Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

How to get shapes

In Visio, all the world’s…a shape.

And there are hundreds of Visio shapes to choose from, more than you can memorize.

So it’s good to know how to find them when you need them. There are six ways to get shapes.

While the number of ways to get shapes isn’t as abundant as the number of shapes themselves, six is plenty. That’s because each method is good for a different purpose.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

You must remember this

Before discussing how to get shapes, it’s important that you understand three terms.

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Shapes window. This window contains stencils.

Stencils. Stencils aren’t shapes. That’s important. Stencils contain shapes.

Shapes. Shapes, in Visio, are everything. But shapes aren’t stencils. Stencils contain shapes.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Get shapes with templates

One way to get shapes is to choose a template, which is one of the drawing options you see when you start Visio.

When you choose a template, the stencils and shapes for that template will appear in the Shapes window, ready to work with.

The advantage of using a template is that it provides many related shapes organized for a specific purpose.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Get shapes by searching

If you need more shapes than a template gives you, you can use the Search for Shapes box to search for them.

For example, if you’re working on a network diagram, you might want to use a larger arrow than the arrows in the template stencils.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Get shapes by searching

The picture illustrates how you might search for arrow shapes.

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Type one or two words in the Search for Shapes box, for example, “arrows.” Then press ENTER.

Visio creates a temporary stencil to hold the shapes it finds. In this example, that temporary stencil has the name arrows. To use a shape, you’d drag it from the arrows stencil onto your drawing.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Get shapes by browsing

You can also browse for shapes by using the File menu and the Shapes submenu.

For example, let’s say that a few weeks ago you used Visio to create a map. You remember using a shape for the airport in the map, and now that shape would be helpful in the flowchart you are making.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Get shapes by browsing

To get that airport shape into the flowchart, you could browse as shown in the picture.

The Transportation Shapes stencil would appear in the Shapes window along with your flowchart stencils, and you could drag the airport shape to the page.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Draw your own shapes

If you can’t find the shape you need in Visio, you can always draw your own.

Your own shape can be simple or complex, from a wiggly line to a piece of custom office equipment.

The tip of the iceberg is the Drawing toolbar, shown here. It lets you create shapes from scratch by using simple tools.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Get shapes from other people

Sometimes other people have made shapes that you want to use—a coworker, say, or a company that makes and sells Visio shapes for certain industries.

When you want to use shapes made by others, they could send you a copy of a Visio drawing with those shapes in it.

Often, however, what you’ll get is a stencil of shapes.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Get shapes from other people

A stencil is a file with “.vss” or “.vsx” in the file name.

When you receive a stencil file, copy it to this location:

C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents\My Shapes

The stencil will then be available when you use the File menu and the Shapes submenu.

For example, a stencil might be called ContosoShapes.vss or ContosoShapes.vsx.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Insert pictures

Suppose you’d like to insert a photograph into a diagram.

To do that, on the Insert menu, point to Picture and then click From File. (This process is similar to other Office programs you may be familiar with.)

When you insert a picture, Visio will automatically make it a 2-D shape and put the eight handles on it.

Shapes: Introductory basics you can't live without

Insert pictures

Shapes made by inserting pictures aren’t as intelligent as the shapes that come from stencils. As far as interactive behavior goes, they’re not much more than a square on the page.

Nonetheless, they are shapes, which means you can connect them with 1-D shapes, resize them, position them, and so on.