Now Creating Shapes
for Visual Calculation
on Microsoft Office Visio

Image Map, a click on the figure links to the page. 

  I thought it may be wonderful if the Visio flow charts can calculate numerically or logically. Calculation on the flowchart may visualize the process of calculation and make easy to understand than the calculation on a spread sheet. I wish to call it visual calculation. Now, I've created Visio shapes for such visual calculation. Figure above is a set of stencils to calculate on Visio. The stencil on the left is for decimal calculation, and the middle is for logical calculation. How are they useful? What kind of calculation can be done? Not yet, I cannot answer to all questions. But I feel something hopeful.
=>Download Stencils 

Dec. 22, 2007
Junichi  Yoda

Jan. 12, 2008

 Added 2 shapes like monitors screen that display the calculation result as an trend graph. The ShapeSheet version and the VBA version. What is the difference between them. Let7s try to examine.

Jan 28, 2008

 Added 2 monitors that can display calculation results in text.

Feb 5, 2008

 Modified 2 monitors that can display calculation results in text. The bag that the text cannot be correctly copied with the menu "Copy Text" has been corrected.

Feb 8, 2008

 Added 2 input Color Monitor to decimal and logical stencils. And LED lamp and Logical switch to logical stencil.

Feb, 22,2008

 Added colors to the TRUE value of LED, and logical and binary connectors. Changing color by the state of connectors, true or false, makes easy to understand the flowchart. And now they correspond to the theme colors of Visio2007
 

 On both decimal or logical calculation, connectors and color monitors can correspond to the theme colors.
 

Apr, 19, 2008

 Vector Calculation

 I 've added new stencil for vector calculation that enable us vector analysis, adding or subtracting vectors, calculating inner product and outer product, balancing force and moment. The stencil is shown at the most right side in the figure on Top of this page. Visio is said as vector graphics software, so, I am sure, Visio is better suitable to construct the shapes for vector calculation. But I could not found anything like this in internet web sites. I felt quite curious.
 

 Sum of vectors, Balance of forces.

Calculation and Balance of Moment

For more details, please click here.

May, 25, 2008

 3D Vector Calculation

  I have studied how to display the vectors on Visio drawing page as if it were floating in the 3D space, and created some shapes. They can calculate the addition and the subtraction of vectors. They can calculate the inner and outer products of 2 vectors.
 The outer product A*B of 2 vectors A and B is vertical to both A and B. Can Visio display such a scene? Because Visio is a software for 2D drawing, Visio cannot display 3D view. The I addopted the method of oblique projection(Cabinet projection) to display vecors as if ot were in 3D space. The figure below shows that the vector D is the sum of 3 vectors A, B and C.
 

 ===> For more detail, please click here.

 June, 24, 2008

=>Download Stencils

 Digitally-Signed Stencils

  If you need digitally-signed stencils, click here.

 Please note that the validity of signature expires at July 1 of 2009.
 

July, 23, 2008

Cloud and Wave-Balloons

  Stencil for various balloons such as cloud , wave or spiral can be downloaded here. Those shapes use custom line patterns. If you change the width of line, the size of pattern varies.
===> Download stencil.

July, 30, 2008

Ellipse touch internally
in Parallelogram or Quadrangle

 You might be embarrassed if you are requested to draw the oval that is inscribed to a parallelogram or a scalene quadrilateral with Visio.  Such an oval often comes out when you are going to draw the 3D-spacial drawing. It may be easy for 3 dimensional CAD systems, but difficult in Visio. Then I made such shapes that enable you to draw the ellipse in a quadrangle. To read more details, please click here.
To download the shapes, please click here.

Sep, 4, 2008

 Update

  I updated serious error in "Ellipse in Trapezium 2" that could not touch inside in the quadrangle.
  New stencil can be downloaded from here.

 Oct, 21, 2008

 Ellipse touching Inside the Cut Face of Oblique Pyramid

  The figure below is the shapes that have ellipses in the cut faces of obliqe pyramid. They make easy to draw ellipses touch inside the rectangular faces in the perspective view.
 

 To read more detail, please click here.

 New stencil can be downloaded from here.

 Nov. 04, 2008

Ellipse passing through 4 Points, 3Points and 5 points

 The figure above shows the Ellipses that pass through given 4 points and have given gradient at one of the points. The ellipse at the left is dropped just now. At the right the 5 points are moved.

  This shape can also draw ellipse on the plane in the perspective view, as it is shown by the figure below. This shape has 5 control points that look like yellow diamonds. The 4 of them are the points where the ellipse passes. The other 1 point is on the end of the tangential line. Moving the last point, the gradient of tangential line.
  This shape works with VBA macro, so you need to enable VBA macro when you use this shape.
 

   The shape that pass 3 points passes 3 points and has given gradients at 2 points of the points. The shape that pass 5 points passes given 5 points.
 

 To read more detail, please click here.

 New stencil can be downloaded from here.

 Oct, 21, 2008

Geometry Tools, shapes to draw geometric lines
and to analyze the geometries. 

   Here is the stencil that contains geometry tools. They would be convenient when you wish to draw geometric limes on the Visio drawing or when you wish to analyze the geometry of the figure on the Visio.
 The stencil contains the tools, extensible line, parallel lines, compass (divider), line through mid point, vertical line, perpendicular bisector, and so on.
 

 To read more detail, please click here.

 New stencil can be downloaded from here.

 Oct, 21, 2008

User Defined Cells Manager and Editor

   Though the user defined cells are useful, writing and reading complicated formulas make us feel very difficult, and make us hope more easy way and more easy operations to read and write the formulas. So, I've tried to make a simple manager and editor for just user defined cells. Though they are simple and incomplete, I found these kinds of tools are surprisingly powerful. If I had not these tools, I gave up my plan to complete the shapes to draw ellipse touching inside the cut face in oblique pyramid.
 

 
   The Formula in Above figure is written in a user defined cell with new tools. None can make such a complicated formula. None can verify the accuracy of such a complicated formula.
   But the formula like one in the figure below can be read fairly easily, and can be written more quickly. And it is more convenient if the formula below is automatically translated into one that can be received by the user defined cells.
 

 To read more detail, please click here.

 New stencil can be downloaded from here.

 Oct, 22, 2008

Pasting Shapes at Mouse Cursor with "Paste Here"

   When you paste shapes on Visio drawing, shapes are pasted on the center of active window. We are almost always happy, but sometimes wish they might be pasted at the mouse pointer.
So, I've tried to make a stencil to paste shapes at mouse pointer. The name of this stencil is "PasteHere".

   Open the stencil, "PasteHere". The figure above shows the stencil opened. Then if you press Ctrl key and right button of the mouse, the previously copied shape or shapes are pasted at the mouse pointer.

 
   The xy coordinates of pasted point can be rounded by the specified number. Drop the master shape "PasteHere", and double click or select the right click menu "Option", then you can specify the rounding number by the drawing units. If you specify the number 0.5 on the drawing of "inches" units, the shapes are pasted at the rounded coordinates by 0.5 inches.

  The stencil "PasteHere" can be downloaded here.

Nov, 18, 2008

Shapes of Character Shape

   I am much interested in a question about the shapes that has character shape in the Microsoft Visio discussion forum. I think Visio has not a function to make such a shape. But you can make character type shapes, if you can use WordArt. First, you make object with WordArt, and then you paste this object as the picture that type is expanded meta file or Word picture. And next, ungroup the pasted picture. Then each piece of the ungrouped picture is a Visio shape that has character shape. When you make Word Art, you should select simple black type with no shadow no decoration.

    Visio has no menu to run WordArt, but you can use it by the following steps. 
 

1.  Select Menu Insert/Object.
2.  Select Microsoft Word Picture in the dialog.
3.  Select menu Insert/Picture/Word Art.
4.  Make Object with WordArt.
5.  Close Microsoft Word Picture.

   I've tried to make the character type shapes in this way, and made a writer, a tool to drop shapes in the order of the characters in the text box.

   To start writer please drop the first master shape, "A" or "a" in the square, and double click or right click and select menu "Write Large Text" or "Write Small Text". In the above figure, the stencil for large character and the scene when a text "VISIO" is written, the button "DROP" is pressed, and the large text "VISIO" is written on the Visio drawing.
 

   Figure below is the text made in this way, joined with the menu Shapes/Operations/Join, changed width and height, and then applied theme color and effect.
 

   The New stencils can be downloaded here.

   Downloaded zip file has 2 stencils for large characters and for small characters. These shapes uses VBA macro, so please make VBA macro enables, when you open these stencils.
  These stencils include alphabetic characters only, and if you enter the characters not existing in the stencils, the VBA macro will stop with error.

Nov, 26, 2008 

Improved Shapes of Character Shape

   I improved the shapes so that mixed large and small characters can be written on Visio drawing. And antique style character shapes are added to the gothic style. The names of master shapes for large and small characters are divided into 2 groups in one stencil by the prefix L and S. The text writer cannot mix 2 styles. Please be patient that the character size changes by the styles.
 

New stencils can be downloaded here.

Dec, 3, 2008

Making character-type shapes in Italic

   I've made a macro to deform character-type shapes into Italic type.
The figure below shows the shapes deformed in Italic. The slant angle is not limited. You can incline them not only behind but also ahead as shown below. The top line inclined 15 degrees behind, the second inclined 30 degrees.
 

   In the figure below you can see a stencil named "Make Italic", and a master shape named "ITALIC". Dropped on the master shape and double-clicked or selected menu "start", "ITALIC", a diagram to started a macro opened. And then 12 pieces of character-type shapes are deformed to Italic type.
 

   Next steps are how to use this stencil.

1. Open stencil "Make Italic", and drop master shape "ITALIC" on the Visio drawing.
2. Double click or select right click menu "start" on the dropped shape. A dialog appears. It is shown below.
3. The text box "SHAPES" is blank. Then select character-type shapes and press the button [SELECT].
4. Then the numbers of the selected shapes are displayed in the text box "SHAPES" as shown in above figure. If just one shape is selected, the name of the shape is displayed.
5. Default settings of "ANGLE" and "ACCULACY" are 15 degrees and 1 percent. "ANGLE" cam be changed freely, "ACCULACY" may be the best at 1 percent.
6. Press [DO] button, and then all selected character-type shapes are inclined to the specified degrees.
7. [UNDO] button restores the shapes. [CLOSE] button close the dialog.
8. If "SHAPES" is empty, nothing made even if you press [DO] button. You need to select again the shapes to make Italic style.
    

This stencil with latest alphabet shapes can be downloaded here.

 Dec, 11, 2008

Bug Fix Report

   Above macro has a bug that fill format and line format change after deform to Italic. I've modified the macro.
  Above macro deleted the original shapes after making Italic style shapes. New macro does not delete original shapes, in turn original shapes move down by 1 line.
  In the dialog an item "ORDER" is added, but it is not in practical use but experimental. If ORDER is 1, then the macro makes usual Italic type shapes. But if ORDER is 2 or 3, the result becomes a little unusual. Any other values make errors or make unexpected deformations.
  The figure below is the assembly of 2 Italics; one is plus 30 degrees Italic that rotated counterclockwise by 30 degrees, another one is minus 30 degrees Italic rotated clockwise by 30 degrees.
 

This stencil with latest alphabet shapes can be downloaded here.

Magnifier only for Text, "Mag Text"

   I've made a shape to magnify text in the selected shape. The figure below shows the stencil "Mag Text", the shape dropped on the drawing. The drawing below is the sample pivot drawing, "SOX Pivot diagram.vsd", downloaded at the Microsoft download site. You cannot read the text on the shapes, if window zoom is fit to whole drawing. Mag Text magnifies the text written in the selected shapes.    

   In the figure below the shape tagged by "Finance" is selected, then the "Risk Level(Avg)" is selected, and then its value 2.63 is selected.

Mag Text stays at the same position and has the same size.

   Mag Text is stays at the upper left corner of Visio drawing window. If you move the window or zoom the window, Mag Text moves and changes its size. But if you click the shape or page, Mag Text returns to the position and the size.

Mag Text informs you by color when the shape is group or includes text field.

   Mag Text is a 3 stage shapes, from above, "Title", "Shape Name" and "Shape Text". "Title" contains the name of this shape, "Mag Text", and the magnification ratio". "Shape Name" contains the name of the selected shape. "Shape Text" contains the magnified text written in the selected shape. The color of "Shape Text" is white if it is a usual text, but it changes to yellow if it includes text field. The color of "Shape Name" is light yellow if it is a simple shape, dark gray if it is a group, and white if it is a page. The "Shape Name" and "Shape Text" become multi line if the text becomes longer than the width.

The Menus of Mag Text

    The menus appear if you press right button of the mouse as shown in the figure left.
"X1" means magnification ratio is only 1.
"X2" multiplies by 2-power. "X5" 5-Power.
If you click "CLOSE", the shape of Mag Text is deleted on the page. If you click "DeActivate", though it jumps by one line, it stops to change the text even if you select another shape, nor it returns the fixed position, it moves with window's change. And then if you click "Activate Again", it returns to the normal "Mag Text".

The Fonts in Mag Text reflects the text Fonts of the selected Shape.

   If the shape is written in multi fonts and sizes, Mag Text reflect the them. Above figure shows how Mag Text reflects fonts.

Mag Text is working with VBA Macro.

   Mag Text is working with VBA macro, so please, enable VBA macro when you open the stencil. If you drop the shape of Mag Text on the drawing page, Mag Text is ready to work.

The stencil for Mag Text can be downloaded here.

 Dec, 23, 2008

Real Magnifier

   I've tried to make a magnifier that works like a real magnifying glass.
 

 
  This magnifier also works with VBA macro, so please enable VBA macro when you open  the stencil.

  The stencil includes new magnifier can be downloaded here.

 Dec, 30, 2008

Copying Document Shape Sheet Sections by Dragging


  User-defined section, shape data section and hyperlink section in the document sheet can be copied to another document by dragging a master shape. This Visio nature is combined with the Shape Clones idea using "SetAtRef" function(http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=680.0).

Unzip the downloaded file and open any vsd file. The stencils “Page Tags.vss” and/or "ThemeColorsEffects.vss" will open. Please enable VBA macros.

The stencil “Page Tags.vss” has master shapes about page tags, page name, file name and free text.
In these shapes Width, Height, PinX and PinY are referred to the document sheet and reflect to each kind of shape.
For example the page Tag1 on the page 1 and page 2 have same location on the page, same width and height., and has same line types and same fill colors. For more details, please refer to the text on the drawings.

Here is a screen shot.

Sample drawing can be downloaded here.

Feb, 15, 2009

Fitting Closed Ellipes to Elliptical Arc

    Here is a shape that draws an ellipse just fitting to the Elliptical Arc drawn with Arc tool button.
 

 Stencil can be downloaded here.

 Here is a drawing to explain how to draw closed ellipse.

 Apr, 15, 2009

Tracing Curves

   I found a very impressive work in the forum of Visio Guy, xy-curve - calculating with Visio. It is really creative and has strong impact to me. The author worked very hard to produce his work, but the performance of the work is highly artistic. I have downloaded and analyzed his work. I found his work is perfect. His work inspired me to make same kind of shapes. 

      But in this my figure above you must move the control point along curved line. The snapping force to the curve exists, but not strong. But you can move control points along curve , if can pay moderate attention to the curve. In stead, my shapes are much simpler than his work. The xy-plane is independent of the curve. You can easily change the curve. You have only to place a curve you wish to change. 
 

 
   You need to enable snaps to the tops and lines of the shapes 
with menu Tools, Snaps and Glues. You have better to disable the snap to the grid after placing the ellipse.  And you need to bring the xy-plane to the top front after placing an ellipse with right click menu "Bring to Front" in order to make control point and lines visible.
 

 
    Both xy-plane and polar plane have right click menus. This is the short explanation of the menus.
 

1. Bring to Fronts brings the Coordinate system to the top front so that you can see and move control points.
2. Hide and Show Base Line hides and shows the xy axis.
3. Hide and Show Extension Line hides and shows the negative extended lines.
 

Here you  can download sample drawing.

 May, 09, 2009

Visio-WordArt

   Here, we start to examine deeply and deeply the way of making artistic text using WordArt on the Visio drawing page. Please click here for more details.
 

 July, 08, 2009

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