Using Rulers & Guides to Position Shapes

Quick reference

• 00:04 When you're creating your visio diagram, there's several things that you can do.
• 00:09 To make sure that the shapes are lined up or
• 00:11 in the proper position of where you want them on the diagram.
• 00:15 So notice how I have the ruler up here and it's also on the side.
• 00:20 So you can use the ruler to line things up.
• 00:24 Here's how to turn the ruler on.
• 00:25 We'll pick on the View menu up top.
• 00:29 And then you make sure the word ruler is checked right there.
• 00:32 So then you can maybe use the ruler to line things up.
• 00:36 By using the the lines and the ruler itself.
• 00:39 So another thing that you can turn on is the grid.
• 00:43 If I pick on the grid here on the view menu, then you have the actual squares.
• 00:48 Now when it prints the grid is not going to print, but
• 00:52 those are just visual cues to help you line things up.
• 00:55 So you can just use the horizontal or vertical lines.
• 00:58 And if something is on the same horizontal or
• 01:00 vertical line then you know they're going to be laying down.
• 01:03 So this can be very helpful for you.
• 01:05 Now also when you move your objects around
• 01:09 then notice that when I moved this object around.
• 01:13 Then you get these lines, the green lines that you're seeing.
• 01:17 So if that doesn't happen for you, that's called dynamic grid.
• 01:21 So make sure on the View menu, the word dynamic grid is checked as well.
• 01:26 You see, if I pick up this shape,
• 01:28 let's say I want to be lined up with the diamond.
• 01:31 So I'm going to pick up this shape.
• 01:34 Then you'll see the green lines.
• 01:37 Then notice when it's lined up with the diamond, you can see those green lines and
• 01:42 now I can lift my finger and be sure that it is lined up.
• 01:45 If I pick up this one, I can see the green lines and
• 01:50 make sure it is lined up with the other shape.
• 01:52 So, the reason that that happened is because of something that's
• 01:55 called the dynamic grid.
• 01:57 So I actually like the dynamic grid rather than the grid of the squares,
• 02:03 but whatever you prefer is perfectly fine.
• 02:06 You can use the ruler to line things up, you can use the grid.
• 02:10 I kind of like that dynamic grid where you can move things and
• 02:14 make sure they're lined up in a visual way.
• 02:17 So let's say I want to line these items up, those two text boxes.
• 02:20 So I'm going to move this one so
• 02:23 that it's right on the edge of this line on the grid.
• 02:29 And if I pick up this one, I'll move it to that same line.
• 02:34 And then we can see how we will be able to line those up.
• 02:37 So you can use the grid to help you.
• 02:40 You can use the ruler.
• 02:43 I like that dynamic grid that comes up.
• 02:45 I'm going to click on this shape.
• 02:47 Now let's say one thing you line up with the middle of the other shape.
• 02:51 Notice how when it's right on the middle, I'll get that green line.
• 02:54 And now the middle of those shapes is lined up.
• 02:57 But if I move it just a little bit up now the top of those shapes is lined up.
• 03:02 Here the middle is, and then the bottom is.
• 03:05 So I'm going to make it so the middle of those two shapes is lined up.
• 03:09 So using these tools is going to be a great way
• 03:12 to make sure that things are lined up on your diagram.
• 03:15 Now another thing that you can do is we can tell Visio to line things up for us.
• 03:22 So I'm going to go ahead and highlight these three shapes.
• 03:25 I'm just going to draw my mouse around those three shapes and
• 03:28 notice how they're selected now.
• 03:30 I want to make sure that they're lined up.
• 03:33 So yes, I can use the tools have been showing you, but
• 03:36 here's a way that we can make sure that they're lined up.
• 03:38 In this case I'm going to pick on the Home Menu.
• 03:42 And then I'll click on the word align.
• 03:44 Now in this case, I want to make sure that their left margin is lined up.
• 03:49 So pick Align Left, it looks like they were already lined up,
• 03:52 but if they weren't, then that would make sure.
• 03:55 So you pick several objects and then you can pick on align.
• 04:00 And then these three are to align them vertically.
• 04:04 And these three will be to align them horizontally.
• 04:06 All right, so either way, that's good.
• 04:08 Now also, I want to make sure that those are equally spaced.
• 04:12 So then, we make sure that they're selected, and
• 04:15 we pick in the word position.
• 04:17 And then in this case, I'm going to say distribute vertically.
• 04:22 And then you can see how they're perfectly lined up.
• 04:25 And they're perfectly evenly spaced.
• 04:27 All right.
• 04:28 So this can be really, really helpful for you.
• 04:31 So watch, I'm going to select these three objects.
• 04:34 I want to make sure that they're maybe lined up in the middle.
• 04:38 So we'll pick on align, align middle, and
• 04:41 then that'll be the horizontal alignment, as you can see.
• 04:46 And now they're perfectly spaced going across and
• 04:48 they're perfectly spaced going up and down.
• 04:51 So, between the View menu where we could turn on the ruler,
• 04:57 the grid and the dynamic grid.
• 04:59 And also when you select your shapes, you can select shapes in multiple ways.
• 05:05 But if I pick on the Home menu now,
• 05:08 then I can pick on align, and then make sure that they're equally spaced.
• 05:13 I'll pick on the word position.
• 05:15 And now you have some great ways to line up your shapes using the tools that
• 05:20 come with Visio.

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