Cable plug ends and connectors

K

Kirk

I recently purchased Visio 2003 Professional and am very displeased that it
is missing shapes for the various plugs and connectors for everyday typical
devices, especially computer devices. I was hoping to find shapes showing
the plug end view with the pin outs and maybe side or angled profile views
for; USB, Firewire, S-Video, VIVO, Composite, RCA, RJ11, RJ45, Parallel Port,
Coaxial, maybe foreign plugs/jacks/wall outlets, etc... I know there are
millions of connectors out there and Visio can't include them all, but I feel
this is a little hole that shouldn't exist for the common connectors
mentioned, especially for computer-based plugs/connectors, being that the
product includes shapes already, to tie these connectors directly in to.
(Networking Shapes)
 
K

Kirk

Thanks Al,

Appreciate the pointers. I've unfortunately already browsed to them without
finding anything regarding connectors. Even more disappointing while doing
that search however, was in finding out that since Visio was absorbed by
Microsoft that Visio has actually lost pre-existing shapes and templates. My
first thoughts when I hear about "Time invested to create shapes" vs
"Returned revenue" vs ..., are:

.. Most important, I have an application in front of me today, Visio 2003,
that fails to provide the basic shapes I need, today, to do my job.

.. What revenue will exist if the product doesn't provide basic shapes for
currently existing shapes to blend them into? $499 US is certainly not a
basic price.

.. Maybe these shapes and others people are looking for don't exist so that
I/we can pay another $499 US or $249 US(upgrade) for Visio 200x? Those coy
methods of making money for a money hungry world.

Knowing all of this, I have Visio 2003 sitting here doing nothing, since it
doesn't provide the basic tools for me to do my job. To save time, I am
creating my own diagrams by hand using art-based utilities.


Very discouraged,

Kirk
 
K

Kirk

Thanks John,

I did know about Visio's ability to edit existing shapes, create new ones,
and include clip art. The process of editing existing shapes, creating new
ones or making clip art to blend in with existing visio shapes proved to be a
great waste of time or beyond my artistic talents. I had hopes my money
would have alleviated my shortcomings as an artist and would provide basic
usefulness to accelerate my given talents. I have spent too much time
searching for the shapes I was looking for and lost enough revenue to
continue searching. I have in addition finished creating my own drawing
using 3rd party drawing tools that made life alot easier overall. A big
lesson learned and a very unrecommendable product due to its shortcomings.
Diagraming shouldn't be this painful.

Kirk
 
K

Kirk

Thanks John,

I did know about Visio's ability to edit existing shapes, create new ones,
and include clip art. The process of editing existing shapes, creating new
ones or making clip art to blend in with existing visio shapes proved to be a
great waste of time or beyond my artistic talents. I had hopes my money
would have alleviated my shortcomings as an artist and would provide basic
usefulness to accelerate my given talents. I have spent too much time
searching for the shapes I was looking for and lost enough revenue to
continue searching. I have in addition finished creating my own drawing
using 3rd party drawing tools that made life alot easier overall. A big
lesson learned and a very unrecommendable product due to its shortcomings.
Diagraming shouldn't be this painful.

Kirk
 
P

Pemo

Kirk said:
Knowing all of this, I have Visio 2003 sitting here doing nothing, since it
doesn't provide the basic tools for me to do my job. To save time, I am
creating my own diagrams by hand using art-based utilities.
Click to expand...

I've just come into this thread, so pardon any repetition of previous
comments.

Kirk, one of the strengths of Visio (all versions) is the ability to create
custom shapes with a variety of attributes, behaviours, etc.

I teach introduction to CAD using Visio. The specified learning outcomes of
the course include strong emphasis on the creation of custom stencils of
specified electrical schematic and architectural symbols, and their use in a
required series of drawings.

Of all the CAD packages around, Visio is, in my opinion, the best all-round,
even though Microsoft in their lack of wisdom have, since acquiring Visio,
downgraded its intended usage to a rather kiddie-crappy flow-charting trivia
reflecting the priorities of bean-counters. Nevertheless, Visio's
underlying strengths enable it to be used for a much wider range of
applications than envisaged by the twisted, shambling bean-counters in the
dungeons of Redmond.

Fortunately, Microsoft encourage such excellent gurus as John Marshall and
other MVPs.

(Musing - I wonder if it has ever occurred to MS and its fiduciary gnomes
that its corporate success was initially due to its excellence in meeting
needs and BECAUSE - not in spite of - BECAUSE of its ready copyability and -
yes - even pirateability. A thousand deadly poxes on the heads of all
dungeon-dwelling, reality-challenged bean-counters. May their chooks turn
to emus and kick their dunnies down around their pointy ears.)

And a sombre note - Australia has allocated $A1.6 billion for direct relief
of the Asia tsunami horror, in addition to other millions in direct military
and civil assistance and charitable contributions. A small country of just
20 million, we regret its sad necessity but are grateful that we can.

A single Salvation Army collection table at our local shopping centre
collected over $5000 in just one day.

Pemo
 
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