How install stencils for shapes found on web?

[tlonski]

Hi,

The general question is "When shape search finds shapes on the Web, how can
you get the stencil and install it locally?" The specific situation is below.

I have Visio Professional 2003 SP1 installed. I am working on process
models and started with the Cross Functional Flowchart template. This
template provides three stencils: Arrow Shapes, Basic Flowchart Shapes, and
Cross Functional Flowchart Shapes. I need to show events in my process
model. None of the three default stencils has this shape so I searched for
it.

In the Shape Search options (Tools -> Options...) I have the search results
sorted by group so I can see what stencil a shape belongs to. I like to see
the original stencil because many times if the stencil has one shape I'm
looking for, it has other shapes I need as well.

When I search for an event shape, results are found from seven stencils.
Six of the seven stencils are installed locally and are visible under File ->
Shapes. The seventh stencil is labeled "Business Process Modeling Notation
Shapes (US units).VSS".

Where is this stencil? The shape search looks locally and on the Web. This
stencil is not installed in Visio (i.e. not visible under File -> Shapes).
I've searched Microsoft Office Online, my hard drive, and Googled it and I
can't find this stencil.

Help! Can anyone tell me how to find and install this stencil?

Thanks in advance,

Tom

 

[Mark Nelson [MS]]

This stencil is only available from the web. You cannot make the stencil
local to my knowledge, but you can save local copies of all the shapes in
it. Click on the icon next to your search term to save the results as a new
stencil. Alternatively, right click on an individual shape and add it to My
Shapes or another custom stencil.

 

[tlonski]

Hi Mark,

You say "...you can save local copies of all the shapes in it." in your
post, but that's my dilemma. How can I find all the shapes in a Web stencil
when I can't see the stencil or download it?

I understand how to save an individual shape that I've found on the Web to
another stencil (thus making a local copy). Now that I've found one shape in
a Web stencil, how do I find the other shapes in that Web stencil?

As I wrote the paragraph above, it occured to me to try using Visio's shape
search to look for the Web stencil. While using the full name (Business
Process Modeling Notation Shapes (US units).VSS) didn't work, shortening it
to "Business Process Modeling Notation" found 39 shapes. Voila!

Is there a better way to find all the shapes that belong to a web stencil?
I have several concerns about using shape search to find what's on a web
stencil:
#1 - Shape search is looking at the shape keywords. For this method to
work, the stencil name must always be included as keywords on every shape in
the stencil. It appears to have worked this time, but won't work in general.
For example, if I search for "Blocks Raised", I get no results even though
that is a stencil provided with Visio. Likewise, if I search for "UML", I
get over 100 results from the eight UML stencils provided with Visio.
#2 - Even when shapes are found using this method, there's no way of
determining that you have all the shapes in the stencil. I found 39 shapes
in the example above, but the stencil could have more shapes for all I know.
#3 - I've used Visio for years. Aren't stencils a fundamental concept of
Visio for organizing and managing shapes? Searching shape keywords to back
into finding a stencil seems to violate Visio's conceptual principles (i.e.
how Visio organizes itself and the logical model it presents to users so it
appears consistent and is easier to use).

So, while I may have stumbled on a workaround for this one instance, the
general question remains "How can I find all the shapes that belong to a web
stencil?"

Thanks for the response. It helped me get closer to a solution.

Regards.

 

[Mark Nelson [MS]]

No, there's no great solution here. Most shapes in the same stencil have a
keyword in common. That is especially true for content that is only
available from the web.

--
Mark Nelson
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[tlonski]

Thanks for the help Mark. That's what I guessed but it's good to have it
confirmed.

How can I submit this as a Visio suggestion/product enhancement to
Microsoft? Do I repost this thread as a "suggestion to Microsoft" instead of
a "question"?

 

[Mark Nelson [MS]]

I believe so. I'm using Outlook Express, so I don't get the fancy newsgroup
features. You can also send e-mail to (e-mail address removed).

--
Mark Nelson
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[tlonski]

Hmm. I've posted a suggestion to the newsgroup. I also tried the e-mail
address, but I got an error from Microsoft saying that e-mail address does
not exist. I looked at the "Contact Us" information on the Visio home page
but the "Make A Suggestion" link looks like it posts to this newsgroup.

Let me know if there's a different e-mail address I should use.

 

[Mark Nelson [MS]]

Hmm. It seems as though Microsoft has updated its product support web site.
You now can go online to submit suggestions rather than use e-mail. I have
a copy of your suggestion for my own records but you should also go here:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswish/suggestion.asp?SD=gn&LN=en-us&gssnb=1

--
Mark Nelson
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[tlonski]

Thanks. I've submitted the suggestion here as well. Hope you had a great
Thanksgiving.

Cheers.