Visual Basic 6 - Design, Specifications & Objects/VB6_Design_Specs_Objs.iso/Visio/Tour/U2_300.txt

Text File | 1998-08-17 | 3KB | 72 lines

With Visio products, you can work with shapes that behave intelligently and predictably.

Now you'll get to see how shapes keep the attributes you've assigned to them even when you move them, resize them, connect them, or add text.

Using the Office Layout template the walls and door of an office have been created and a plant shape has been added.

Now you can add a desk shape in the top right hand corner.

You can resize a shape proportionally by selecting it and dragging one of the corner selection handles.

The shape resizes proportionally.

Look at the status bar at the bottom of the screen.

The status bar shows the dimensions of a shape - when you're using shapes that represent real objects, Visio uses real-world dimensions.

Let's see how the dimensions of the desk change when you change its height on the page.

Visio automatically calculates the new dimensions.

An important feature of Visio is the way in which the pointer changes from black to white when you move over an object.

This helps you recognize that an object is now selectable, so that once you click it you can perform actions on it.

Some shapes have control handles which you can drag to manipulate that shape.

When you pause the pointer over a control handle, Visio displays a screen tip which tells you the function of that handle.

Control handles perform different functions depending on the shape with which they are associated.

Here are some examples of shapes from the Basic Shapes stencil.

You can add text to a shape.

You return to the normal view by clicking once outside the shape.

The text is now associated with the shape and moves with it.

Once the shape is selected you move it by dragging.

The shape and text move together.

Flowcharts are a good example of connected drawings.

Now you'll learn some of the ways to connect shapes in a flowchart.

You can connect shapes as you drop them on the drawing page.

You select the Connector tool and drag a shape onto the drawing page.

When you drop other shapes onto the drawing page they connect automatically.

You can also connect shapes that are already on the drawing page.

You do this by choosing the Connector tool and then dragging between the two shapes you want to connect.

You can select shapes sequentially by using the shift key and mouse button.

When you connect them using the Connect Shapes button, they connect in the order in which they were selected.

You can also connect shapes using any of the connector shapes on the stencil.

Connector shapes are one-dimensional arrows or lines that display at the bottom of a stencil.

They have a yellow background because they are 1-D shapes.

When you move connected shapes they stay connected.

Although the process shape has been moved, the connector has rerouted to stay connected.

Now you have seen how to resize, add text to, and connect shapes.