Comments on: Importing Images as Backgrounds for Tracing

By: tim.grahamjones@gmail.com

tim.grahamjones@gmail.com — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 12:53:05 +0000

I discovered a lot of this by trail and error

As a rule of thumb
(I tend to work in mm using a visible grid of 2mm with snap and glue only to the ruler and gridlines)

1.Put the trace picture as background
2.On a foreground page, draw over it with a thin bright colour,
Only use circles and squares,(embellish with lines where required)
3.Remove the background page.
4.Align all the shapes on the grid.
5.Select corners, change lines and infill to suit.

This will generally produce a reconisable facsimilie which is good enough for figures used in documents and keeps the file size down.

Whenshrinking this to fit inside a document keep text out of the circles and squares as the text is not ininitely scaleable.

Quick and dirty maybe, but produces acceptable results

By: Scott

Scott — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:41:18 +0000

I would like simple instructions on the following:

1)Import a DWG to use a background for tracing.
2)Proper settings so as to trace the EXACT image.
3)Delete background when complete
4)Results – completed Visio image

HELP!

By: Visio Guy

Visio Guy — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:36:43 +0000

Hi Melinda,

Wow! I think you’ve found a bug! I’ve never seen this before, but even in Visio 2007, after the first time you press “Change” in the Define Styles dialog, the drawing doesn’t update. When you click Close, the drawing does however update with your style changes.

So the functionality is working properly, but the preview-on-change is broken.

By: Melinda

Melinda — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 19:17:40 +0000

Hi, I have a question regarding styles. I am using Visio 2003 Professional and would like the ability to redefine a style, preview it and then have the option to change it again if it’s not quite right. I know there is a Change button on the Define Styles window, but only the first change made is actually applied in my drawing. Help seems to imply that you should be able to redefine your style as many times as you like, as does the fact that the Change button is still enabled. I’ve spent several hours trying to find an answer, but it seems no one else has ever wanted this feature… Thanks for your help!

By: Visio Guy » Blog Archive » Importing Images as Backgrounds for Scaled Drawings

Wed, 21 May 2008 21:43:30 +0000

[...] Importing Images as Backgrounds for Tracing [...]

By: Visio Guy

Visio Guy — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:21:20 +0000

Hi Philippe,

This is indeed confusing.

It seems that the Snap to Drawing Aids toolbar button maps to the Drawing Aids checkbox on the Tools > Snap & Glue > General tab.

But this same tab also has Snap to Shape Extensions checkbox!

And then, as you said, there are the detailed settings on the Tools > Snap & Glue > Advanced tab!

After a little bit of investigating, I realized that there are two things to worry about: the thing you are drawing, and the thing it might be snapping to.

So if you are drawing or editing a line, the drawing aids will suggest vertical, horizontal, 45-degree lines, etc. If Snap To Shape Extensions is also active, then you will get drawing aids for other shapes as well.

The separate check boxes allow you to decide if you want extensions for the shape you are editing and/or extensions for other shapes that you are drawing to.

This is not super-clear, thanks for pointing this out!

- Chris

By: Philippe C

Philippe C — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:40:38 +0000

Another criticism on Visio (2003). If “drawing aids” on the toolbar button and “shape extensions” in Tools, Snap and Glue, Advanced are the same, why are two descriptions used. ?
All very confusing to me.

By: Philippe C

Philippe C — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:10:31 +0000

I have come to the conclusion that Glue settings serve also als Snap settings. I haven’t found this clearly explained in the Help.
This toolbar is allready sufficiently awkward, so extra confusion because of a wrong tooltip is not wellcome.