RE: Guide to Visio for FrameMaker users?

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Robert Lauriston wrote:
 
> If you need to tweak an element, Visio's probably the wrong tool. The
> "smart" objects are supposed to tweak themselves (and often do,
> sometimes in ways you might not want).

This can't be emphasized enough. Guy, if you're going to use Visio
without getting all bent out of shape (so to speak ;-)), you need to
understand how it's fundamentally different from a set of drawing tools
and come to terms with those differences. It's a really excellent,
powerful tool. But if you fight it, you'll get very frustrated.
 
> You need to learn about "Stencils" (templates for application-specific
> drawings).
> 
> The frequently useful distribute and align tools are pretty much
identical.
> 
> My main tip: when linking to or embedding a Visio doc, in Visio,
> select File > Page Setup > Page Size tab > Page Size > "Size to fit
> drawing contents" to get rid of the white space. Repeat this any time
> you add or delete elements that change the size of the drawing.

I do quite the opposite. When I start a new Visio drawing, I decide what
size it needs to be on the FM page, and I set the drawing's Page Size to
exactly that custom size. Then I make the drawing fit that page. When I
import the drawing into FM (as a PDF -- the best option, IMHO), it comes
in at 100% and fits exactly as I intended. 
 
Works well for me; YMMV.
Richard


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
------






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