1. Create Stencil shapes with NO custom properties. This is critical. You will be pulling the custom properties from the data, not the stencil shapes
2. Create a table in Access and inport your spreadsheet to the table
3. In Visio 2002 Pro:
a. Tools>Add-Ons>Visio Extras>Database Wizar
b. Click Nex
c. Click Link Shapes to Database Records and click Nex
d. Click Master(s) on a Visio stencil and click Nex
e. Uncheck Open copy (otherwise it will link to a copy instead of the real stencil.
f. Click Browse and find the custom stenci
g. Under Choose a master(s) to modify, Select the shapes you want to link and click Next
h. Click Create Data Source (this creates the ODBC data object from the Access database. If you can figure out how to create this straight from the spreadsheet, then you don't have to fool with the Access table at all
1. Click File Data Source and click Nex
2. Click Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb) and click Next (There is one for Excel Driver, but I've never been able to get it to work. If you can, please post it.
3. Give it a location and name easy for you to find so you can back it up later and click Nex
4. Click Finish to create the data source
i. You'll see ODBC Microsoft Access Setup window next
1. Under Database: click Selec
2. Drill down to the databas
3. Make sure System Database is checked None
4. Click O
j. You'll go back to the Database Wizard under Visio.
1. Click Browse for File DS
2. Pick your file and click Ope
k. Click Tables and highlight the Database Object you create
l. Access created a 'Primary Key' field when you imported your spreadsheet into it. Leave this screen to 1 and click Next
m. Select the Primary Key field name
n. Click None. Very important if you ever want to add new items to this list again
o. Choose the Events and Actions to add to the shape. This is your choices
1. If you want Visio to go into the dialog for picking the database record when you drag a shape off the stencil
a. Check Include an on drop event with the shap
b. Click Select record on dro
2. Right Mouse Actions selects additional options if you right click on a shape after its dropped. I select all of the
3. Click Nex
p. Pick the cell for the primary ke
q. The easiest way to link the shapesheet cells and database fields is to click Automatic and click Nex
r. Click Finish and watch for errors as it pulls them in
4. Now you can use the shapes. Keep a copy of your Access table open so you can pick the correct database record number as you drop your shapes. It will fill out the custom properties for you
----- jon wrote: ----
That would be good thanks Bec. Can you please provide the steps for me
