Automated Diagrams

[Sachin]

Hi everyone. I am experimenting to try to figure out how exactly I can
import some sort of text or excel file that contains shape names and a
connectivity list into Visio, and have Visio automatically create a
simple diagram following the information in my text file.

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/automating_diagrams_with_visio

I have followed the step-by-step directions on this website and had no
trouble until the actual import. I am using Visio 2003, and I believe
the instructions on the site have Visio 2000 in mind. I saved my excel
file as a ."csv" type, but I cannot open it in Visio as it says I
should be able to.

Does anyone know a way around this, or another way of being able to
type out shape names and a connections list and have Visio
automatically generate a diagram?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Paul Herber]

Hi everyone. I am experimenting to try to figure out how exactly I can
import some sort of text or excel file that contains shape names and a
connectivity list into Visio, and have Visio automatically create a
simple diagram following the information in my text file.

http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/automating_diagrams_with_visio

I have followed the step-by-step directions on this website and had no
trouble until the actual import. I am using Visio 2003, and I believe
the instructions on the site have Visio 2000 in mind. I saved my excel
file as a ."csv" type, but I cannot open it in Visio as it says I
should be able to.

Import of .csv files was dropped from Visio in the 2003 version.

 

[Sachin]

Apparently so. Do you know of any other way to accomplish the task?

 

[Paul Herber]

Apparently so. Do you know of any other way to accomplish the task?

1. Ask Microsoft very nicely to reinstate it.
2. If it's no longer supported ask if it can be made a free
unsupported download.
3. Buy an old copy of Visio 2000 or 2002 on ebay for a small sum.
4. I've been wondering whether it would be worth me writing an addin
to do import .csv files. There have been a few questions about this
recently.

 

[Sachin]

Okay... That's kind of dissapointing. Please let me know if you ever
do decide to write an add-in.
Thanks!

 

[Al Edlund]

boxes and lines (at there simplest) are a lot like flowcharts. There is an
example of automating a flowchart in the visio sdk. I think Chris Roth did a
piece on it as well.
al