Configuration questions

[Mike Starr]

Got some basic configuration questions... I'm using a newer version of Visio
in the client's office than I have on my own machine so there've been some
changes since the last time I wandered into some differences that are
annoying me.

Any help you can give me would be appreciated. Thanks.

Where is the setting to prevent Visio from displaying the Template Help pane
whenever I start a new drawing? I learned how to create a basic diagram ages
ago so I really don't need that help and it's annoying to have to close it
every time.

I'd also like to either alter the default drawing template so that if I
click the New Drawing button on the toolbar it comes up with the Block
Diagram Basic Shapes stencil. I looked at the Customize options figuring I'd
just do a button to that one specific stencil but the closest option in
Tools>>Customize is to Choose Drawing Type...

For that matter, I really don't need the Search for Shapes tool, either and
if I can eliminate that one, that'd be great, too.

Last question... I'm assuming that Visio, like most other Microsoft Office
tools, gathers its default configuration from a template file but looking in
the Visio Help failed to reveal its name and location. Where is it and
what's it called??

Best regards

Mike

 

[Mark Nelson [MS]]

Hi Mike,

Look here for instructions on the Template Help pane:
http://blogs.msdn.com/visio/archive/2006/08/25/713375.aspx

I do not know of a way to redirect the new drawing to the Basic Diagram
template. New Drawing creates a blank drawing if no other document is open.
Otherwise it creates a new document based on whatever template is already
shown.

Search for Shapes cannot be turned off in Visio 2003 (except temporarily
using code). There is a switch for this in the new Visio 2007.

Finally, Visio gets its default configuration from internal settings not an
external document. Thus you should create a template with the settings you
want and use that as you launch Visio. You could change your Visio shortcut
to include a template filename in the command line arguments to accomplish
this.

--
Mark Nelson
Office Graphics - Visio
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Mike Starr]

Thanks for the answers... so if Search for Shapes can be turned of using
code, are you saying I could do it with an AutoNew() macro with VBA in that
template I'm (now) going to create??

I'm also assuming that file associations will allow me to just create a
shortcut to the template file and that'll launch Visio and give me a new
document based on the template.

Best regards

Mike