Skip Ribbon Commands Skip to main content
     
    Navigate
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
    Rating: 4.3/5 (46 votes cast)
    The Visio 2010 MVP Sessions

    Explore the many features of Microsoft Visio 2010. In 24 self-contained videos ranging from five to seven and half minutes, three Visio MVPs discuss and demonstrate the basics of how to use and apply some of the most important features and capabilities of Visio 2010. Each Visio 2010 MVP Session provides the understanding needed to get started with using Visio 2010 to solve a specific challenge or apply a specific feature or technique.

    As more people use Visio 2010 as their primary diagramming tool, Microsoft has received very positive feedback. We’ve also heard from users who recognize that they are still “just scratching the surface” with what they could be doing with the new features and capabilities in Visio 2010. As a result, the Microsoft Visio team collaborated with three prominent Visio MVPs—Scott Helmers, David Parker, and Chris Roth—to create the Visio 2010 MVP Sessions. These three Visio MVPs have each recently published books on how to get the most out of using Visio 2010.

    In twenty-four self-contained Sessions ranging from five to seven and half minutes, each week the Visio MVPs discuss and demonstrate the basics of how to use and apply some of the most important features and capabilities of Visio 2010. Each Visio MVP Session should provide the understanding needed to get started in using Visio 2010 to solve a specific challenge or apply a specific feature or technique.

    In addition to the videos, the sample diagrams used for each topic are published through Visio Services and freely downloadable, , so that users can interact or work with and from the same example files and data sets being demonstrated.

    For a deeper coverage of these and other topics, the three Visio MVPs starring in these sessions each actively maintain independent blog or community sites accessible by clicking the book cover images below. Elsewhere on this site, you can find content about Visio 2010 features and capabilities. Additionally, the Support for Visio 2010 page serves as a great jumping off point for forums and community resources hosted on related Microsoft sites.

                                                    

                          Scott Helmers                                  Chris Roth                                     David Parker

    Session List

    Session 1: Get started with the right template  (Tuesday, January 10)
    See how to get started in Microsoft Visio 2010 with the right template. This video introduces the eight categories of templates available in Visio 2010: business, engineering, flowchart (including Business Process Modeling Notation [BPMN] and SharePoint workflow templates in Visio Premium 2010), general, maps and floor plans, network, schedule, and software and database. It also shows how easy it is to create drawings by starting with sample diagrams.
    Watch Session 1 video
    Download the sample diagrams used in this Session: Templates by Edition.
    Download the working files used in this Session: Get Started with the Right Template.  

    Session 2: Find and navigate key features  (Tuesday, January 17)
    Learn about the new user interface in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video introduces the ribbon user interface, which is adopted from Microsoft Office 2010. It covers the main tabs—Home, Insert, Design, Data (in Visio Professional and Visio Premium), Process (in Visio Premium), Review, View, and Developer (for advanced users)—as well as contextual and add-in tabs that appear when relevant. It also looks at the Backstage view, where you can find new templates, recent files, and sample diagrams.
    Watch Session 2 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Find and Navigate Key Features.

    Session 3: Get started with shapes  (Tuesday, January 24)
    Learn how to create diagrams more quickly by working with shapes in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews several tips for working with shapes more effectively by using keyboard and pointer shortcuts and new features of Visio 2010. It covers shortcuts for duplicating objects, tips for rotating objects, a feature that lets you “glue” shapes to a connection point, and the new Quick Shapes menu, which enables you to quickly add related shapes to a diagram.
    Watch Session 3 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Get Started with Shapes.

    Session 4: Align and distribute shapes  (Tuesday, January 31)
    Learn how to improve the look of your diagrams with spacing and alignment options in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews several features to help you create good-looking diagrams more easily, such as Auto Align & Space to quickly adjust the positions of all objects and Live preview, which lets you see changes before you commit to them. This video also covers alignment and spacing options just for selected objects, and tips on manually adjusting objects.
    Watch Session 4 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Align and Distribute Shapes.

    Session 5: Make and apply formatting changes  (Tuesday, February 7)
    Learn about a variety of options for applying text styles, color, and other formatting to shapes in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video provides several tips for formatting shapes more easily and quickly using new features in Visio 2010. It covers interface features such as live preview of changes and the mini toolbar for common formatting options, techniques for working with text boxes, and how to apply formatting to shapes in groups.
    Watch Session 5 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Apply and Make Formatting Changes.

    Session 6: Configure diagrams for display and print  (Tuesday, February 14)
    Learn how to work with the infinite canvas, page orientation, and page backgrounds in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews several tips for working more effectively with flowcharts by taking advantage of the infinite canvas feature in Visio 2010, which automatically expands or reduces the drawing page to fit your diagram. It also covers how to apply different orientations to pages and how to apply backgrounds to make your diagrams look more professional.
    Watch Session 6 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Configure Diagrams for Display and Print.

    Session 7: Work with and customize shape data  (Tuesday, February 21)
    Learn how to create and use shape data fields in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews several tips for working with data stored with shapes in your diagrams. It covers the types of data fields, how to add multiple new fields at once, how to modify the data values for multiple shapes at once, and how to create shape data sets that you can apply to other shapes.
    Watch Session 7 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Using and Customizing Shape Data.

    Session 8: Dynamically link business data to shapes   (Tuesday, February 28)
    Learn how to dynamically link business data to shapes in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews how to link the shapes in your diagrams to external data sources such as Microsoft Excel workbooks, Microsoft SharePoint lists, or Microsoft SQL Server databases. It also covers how to use automatic linking to quickly populate multiple shapes with relevant data that can be refreshed automatically and how to import multiple data sets to the same diagram.
    Watch Session 8 video
    Download the working files used in this Session: Dynamically Link Business Data to Shapes.

    Session 9: Visualize business data with data graphics  (Tuesday, March 6)
    Learn how to visualize business intelligence linked to diagrams by using data graphics in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews how to create and edit data graphics that display linked external data as text, colors, or icons directly in the shapes of your diagram—since the data links are dynamic, updates in the data source can be refreshed automatically. The video also covers how to apply data graphics to multiple shapes at once.
    Watch Session 9 video
    Download the working files used in this Session: Visualize Business Data with Data Graphics.

    Session 10: Create and modify custom data graphics   (Tuesday, March 13)
    Learn how to enhance the business intelligence visuals of a dashboard with custom data graphics in Microsoft Visio 2010—without having to do any coding. This video reviews how to create, apply, and modify custom data graphics to reveal additional information visually in your Visio diagrams. It also covers how to duplicate data graphics and create formulas to show calculated values.
    Watch Session 10 video
    Download the working files used in this Session: Visualize Business Data with Data Graphics.

    Session 11: Web publish and share interactive diagrams   (Tuesday, March 20)
    Learn how to share your Microsoft Visio 2010 dynamic diagrams through Visio Services in Microsoft SharePoint 2010 and Microsoft Office 365. This video reviews how to publish Visio diagrams in the new data-refreshable web drawing format, making them available to anyone through a web browser (or restrict access with account permissions). The video also shows how you can view source data in SharePoint, make changes to that data, and have those changes reflected dynamically.
    Watch Session 11 video
    Download the working files used in this Session: Visualize Business Data with Data Graphics.

    Session 12: Design and use custom shapes and stencils   (Tuesday, March 27)
    Learn about designing and using custom shapes and stencils in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews how you can customize a shape to meet your needs and then save it as a master shape on a new stencil, making it easy to use in other drawings. It covers how you can save custom stencils in the My Shapes folder in your user folder and then access them from More Shapes in the Shapes panel.
    Watch Session 12 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Design and Use Custom Shapes and Stencils.

    Session 13: Use drawing explorer and document stencils   (Tuesday, April 3)
    Learn about two advanced features of Microsoft Visio 2010 that give you a view into the inner workings of a Visio document file and can help you to be more productive. This video reviews document stencils, which contain all of the shapes used in a document, making them available wherever the document goes. It also covers the Drawing Explorer, which makes it easy to find all of the elements in the document.
    Watch Session 13 video
    Download the working files used in this Session: Use Drawing Explorer and Document Stencils.

    Session 14: Expose dynamic data with text fields  (Tuesday, April 10)
    Learn how to display dynamic data as text in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews several ways to expose a variety of information, such as shape dimensions, shape data, or page numbers. It covers how you can add text to shape labels or custom callout shapes using text fields that update as the shape or data changes. It also covers how to display page numbers automatically by adding a text field to background pages.
    Watch Session 14 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Expose Dynamic Data with Text Fields.

    Session 15: Create and use hyperlinks  (Tuesday, April 17)
    Learn how to create and use hyperlinks in your Microsoft Visio 2010 diagrams. This video reviews how to add hyperlinks that point to other pages in your drawings, to external web pages, and even to specific sections of document files. It also covers how to add multiple hyperlinks to the same shape (for example, connecting a server shape to a rack diagram and to its online support page).
    Watch Session 15 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Create and Use Hyperlinks.

    Session 16: Build and apply reports from shape data  (Tuesday, April 24)
    Learn how to extract and present shape data as reports in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video introduces reports, such as a shape inventory for a circuit diagram or an asset report for a space plan diagram. It shows that Visio can automatically build a web page report or embed report information as a dynamic shape right in the diagram. It also covers how to easily create your own custom reports.
    Watch Session 16 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Build and Apply Reports from Shape Data.

    Session 17: Organize shapes with containers and lists  (Tuesday, May 1)
    Learn how containers make it easy to manage and show visual relationships among shapes in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews the new container shape, which can be used to group shapes together, adding structure into your diagrams. The list shape, a special type of container, tracks the order of shapes in the list. The video also covers how the new cross-functional flowcharts (“Misspelled WordMisspelled Wordswimlane” diagrams) take advantage of containers and lists.
    Watch Session 17 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Organize Shapes with Containers and Lists.

    Session 18: Use layers to organize complex diagrams  (Tuesday, May 8)
    Learn how to use the layers feature in Microsoft Visio 2010 to organize and work with complex diagrams. This video reviews the basics of layers, which make it easy to identify, show or hide, select, and lock down groups of shapes. It covers how to work with existing layers, how to create new layers, and tips such as using layer visibility to show only the relevant shapes to specific users.
    Watch Session 18 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Use Layers to Organize Complex Diagrams.

    Session 19: Create Flowcharts and Swim Lane Diagrams (Tuesday, May 15 )
    Learn about the new visual feedback features and other enhancements for creating and working with standard and cross-functional (“Misspelled WordMisspelled Wordswimlane” diagram) flowcharts in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews several features that help you create flowcharts more quickly and easily, such as visual indicators when shapes are aligned and evenly spaced, Misspelled WordMisspelled Wordautoconnect triangles and the quick shape menu for adding connectors or shapes with a single click, and containers for managing Misspelled WordMisspelled Wordswimlane diagrams.
    Watch Session 19 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Create Flowcharts and Swim Lane Diagrams.

    Session 20: Model BPMN and SharePoint Workflows (Monday, June 4)
    Learn how to work with Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) diagrams and Microsoft SharePoint workflows in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews the basics of working with BPMN diagrams, including features such as how to automatically create new pages for Misspelled WordMisspelled Wordsubprocesses. It also covers creating and modifying SharePoint workflows and demonstrates how they can be exported to and executed in SharePoint as well as modified in SharePoint and imported back into Visio.
    Watch Session 20 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Model BPMN and SharePoint Workflows.

    Session 21: Validate Diagrams Against Standards (Monday, June 18)
    Learn about working with validation rules for Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN) and other process diagrams and flowcharts in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews how to check a diagram against the built-in rule sets, identify shapes with problems, and resolve or ignore issues. It also covers importing rule sets from other diagrams.
    Watch Session 21 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Validate Diagrams Against Standards.

    Session 22: Design Network and Rack Diagrams (Wednesday, June 27)
    Learn how to create network diagrams and rack diagrams in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews the basics of working with the network and rack templates to document your infrastructure. It provides tips such as using the built-in legend shape to count the different elements in your network or taking advantage of the automatic measurements to better plan the space usage in your racks.
    Watch Session 22 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Design Network and Rack Diagrams.

    Session 23: How to Import and Use CAD drawings (Tuesday, July 17th)
    Learn about importing and using computer-aided design (CAD) drawings as space plans in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews how to work with the Space Plan Startup Wizard to import CAD drawings and adjust both the drawing and the page settings to fit together. It also covers tips such as using layers to show only the important elements and using the boundary shape to quickly find the area of the diagram.
    Watch Session 23 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Import and use CAD drawings.

    Session 24: How to Build Scaled Drawings and Space Plans (Wednesday, July 25th)
    Learn how to create scaled drawings using space plan diagrams in Microsoft Visio 2010. This video reviews several features that help you build drawings to scale, such as performing simple calculations in the Shape Data window to adjust the size of shapes or using the controller dimension shape to ensure that different elements are spaced appropriately and accurately. It also covers using the space shape and Misspelled WordMisspelled WordAutoSize feature to easily find interior dimensions.
    Watch Session 24 video
    Download the working file used in this Session: Build Scaled Drawings and Space Plans.

     

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +

     

    Expand +