I have used the Microsoft Visio Organization Chart Wizard many, many times over the years, but I usually use it from text files, and I had been aware that I was not getting good results from the Microsoft Exchange Server directory option, now that I use Office 365. I was always getting just the first Personnel record (Admin). Well, I was prompted to find out why, and was amazed to find the answer by Winnie Liang in Creating Organizational Chart from AD Information.
[Read more…] about Using Visio Org Chart Wizard to work with Exchange OnlinebVisual Blog by David Parker
Creating an Org Chart without the Org Chart Wizard
Microsoft Office Visio has had an Org Chart Wizard for as long as I can remember (and I have been using Visio since 1996). It has gone through several iterations, but basically it provides a simple way to create personnel hierarchies from a variety of data sources. It even has a command line interface so that the charts can be created with a minimum of user interaction. This is great, but it is limited. Firstly, it does not take advantage of the new Link Data to Shapes and Data Graphics in Visio 207 Professional; secondly, it only does direct reports with just one type of layout; and thirdly, you cannot refresh the diagram easily. Therefore, I thought it would be interesting to overcome some of these obstacles using the new features of Visio 2007 Professional and with a little code.
Visio installs a sample OrgData.xls Excel spreadsheet in the folder <Program Files>Microsoft OfficeOffice12SAMPLES1033 by default, so I have copied this file and slightly amended it.
[Read more…] about Creating an Org Chart without the Org Chart WizardAliasing Data Columns for Visio Organization Chart Wizard
One of the most frequently used components of Visio is the Organization Chart Wizard (OrgChWiz), but it is also one of the most frustrating because of its apparent inflexibility. I was recently asked how to use different table column names with the wizard because the originating ODBC source could not be touched. Well, I have previously used Access to modify and enhance tables in this situation, but the OrgChWiz is quite old, and does not like using the newer Access queries as a data source unfortunately. If the basic table column names do not match the default column names in the organization chart shapes, then there may be superfluous Shape Data rows created on each shape and the ability to change the shape style is compromised, and the Shape Data rows get quite confused!
The Organization Chart template opens with the Belts – Organization Chart Shapes stencil open by default, although the Master shapes used can be replaced with those on one of the other nine using the Org Chart / Shapes gallery:
Visio Org Charts with Multiple Languages
I had an enquiry recently about displaying Organisation Charts with text in different languages. This set me thinking, and, if you have Visio Professional, then you can use Link Data to Shapes to add this capability to existing diagrams, but Visio Standard users can just the Org Chart Wizard.
I will use the OrgData.xls file that is provided in the <Program Files>\Microsoft Office\Office 15\Visio Content\<LCID>\ folder to demonstrate this. I have English US (1033) and Norwegian Bokmal (1044) available to me, as shown below:
In Englsih
[Read more…] about Visio Org Charts with Multiple LanguagesUK User Groups IT Pro Community Event
In my quest to promote Visio 2007 Professional as the visual information system of choice, I am presenting at the IT Pro Community event for the next two days, so I have posted my slides here. (Day 1 has little code, but Day 2 has lots of VBA code examples.):
http://www.ukusergroups.co.uk/index.html
Day 1 – Visualizing Information with Microsoft Visio 2007 slides:
http://cid-3350d61bc93733a9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Blogs/Visio%202007%20visualising%20data.pptx
Visio is a unique data visualization application, and the 2007 edition adds three new important data features that provide brand new data links, data graphics and pivot diagrams. These capabilities, along with the existing and often under-exploited tools, firmly position Visio as the foremost practical, easy to use visual information system that can be applied to a multitude of business scenarios. Microsoft Visio has been able to link ODBC data sources for many years via the Database Wizard, but this has limitations such as only a single data link per shape, and no support for stored procedures. Microsoft Visio 2007 overcomes both of these with the new Link Data programmable API, making it simple for end users and developers to create data rich diagrams that can be refreshed simply. In addition, the new Data Graphic features enable you to enhance linked shapes with icons, data bars, text callouts and color by value. The new Pivot Diagrams can be linked to data sources, including SQL Server Analysis Services, to provide interactive drill-downs of data diagrams, allowing the user to visualise, analyse, and present aggregate information in a new appealing manner. I’ll demonstrate the new features…and show how these data links can be made.
Day 2 – Visualizing Information the Smart (Diagram) Way slides:
Visio is a smart drawing tool, but it is even smarter when linked to corporate data, systems or processes, enabling it to be automatically refreshed to visualize the latest facts and figures. Data-linked Visio diagrams can be used for visualization of complex information; analysis of statistics; and communication to a broader audience with the Visio Viewer or as web pages.
This session will demonstrate linking Visio shapes to data from a variety of sources, including SQL Server stored procedures and XML files; how to drill-down into information using PivotDiagrams; and how to display data values with Data Graphics (and how to create your own). It will also include methods to automatically connect shapes together from data to create an Organization Chart without the Org Chart Wizard; and how to create legends for data graphic items.
Visualizing Information the Smart (Diagram) Way
Those of you who are attending the Visio Conference in Redmond this week will know that I am presenting in the developer track. I am demonstrating some automation examples for building organization charts from SQL Server AdventureWorks database (slightly enhanced) in Visio 2007 Professional, without using the Org Chart Wizard.
This means that you have far more flexibility with the diagram layout, and it demonstrates Link Data to Shapes, Data Graphics and Pivot Diagrams.
The example stencil which includes all of the VBA samples used is attached to this post, along with the PowerPoint slideshow, and the SQL Server scripts to enhance the AdventureWorks database.
http://cid-3350d61bc93733a9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Blogs/MSVisioConference2008_DJP.vss
http://cid-3350d61bc93733a9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Blogs/VisioConf2008_DJP.pptx
http://cid-3350d61bc93733a9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Blogs/VisioConf2008DBScripts.zip