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


Security Systems Template

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The Security Systems Template includes security shapes that are symbolic (not to scale) for use on a floor plan drawing. When these shapes are included, the letters on corners of the security shapes indicate the mount type (top right), technology type (bottom right), and function type (bottom left). Use shapes from the General - Annotations stencil to annotate other parts of the drawing.

The Security Systems Template opens with the Wall Utility toolbar in place. You can use the Wall Utility buttons with the Double Line Wall and other shapes to form a T-joint or corner joint between walls, extend a wall to meet another, match doors and windows to wall thickness and angle, and move and size the building shapes precisely on the page.

For information about how a particular shape behaves, right-click the shape, then choose Shape Help from the shortcut menu.

Configuring security systems shapes

When you drop some of the shapes from the Security Systems Template stencils on the drawing page, Visio Technical prompts you for information about the shape's characteristics. For example, when you drop the Card Access shape, a dialog box prompts you to set the mount type and the technology type. If you want to change the data in the property fields after you've dropped the shape on the page, right-click the shape, then choose the appropriate command, such as Properties, from the shortcut menu.

Laying the foundation

By default, the Security Systems Template opens with a scaled drawing page in landscape (wide) orientation. You can change these settings at any time.

To change the page settings and drawing scale:

1.	Choose File > Page Setup.

2.	On the Page Size tab and Drawing Scale tab, choose the settings you want for the drawing page size, the printed page size, and the drawing scale, then click OK.

To change the measurement units, click the Page Properties tab and choose the unit you want to use from the Measurement Units list, then click OK.

See also:

Rotating and resizing pages

Setting page orientation and scale

Drawing to scale

When you're choosing a drawing scale for a space plan, keep the following things in mind:

•	In Visio Technical, drawing units are sizes in the real world. Page units are sizes on the printed page. The ratio of page units to drawing units is the drawing scale.

•	The smaller the drawing scale, the larger the area you can represent. A scale such as 1/8 inch = 1 foot allows you to draw an entire floor on one page. A scale such as 1 inch = 1 foot allows you to focus on one cubicle.

•	When you drop shapes on a scaled drawing page, they adjust automatically to the scale you've set.

See also:

Setting page orientation and scale

Creating a security systems space plan

The first step in creating a security systems plan is to use guides and wall, window, and door shapes to build the framework.

To assemble the framework and position walls, doors, and windows:

1.	Drag guides from the horizontal and vertical rulers and position them on the page so that they represent the perimeter, walls, and room partitions in the drawing.

TIP  After you set up the guides that make up the framework, you may want to turn off the drawing page grid and use only the rulers and guides to position and glue shapes. To turn off the drawing page grid, choose View > Grid.

2.	Position exterior walls first. For each wall, drag the Double Line Wall shape to the drawing page, and glue its endpoints to a guide. The selection handles turn red, indicating that the shapes are glued.

NOTE  You don't need to align corner intersections precisely at this point. You can use the Join Walls button on the Wall Utility toolbar to join wall corners. However, if you plan on using the Area Analysis tool, the corner intersections must be aligned precisely. When you use the Join Walls option, the walls may appear to be glued together when they actually aren't. Align corner intersections precisely using glue and guides.

For exterior walls, it's best to use fewer shapes. For example, for each straight section, size one Smart Wall shape to the length you need, rather than joining multiple shapes together to create a longer wall.

3.	Next, position interior and cubicle walls. For walls that are likely to change in the future, join multiple wall shapes together to create a longer wall, rather than sizing one wall shape to the length you need.

TIP  You can create a row of cubicles quickly by duplicating (Ctrl+drag) wall or panel shapes.

4.	To join the wall or panel shapes at corners, use the Join Walls button on the Wall Utility toolbar.

5.	Glue Horizontal and Vertical dimension line shapes (from the General - Dimensioning, Architectural stencil) to the endpoints of the walls, or to the guides, to indicate the length of walls, then move the guides, if necessary, so they represent the exact dimensions of the space you're drawing. Use shapes from the General - Annotations stencil to annotate other parts of the drawing.

6.	Position window and door shapes on the walls, gluing the endpoints to the guide. If necessary, use the Align To/Match Walls button on the Wall Utility toolbar to rotate the window and door shapes to the angle of the wall on which you drop them. To flip or rotate Door shapes so the doors open in the appropriate direction, right-click the shape and choose the appropriate command from the shortcut menu.

7.	To reposition walls, drag the guide to which they're glued. That way, corners remain intact, and windows and doors that are glued to the guide move along with the wall.

8.	Position other building framework shapes such as stairs, vaults, ramps, and elevators on the space plan.

After you assemble the framework and wall structure, add the security shapes for alarm access and control, initiation and annunciation, and video surveillance.

See also:

About positioning shapes precisely

Duplicating shapes

Using layers with security systems space plans

A layer is a named category of shapes. When you create a security systems space plan, Visio Technical places the shapes on layers. For example, the wall, door, and window shapes are placed on the Building Envelope layer; security shapes are placed on the Security layer.

When shapes are assigned to separate layers, you can treat the layers of shapes separately. For example, you can hide or lock all layers except the one you want to work on or you can print shapes based on their layer assignments. To modify layer settings in a drawing, you use the View > Layer Properties command.

To view only one layer in a drawing:

1.	Choose View > Layer Properties.

2.	In the Layer Properties dialog box, under Visible, uncheck all the layers except the one you want to view, then click OK.

See also:

About layers

Working with shape properties

A custom property is a field in which you can store information. To associate additional data with your security system planning shapes, you can run the Custom Properties Editor to add properties.

To run the Custom Properties Editor:

•	Choose Tools > Macro > Custom Properties Editor.

See also:

Adding, editing, and deleting custom-property fields

Generating reports from properties

If you've associated custom-property data with your security systems planning shapes, you can run the Property Reporting Wizard to generate inventory or numerical reports based on the data. For example, you can create an inventory of alarm equipment.

To run the Property Reporting Wizard:

•	Choose Tools > Property Report.

See also:

Creating reports from custom data

Linking shapes to other drawing pages, other files, or World Wide Web locations

You can add navigational links to any shape in your diagram, so that users of the diagram can right-click the shape to jump to separate drawing pages, separate files, or documents on an intranet or the Web. For example, you can link a security shape to the manufacturer's Web site for ordering and other product information.

To add links to shapes:

•	Choose Insert > Hyperlink.

See also:

About using hyperlinks

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 format

Saving drawings as HTML pages


Creating the security systems space plan

Drawing to scale

Generating reports from properties

Laying the foundation

Linking shapes to other drawing pages, other files, or World Wide Web locations

Placing Visio drawings on the World Wide Web

Using layers with security systems space plans

Working with shape properties