using the Visio Sampler, you can quickly create your own business and technical drawings. Visio Sampler features include:

Drag and drop drawing. Drag predefined master shapes from a stencil onto a drawing page. Create entire drawings without "drawing" anything. Select a master shape on a stencil by moving the mouse pointer over it and pressing the left mouse button. Then "drag" the shape onto the drawing page and "drop" it by releasing the mouse button.

Sampler stencil. Visio Sampler's stencil introduces you to Visio's multiple stencil approach. With the sampler stencil, you can use a selection of popular SmartShapes™ to immediately create drawings and diagrams. Visio comes with 20 stencils containing over 600 SmartShapes. Stencils for additional drawing types can be purchased separately. Shapeware currently offers a wide variety of separate Visio Shapes products for different drawing needs. Each Visio Shapes product consists of multiple stencils.

Integrated text. Just select a shape and start typing. Text appears with default formatting for that shape. Format text on your own using formatting tools that rival those of standard word processing programs. Text and shapes move and rotate together, or you can move or rotate text independently of its shape.

Glue. Connection lines stay connected even after shapes are moved. Connectors stretch, contract, and change angles to accommodate the new position. Connectors can be simple lines, two dimensional shapes that behave as lines, or sophisticated "smart connectors" with intelligent behavior.

Simplified tool set. Use a single tool to create any unique shape. The pencil tool uses gesture recognition to draw both straight lines and arcs depending on how you move the mouse. Results are always mathematically precise. Use the same tool for editing shapes. Alternatively, draw with one of four other popular drawing tools—the line, arc, rectangle, and ellipse tools.

See also

Additional features in Visio 2.0


Basic Visio tips

Using the Visio Sampler

•	Drag and drop shapes (icons with gray backgrounds) and connectors (icons with yellow backgrounds) from the stencil window (with the green background) onto the drawing page.

•	To drag and drop a shape, move the mouse pointer over the shape, hold down the left mouse button, move the pointer into the drawing window, and release the mouse button.

•	To add text to any shape or connector, simply select the shape and start typing.

•	Glue connectors to connection points (represented by blue Xs) for the best results. Resize connectors by moving an endpoint.

•	Refer to the status bar, located at the bottom of the Visio window, for context-sensitive help.

•	Use Visio's drawing aids—the grid, snap, glue, and zoom—to create drawings more easily.

See also

Instructions for common tasks


Instructions for common tasks

To start the Visio Sampler:

1. 	Double-click the program icon for the Visio Sampler.

To drag and drop master shapes into drawings:

1.	Open a stencil and a drawing window. The easiest way to do this is to open a template (such as SAMPLER.VST), which will open both.

2.	From the toolbar, choose the pointer tool [image].

3.	In the stencil window, point to a master shape.

4.	Drag the master shape into the drawing window.

If glue is on, you can glue the ends of connectors and lines to points on shapes so they stay connected. Depending on how glue options are set, you can glue to a vertex, a selection handle, or a connection point (indicated by a blue X).

To type text into a shape:

1.	Select the shape with the pointer tool [image].

2.	Type text.

To glue the endpoint of a line to a shape:

1.	Draw a line with the pencil tool [image], or drag a connector from a stencil.

2.	Select the line or connector with the pointer tool, and drag it toward the shape until one of its endpoints meets the point on the shape you want to glue to. Or, drag an endpoint of the line or connector so that the line or connector stretches until one of its endpoints meets the point you want to glue to.

When the endpoint is successfully glued, it turns red.

To edit the outline of a shape:

1.	Choose the pencil tool [image], and then select the shape.

Vertices, endpoints, and control points appear on the shape.

2.	Click a vertex, endpoint, or control point, then drag it to a new position.

To delete a selected vertex, and therefore delete a segment, press Del.

To add a vertex to a selected shape, and therefore add a segment, hold down Ctrl and click on the shape where you want to add the new vertex.


Stencils and templates
Using the Visio Sampler stencil and template

The Visio Sampler comes with a sample stencil (SAMPLER.VSS) that contains a few sample shapes for creating flowcharts, organization charts, and block diagrams. A sample template file, SAMPLER.VST, opens the SAMPLER.VSS stencil and a new drawing window. Drag and drop shapes from the stencil as described in Instructions for common tasks.


System requirements

To run Visio, you need the following:

•	Microsoft® Windows™ version 3.1 or later.

•	A 386SX, 386, 486SX, 486-based computer or higher, with 4 MB of RAM, running at 20 MHz or faster.

•	A VGA, Super VGA, XGA, 8514/A, or other Windows 3.1 compatible graphics card and monitor.

•	Microsoft Mouse or other Windows 3.1 compatible pointing device.

Visio supports all Windows 3.1 compatible printers including HP® LaserJet® family, HP DeskJet® family, and PostScript® printers. If your computer has a math co-processor, Visio uses it. Visio is network-compatible; Shapeware License Packs are available.


 Additional features of Visio 2.0

Visio 2.0 is designed to easily create the kinds of graphics that business and technical professionals need everyday in their work. To receive more information on Visio 2.0 and Visio Shapes products information, to order Visio 2.0 or a Visio Shapes product, or to locate a reseller near you, call 0 800 665 665 from within the U.K., 05 90 82 01 from within France, 0130 819 227 from within Germany, or +44 506 461503 from the rest of the world.

Create new shapes and custom stencils. Drag shapes into stencil windows to create your own custom stencils. Edit existing master shapes. Change icons, names, and status bar prompts for masters. Create new shapes or modify existing ones, then save them by dragging them into the stencil window. Use them again and again, just like the shapes that come with Visio.

SmartShapes™. Shapes that behave as you would expect. Create shapes with intelligent behavior or modify the behavior of existing shapes by editing their ShapeSheet™, a spreadsheet that defines the shape's geometry and properties. If you can use a spreadsheet, and can remember a little geometry, you can use the ShapeSheet. New control handles enable you to connect shapes faster and manipulate shapes more quickly.

State-of-the-art OLE 2.0 compatibility. Incorporate Visio drawings into your favorite Windows-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, or desktop publishing program. Or vice versa. Visio 2.0 provides full Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) 2.0 container and object support, dragging and dropping across applications, and OLE Automation.

Alternate toolbar. Alternate between two toolbars that include quick access to features users say they use frequently. Includes buttons for aligning and distributing shapes, page changing, zooming in and out, connecting shapes, and cycling through shape formats.

Define and edit styles. Change text, line, and fill characteristics quickly and consistently by using Visio styles. Simultaneously update all shapes using a particular style by editing that style. For example, you can easily change the text size that will appear in all the flowchart shapes by editing a single style.

Global editing. Simultaneously update all instances of a master shape in a drawing by editing their master shape.

Popup menus. Clicking on the right mouse button brings up context-sensitive menu items next to the pointer. If the pointer is over a shape, the menu items are relevant to editing or formatting the shape.

Layered drawings. Assign background pages to create drawings that are two or more layers deep.

Multiple pages. Keep related drawings together in a single document with multiple pages.

Double-click action. Define what happens when you double-click a shape. Some of the options include changing pages, calling up context-sensitive help, opening the ShapeSheet, and editing the shape's text.

Multiple stencil views. When the stencil window is highlighted, toolbar buttons let you choose whether the stencil displays the master shape icons and names, just icons, or just names. An Auto Arrange feature allows more flexibility with the stencil window size and positioning.

Fragment, Union, and Combine. Easily create complex objects and special effects from simple shapes using these powerful features. Split overlapping shapes into fragments, or join overlapping shapes to create new, more elaborate shapes. Easily create Venn diagrams, marketing pyramids, and complex symbols like the international "NO" sign.

Import/Export files. Import or export files in CGM, PCX, TIFF, BMP/DIB, AutoCAD® DXF, AI, EPS, Macintosh™ PICT, and Windows metafile formats. Convert imported objects into groups of Visio shapes.

Full documentation. Getting Acquainted with Visio (54 pp.) guides you through two 30 minute tutorials, providing a quick way to become familiar with Visio features. Using Visio (358 pp.) is a detailed manual describing product features. The Visio Quick Reference Card summarizes essential features in an accessible format. Introducing Visio Master Shapes provides information on and tips for using the Visio stencils. Also available from Shapeware® are two books for advanced users: Developing Visio Shapes and Programming Visio.

Full online help. Visio comes with extensive online help, detailing all functions in the program and explaining how to edit stencils and individual shapes.

Other features:

•	Center drawing feature—allows you to center your drawing on your page.

•	Rubberstamp tool—allows you to quickly create instances of master shapes.

•	Crop tool—allows you to crop and adjust the visible portion of bitmaps.

•	Change an object's behavior to act like 1-D lines or like 2-D shapes.

•	Set the protection properties of an object.

•	Edit a drawing's color palette.

•	Open up groups to edit their members.

•	Add or remove individual members from existing groups.

•	Convert imported metafiles to groups of Visio objects.

•	Save and open workspaces.

•	Select objects by type.

•	Send a drawing via electronic mail.

•	Visio includes many other features.

See also

Additional stencils in Visio 2.0


Additional stencils in Visio 2.0

In addition to the features in the Visio Sampler, Visio 2.0 offers more stencils with hundreds of shapes.

Visio features these 20 full stencils:

Flowchart	Shapes and connectors for creating flowcharts

Orgchart	Shapes and connectors for creating organization charts

Network	Shapes used in network diagrams: computers, printers, network cabling, and other equipment

Space Plan	Shapes used in office space planning: desks, chairs, tables, and modular office furniture

Quality Mgt

Flowchart	Shapes and connectors for creating quality management flowcharts

Clipart	Useful symbols, ornamental borders, business clip art

Block

Diagram 	Blocks and fat arrows for making block diagrams

Symbols	International symbols

Project Mgt	Project management charts (PERT and Gantt charts)

Map	Shapes and symbols for creating directional maps

Electrical

Engineering	Shapes used in diagramming electrical circuitry

Charts	Shapes for creating many different types of charts: bar charts, pie charts, line charts

Forms	Shapes for creating office forms: data combs, order-entry and parts-list forms, a fax cover sheet

Europe	Outline maps of the countries of Europe

World	Maps of the continents and major regions of the world

Practice	Variety of shapes with different types of behavior

Basic	Basic shapes and connectors: squares, triangles, arrows

Border	Ornamental shapes for creating frames and borders for certificates, awards, and presentations

Callout	Callouts, stamps (draft, airmail, etc.), and other symbols used in documentation

Connector	Useful connectors and shapes for many types of drawings

See also

Additional features in Visio 2.0


Additional Visio Shapes products

Visio 2.0 comes with 21 stencils and over 780 shapes and SmartShapes. In addition, stencils for a variety of additional drawing needs can be purchased separately.

Visio Shapes products include more than just symbol libraries or clip art—they include shapes with programmed "intelligence" so you can quickly create your own business and technical drawings. Shapeware® currently offers the following Visio Shapes products in English units:

Advanced Flowcharting

•	Expands on the flowcharting shapes that come with Visio

Advanced Network Diagrams

•	Expands on the equipment shapes that come with Visio

Advanced Space Planning

•	Expands on the furniture and office equipment shapes that come with Visio

Marketing

•	Shapes for illustrating business, sales, and marketing concepts

Home Planning

•	Shapes for home design or remodeling

Landscape Planning

•	Shapes for landscape design or remodeling

Insurance

•	Shapes for illustrating claims and policies—vehicles, accident reports, property, valuables

Advanced Software Diagrams

•	Shapes for illustrating and organizing your software project—includes general programming models

Advanced Electrical Engineering

•	Shapes for illustrating logic, electronic schematics, and power diagrams

Chemistry

•	Shapes for illustrating letter symbols, cyclic compounds, biostructures, amino acids, tool kit models

Chemical Engineering

•	Shapes for chemical process flow diagrams

Petroleum Engineering

•	Shapes for chemical process flow diagrams and piping specific to petroleum engineering

Biotechnology/Medicine

•	Shapes for illustrating immunology, cells, human organs, amino acids

Mechanical Engineering

•	Shapes for illustrating geometric dimensioning, welding, fasteners, piping, HVAC

Kids

•	Shapes for child's play—drag and drop dinosaurs, whales, castles, and more

To receive additional Visio 2.0 and Visio Shapes products information, to order Visio 2.0 or Visio Shapes products, or to locate a reseller near you, call 0 800 665 665 from within the U.K., 05 90 82 01 from within France, 0130 819 227 from within Germany, or +44 506 461503 from the rest of the world.


Further information or to order
Purchasing information

To receive additional Visio 2.0 and Visio Shapes products information, to order Visio 2.0 or Visio Shapes products, or to locate a reseller near you, call 0 800 665 665 from within the U.K., 05 90 82 01 from within France, 0130 819 227 from within Germany, or +44 506 461503 from the rest of the world.


Network license
Shapeware License Packs

Shapeware® License Packs are currently available authorizing either a single additional workstation copy or ten additional workstation copies. These one-packs and ten-packs require that users have first purchased one full Visio product. License Packs include a license card and product serial number, but documentation is not included.