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About this lesson
In this module, you will learn several ways to resize, rotate, and position shapes within the diagram.
Exercise files
Download this lesson’s related exercise files.
2.07 Resize-and-Reorient-Shapes - Exercise.docx96.2 KB Visio Before 2.7.vsdx
28.7 KB Visio After 2.7.vsdx
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Quick reference
Instructions
When you click on a shape, you get the sizing handles and the rotate tool.
To view the Size & Position pane:
- Click on the View Tab, and then the Task Pane icon, and then size and position.
Then you can get very precise with the size and position of a shape.
- 00:04 Let's talk about resizing and moving the shapes around and
- 00:07 doing some different things with the shapes.
- 00:10 So I can always click on a shape, and then notice how we get the sizing handles.
- 00:16 So you can resize it that way.
- 00:18 Notice how that shape is now bigger than the other shapes.
- 00:21 Now, I'm going to undo that.
- 00:22 Here's Undo up here.
- 00:24 Any shape is going to have the sizing handles when you click on it.
- 00:28 Also, naturally we can move that shape.
- 00:31 No problem with that.
- 00:32 And then, notice how those lines come up to help you
- 00:35 get the shapes lined up with different objects.
- 00:39 And we have a whole other lesson on lining those objects up.
- 00:42 Now, we can also rotate that shape.
- 00:44 So when you click on the shape, move your mouse to that circle, and
- 00:48 then just drag your mouse.
- 00:50 And then notice how we're rotating this shape.
- 00:53 So you can try different things like that.
- 00:55 Another way to rotate it is to pick on the shape and then pick on the Home menu,
- 01:01 come over here, pick on the word Position, and
- 01:04 then I can rotate the shape this way as well.
- 01:07 So notice if I rotate it right 90 degrees, or
- 01:11 left, or flip it vertical, or flip at horizontal.
- 01:16 So you have those choices as well.
- 01:19 So you can always click on a shape, resize it with the sizing handles, move it,
- 01:23 of course.
- 01:25 There's the rotate tool.
- 01:27 Now, what if you wanted to get really, really precise?
- 01:30 Well, then let me show you a different window.
- 01:32 In this case, I'm going to pick on the View menu, View.
- 01:36 Then I'm going to pick on the word Task Panes, and
- 01:40 I'm going to get Size & Position.
- 01:43 So we did View, and then Task Panes, and then Size & Position.
- 01:48 So you're going to get this window, you're going to click on one of your shapes, so
- 01:52 I just clicked on to the table, okay?
- 01:55 So now you can get very, very precise.
- 01:58 So the X and Y is where it appears on that drawing.
- 02:03 So notice if I move it, then you can see how those numbers changed a little bit and
- 02:09 now it's actually more into the center.
- 02:11 So as you move it, the X and Y will change.
- 02:15 Or you can just click inside there and type in a specific number.
- 02:20 And then the width and the height is about its size.
- 02:24 So let's make sure that it's perfectly proportional.
- 02:28 So I'm going to make that 3.5 as
- 02:32 the width and 7 for the height.
- 02:37 So then we know it's in proportion to itself.
- 02:42 And then what I'll do is maybe I'll move it.
- 02:44 So I'm looking for where it will be the centered in the slide, like that.
- 02:51 And then we can also move the chair.
- 02:53 So I'm going to move this chair, and notice if I move it right there,
- 02:59 then the extra that one, let's change it to say 1.65.
- 03:04 And then the Y says 8 inch.
- 03:07 Well, I'm going to click on that shape.
- 03:10 So I want that to be lined up with this one.
- 03:12 One way I can do is to make sure it has the same Y axis.
- 03:17 So I'll type in 8 there.
- 03:19 So those two are lined up.
- 03:22 Let's say I'm going to make that one at 6.
- 03:27 I'll click on this one, and make that one make this Y, 6.
- 03:33 So this is another way to actually line things up.
- 03:36 But now I'm getting very, very precise.
- 03:39 So I'll click on this one and make sure it says 4 there, good.
- 03:44 I'll click on this one, make sure the Y axis is at 4.
- 03:49 You can see they're perfectly lined up.
- 03:51 And then maybe I'll move the table down a little tiny bit.
- 03:55 And then click on this one and make sure that one is at 2.
- 04:00 And click on this one and make sure that one is at 2.
- 04:03 So with the Size & Position window, I can get very very precise, as you can see.
- 04:09 So the way we got that window open was we picked in the View menu,
- 04:12 and then you pick on Task Panes, and then you pick on Size & Position.
- 04:18 So then you can get very, very precise and
- 04:20 make sure things are the exact location of where you want them to be.
- 04:25 So now remember, you can always zoom in over here if you need to have a very,
- 04:30 very specific view, or you can zoom out, of course.
- 04:35 But with the zoom, and then with the Size & Position window, you can
- 04:39 make sure that things are precisely where you want them to be on the drawing.
- 04:44 So you can either click on a shape, you can rotate it here,
- 04:48 you can move it or resize it, you can resize it using the sizing handles.
- 04:53 You can pick on the Home menu and then pick on Position, and
- 04:58 here would be other ways you can rotate it.
- 05:02 Then if you want to get really, really precise, you can pick on the View menu,
- 05:05 and then pick on Task Panes, and open up the Size & Position window.
- 05:10 And then, that time I just put it away, but I'll pick on Task Panes,
- 05:14 and then Size & Position.
- 05:16 Then when you click on a shape, you can get very,
- 05:19 very precise as to where it appears on the drawing.
- 05:23 So those are great ways to resize and
- 05:26 reorient your shapes on your Visio drawing.
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