Most of my Visio diagrams have simple connections between shapes, and my previous post about connections used a flowchart as an example (see https://blog.bvisual.net/2016/08/09/understanding-visio-connections/ ). However, it has come to my attention that some Visio developers add connection points to sub-shapes of Visio group shapes, and then connect between the sub-shapes. This means that the code in my previous article would need to be adapted to cater for this scenario. It has also meant that I needed to update my free multiSelect Visio add-in needed an update. The updated version (1.0.6.0) is for Visio 2010+, and is available from http://bvisual.net/Products/multiSelect.aspx .
[Read more…] about Update to multiSelect & tracing sub-shape connections in VisioArchives for August 2016
Microsoft inviting beta testers for Visio on iPad Preview
Well the secret is out … Microsoft are looking for beta testers for the initial release of Visio on iPad. Note, that this is view only, but it should offer a more faithful graphical representation than any third-party product. Plus, it has layer control!
Microsoft asks Insiders to comment in particular on the following iPad-specific features:
Understanding Visio Connections
A reader recently asked if I could explain how to programmatically get the shapes connected to a shape in Visio. So, I thought I would have a go, because there are alternatives, depending upon which functions are used, and what parameters are passed to them. The following animated gif is rotating around the different types of selections that can be made from the lower Decision shape. Normally, two 2D shapes are connected together using a 1D shape. The 1D shape has a direction because it starts from “BeginX” and finishes at “EndX”. This is irrespective of an arrowheads that the user may have chosen to adorn the 1D connector with at either end.
Understanding Visio 2013/2016 Themes
Although Microsoft Visio shares the basic theme structure with Microsoft Office, it had to be extended to suit the extra complexity required. Theming not only affects the color, but also the fonts, connectors and effects. The animated gif below flashes through all of the themes and variants available in the Visio 2013/2016 interface. These are not the only themes built-in because there are still some deprecated ones, and some legacy Visio themes.