Allow customization of existing tabs/groups on the Ribbon.

[wapperdude]

There are commands that are not part of the ribbon that would be nice to add -- but, not as a new custom group or tab, but to either existing tabs and / or existing groups.  Sometimes, that's just the logical thing to do!   

Also, it would be nice to remove individual commands that are infrequently (never?!?) used.     Presently, (I haven't tried this), it looks like only complete groups or tabs can be removed.   

Wapperdude

[Fin311]

Its much easier with OOXML, but Vis 2010 doesnt have that luxury... maybe next version.  I have found luck with porting commands/macros with vba to custom ribbons.  You could always modify the code found here to change the default tabs in XML with VBA.  It would take some research on XML Id mso codes.

http://davidjpp.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/how-to-run-vba-macros-from-a-ribbon-button-in-visio-2010/

[Paul Herber]

I see no justification for having capabilities that are not available from the ribbon/menu or whatever.
Some command may not be used very frequently but being able to tell a user to do:
menu Tools -> ... 5 levels of menu -> command
is at least usable. Explaining to a user how to get a command that is not already on to the ribbon to make it available is not something I relish. Ever.

[wapperdude]

So Paul, if I understand you correctly, you're saying that every command, by default, should be available?

Wapperdude

[Paul Herber]

I don't see why not, if the command is useful then it is worth making it reasonably easily available (unless the functionality is duplicated elsewhere). However, some of the shapes in the list "Commands not in the Ribbon" actually are in the ribbon, e.g. Combine and Union are both on the developer ribbon.
If the user can't find it, the function doesn't exist - a complaint aimed at the menu based UI, IMHO even more true of the ribbon UI.
Borland's Delphi used a ribbon UI (under a different name, but basically the same thing), but that worked properly and helped the user.

[wapperdude]

Thanks Paul.  Hopefully, we'll get more users contributing their opinions to this topic. 

Regarding the ribbon...in general, it might be OK.  I personally have a great distaste for it, at least, the way MS implemented it in Office and especially Visio.  Inspite of all of the enhancements that V2010 made, the ribbon was, and still is, the chief reason I haven't personally upgraded.  Both of my work computers do have V2010, and .... well, I'm happy to walk away from it at the end of the day.  So, for me, to have total customization control would be extradoniarily beneficial.  But, yeah, trying to explain where to find a missing command is located (and why) is very exacerbating (sp?).

Wapperdude

[pukwudji]

Actually I would like to see a return to (or at least an option for) Visio 2007 toolbars.  Hunting through the ribbon is time consuming when the toolbars presented all the tools as a "one click away" option.

- Brad