How to update multiple stencils when linked with Excel database

[JessicaRose]

I am working on a project that uses multiple stencil files. I am able to
export to an excel database, and refresh each symbol by dragging to the
drawing, but am wondering how I could update multiple symbols at one time in
the actual stencil file from the excel database? The ONLY updates I can find
update one at a time and I am needing a quicker way to update my symbols'
custom properties all at once, rather than editing each individual custom
property. I am using visio 2003 standard.
Is this possible with Visio and excel?

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

Do you mean drawings rather than stencils? A stencil is a collection of
shapes. When a drawing is created the shapes are copied from a stencil to a
local stencil that is part of the drawing. It is possible to update the
masters in the local stencil and have all the appearances of those shapes on
the drawings automatically updated.

John... Visio MVP

Need stencils or ideas? http://visio.mvps.org/3rdparty.htm
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[JessicaRose]

I mean stencils. What we have is a collection of various symbols with about
11 custom properties field attached. Several people use these symbols to
design cable systems. Sometimes, something such as price may change, and we
wanted to be able to go into a spreadsheet, change let's say, 100 symbol's
pricing, then have it automatically update within the stencil file, so future
drawings can pull the symbol with updated information. It would be so much
quicker to update within a database, rather than going into each master and
editing the cusom properties individually

 

[AlEdlund]

you might want to check this out.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa140253(office.10).aspx
al

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

Al, that is a broken link.

John... Visio MVP

you might want to check this out.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa140253(office.10).aspx
al

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

So I guess one key feature is that you do not want already created drawings
to update to the new prices.

So it is possible to search a stencil and change the value of a custom
property. You can write code that loops through all stencils in a directory,
find all shapes using a specific custom property and then update that value
from a data source line Excel or Access.

John... Visio MVP

Need stencils or ideas? http://visio.mvps.org/3rdparty.htm
Need VBA examples? http://visio.mvps.org/VBA.htm
Visio Wishlist http://visio.mvps.org/wish_list.htm

 

[AlEdlund]

John,
I just tried it and it works from here ? In any case it's the network demo
from msdn library (office development) that shows how to do the database
lookup for BOM.

Visio 2000 Technical Articles
Custom Visio Solution: Network Configuration Example (Visio, Access, and
Excel Integration)

al

 

[JessicaRose]

So what would be the best resource for writing codes for my situation?

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

It keeps sending me to
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms123402.aspx

Is it possible that you have that page cached on your machine?

John... Visio MVP

Need stencils or ideas? http://visio.mvps.org/3rdparty.htm
Need VBA examples? http://visio.mvps.org/VBA.htm
Visio Wishlist http://visio.mvps.org/wish_list.htm

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

Give me a few days and I will crank one out. It is not a lot of code, it is
just a problem finding the time.

So basically you want something to change the value of a custom property of
a certain name to a new value in all the stencils of a directory.

John... Visio MVP

Need stencils or ideas? http://visio.mvps.org/3rdparty.htm
Need VBA examples? http://visio.mvps.org/VBA.htm
Visio Wishlist http://visio.mvps.org/wish_list.htm

 

[AlEdlund]

Just cleared the cache and it still works here. I'm at ie7. If you add the
missing characters does it still go to the wrong url?
al

 

[JessicaRose]

What I need more than anything for this project is a code to go in and delete
the "List Price" and the "Discount Code" fields for every single stencil in
the directory. I think linking the database to the stencils works okay for
me going in and changing information, b/c the information varies per stencil
(descriptions, model numbers, etc.)

 

[John Marshall, MVP]

Wierd, if I click on it. I get the wrong page, but if I cut and paste it
works. Maybe it is a Canadian thing.

John... Visio MVP

Need stencils or ideas? http://visio.mvps.org/3rdparty.htm
Need VBA examples? http://visio.mvps.org/VBA.htm
Visio Wishlist http://visio.mvps.org/wish_list.htm