Microsoft Visio has hundreds or even thousands of pre-defined shapes to choose from. But even so, you will often need to create your own shapes when they are not already available. Fortunately it is very easy to do this. You can usually create a new custom shape by combining a number of simple shapes together using the simple but powerful features of Microsoft Office Visio.
Create Your Own Shape
in Microsoft Visio
Children often learn to draw by combining simple shapes together, and you can use the same approach to create your own custom shapes. For example, a block arrow can be created by combining a triangle and a rectangle. A piece of Swiss cheese could be made by drawing a rectangle or a wedge, and then "cutting out" circles of various sizes from it.
There are five main operations you can use to combine shapes together.
Group, Ungroup, Union, Subtract and Intersect in Microsoft Visio
- Use the Group operation to combine multiple shapes into a single complex shape. The shapes don't change their appearance, but you can work with them as a group. You can move them together, or stretch and rotate them all as a single object. You can group a very large number of shapes together, and you can even create groups within groups.
- Use the Ungroup operation to break a group of shapes apart. You can then "tweak" the individual shapes, and group them back together when you're done.
- Use the Union operation to combine multiple shapes into a single shape. Unlike Group, the separate shapes don't retain their individual outline or coloring. You'd use this to create a block arrow from a triangle and a rectangle.
- Use the Subtract operation to "cut out" the shapes in back from the shape in front. This is how you'd do the Swiss Cheese example.
- Use the Intersect operation to remove the non-overlapping parts of two shapes.
Microsoft Visio 2007 vs. 2010 When Creating Custom Shapes
If you are using Visio 2007 or earlier, then you can find all of these things right on the "Shape" menu, or on the popup menu that appears when you select shapes or groups of shapes.
If you are using Visio 2010, then the "Union," "Subtract" and "Intersect" operations have been removed from the default ribbon. You will have to add them as custom ribbon tools.
Use these technical writing tips to improve manuals and documentation. For more information on using Microsoft Visio in technical writing, please read How to Create Drawings in Microsoft Visio - Diagrams for Manuals.
Erik Zoltan - Erik Zoltan has more than 20 years of computing experience working for large and small corporations such as ESI Technology, EDS, Inc. and ...
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