Creating and Editing Links and Bookmarks

Use this window to create or edit a Link or Bookmark:

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit.PNG (7397 bytes)

To show this window: Click the Add or Edit button on the main window.

Smiley_01.gif (634 bytes) Tips:

  1. Use the Refresh button to extract location information (such as bookmarks) from the linked file.   For details, please refer to the Defining Display Criteria section on this page.

  2. Use this visio_EasyLink_ItemLink.PNG (349 bytes) menu or toolbar item  to create an Item Link -- a link between two Items in the same or different drawings.  For details, please refer to the Creating an Item Link section on this page.


Using a Meaningful Description

It's important to properly describe what a Link or Bookmark will do because all the Links belonging to the current Item and all the Bookmarks belonging to the current Repository will be displayed on the main window.  It can be a long list.

For example, you can use:

  1. "Jump to Drawing 'Projects and Services'" for a Bookmark that brings up a different drawing
  2. "Go to Workflow C" for an Item Link that shows a branch of your flowchart on another Page of the same drawing.

Choosing a File or URL

Overall:

  1. visio_EasyLink_Bookmark.PNG (373 bytes) To create a bookmark, leave the "File or URL" field blank.  It means "To Jump to the Item itself" - the same as "To Open the Page where the Bookmark is" when you read a book.

  2. visio_EasyLink_FileLink_Yellow.PNG (1017 bytes) To create a File link, enter a proper file name (such as c:\My Document.doc) or URL (such as www.AmazingVisio.com).

Entering a File Name

  1. Click the Browse button to show this window.  Choose a file and then click the Open button.
    visio_EasyLink_LinkToFile.PNG (12870 bytes)

  2. Click the Test button.  The file shows with its designated tool.  For example, a Word document shows in Microsoft Word.

Importing Files

You can import a file into your Repository by clicking the Import button.  The file will be copied over and the Link will point to the new file.  Note that the file location change will be applied to all the File Links that point to the same file.   Please click here for more information.

Tips:

  1. You may import multiple files by using this process several times.

  2. You may use a sub-folder in your Repository to keep all the files that are interrelated, for example a group of Web pages and their image files.  In this case, using your Windows Explorer to create a sub-folder and then copy the files.   For more information about Repository, please click here.

Why the "File or URL" Field Is Disabled?

This field is disabled when the follows happen:

  1. The Link or Bookmark does not belong to the current Item.  Choose an Item with a Scope display of "*" on the main window then try again. 

  2. It's an Item Link.  Please refer to the Creating an Item section on this page for details.

Entering a URL

  1. Use your Web browser to show a Web page or a file to download, such as http://www.AmazingVisio.com or http://www.AmazingVisio.com/MyFile.doc.

  2. Copy the URL from your browser and paste it into the "File or URL" field.

  3. Click the Test button.  The Web page shows in a browser window.

The Default Link

Choosing the Default option means that you want to make this link the default one if there are multiple ones for the current Item.  A default link has these natures:

  1. It is displayed as bold:  visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_DefaultLink.PNG (2515 bytes)

  2. There is only one default link for each Item.  Easy Link will remove the previous one.

  3. It will be displayed as a default link when published online with Easy Publish.  Please click here fore more information.

The Buttons

  • Browse: To browse for a file on your computer or a network drive
  • Import: To import a file into the current Repository
  • Test: To test the File Link
  • Refresh: To refresh the file related information.  For details, please refer to the next section: Defining Display Criteria
  • OK: To save the changes and close this window
  • Cancel: To cancel the changes and close this window
  • Help: To show this online help

Defining Display Criteria

Easy Link allows you easily define different display criteria for Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents.  The information will be used to specifically display a document, for example a chart at a particular cell on an Excel worksheet.

Extracting Information from your Document

When you click the Refresh button, Easy Link will extract the location specific information from your document:

  • For Microsoft Word: Bookmarks
  • For Microsoft Excel: Worksheet names
  • For Microsoft PowerPoint: Slide numbers

Defining Display Criteria for Microsoft Word
visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_Refresh.PNG (2553 bytes)

Item Value Description
Bookmark

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_WordBookmark.PNG (1109 bytes)

 Choose a bookmark from the list.  Click the Refresh button to load from file.
Page Number The page number Enter a page number.  The Bookmark entry needs to be removed in order to use the Page Number.
Zoom

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_WordZoom.PNG (1267 bytes)

 Choose a value from the list or enter a value.
Window

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_WordWindow.PNG (966 bytes)

 Choose an option from the list, where:
  • Normal: Resizable
  • Maximized: Maximized with the window title
  • Full Screen: Maximized without the window title


Defining Display Criteria for Microsoft Excel
visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_Refresh.PNG (2553 bytes)

Item Value Description
Sheet

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_ExcelSheet.jpg (1058 bytes)

 Choose a name from the worksheet list.  Click the Refresh button to load from file.
Cell The cell name Enter a cell name, such as A1. 
Zoom

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_ExcelZoom.jpg (903 bytes)

 Choose a value from the list or enter a value.
Window

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_WordWindow.PNG (966 bytes)

 Choose an option from the list, where:
  • Normal: Resizable
  • Maximized: Maximized with the window title
  • Full Screen: Maximized without the window title

 

Defining Display Criteria for Microsoft PowerPoint
visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_Refresh.PNG (2553 bytes)

Item Value Description
Slide Number

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_PowerPointSlide.PNG (665 bytes)

 Choose a value from the list.  Click the Refresh button to load from file.
Zoom

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_PowerPointZoom.PNG (987 bytes)

 Choose a value from the list or enter a value.
View

visio_EasyLink_AddEdit_PowerPointView.PNG (1169 bytes)

 Choose an option from the list.


Creating an Item Link

visio_EasyLink_ItemLink.PNG (349 bytes) An Item Link links the current Item to the second one.  The second Item can be in the same drawing or a different one.   This is similar to "for more information please go to Chapter 9 (of 'The Neverland')" in a book. 

The Easy Link Advantages

Compared with the built-in Visio Hyperlink utility, Item Link offers the following advantages:

  1. Instead of trying to find and type in an Item's name, which can be a long and frustrating process, you simply click an Item with your mouse button

  2. Two links are automatically created to link the Items to each other

 
The differences between an Item Link and a File Link are:

To Do visio_EasyLink_ItemLink.PNG (349 bytes) Item Link visio_EasyLink_FileLink_Yellow.PNG (1017 bytes) File Link
Link to a drawing file Yes Yes
Link to a non-drawing file No Yes
Link to a particular Item of a drawing file Yes No

(For more information about File Link, please refer to the previous section)


Use these 3 simple steps to create an Item Link:

Step One:  Tell Easy Link that you want to create an Item Link starting from the current Item.

Simply click this icon visio_EasyLink_ItemLink.PNG (349 bytes) on the Toolbar or Shortcut menu.  To access the Shortcut menu, click your right mouse button on the Item. 

Step Two: Tell Easy Link the second Item you want to link to.

  1. Open another drawing if necessary, preferably in the current Repository if you intend to create a Package with both drawings.

  2. Choose a different Page if necessary.

  3. Click this icon visio_EasyLink_ItemLink.PNG (349 bytes) again on the second Item.

Step Three: Edit your new Links. 

The main window shows up with two Links automatically created:

  1. A Link from the current Item to the second one

  2. A Link going backwards

visio_EasyLink_ItemLink_Example.PNG (3008 bytes)

Choose the Links one by one and click the Edit button to enter a meaningful description, for example:

  1. From Main to Detail "C" (when Sales > $100,000)

  2. Back from Detail "C" to Main

Smiley_01.gif (634 bytes) Tips:

  1. Click the Goto button and see which Item is highlighted in Visio if you are not sure which Item a Link belongs to.

  2. Click the Show button to ensure that your description matches the action.

Dealing with Broken Links and Bookmarks

A Link or Bookmark no longer works when:

  1. The drawing itself has been renamed and / or moved to a different location.  This can be automatically corrected.  Please click here for details.

  2. The linked file has been renamed and / or moved.  You need to choose a different file or URL as described in the previous section.

Broken links and bookmarks are indicated on the main window with these icons: visio_EasyLink_File_Error.PNG (1028 bytes)  visio_EasyLink_To_Error.PNG (1040 bytes)  visio_EasyLink_Bookmark_Error.PNG (1035 bytes)

See Also: Using Links and Bookmarks, Publishing On Web

Easy Link Help | Home