Learn how to build shapes using Visio’s boolean operations. We’ll join, trim, union and combine simple shapes together to form a quick but effective illustration of a Coronavirus. We’ll move shape pins and change their rotation point, and take a quick dive into the ShapeSheet as well. Finally, we’ll destroy the virus with the fragment operation!
Main Content
Latest Articles
Moore’s Law Visualization
I’ve created an interesting visualization of “Moore’s Law” doublings that was inspired by a documentary I saw on YouTube. Read about it, check out the visuals, and download the source Visio file and do whatever you want with it!
Salesforce Schema Builder-style ERD Shapes
Download these free Visio ERD shapes that have the look of Salesforce’s Schemabuilder tool. Based upon Microsoft’s orginal “Crow’s Foot DB Notation” shapes, these shapes have nifty new features that should make them quite useful.
Ordered List Shapes
Quickly build indexed lists of boxes with these convenient “ordered list shapes”. Set a starting index, and a step, and you’re done!
Extreme Scales in Visio
Join me as I STRESS TEST Visio’s drawing scale features and investigate what happens when you try to fit the Solar System on standard office paper!
Dynamic Updating Org Charts in Visio!
Learn about the Data Visualizer, where Visio and Excel team up to build auto-updating org charts!
Recent Articles
Hex Snap & Glue Shapes
If you’ve ever needed to snap shapes together in a hexagonal pattern, then you’ve come to the right place!
Radial List Shape
Download this innovative set of smart shapes that let you create a list of arc segments that can be easily edited and rearranged!
Visio 2010 Videos Resurface!
The 41 companion videos for my book Using Microsoft Visio 2010 have secured a new lease on life, and are now freely available to all!
Word Equation to Visio to SVG
Read about my investigation and partial solution for importing Word math equations into Visio, and converting them to a state that they can then be exported to SVG.
Calculator with Log SmartShape
Download this free Calculator SmartShape that can preserve a history of your calculations!
Visio Year Calendar for 2019
Download this pre-made year-calendar for 2019. It includes a bunch of pre-made calendars on US- and metric-sized pages! Simple controls allow you to format months, weekdays, weekends and holidays by formatting template day blocks.
Constrain Control Handle to Circle
If you’ve ever needed to constrain a Viso SmartShape’s control handle to a circle or other curve, then this article is for you!
Visio Radial Grid v2
If you enjoyed the first version of the Visio Radial Grid shape, well I’ve got a new version for your enjoyment and productivity enhancement!
Visio Radial Grid
Download this free SmartShape that will help you arrange your shapes in a circular pattern!
World Cup 2018 Bracket and Spreadsheet
It’s that time of four-year again, when (most of) the world goes nuts over a bunch of guys running around kicking a ball!
Visio 2D, 3D and Virtual Reality
You will soon be able to use Visio to create 3D scenes that you can walk through using mixed reality hardware!
Link Fields to Subshape Text
Learn how to add multiple text blocks to Visio shapes, and to dynamically display data attached to the shapes in the text shapes.
NHL Team Logo Visio Shapes
Download a set of NHL Visio shapes and learn about Visio’s data-linking features. Or just monitor standings and manage office betting pools graphically, if you’d rather!
Trumpet Valve Fingerings Visio Shape
Download this Visio SmartShape for illustrating trumpet valve fingerings, and use it to annotate sheet music. You or your students will be playing beautiful music in no time!
Visio 2016 Training Videos
I’ve provided detail outlines to this new series of Visio 2016 videos put together by Microsoft. With the outlines, you can jump straight to the videos that interest you!
Amazon AWS Visio Shapes
Download my own version of improved Amazon AWS Visio shapes for use in your architecture drawings!
Fuzzy Shadow on Text Oddity
Visio 2013/16 has wonderful new formatting effects. But how they modify your shapes can be a bit strange. Read about the anomalies, and how to work around the strangeness!
Vector Math Shape: Dot- & Cross Product Fun
The downloadable Visio shape lets you visually manipulate the points that form a triangle, and see how the numerical data for the vectors that define the triangle change. You can see the vector data, dot-products, cross-products, as well as the area of the triangle defined.
Detect Drawing Units in the ShapeSheet
Learn how to create a ShapeSheet formula that can detect the measuring units of a drawing page. Apply this information to create reactive SmartShapes that can behave nicely in both Metric or US-unit environments.
Stroke-Dasharray Shape for Visio Custom Line Patterns
Define dash patterns with this clever Visio SmartShape, and use it to easily create your own custom line patterns!
View Visio Files on Android (and Windows Phone)
If you’ve got an Android or Windows phone, and you receive Visio files via e-mail attachments, there IS a way to view them while you are on the go!
Visio Circle Arrows 2013
There’s a new arrows-on-circle Visio SmartShape for you to download. It plays nicely with Visio 2013 and newer versions. Come on in and check it out!
Visio Viewer for iPad (and iPhone)
Microsoft has finally released a free Visio Viewer for iOS devices!
Thoughts on Surface Dial and Visio
Now that Microsoft has the new Surface Dial on offer, your non-mousehand will have something to fiddle with besides Ctrl + Z! What does it all mean?
Turning Pages in Visio
Learn how to navigate pages in Visio documents like a pro!
Featured Articles
Über Rack Unit Dimension Line
Learn about the features and usage of a new shape for labeling rack units on network equipment diagrams. The shape is fully configurable, and can be used to measure and label units of any size and name.
Text on a Circle Visio Shape
Many Visio users would like to create graphics with text running around a circle. I’ve come up with a third iteration to solving this problem. This time, you get a single shape, with no need for VBA macro code!
Crayon Visio Network Shapes, Revisited
The popular Visio Crayon Network Shapes have been improved and extended. Have a look at what’s new and download the latest and greatest!
Radial Elements Tool
Download a tool that allows you to create a circular array of custom tick in seconds!
Automatic Chevron Process Shape
If you need a Visio shape that allows you to quickly create a chain of “chevron” arrows for your management presentations, then you have come to the right place! Our Visio SmartShape is jammed full of smart behaviors that save you a ton of time!
Random Articles
Release the Power of Visio Custom Line PatternsMarch 3, 2008Follow links to two excellent articles about creating your own Visio Custom Line Patterns, as well as download some fun patterns created just for you! […]
Crayon Visio Network Shapes, RevisitedAugust 16, 2011The popular Visio Crayon Network Shapes have been improved and extended. Have a look at what's new and download the latest and greatest! […]
ShapeSheet through the AgesSeptember 17, 2014This week on the Visio History Channel… If you […]
More Featured Articles
Need Network Shapes? Fill Your Cup at the Visio Cafe!
Could you use 5000 free Visio network shapes in 192 Visio stencils? Find out where you can get ’em, and search our Mega Table that lists each and every network equipment item!
Word Balloon Visio SmartShape
Download this super-smart Word Balloon shape and make your Visio diagrams literally speak to your audience.
Oblique Connectors For Your 3D Diagrams
Get a configurable, oblique connector shape that makes attractive, 3D-looking connections to your 3D-looking network shapes, or other isometric drawings!
Free Visio People Shapes
Download some new, nicely-shaded people shapes, with add-on hats to boot! Learn how to find other people-related shapes that come with Visio, and discover the mysteries of Whale Boy!
Map of World
Download a map of the World, with nicely formatted and labeled shapes.
Audio Visual Components Shapes
Download a Visio stencil full of cool av connector- and terminal-shapes for creating audio-visual patch panels.
Circular Multi-arrows
Download improved versions of Visio’s Circular Multi-arrow shape, that allow for up to 20 sub-arrows, and offer some neat coloration features.