Ppt sample blue simple

Microsoft®
Office
Visio®
2007 Training
Expertly position, stack, and
group shapes
[Your company name] presents:

Expertly position, stack, and group shapes
Course contents
• Overview: Arranging shapes
• Lesson 1: Expertly position shapes
• Lesson 2: Stack shapes to relate shapes
• Lesson 3: Group shapes together
Each lesson includes a list of suggested tasks and a set of
test questions.

Overview: Arranging shapes
The arrangement of shapes in a Visio
diagram is the key to communicating
information.
Well-controlled shape arrangement
strengthens each shape’s significance
and makes the relationships among
shapes crystal clear.
Visio offers more shape arrangement
options than you might expect. This
course shows you that variety and
helps you learn how to position, stack,
and group shapes effectively.

Course goals
• Position shapes quickly and effectively.
• Stack shapes to show their relationships.
• Group shapes so that they move and function as one.

Lesson 1
Expertly position shapes

Expertly position shapes
One of the main
reasons you create
diagrams is that
they’re much more
efficient at
communicating
information than using
a bunch of text.
But some diagrams fail because the position of their
shapes is sloppy. It’s amazing how orderly shapes
make things easier to see and understand.
Positioning shapes on the page expertly and neatly not
only will make your diagrams look good but also will
clearly communicate the information within them.

Use AutoConnect arrows
You want neatly
placed shapes. But
most of the time you
want them connected
to other shapes too.
One way to
accomplish both is to
use the AutoConnect
arrows.
1
2
Make sure AutoConnect is on by clicking the
AutoConnect button .
How do they work?
In a stencil, select the shape you want.

Use AutoConnect arrows
You want neatly
placed shapes. But
most of the time you
want them connected
to other shapes too.
One way to
accomplish both is to
use the AutoConnect
arrows.
3 Rest your pointer over the shape you want to connect to,
and then click a blue AutoConnect arrow.
How do they work?
4 A new shape is added, connected, and positioned neatly
on the page.

Use the grid and the rulers
AutoConnect is great,
but there will be times
when you want to
simply put something
in place yourself.
And you may not want
to connect anything
yet.
So another way to neatly arrange shapes is to arrange
them by using the grid and the rulers.
When you position shapes on the page—or first add
shapes to the page—use the grid lines to keep them
straight. Keep an eye on the grid to make sure your
shapes are evenly spaced.

Use the grid and the rulers
The rulers are also
invaluable.
These numbers are especially important if you’re
creating a detailed office layout or building plan that will
control physical measurements.
By default, shapes snap to the grid lines and the
measurement lines on the rulers. This behavior makes it
much easier to position shapes.
Use them to see the
exact distance
between shapes or to
determine just how big
a certain shape is.

Follow the guides
Even more visible
than the grid lines are
the guides: vertical or
horizontal lines that
you can place on a
page to keep things
orderly.
You drag them from a ruler, and by default they appear
blue, as in the illustration.
Guides help you organize your diagrams according to
their content. And guides don’t show up on printed
diagrams; they’re your secret.

Open the Size & Position window
Sometimes using a
mouse to position or
size a shape can be
difficult or imprecise.
Say you’re working on
an office layout: you’ll
want a desk to be
positioned just so.
But what if Visio snaps it to a location you don’t want? Or
what if you can’t seem to let go of the mouse button at
the right time?
The cure for these woes is the Size & Position window,
and it is found on the View menu.

The location of a
shape is stated in
terms of X and Y
coordinates.
The X coordinate is the position on the horizontal ruler at
the top of the page. The Y coordinate is the position on
the vertical ruler at the left of the page.
The point where these meet is the shape’s pin . For
most shapes, the pin is the center of the shape.

The location of a
shape is stated in
terms of X and Y
coordinates.
To move the shape, type in new numbers for the
coordinates. The shape will automatically shift to that
exact location.
To size the shape, type new numbers for width and
height. The shape edges change to those exact
dimensions, while the shape pin stays where it was.

Command shapes to align themselves
Grid, rulers, and
guides are great when
you create a diagram
in a planned,
organized way.
But sometimes you may prefer to work freely and
spontaneously, saving the organization for the end.
While you’re working freehand or when you’re finished,
you can tidy up your diagram by using the Align shapes
command on the Shape menu.

Command shapes to align themselves
Grid, rulers, and
guides are great when
you create a diagram
in a planned,
organized way.
Select the shape you want the others to line up with, and
then click the alignment option you want.
In the example here, a vertical alignment button got
these shapes in line. It’s like a sheepdog for shapes.

Distribute shapes evenly
You can use the grid,
rulers, and guides to
position shapes one
by one, but what if
you’ve got dozens of
shapes in your
diagram?
The Distribute Shapes command on the Shape menu
turns odd distances into even ones. It’ll get you home in
time for dinner.

Distribute shapes evenly
Say you’ve got the
shapes you want on
the page, but one is
too close to another,
and another is too far
away. The ideal
arrangement is equal
amounts of space
between shapes.
You can do this in three steps, without any fussy mouse
work.
Just select three or more shapes, click the Distribute
Shapes command, and choose a distribution option. In
this example, a horizontal distribution button evened
things out.

Rotate shapes
Sometimes a shape is
placed, sized, and
spaced right but still
needs one good turn.
To rotate 2-D shapes, you use the rotation handle . Just
click and drag that handle to the new position.
To rotate 1-D shapes, you click and drag either the
beginning point or the ending point, swinging the shape
around to where you want it.

Flip shapes
Sometimes you need
to rotate a shape not
by turning it around,
but by turning it over
to create a mirror-
image reversed
version. This is called
flipping a shape. Just
like a pancake.
1
2
When you flip a shape horizontally, the flip action occurs
from side to side.
When you flip a shape vertically, the flip action occurs
from top to bottom.
You can flip shapes horizontally or vertically.

Suggestions for practice
1. Use AutoConnect arrows.
2. Examine a finished diagram.
3. Use the rulers and create some guides.
4. Position shapes using the guides and grid.
5. Use the Size & Position window; practice nudging.
6. Align shapes and distribute spacing.
7. Rotate shapes and flip a shape.
Online practice (requires Visio 2007)

Test 1, question 1
How do you access the Size & Position window? (Pick one
answer.)
1. Select a shape, and then double-click the Width or Height
values in the status bar at the bottom of the program.
2. On the Shape menu, click Size & Position Window.
3. On the View menu, click Shapes Window.
4. On the View menu, click Size & Position Window.

Test 1, question 1: Answer
On the View menu, click Size & Position Window.

Test 1, question 2
Suppose you have a shape of a house with a tree on the left
side. If you flipped the shape vertically, what would the result
look like? (Pick one answer.)
1. The house would be upside down, the roof would be pointing
down, and the tree would be pointing down as well.
2. The house would be flipped sideways, with the tree on the
right-hand side.
3. The house would be tipped sideways, with the roof and tree
pointing to the left.
4. It would look the same, because flipping returns the shape to
the original position.

The house would be upside down, the roof would be pointing down, and
the tree would be pointing down as well.
When you flip vertically, the shapes flip from top to bottom or vice versa.

Lesson 2
Stack shapes to relate shapes

Stack shapes to relate shapes
Location isn’t always
everything.
Sometimes the
position of shapes
isn’t enough to convey
a relationship.
Additional visual
information is
required.
The underlying circles in this diagram show that each
department has two computers and one printer.
Without the circles, the situation wouldn’t be so clear.
Each circle is said to be below the computer
equipment; the rectangle is below the two circles. This
concept of shapes being under or on top of each other
is called stacking order.

How shapes stack up
This illustration may
illuminate the concept
of stacking order.
While you’ll never see
stacked shapes from
the side in Visio,
imagining them like
this helps you get the
picture.
By default, Visio puts shapes in a stacking order as you
add them to the page.
The rule to remember for how Visio establishes stacking
order is, “The last one in wins.” That means that the last
shape you place on the page is highest in the stacking
order.

How to change the stacking order
The picture shows
where to change the
stacking order for a
shape.
1. Select the shape, and then point to Order on the
Shape menu.
2. You’ll see four options. Bring to Front and Send to
Back move a shape all the way in the stacking order.
And here’s how:

How to change the stacking order
The picture shows
where to change the
stacking order for a
shape.
3. If you want to move the shape forward or backward
only a step at a time, choose either Bring Forward
or Send Backward.
And here’s how:

Suggestion for practice
• Add a rectangle and circles to a diagram and then change their stacking
order.

Test 2, question 1
Why might you want to specify a stacking order for shapes?
(Pick one answer.)
1. To show a sideways view of how boxes are stacked in a
storeroom.
2. To show relationships by placing shapes in front of or behind
each other.
3. So that you can number shapes in a specific sequence.
4. So that you can arrange the shapes in an even and orderly
fashion.

To show relationships by placing shapes in front of or behind each other.
Stacking order lets you indicate which shapes belong logically with other
shapes, and it makes separate categories visually distinct.

Test 2, question 2
How do you move a shape to the back of the order? (Pick one
answer.)
1. On the Shape menu, click Lay Out Shapes, and then click
Shallow or Deep for the Depth option.
2. On the Shape menu, point to Order, and then click Send to
Back.
3. On the Format menu, click Behavior, and then click Send to
Back.
4. On the Shape menu, click Operations, and then click Send to
Back.

On the Shape menu, Point to Order, and then click Send to Back.
You can also right-click a shape and follow this same process. After
right-clicking the shape, click Shape on the shortcut menu. Then point to
Order, and click Send to Back. And here’s one more tip: The keyboard
shortcut is CTRL+SHIFT+B.

Test 2, question 3
You add a square to the page, then a circle, and then a
triangle. Finally, you move the square to one side. Now the
square is at the top of the stacking order. (Pick one answer.)
1. True. The square was touched last, and it will now be in the
front of the order.
2. False. The triangle remains at the top because it was added to
the page last.

False. The triangle remains at the top because it was added to the page
last.

Lesson 3
Group shapes together

Group shapes together
Suppose you’ve made
a map. You’ve got
several buildings
clustered together. It
looks perfect. But
oops…
The cluster of
buildings is on the
wrong street.
You need to move all the buildings down one block.
You could select each one and move it down
separately. But does that sound efficient?
With Visio, you can group the buildings so that the
cluster stays bound together, and you move them all at
once.

Select, then group
The first step in
grouping shapes is to
select the shapes.
You can do this by holding down the SHIFT key while
clicking them or by dragging a selection net around
them.
When you’ve got the shapes selected, on the Shape
menu, click Grouping and then click Group. That’s it:
The shapes are now grouped.

Select, then group
The first step in
grouping shapes is to
select the shapes.
You can do anything to a group of shapes that you can
do to a shape: resize it, rotate it, align it with others, and
so on. Visio treats a group as one big 2-D shape.

Change just one shape within a group
Even after you’ve
grouped shapes, you
can still edit just one
of the shapes in the
group.
Let’s use our cluster of buildings as an example.
If three buildings are grouped together as one, how do
you hone in on one of the buildings to resize it a little?
Or maybe you want to change its color.

Even after you’ve
grouped shapes, you
can still edit just one
of the shapes in the
group.
1
2
Click the group to select it.
Click again to select a shape within the group.
The picture illustrates how simple it is.

When one shape is
selected, it appears
with green handles,
but these handles
have Xs in them.
This is a signal that the shape you selected is a part of a
group. Now you can change that one shape any way
you like.

Ungroup shapes
Sometimes you need
to ungroup a group of
shapes. For example,
you may want to move
the group but leave
one building behind or
make extensive
changes to a single
shape.
1. Select the shape.
2. On the Shape menu, point to Grouping, and then
click Ungroup.
The process is simple:

Shapes that are grouped from the start
You might have
worked with grouped
shapes without
knowing it; many of
the shapes in Visio
are actually grouped
already.
This makes them
easier to work with.
1
2
Here’s what the factory shape looks like when you put it
on the page.
But if you ungroup it, you’ll find it is actually a group of
several component shapes.
This factory shape is a perfect example.

Suggestions for practice
1. Group portions of a sample diagram.
2. Change a single shape in the group.
3. Ungroup shapes.

Test 3, question 1
Which of the following is a reason you’d group shapes
together? (Pick one answer.)
1. To move or resize several shapes as one.
2. To make particular changes to each shape on the page.
3. To connect several shapes with arrows.
4. To save shapes for later use.

To move or resize several shapes as one.
Grouping is most useful when you need to modify several shapes as
one.

Test 3, question 2
True or False: Every shape in Visio is actually a group. (Pick
one answer.)
1. True.
2. False.

False.
Although many shapes are complex and are actually many shapes
grouped together as one, this is not always the case. Some shapes
consist of only one shape. One shape is not a group.

Test 3, question 3
Which of the following is a reason you’d ungroup shapes?
(Pick one answer.)
1. You need to make a simple change to one shape within the
group.
2. You need to add text to the group.
3. You need to connect the group of shapes with a line.
4. You need to move one shape independently from the others in
the group.

You need to move one shape independently from others in the group.
You’d also ungroup shapes if you needed to make extensive changes to
one of the shapes.

Quick Reference Card
For a summary of the tasks covered in this course, view the
Quick Reference Card.

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