This looks like an easy to answer question although it is difficult to find the appropriate answer on.
After linking excel data to a shape template and linking the other rows, Visio automatically cascades additional required shapes. Auto aligning and evenly distrubuting these shapes (>100) is an painful manual task. Is there a way to evenly distribute these shapes along its page size? Or should I write a macro for this?
There should be AddOns for aligning and distributing shapes.
"Visio automatically cascades additional required shapes" That's not datalinking (which assumes the drawing is already created and formatted correctly).
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Sorry for not explaining it correctly. I couldn't find any option to autmatic distribute distribute shapes after dragging all rows of the external data window onto the page while having a template shape selected. Visio then creates the required number of shapes automatically with the build in external data columns. In the attached example there are four cascaded shapes. Is there a way to automatically distribute them in a row like manner? Thanks
As mentioned above. There are built in functions for that. You only need to select all shapes and push the right button in the menu. Look here for more:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio-help/auto-align-auto-space-and-re-layout-shapes-in-a-diagram-HA010357447.aspx#BM1
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio-help/align-shapes-HP001231364.aspx
If you want to do this automatic you can activate the Macro-Recorder, while using the "Auto Align & Space"-Button and see what code it genereates.
Or you write your own VBA code that gives all shapes the same PosX value but different PosY values.