How do you do basic layouts/designs

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Dick Linn

I used the Visio program that was included this year to do some fairly detailed 2-D layout work. It is relatively easy to use and very quick once you get the hang of it. They used to call it "the drawing program for the rest of us" or something to that effect. I highly recommend it. It is pretty easy to create objects (motors, bearings, wheels) and scoot them all around to see where things fit.
I do wish they had included the professional version with all the engineering, software design and electrical templates. Still, you can create your own templates, which I've found useful over the years.

Maybe I should take some lessons from you. Here at work they scrapped Correl Draw and gave us Visio with no warning and no training. ( "Here's your new upgraded computer sir. All loaded with the latest standard software package. No sir, I'm afraid you'll have to learn this new stuff" ) As far as I'm concerned it MIGHT be good for flow charts and org charts, but since I never do those it's useless to me. I still can't figure out how to do an irregular polygon ...

I must be missing something that's supposed to be obvious, but isn't.

ChrisH

[Dick Linn]

Use the straight line tool to click, drag, release in succession for each side. Just like connecting the dots. The last line should have the endpoint aligned over the starting point before being released and the wire frame will become a solid. You could also probably just stick a bunch of individual lines together if the sides need to be of precise length. There's a pop-up box available with some dimensions and you can alter them rather than eyeballing and dragging (I forget which menu bar option has this...they moved it in Visio 2003).

Alternatively, use a stock shape with the correct number of sides, select it with the straight line tool (click and release), select a vertex (which will change color) and you can then drag and reposition it. Also use this technique to correct any shape you draw.

Check out the Union, Combine and Fragment features for working with two shapes. Pretty interesting.