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S400 Visio Tutorial Dr. Joyce Byrer

Microsoft® Office Visio™ 2007 is a software tool that helps you to create professional-looking diagrams for

understanding, documenting, and analyzing information, data, systems, and processes.

Most graphics software programs depend on artistic skills. When you use Visio, however, conveying important

information visually is as easy as opening a template and dragging shapes into your drawing. You can create many

types of diagrams including organization charts, network diagrams, floor plans, time lines, crime scenes, and

website maps.

In addition to having a range of powerful drawing tools at your fingertips, Visio includes an extensive library of

image types (scanner, photos, sound clips, and videos). Visio makes it very easy to import and export images to

and from other sources.

Visio is available in two editions: Microsoft® Office Visio Professional™ 2007 and Microsoft® Office Visio

Standard™ 2007. Office Visio Standard 2007 has many of the same features that Office Visio Professional 2007

has, but Office Visio Professional 2007 includes templates for more types of diagrams, along with several

advanced features. We will be using Microsoft Office Visio Standard 2007 in the student technology computer

clusters.

This tutorial is designed to give you an introduction to the Visio Interface and how to create basic diagrams.

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Now, let’s try it!

Click the Start Menu in the lower left corner of the window. Find and click Microsoft Office Visio 2007.

When you first open Visio, you should see the Getting Started with Microsoft Office Visio window that looks

similar

Click Flowchart in the template categories list on the left. You will see this:

to the picture below. If you don’t see this window, go to File | New | Getting Started.

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Notice that if you single click on any of the templates in the middle of the window, Visio will display a brief

description of the template on the right panel of the window.

Get shapes with a template

Double click the Data Flow Diagram template in the middle of the window to view the DFD shapes. If you lose the

list of templates, simply click File | Shapes | Flowchart| Data Flow Diagram Shapes (US units).

To place a shape on the workspace in the center of the window, select the desired shape on the left and drag it to

the workspace. For this example, move the Data Process shape to the workspace. Repeat this step and place a

second Data Process shape on the workspace. Align the shapes similar to the picture below.

Click the perimeter of one shape to display the shape’s handles which look like green square dots. Drag one or

more handles to increase the size of each shape so that their diameters are one inch in length. (The length of four

squares on the workspace equals one inch.) You may also use the rulers on the top and the side of the workspace

to help you resize the shape. If you do not see the rulers, click View | Rulers.

Zoom into your diagram using the zoom icon in the toolbar. The following diagram has a zoom level of 150%.

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Nudge a shape into position with a template

Select one of the shapes. Press one of the four arrow keys on the keyboard to move the shape. If pressing an

arrow key scrolls your diagram instead of moving a shape, make sure the Scroll Lock key is not pressed.

Now select the Dynamic Connector shape from the template and drag it to the workspace.

The connector should have handles (green dots) to indicate that it has been selected. If you move the cursor and

hover over the connector’s endpoints, the cursor changes shape to four arrows and a tool tip will pop up that says

Move Endpoint. Drag each endpoint so that it connects the first two processes as shown in the following picture.

The endpoints will turn red when they are connected.

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Add text to a shape

Double click the midpoint dot of the connector. A text block will open. Enter the text, Opened letters. Click on an

empty part of the workspace to de-select the text box. The text appears as a label on the connector.

Note: if at any time your cursor does not look like an arrow or your shapes are not moving properly, make sure

that you have selected the Pointer Tool on the toolbar. See picture above.

Click the second process shape two times, and a text box will appear. Enter 2, hit the Enter key on the keyboard,

and then enter Sort mail in the text box. Use the toolbar to set the font size to 10 pt. Click anywhere on the blank

workspace to de-select the shape.

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Drag the Data Store shape from the template and place it to the right of the Sort mail process. The data store is a

little more difficult to label. Click several times around the top or bottom perimeter line until you see a text block.

Enter the text, Trash can, into the text block and de-select the shape. Connect the Sort mail process and the Trash

can data store with a dynamic connector.

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Move a shape

Select the Trash can data store and drag it down about an inch. The data store’s label and dynamic connector will

remain attached. Label the dynamic connector Junk mail.

Move and resize a text block

On the tool bar, click the small arrow to the right of the Text Tool. Select the Text Block Tool.

Rest the cursor over the Junk mail label on the dynamic connector until you see double rectangles. Click on

the Junk mail text block to select it. Using the cursor drag the text block to the right side of the connector. Move

the handles and reshape the text block so that the words Junk and mail are on two separate lines.

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Go back to the Pointer tool

On the toolbar, click the Pointer Tool.

Change a connector’s color, shape, and arrow

Right click the Opened letters connector. Select Format | Line from the pop up window. Change the color of the

connector line to red, round the corners, and reset the arrow tip to be an extra large size.

Click OK. Your diagram should now look like this.

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Add text to a diagram

On the toolbar, select the Text Block Tool. Using the mouse, draw a rectangle in a blank area near the top

of the workspace.

Type the text, How to Sort Mail, in the text block using 14 point font. Click on an empty part of the workspace to

de-select the text block. Don’t forget to go back to the Pointer tool.

Continue until your data flow diagram resembles the following illustration. Feel free to experiment. Just

remember to save your diagram often.

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1Read mail

2Sort mail

Opened letters

Trash can

Junk mail

How to Sort MailAuthor: Dr Joyce Byrer

Mail Box Mail

Letters with wrong address

File cabinet

Bills

Insert an existing Visio diagram into another program

You can insert a Visio diagram into other program files, such as a spreadsheets, word processors, and slides. There

are several ways that this can be accomplished. Here are two easy ways.

Open your diagram using Visio and open the file in which you want to place the diagram. Use the cursor to

select all the shapes in your diagram. Click Edit | Copy Drawing on the toolbar (or type ctrl+C). Paste (or type

ctrl+V) into the other file.

Close Visio. Open the file in which you want to place the diagram. Click the Insert tab on the menu, then

select Object. Under Create from File, browse and select the Visio file that contains your diagram.