Tutorial for Amazing Visio - Easy Stencil
1. Creating A Drawing with An Amazing Visio Template

This tutorial shows you how to create a drawing with an Amazing Visio template:

Step One: To create a default drawing with a template.

Step Two: To modify the default drawing directly or use a new page to create your own drawing.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to create high quality, amazing drawings quickly.

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visio_EasyPublish_User.PNG (2176 bytes) 1. Creating a Default Drawing with a Template

This step shows you how to create a default drawing with a template.  The default drawing serves as a start point for you to quickly create your own drawing.

In addition to the default drawing, the template will open stencils and set up editing environment -- everything you need for your drawing.

  1. Run Microsoft Visio.

  2. Choose menu File > New > Choose Drawing Type.

  3. Choose Category Amazing Visio - Advanced Template.  Scroll down the Drawing Type list.  Choose Flowchart - Advanced Diagram 06 - 05.  Click the OK button.   Choose Enable Macros when a message pops up.  Click here to see why.
    visio_Tutorial_ChooseDrawingType.PNG (32132 bytes)

  4. A default drawing shows.  Read the description How To Use This Template then delete it.  Choose different menu items from Amazing Help to get familiar with the online help.
    visio_HowTo_Template_AmazingHelp.PNG (1792 bytes)

  5. Choose Page from the Zoom list on the Standard toolbar.  The entire page shows like this.

visio_EasyPublish_User.PNG (2176 bytes) 2. Modifying the Default Drawing

This step shows you how to modify the default drawing directly to create your drawing.

1. Changing Texts

  1. Choose 100% from the Zoom list on the Standard toolbar.
  2. Change the drawing title from My Flowchart to My Amazing Visio Drawing.
  3. Change the texts on the right panel:
From To
Begin Run Visio
My Decision Create A Drawing
Step Create from A Template
Step Edit, Save
Finish Close
  1. Change the texts on the left panel:
From To
Step Open A Drawing
Step Print

2. Using Different Shapes

Now let's change two existing shapes:

  1. Click the title of stencil Amazing Shapes: ~Dark Red.  The Dark Red - Crystal stencil shows. 

  2. Delete shape Run Visio from your drawing.  Drag ~3D Box from the stencil and drop it where the deleted shape was.  Type in text Run Visio.  Press the Esc key to end text editing. 

  3. visio_Tutorial_New_Connector.PNG (276 bytes) Click the Send To Back button on the Action toolbar to send the shape to the back in order to show the connector properly.  Drag the connector to glue to the shape.
    visio_Tutorial_All_ShapeAndConnector.PNG (3951 bytes)

  4. Scroll to the bottom of the drawing and change the shape Close using steps 2-3.

3. Adding a Shape

  1. Click the right mouse button on shape Edit, Save.  Choose Copy.

  2. Click the right mouse again then choose Paste.  A new shape is added to your drawing.

  3. More the original shape up and line up the new shape below the original one.

  4. Change the text of the original shape to Edit and the new one to Save.

  5. Move the connector from the bottom of the original one to the bottom of the new one.

  6. Choose the connector from the top of the original shape, copy and paste it using steps 1-2.

  7. Use this connector to link the two shapes.

Now they look like this:

visio_Tutorial_All_EditSave.PNG (6918 bytes)

4. Changing the Look and Feel of Shapes

This step shows you how to use the Format Painter to apply the look and feel of one shape to other shapes.

  1. Adding A New Stencil: Click the down arrow of the Open Stencil icon visio_HowTo_Stencil_OpenStencil.PNG (342 bytes) on the Standard toolbar. 

  2. Choose # Amazing Visio > amazing_shape_blue_light.  The stencil Amazing Shapes: Light Blue is added to your drawing.

  3. Choose Page from the Zoom list on the Standard toolbar to show the entire drawing.

  4. Drag the first master shape Rectangle and drop it to your drawing.
    visio_Tutorial_All_Bluelight.PNG (3299 bytes)

  5. Double click (click here to see why) the Format Painter icon visio_Tutorial_All_FormatPainter.PNG (323 bytes) on the Standard toolbar.

  6. Click shape Open The Drawing then shape Print.  Both shapes are changed.

  7. Press the Esc key to get rid of the tinny brush from your mouse pointer.  

  8. Click the shape you just added.  Delete it.

  9. Scroll down the stencil.  Drag Dynamic Connector and drop it at the same location.

  10. Click the down arrow of the Line Ends icon visio_Tutorial_All_LineEnds.PNG (283 bytes) on the Format toolbar.  Choose the arrow pointing to the right.  An arrowhead is added to the connector.

  11. Double click the Format Painter as at step 5.

  12. Click the connectors glued to the 2 blue light shapes.  These connectors are changed.

  13. Repeat step 7 and 8.

Now your drawing looks like this.  Save it.

visio_EasyPublish_User.PNG (2176 bytes) 3. Using a New Page to Create Your Drawing

This step shows you how to add a new page and create your drawing on the page.

1. Inserting a New Page

  1. visio_HowTo_BackgroundPage_Tabs.PNG (922 bytes) Click your right mouse on Page-1.   Choose Insert Page. 

  2. Change the Name to My Page.  Press Enter.  A new page is created with the same background.

2. Creating Your Drawing

Copy shapes from the right panel of Page-1.  Paste them to the new page.   Create a drawing with these shapes plus any shapes from different stencils.

3. Changing the Drawing Background

  1. visio_HowTo_BackgroundPage_Tabs.PNG (922 bytes) Click Background-1 to make it the current page.

  2. Delete the left panel.  Enlarge the right panel to cover the entire page.

4. Deleting the Default Drawing

visio_HowTo_BackgroundPage_Tabs.PNG (922 bytes) Click the right mouse button on Page-1 then choose Delete. 

visio_EasyPublish_User.PNG (2176 bytes) 4. Save Your Drawing

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An Amazing Visio  template gives you everything you need to create an impressive drawing in just minutes.  Therefore, use a template to create a drawing whenever possible.  For information about template, please click here.

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