How To Use Visio 2016

Microsoft Visio 2016 is a plan used to create diagrams and drawings of all types and for all purposes. Unlike the basic diagram functions institute in other Function programs, such as Word or Excel, Visio offers advanced cartoon and diagram functions that can be useful for almost anyone, from home based users, to businesses, and including people such equally architects and interior designers.

Yous can use Visio 2016 to create diagrams and presentations such as:

Process diagrams. These types of diagrams draw a process and details the steps that are in the process. It can too include weather and resource. Processes could exist accounting procedures, customer service procedures, or even the development phase of a new product.

Engineering drawings to represent a mechanical or electrical role, or engineering diagrams that are schematic representations of the system.

Architectural drawings. Visio tin can even open up and salvage DAD .dwg files. You can use Visio to create drawings for domestic residence, commercial buildings, part layouts, etc.

Workflow diagrams. This is a flowchart that uses icons to correspond people, processes, and activities that keep a sequence, such equally recruitment or the handling of complaints.

Network diagrams, which typically stand for groups or clusters of things that are related to computing, such an active directory, rack diagram, and website maps.

Timelines are typically used for project management. They consist of a bar that's labeled with dates, represented by points. You can create a timeline to create a Gantt Chart or a rack diagram.

Downloading MS Visio 2016

Visio tin can be purchased ane of 2 ways. Yous can purchase Visio 2016 through Microsoft for a i-fourth dimension charge. However, if you do non want to fork out a large sum of money at once, y'all can besides purchase a subscription of Visio Pro through Office 365. The subscription requires that y'all pay a monthly fee; yet, you get all the benefits of Visio 2016 with the subscription-based version.

Yous tin can too download a free trial of MS Visio 2016 if you merely want to learn the software, but not purchase it – or if you want to try it earlier you buy it. You tin download a costless trial of Visio without downloading whatever of the other Office programs. Merely go to the Microsoft's Technet Evaluation page located at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/. If yous oasis't already, you will be asked to fill out a profile for Microsoft.

You will exist asked for basic information, such every bit your name, address, and telephone number. In add-on, yous volition exist asked some questions well-nigh your download requirements for Visio 2016. Microsoft volition as you lot if you want to download the 32 or 64 fleck version of Visio 2016. Be conscientious here. You should select the one that matches any other versions of Role (or Function programs) that you accept on your figurer. Yous should not choose the i that matches your operating arrangement. If you cull the wrong one, Microsoft will instruct you lot to uninstall other Office programs from your computer during the Visio installation process. You practice not want to accept to do this.

Once you're finished filling out your profile, click Try, every bit highlighted below.

Select Microsoft Visio.

Click the download button on the correct, as shown above.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

You lot volition so see your product key. Y'all will need this for the free evaluation.

Click the Download push.

Y'all volition and then download the .exe file for Visio. Run the .exe file to install Visio.

A dialogue box will appear on your screen to allow you know that Office is being installed. Don't worry, and think Microsoft is reinstalling Office 2016 or 365. Information technology's not. It'south merely installing Visio. This process tin can take a few minutes.

Once Microsoft lets you know that it'south finished installing Visio, locate the plan on your calculator and open it.

You will see this dialogue box appear after Visio opens.

Do non sign into your Microsoft business relationship. Instead, click the Enter a Product Fundamental Instead link, as highlighted above.

Enter the production key you received before you installed Visio.

When you're finished, the continue push button will alter to an Install button.

Click the Install push.

Once information technology'due south finished installing, you will exist asked to concur to take Microsoft's license understanding.

Click Have.

Visio is then ready for you to apply.

What's New in Visio 2016

Before we delve into learning all about Visio 2016 and how it works, allow'due south talk about some of the improvements that have been made to this version. This section of the commodity is specifically for those of you who've used prior versions and are anxiously waiting to acquire what changes have been made.

Starter Diagrams. Instead of starting with a blank diagram, yous tin can now start with a starter diagram, then add your own text. To use a starter diagram, click the File tab, then New in Visio. Search for ane of these:

Work Menstruum Diagram

Timeline

Organization nautical chart magician

Gantt Chart

Cantankerous-Functional Flowchart

Basic Network Diagram

Basic Flowchart

Audit diagram

Connect to Excel in One Step. Instead of having to make several clicks to connect a diagram to Excel, you can now practise it in just ane stride. Yous can also swap data graphics easier. Only go to the Data tab in Visio, then Quick Import.

The Tell Me feature. We like to phone call it Help on steroids. Instead of searching through help files to learn how to complete a task in Visio, you can now let the new Tell Me feature practice it for you.

The Basic Electrical Template is at present compliant with the IEEE standard. To use this template, go to File>New in Visio, and so find the Basic Electrical. There are likewise shape "smarts" with this template. If you drag a shape onto a connector, they volition snap together automatically. The connector volition separate in two, then the ii will attach to the ends of the shape. You lot will also notice that a lot of the shapes number themselves every bit yous identify them.

The Home Plan Template now contains new and modern shapes.The Floor Programme, Site Plans, and Office Layout templates also contains new shapes.

Navigating Microsoft Visio 2016

Existence able to navigate a software program is one of the keys to beingness able to master it. It'south of import to know where to get to discover what you need to do. This includes finding tools that enable you to complete tasks, as well as setting options and saving files. Because navigation is indeed so critical, we're going to devote this entire article to teaching yous to navigate through Visio 2016.

The Ribbon

The Ribbon in Visio 2016 is where you'll find all the tools and commands yous'll need to use the program. It was first introduced in Visio 2010, although the Ribbon appeared in other Office programs starting with 2007. It replaces the toolbars that were found in those earlier versions.

The Visio 2016 Ribbon is pictured beneath:

The snapshot above shows you the tools and commands located nether the Home tab. The other tabs are File, Insert, Design, Information, Procedure, Review, and View. You tin see all these in the snapshot above.

Whenever you click on a tab, the Ribbon displays all the tools and commands bachelor nether that tab.

We can run into the Domicile tab in a higher place. Let's click on the Insert tab.

As you tin can see, all the tools and commands under the Insert tab are now displayed in the Ribbon.

That said, the tools and commands shown in the Ribbon are broken downward into groups. Nether the Insert tab (pictured higher up), we have 5 groups: Pages, Illustrations, Diagram Parts, Links, and Text.

The Illustrations group is pictured beneath.

The Quick Admission Toolbar

The Quick Admission Toolbar is where you'll notice commands that you employ the most often. The Quick Access Toolbar is located at the top left of the screen, as pictured below:

The Save, Undo, Redo, and Touch on/Mouse commands are located in the Quick Access Toolbar. Withal, if you click the down arrow on the right side, you lot tin add more than commands.

The commands that currently announced on the Quick Admission toolbar take checkmarks beside them. To add more commands, click More than Commands in the context menu pictured above.

You will so come across the Visio Options dialogue box.

In the correct column, yous can see everything that already appears on the Quick Access toolbar – and in the order that the shortcuts appear.

If you want to reorder the commands and then they appear in a different order on the toolbar, click on a command, then use the arrows to move it up or down.

If y'all desire to group buttons together on the Quick Admission toolbar, you can add vertical separators.

To do this, select the tool for which you want to appear above the separator. We've selected Salvage.

At present, click <Separator> from the list on the left.

Click the Add together button.

In addition to a separator, you tin also add whatsoever of the tools that appear in the column on the left to the Quick Access Toolbar. Just click on the tool to select it, then click the Add button.

To remove shortcuts from the Quick Access toolbar, select the shortcut in the right column, so click the Remove push button.

Click the OK button when you lot're finished.

You tin can as well add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar from the Ribbon. If you want to add a shortcut for a command that doesn't appear in the dropdown list, become to the Ribbon, then follow the following steps.

Observe the command that yous desire to add together. Right click on the control. In this example, we're going to add Pictures under the Insert tab. Click on the Insert tab, then correct click on the Pictures push.
Select Add to Quick Access Toolbar.

Working with Visio 2016 on a Tablet

If you're using Visio on a tablet, you tin can adjust the spacing between buttons on the Ribbon to make it easier to utilise. You do this by activating Touch mode.

To practice this, click or touch the Quick Access Toolbar button:

Select Touch/Mouse Mode if it doesn't already appear on your Quick Access Toolbar.

You can at present see the button in the Quick Admission Toolbar, as shown below:

Now, touch or click the button and choose Impact.

There is at present more than infinite between commands on the Ribbon.

The Backstage View

The Backstage view is located under the File tab. Information technology looks unlike than other tabs that you might click on. That'southward because the Backstage view is where you'll manage your files and gear up your options for Visio. Whereas the other tabs in the Ribbon allow y'all to work on different aspects of your projection, the Backstage View is where yous'll work on it every bit a whole.

The Backstage View is pictured below.

The Backstage view contains various pages that are listed on the left in the blue column. Each page contains options related to the page.

Allow's talk about each of these commands and how yous'll utilize them when working with Visio 2016.

Info

The Info page is pictured in a higher place.

This page has four buttons:

Remove Personal Information

Reduce File Size

Check Compatibility

Set Publish Options and Cheque Information Connections

You'll use theReduce File Size button if yous're worried almost the file size.

You'll use theCheck Compatibility button to check your diagram for features that won't be compatible with earlier versions of Visio.

On the right side of the Info folio, you'll see information nearly your electric current document.

The New Page

The New folio is where y'all'll get to create a new document. It is likewise where you can access all the templates that come with Visio 2016.

The New page is pictured below:

To select a template, click on a thumbnail of the template. You can also use the search box located higher up the template thumbnails. Enter in search terms to look for a certain type of drawing or diagram.

Whenever yous click on a template, fifty-fifty a bare diagram or drawing, you'll meet this window:

In this window, yous'll be asked to set up the measurement unit of measurement you want to utilise.

Metricdrawings are sized using International Standards Arrangement (ISO) paper sizes. The default size is typically A4.

US Units are sized using Usa Units. The default size is eight.5X11 inches.

Click the Create button to open the template.

The Open up Page

The open page is where you tin can access Visio files that you accept saved on your computer or remote locations, such as OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive).

Any contempo Visio documents that yous've had open in Visio volition display nether Recent Drawings.

Only cull the location where the file is stored under Open, then locate the file in that location to open it.

The Save and Salve As Pages

The Save and Salvage Every bit pages allow you to salve your Visio drawings.

If yous click the Save page, you will save the file under its current name, file blazon, and to its electric current location. You use the Salve page when y'all've edited an existing Visio file and want to save the latest version.

The Salve Every bit page allows y'all to name the file y'all're going to save, select a file type, and so select the location where you desire it stored.

The Relieve Every bit page looks similar this:

Under Save Equally (pictured in a higher place), choose where y'all want to save the file. You tin cull OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive), your computer, or you can add together a place, such every bit a network location.

In the snapshot to a higher place, we've selected OneDrive.

Next, we click on our OneDrive folder, as highlighted below.

We so see the Save As dialogue box.

Select a folder on your OneDrive where y'all want to relieve your Visio file.

Name your file in the File Name field. The default name is Drawing1.

Select a file format in the Relieve every bit Type field.

Click the Save push.

The Print Folio

The Print page is pictured below.

The Share Page

The Share page allows you to share your drawing. You tin can click Invite People to share your cartoon through email or social media. Still, you first accept to click the Save To Cloud button to save your cartoon to either OneDrive or SharePoint.

You can besides email your drawing using an option shown on the ride side of the folio (when you click Email).

The Export Folio

The Export page allows you to create a PDF or XPS (Microsoft's version of PDF) version of our drawing, also as several other formats.

The Shut Folio

This technically isn't a folio. If you click Close, it will only close your active diagram.

The Account Folio

This folio contains data well-nigh your Microsoft Account (formerly Live ID). There are links that allow you to edit your business relationship details or switch to another account.

Options

If you click Options, you'll see a dialogue box that contains settings for Visio 2016. You may not always need to change these settings, but it's helpful to explore this dialogue box and run across the many options that are open to you when using Visio 2016.

Getting Help Using the New 'Tell Me' Tool

Tell Me is a tool new to Visio 2016 that allows you lot to tell Visio what yous need help doing. This feature volition guide you through the steps y'all demand to take to complete a task. Consider it the new "aid" tool on steroids, because it not only provides assist, it provides instant access to the tools that you need to accomplish a task.

The Tell Me tool is located toward the left side of the Visio screen to a higher place the ribbon.

Simply type in what y'all want to do. For example, increase font size.

Every bit you can see in the snapshot beneath, a dropdown bill of fare appears. Past selecting Font Size, nosotros tin can change the font size correct there from the carte du jour. There'due south no longer a need to search aid files or watch a video.

Let's click Increment Font Size in the dropdown menu.

We had already selected the text box in our cartoon.

Visio 2016 increased the font size for us.

There'southward no longer a need to look up how to practice something in Visio if you lot forget. The Tell Me tool will practice it for yous.

Visio 2016 Terms and Definitions

It's important that y'all understand the terms we'll utilise – and what they mean in Visio 2016. Knowing these terms, equally well as the definitions, volition make learning to use and chief the plan a lot easier.

These terms with their definitions are listed below.

Achief is an object in a Visio stencil. You'll choose a primary from a stencil. You tin use the masters that come with Visio or download some from the Internet.

Stencil. A stencil is a collection of masters. Think of information technology like this. You purchase a gear up of paints. The entire set would exist the stencil (in Visio terms). Each individual jar of paint would be a master (again, in Visio terms).

Ashape is an object on a drawing page. You can create shapes past dragging a master, too as in other means. A shape can be a line, a polygon, or an image. It can also alter advent or behavior equally the data values modify.

Atemplate is a Visio certificate that contains preset dimensions and measurement units. It may besides contain stencils, groundwork pages, and designs. It could also contain shapes or text.

Aworkspace is a collection of Visio windows and settings, such equally the drawing window and zoom settings. It can include the Size & Position, Pan & Zoom, and Shape Data windows. Visio saves the workspace on your screen when you save the file.

The Drawing and Shapes Window

Whenever you lot create a new drawing or diagram, you'll come across two windows open up below the Ribbon. These are the Shapes window (which appears on the left) and the Drawing window (which appears on the right). The Shapes window is where you will see your stencils.

The Drawing window is where your drawing will announced. There are rules at the top and left of the window that evidence inches, millimeters, or a unit that you lot specify.

Yous'll observe page controls on the lower left hand side of the Drawing window, as highlighted below.

In the snapshot in a higher place, y'all can see Page-1. This is your page tab. If you have more than one page, the tabs will display the name of each page. The active page will be in a different color. You can click a tab to get to that page. Right click on a page proper noun to access page management options, including the Duplicate Folio feature.

To the right of the page name, you'll run across "All" with an upward arrow. This will brandish a list of all the pages. The active page is highlighted.

Click the plus sign with a circle around it to insert a new page.

Below both the Shapes and Drawing windows, and at the bottom left of the Visio window is the status bar.

If nothing is selected on your page, you lot will encounter from left to right:

ane. The page number of the active page

2. The language (ours is English)

iii. Macros (to tape a macro)

iv. The Presentation Mode to view the diagram in Full Screen

five. The Zoom slider to zoom in or out, and the zoom level shown as a per centum.

six. The Fit Folio to Current Window button and the Switch Windows push button (to switch to another Visio window).