Cutting, Copying, and Duplicating Shapes

Quick reference

• 00:04 Let's see some great ways to cut and copy and duplicate your shapes in Visio.
• 00:09 So, I'm going to go into Visio.
• 00:12 And we're going to start a blank diagram here.
• 00:14 So, I'll click on blank drawing, and then I'll click on Create.
• 00:18 I'm using US units.
• 00:20 Okay, so let's say I want to have a table and some chairs.
• 00:25 So for the table, we'll just use a rectangle.
• 00:29 So on the home menu, I'm going to click on this pull down, and
• 00:32 we'll be able to find the rectangle.
• 00:35 And I'm just going to draw a rectangle on my diagram,
• 00:38 just hold down your left mouse and just draw that.
• 00:41 Whatever size you choose is fine.
• 00:43 So let's pretend that's that the meeting room table.
• 00:47 And then notice how my mouse is still the rectangle tool.
• 00:50 So we always want to go back to the pointer tool,
• 00:53 once you're done with a different tool.
• 00:55 So, I'll pick up the pointer tool, and I can actually move that and
• 00:59 resize it as I need to.
• 01:02 Alright, so that's fine.
• 01:03 So, I like to have some chairs around that table.
• 01:07 So, this is going to be a great example of the search.
• 01:10 I'll come over here and do a search.
• 01:13 I'll type in the word chair, and you'll find some chairs in there.
• 01:18 So, I'm going to scroll down, and I'm going to use the executive chair for
• 01:22 example.
• 01:23 So I pick up the executive chair and drag it into my diagram.
• 01:27 So I'm going to go ahead and make that larger with the sizing handle, and
• 01:30 then we start to see the chair.
• 01:32 Now, I like that to be facing the table.
• 01:34 So watch, we're going to rotate this.
• 01:37 I'm going to move my mouse to that little circle on that shape, and
• 01:40 just drag my mouse and then now the chair is facing the table.
• 01:45 Okay, good.
• 01:46 Well, I want to be able to have more chairs than that.
• 01:50 So of course, we could do our classic cut and paste or copy and paste.
• 01:56 So if I right click on a shape, then I can see cut,
• 01:59 and then copy, and paste, so that would work for us.
• 02:04 Let's try an example like that.
• 02:06 I'm going to right click on the shape and
• 02:07 pick on copy, then I right click over here and pick on paste.
• 02:11 Okay, then I would move that one in the position.
• 02:14 So, another way to find cut and paste, and copy and
• 02:18 paste is going to be up here on the home menu.
• 02:20 See how we have cut and paste, and copy and paste.
• 02:23 If you move your mouse to those icons, a paste this Ctrl+V,
• 02:29 cut is going to be Ctrl+X, copy is going to be Ctrl+C.
• 02:34 So we can always use the keyboard shortcuts as well.
• 02:37 Let me show you a quick way to do a cut and paste, or copy and paste.
• 02:41 I'm going to move my mouse and just drag the item.
• 02:43 So that would be the same thing as doing a cut and paste, right?
• 02:46 We can drag it, and then make sure it's going to be where we want that to be.
• 02:51 Now, here's a really great way to duplicate a shape.
• 02:55 I'm going to move my mouse to that shape.
• 02:57 And then before you drag it, hold down the control key.
• 03:01 For holding the control key, notice that little plus sign in my mouse.
• 03:04 Then if I drag it, it just made a copy of that shit.
• 03:08 So I'm going to move my mouse to that chair, hold down the control key, and
• 03:13 drag it, and now I just made a copy of that.
• 03:15 In this case, I'm going to make another copy of the chair.
• 03:19 So I'm going to get the chair, hold my control key and drag it over here.
• 03:24 Now of course that one I wanted to be rotate it,
• 03:26 so I'm just going to rotate that so it's facing the table, good.
• 03:30 Now, watch out I'm going to do all four of those at the same time.
• 03:34 Go back to your pointer tool, if you have to.
• 03:37 Then I'm going to highlight all four of the chairs on this side.
• 03:41 Now watch, I'm going to hold my control key, move my mouse to that,
• 03:45 notice how the plus sign is there.
• 03:47 I'm going to drag it over to the other side, and
• 03:50 then the chairs will be over there.
• 03:52 So I'll pick up that rotate tool, and move it so the chairs are facing the table.
• 03:58 So yes, I can right click on a shape and did a classic cut and paste or
• 04:02 copy and paste, I can move the shapes just by dragging them.
• 04:06 The other way to get to copy and paste would be the home menu up here.
• 04:11 And of course those all have keyboard shortcuts.
• 04:14 But as you're dragging yet, if you hold down the control key,
• 04:18 and move your mouse over a shape or even some selective shapes.
• 04:22 Then when you drag it, it's going to make a copy.
• 04:25 Everybody duplicate that shape, and they have some great ways to cut and copy and
• 04:30 duplicate your shapes within this here.

Lesson notes are only available for subscribers.