Customizing a Shape in Visio 2003

Customizing an existing shape is a multi-step process. One of the prerequisites for customizing a shape is that it must exist in a custom stencil.

To create a custom stencil:

1. Select File > Shapes > New
Stencil. This adds an empty stencil to the stencils pane.
2. Right-click on the title (Stencil<an>) of the newly added stencil and select Save As from the context menu and save the stencil file (.vs's)

In the rest of this lesson we will create a modified version of the standard Process shape found within the Basic Flowchart Shapes stencil.

Create an new Basic Flowchart Diagram using the method demonstrated in Chapter 1.

1. Add the Process shape to the drawing page.
2. Activate the Drawing toolbar by selecting View >
Toolbar > Drawing menu option.
3. From the Drawing toolbar, use the Line tool to modify the Process shape as shown below.
4. Add some text to the modified shape using the text tool..

5. Drag the mouse starting at a point just outside the top left corner of the modified Process shape towards the bottom right corner of the shape to select the entire shape.

6. Convert the selected shapes, the outer rectangle and the inner rectangle, into a single shape by right clicking the selection and choosing Shape > Group from the context menu.

Open the custom stencil created in the beginning of the lesson by selecting File > Shapes > My Shapes > My Stencil. Drag and drop the grouped shaped onto My Stencil group in the stencil pane. The shape is now removed from the drawing and added to My Stencil with a default name - Master.0. Right click the newly added shape within My Stencil and selected Edit Master > Master Properties from the context menu.

Change the Name of the Shape to My Process and click ok.

The shape's name will change from Master.0 to My Process. Save the custom stencil by right clicking My Stencil (the custom stencil's title area) and selecting Save from the context menu.

The custom shape called My Process, contained in the stencil named "My Stencil", is now ready for use. You can use the My Process shape in your diagrams just like any other shape in Visio.