Handy Shortcuts and Tips for Microsoft Visio

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We’ve got lots of Microsoft Visio Tips, Shortcuts, Training options to suit all users… there are also places available on our Microsoft Visio courses in Glasgow and Edinburgh later this month!   If you can’t wait, here is a great short video clip highlighting the key components of the Ribbon elements in Microsoft Visio:

Also check out these handy Microsoft Visio Shortcuts:

Keyboard Navigation

The Keyboard Shortcuts for Panning and Zooming a Diagram may be invoked at any time (while not active within another command) while working in a Visio Diagram. The five Keyboard Shortcuts are:

Zoom In to a Designated Rectangular Area

[ Ctrl+Shift+Left-Click, Drag & Release ]

Press down and hold the Control and the Shift keys on your keyboard. While these two keys are held down, Click and Hold Down the Left Mouse Button, and drag out a rectangular or “windowed” area to designate the rectangular area you wish to view. Notice that the Mouse Cursor Icon changes to a small “magnifying glass” icon. When you have selected the appropriate area, release the Left Mouse Button, and then the Control and Shift keys. The resultant view will be as close as possible to the area chosen. The reason that it will be “as close as possible” is due to the fact that the view still will conform to the aspect ratio of the window the view resides in. The centre of the view will be the centerof the rectangle used to create the view.

Zoom In Incrementally

[ Ctrl+Shift + Left Mouse Click ]

Press down and hold the Control and the Shift keys on your keyboard. Notice that the Mouse Cursor Icon changes to a small “magnifying glass” icon. While these two keys are depressed, Click the Left Mouse Button one or more times. Each time you Click the Left Mouse Button while at the same time holding down the Control and Shift keys, Visio Will Zoom In centred on the location of your Mouse Cursor.

Zoom Out Incrementally

[ Ctrl+Shift + Right Mouse Click ]

Press down and hold the Control and the Shift keys on your keyboard. Notice that the Mouse Cursor Icon changes to a small “magnifying glass” icon. While these two keys are depressed, Click the Right Mouse Button one or more times. Each time you Click the Right Mouse Button while at the same time holding down the Control and Shift keys, Visio Will Zoom Out centred on the location of your Mouse Cursor.

Zoom Out to the Whole Page

[ Ctrl+Shift+W ]

Press the Control, Shift, and W keys on the keyboard at the same time and release them. Visio will zoom in or out such that the currently active Window is filled with the entire Page view. If the Page is in a Landscape mode, that is, it is wider that it is tall, the view will fill more of the Window than if the Page isin Portrait mode. This is because Visio will read the Height and Width of the Page and use the values tofit the Page within the Window based upon the aspect ratio of the Window.

Pan Around the Diagram at the Current Zoom Level

[ Ctrl+Shift+Right-Click, Hold ]Press down and hold the Control and the Shift keys on your keyboard. While these two keys are held down, Click and Hold Down the Right Mouse Button. While these are all being pressed and held, move the mouse slightly in any direction. Notice how the Cursor has changes to a small “hand” icon. While all of these are held down and depressed, move the mouse at will and Visio will follow, panning the diagram at the current zoom ratio. Releasing the Control and Shift keys while releasing the Right Mouse Button will stop this action.

Mouse-Based Navigation

The behaviour of the IntelliMouse Wheel is based upon a setting in the Visio Tools > Options… Dialog. Selecting Tools > Options… from the Visio Tools Menu displays the Visio Options Dialog. Within the Options Dialog there are six tabs across the upper are of the Dialog. Clicking on the “General” tab displays many different Check Boxes, Radio Buttons, and Scrollable numeric entry Text Boxes. One of these Check Boxes is the “Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse” Check Box. Obviously this has two potential modes; Checked and Un-Checked.

“Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse” Checked

When this Check Box is Checked and the OK Command Button has been Clicked to confirm the choice and closed, scrolling the Mouse Wheel by rolling the Mouse Wheel Zooms the View In and Out centred on the currently located centre of the view.

“Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse” Un-Checked

When this Check Box is Un-Checked and the OK Command Button has been Clicked to confirm the choice and closed, scrolling the Mouse Wheel by rolling the Mouse Wheel Pans the Visio Diagram Up and Down in the current Drawing Window. If the user’s mouse has the newer-generation wheel which may be pressed Left or Right, pressing the wheel Left Pans the Diagram Left in the current Drawing Window and pressing the wheel Right Pans the Diagram Right in the current Drawing Window. When the “Zoom on roll with IntelliMouse” Check Box Check Box is Un-Checked, holding the Control key while rolling the Mouse Wheel causes Visio to Zoom the Diagram View In and Out in the current drawing Window centred on the current centre of view.

Pan & Zoom Window

New, beginning back with Visio 2003 is the Float-able / Dock-able Pan & Zoom Window. It is accessed from the Visio View Tab by selecting the View Tab > Task Panes (Drop Down) > Pan & Zoom

Float Window

– The window may be located anywhere “floating above” the Visio environment by either Clicking and Dragging the title bar of the Window, or by Right-Clicking anywhere within the Window, its Title, or Border and selecting “Float Window” (Accelerator W) from the Window’s context menu.

Dock Window

– The Window may be docked anywhere against any side of the drawing window or within the Shapes Pane by simply dragging it into position.

Auto-Hide (Pin) Window

– In order to save on “real estate” within the Visio environment, the float-able/ dock-able Pan and Zoom window may be “hidden” or minimized when not in use. To accomplish this, simply ensure that the window is docked against the edge of the drawing environment and click on the small “push-pin” icon in the title bar of the window. When the window is active it expands to the user selected size. When inactive, i.e. when the user clicks away from the window, the window collapses to a minimalist view, showing only its title bar. Moving the mouse cursor over the title bar again, re-activates and expands the window.

Resize Window

– The window is resizable by the user at will. To resize the window, simply locate the mouse cursor over an edge or corner of the window (the cursor becomes a double-headed arrow), click and drag the window to its new desired proportions. On the Right-hand-side of the window a slider with Icons at top and bottom exists. These elements enable you to zoom in and out based on positional values.

Zoom Out Button

– The magnifying glass icon with the minus (-) sign controls the incremental zooming out in the Pan & Zoom window and hence the actual Drawing Window. Click on the Magnifying Glass with Minus Sign icon to incrementally step out in Zoom magnification.

Zoom In Button

– The magnifying glass icon with the plus (+) sign controls the incremental zooming in, in the Pan & Zoom window and hence the actual Drawing Window. Click on the Magnifying Glass with Plus Sign icon to incrementally step in, in Zoom magnification.

Zoom Slider Bar

– The thumb and slider control allows the view to be zoomed in and out by positioning the thumb along the slider.

Left-Click Drag Out Zoom Box Area Define

– The view area can be defined by Clicking, and dragging out a defining rectangle to specify the zoom area.

Resize Zoom Box Area

– To resize the zoom rectangle, click and drag a corner or edge of the red zoom rectangle designation box, and release at the desired proportional change in size.

Reposition Zoom Box Area

– To reposition the zoom rectangle, click and drag anywhere within the red zoom rectangle designation box, and release at the desired new position for the zoom rectangle.

Window Scroll Bars

The typical Windows Scroll Bars found in most Windows applications and their standard behaviour apply in exactly the same manner within the Visio environment.

Vertical Scroll Bar

The Vertical Scroll bar at the Right of the Visio Diagramming Window Pans the Diagram View Up and Down. Click and Drag the Thumb along the slider to adjust the view position up or down.

Horizontal Scroll Bar

The Horizontal Scroll bar at the Bottom of the Visio Diagramming Window Pans the Diagram View Right and Left. Click and Drag the Thumb along the slider to adjust the view position right or left.

Zoom Percentage Drop-Down List

The Zoom Percentage Listing is found on the View Tab by selecting the View Tab > Zoom (in the Zoom collection area)

  • 400% – Zoom to exactly 400 percent of the printed size of the Diagram
  • 200%- Zoom to exactly 200 percent of the printed size of the Diagram
  • 150%- Zoom to exactly 150 percent of the printed size of the Diagram
  • 100%- Zoom to exactly 100 percent of the printed size of the Diagram