Copyright: (C) 1996-1997 Visio Corporation
Citation: (C) 1996-1997 Visio Corporation


Charts and Graphs Template

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The Charts and Graphs Template opens the Charting Shapes stencil. With the shapes on these stencils, you can create the following charts:

•	Product life cycle

•	Process and deployment

•	Feature comparison

•	Bar and line graph

•	Pie charts

Creating line and bar graphs

You can create line and bar graphs using the shapes on the Charting Shapes stencil. First, create the scale for your graph, then use the line and bar graph shapes, such as X-Y-Z Axis, Normal Curve, Bar Graph, 3-D Axis, and the Vertical and Horizontal Bar shapes to create your graph.

To create a graph scale:

1.	Drop the Graph Scale shape on the page before adding bars or lines to your graph.

2.	Drag a selection handle on the Graph Scale shape to make the graph scale the height you want.

3.	With the shape selected, type a number for the topmost point on the scale.

With the topmost point established, you can easily set bar heights on a bar graph or points on a line graph.

To create a line graph:

1.	Drop the Line Graph shape on the page.

Because the shape already includes axes and data points, much of your line graph is created for you.

2.	Add data points by aligning a second Line Graph shape at the end of the first. Select the second shape, then click the Flip Horizontal button on the toolbar. Align the open ends of the two shapes.

Tip: To delete a data point, drag the control handle associated with the data point farthest from the Y axis to the edge of graph.

3.	Drag the control handle associated with each data point to the appropriate value on the scale.

To add horizontal and vertical grid lines to a line graph:

•	Select the line tool from the Standard toolbar, then draw the lines you want.

To emphasize the data points on a line graph:

•	Drop Data Point shapes on top of each data point on the line graph.

Tip: You can connect the data points with Graph Line shapes to add a heavy line that follows the fluctuations of the chart.

To create a 3-D bar graph:

1.	Drop the 3-D Axis shape onto the drawing page.

2.	Drag the control handle on the 3-D Axis shape to change the number of grid lines.

3.	Drop Vertical or Horizontal Bar shapes on the 3-D Axis shape.

To change the color of a Vertical or Horizontal Bar shape, choose Format > Fill from the Standard toolbar, then, under Fill, change the Foreground color.

Creating pie charts

You can create pie charts by using the Pie Chart shape, or you can assemble a pie chart using Super Smart Slice shapes. Use the Super Smart Slice or other pie chart shapes to assemble a pie chart if you want to emphasize particular slices in the chart. All pie chart shapes are on the Charting Shapes stencil.

To create a pie chart using the Pie Chart shape.

1.	Drop the Pie Chart shape onto the drawing page.

2.	Enter the number of slices for your pie chart.

Visio calculates the correct slice percentage based on the number of slices you entered, and displays the percentage in each slice. You can change the number of slices at any time by right-clicking the shape and choosing Set No. of Slices.

To assemble a pie chart using the Super Smart Slice shape:

1.	Drop the Super Smart Slice onto the drawing page.

2.	Select the slice, then press the Ctrl key and drag to duplicate it.

3.	Move the duplicate over the first slice so the shapes are glued at the center of the pie. The endpoints turn red.

4.	Drag the duplicate slice's endpoint, which is at the outside of the pie, to position the slice to the left of the original slice. Glue the endpoint to the connection point, which is under the green control handle, at the top left of the first slice.

5.	Drag the duplicate slice's control handle to size the slice.

6.	Repeat steps 2 through 5 to create the rest of the slices, moving counterclockwise around the pie.

To emphasize one pie slice:

1.	Choose Tools > Snap & Glue, then uncheck Glue.

2.	Select each pie slice and move it slightly to break the glue (the endpoints change from red to green), then snap it back into place.

3.	Move the slice you want to emphasize away from the other slices.

Placing Visio drawings on the World Wide Web

You can easily convert a Visio drawing to a format Web browsers can read. Then you can distribute the drawing on an intranet or the Web.

See also:

Exporting shapes and drawings in .jpg or .gif formats

Saving drawings as HTML pages


Creating line and bar graphs

Creating pie charts

Placing Visio drawings on the World Wide Web