I’m getting closer to fixing this. If you are interested in details, this article talks about them:

List Separators in Visio’s ShapeSheet are Crazy!

- Chris

Is there a workaround for the german version problem yet?

There may be a simple fix for this, I just don’t have time in the next few weeks to research auf einem deutschen Rechner.

I think there is probably a good work-around for this, so don’t give up yet!

oh no… I thought to have found a simple and elegant solution for this pattern. I use it really often but at the moment I need the workaround with thousands of “If”…

But thanks for your response,
Regards, eLiz

I just want to create a new shape with the function you described here. I remembered your article and tried it out. At the moment I use the Visio 2010 beta and the result was: Black. All the time the shape was colored black.
Hm, with Visio 2003 I thought it should be better. But: Black…

Now I downloaded your file and what happens: black

When I refer to the cell User.Color Visio always puts a “0″ as value?!?!
Do you know what the problem can be?

Regards,
Lisa

Used Step 1-4 from above to create a shape.
I created a new stencil and called it ButtonFace.
Then I put the Shape in the new stencil as a new master and called it BF.
Then I wrote this little VBA-Sub which constructs a small table with ButtonFaceIds from 0 to 1000.

Sub Add_BF_Shape()

Dim i, j, As Integer
Dim Shp As Shape

For j = 0 To 19
For i = 1 To 50

Set Shp = Application.ActiveWindow.Page.Drop(Application.Documents.Item(“ButtonFace.vss”).Masters.ItemU(“BF”), 1, 1)

Shp.Cells(“SmartTags.Row_1.ButtonFace”).Formula = 0 + j * 50 + i
Shp.Cells(“PinX”).Result(70) = (15 + 20 * j)
Shp.Cells(“PinY”).Result(70) = (290 – 5 * (i – 1))

ActiveWindow.DeselectAll

Next i
Next j

End Sub

When you change the 0 in the first row with Shp.Cells… you can define another start number. So if you exchange 0 with 1000 the Sub will produce a list with ButtonFaceIDs from 1001-2000.

The ButtonFace IDs is something I have wanted to write about for a while, but there are a few things that I still wanted to research.

You can set up a shape that will let you rapidly explore buttons faces. Smart Tags can show the buttons all the time, so you don’t always have to right-click the shape. Try this:

1. Insert a Smart Tag row
2. Set DisplayMode = 2 (always display)
3. Set ButtonFace = 0
4. Insert > Field and set a Custom Formula = SmartTags.Row_1.ButtonFace to display the current button face in the shape’s text
5. Set EventDrop = =SETF(GetRef(SmartTags.Row_1.ButtonFace),SmartTags.Row_1.ButtonFace+1)
6. Use Ctrl + Drag to copy a shape, then hit F4 to repeat the copy the shape over and over and over

You’ll now have an array of shapes with incremented ButtonFace ids, and you should be able to easily see which icon corresponds to which number.

But what impressed me most, was a small thing: The Color-Symbol in the Kontextmenu of the shape. How did you know the nessesary ButtonFace number? Is there a list with pictures and IDs on the internet somewhere? Or is there an easy way to find Visios Icons and their number?

Thanks,
Jumpy

I am thinking of creating some sort of tool or Excel spreadsheet that allows you to easily select sub-sets of those 140 colors so you can easily build the necessary ShapeSheet functions with shorter lists.

After all, how many people need ‘Rosy Brown’ or ‘Thistle’, let alone know what they look like?

- Chris

That would save so much time, and provides so much more flexibility! Of the various shapes that I’ve provided a color selection option — what a pain to have to code those into the shape sheet manually.

Thanks!
Wapperdude