Resolved Visio 2007 - any experts here?

Just installed Visio 2007 and I'm trying to start a house floor plan from scratch. I'm finding the GUI a little confusing. Anyone able to give me a few basic tips on the setup configuration?
Thanks

 

A beginner's guide to Visio 2007

 

Thanks lj50. The link leads to some interesting stuff, but what I need to know is evidently so basic that nobody has thought it necessary to document it. Which is why I was hoping to speak to someone who's familiar with Visio floor plans.

The famous (or infamous, depending on your opinion) L Ron Hubbard once observed that anyone reading instructions for a new and unfamiliar process or system, would only progress to the point where they failed to understand the current step. After that, nothing made sense, and their learning process stalled.

This happened for me when I couldn't see the relationship between the Visio configuration for scales and measurements, and the floorplan I wanted to produce.

I've drawn many house plans over the years, using a scale rule and pencil (or sometimes a drawing machine), and it was pretty simple once I'd established the scale I wanted to work in, like 1:10 or 1:50. But selecting these items in Visio doesn't seem to alter the 'playing field' in quite the way I'd expected.

I'm sure that anyone who's used Visio to draw a floorplan or two could put me straight in a few shakes

Cheers.

 

Sorry it wasn't what you were looking for. That was the most basic instructions I could find.

 

Not a Visio expert, and I don't have the program, but maybe this will get you going. You have to construct your plan using basic shapes unless you have the Pro edition. Click the File tab. Click New, and then click Maps and Floor Plans, and choose the Home Plan. In the existing drawing, select the shapes you want to use in the new plan and then on the Home tab, in the Clipboard group, click Copy.

Here is a Microsoft step by step guide:

Create a Home Plan using Microsoft Office Visio 2007

"Use the Home Plan template in Microsoft Office Visio to draw new house plans or remodeling plans, experiment with new kitchen and furniture arrangements, or draw plans to add a new room to your home. "

Here is a link to a .pdf step by step to specifically create a house plan using Visio:

How to use Microsoft Visio for House Plans

Both these examples are very basic.

 

Thanks antik, there's a few good tips there.

But, man - this Visio app is REAL hard to control! Like, you create a few walls and give them a specific size then go get a coffee..when you come back the dimensions have changed. Sheesh!

And you can't just choose to see the wall dimensions like you would with a real plan - no, you've got to add a 'dimension shape'. And does its size match the actual wall size? Of course not. That'd be too efficient.

And in case you're wondering, I haven't found any other house plan drawing software that's any easier to control and understand. Oh, I'm sure that a six month course would get you up and running with most of these apps, but one that you can pick up as easy as a pencil and scale rule - no such animal.

Cheers

 

Save often, after you do something right and before trying anything new. Save before you go for coffee. You don't want to start all over at level one every time you get killed.

 

Thanks Antik. I'm hoping I'll find all my answers here:
http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php
Cheers