Microsoft Visio 101: Additional tips
Tags: visio
Published: 2021-04-04 21:42:41

This post closes the *Microsoft Visio 101* series after an [introduction to the tools](https://dev.to/xaviermignot/microsoft-visio-101-the-basic-tools-2k6b), and a focus on [positioning and aligning shapes](https://dev.to/xaviermignot/microsoft-visio-101-align-your-shapes-like-a-boss-5agd).  
For this one I don't have a specific topic, but I have remaining tips to share 😊


## Find your own style

As a backend developer/architect, making diagrams is one of my few opportunities to make something nice-looking in my professional life. So over the years I have tried to improve my diagrams to give them a *personal* style with very simple tweaks, starting with connectors.  

Let's start with this few shapes linked together:  
![Linked shapes](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/msirifwfvihhxaghainx.png)  
The alignment and positioning looks good, but the connectors with the default settings give a raw, unfinished feeling. The contextual menu can open the *Format Shape* panel and set the connector style between right-angle, straight and curved:  
![Contextual menu](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ncmsdyvswnxr07lxmuar.png)  
The curved style is great for softening the angles, but it's not easy to work with so I stick with the right-angle style all the time. It's much easier to get something symmetric, and to soften the angles I increase the *rounding size* in the *format shape* panel to 3mm. I also increase the *width* to 1pt and choose an *end arrow type* (I like the 02).  
These 3 little changes are my go-to style for connectors, and make the diagram look much better:  
![Styled connectors](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/t8sgd3t2ax276yg4gfey.png)  
I haven't found a way to set this as the *default* style for connectors, so I set it once on a connector and use the `Ctrl+Shift+P` shortcut to apply it quickly on other connectors.  

Another thing I like to do is putting shapes in the same "box" when they're related in some way. For instance Azure resources in the same *resource group* or *domain*, or to break down the underlying features of a resource, like this IoT Hub for example:  
![IoT Hub raw](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/355n1iv1i3f4iw6qntys.png)  
By setting the *transparency* to 50%, increasing the *width* to 1.5pt, choosing a *dash type* and setting the *rounding size* to 3mm, all from the format shape panel, it's more stylish:  
![IoT Hub styled](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/eskcrma6hlp31c48ah2y.png)  

These are just a few changes I do all the time to improve my diagrams, I encourage you to experiment with the format shape panel, find your style and give your diagram a personal touch.


## Use the text background feature

Adding text to a connector can be made in different ways, depending on the length of the text and the connector. When the text is shorter than the connector, I like to place the text on top of the connector. But when there is too little room the text would hide the connector so I prefer to split it and keep its background transparent.  
You can see the difference here:  
![Text background sample](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/yrzdax0f99qu4aiw72h3.png)  
This is done by selecting the connector, and setting the text background from either *None* or *Solid color* to white. Open the *Paragraph* dialog, *Text block* pane, and finally *Text background*:  
![Text background option](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/6jaiuwc1d1xfon6spnx2.png)  
Very simple tip but very handy as well, so worth sharing at the end I think.


## Sync you favorite shapes using git

This last one is a trick I have been using for many years to synchronize my Visio shapes from various sources using git. I have made a [dedicated post](https://dev.to/xaviermignot/manage-your-visio-shapes-with-git-2h0i) a few weeks ago so you can check it out.  


## Wrapping up

This is the end of *Microsoft 101* series, at least for now, I might edit this last post if I have more ideas. I hope these posts will help you to improve you diagrams, and that you will enjoy doing diagrams as much as I do.  
Happy drawing ! 🤓