Cannot get "Re-layout shapes" to produce anything half decent

Started by cwebb22, October 05, 2008, 09:53:20 PM

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cwebb22

I'm in a software development life cycle class and we have to make what is called a data flow diagram which shows how information flows between business processes and your system.  Anyway, I mapped out the DFD in Visio and can't get the shapes to organize in any sensible way.

Below are pictures of my diagram that I came up with.  The first one I used "Re-layout shapes" which is completely unreadable.  The 2nd image I attempted to move things around manually (which what I don't want to have to do because I have 14 of these to make and merge together).  It looks a little better but nothing I would ever present to anyone.

Anyone have any suggestions on how I can get Visio to auto organize the shapes and not have it put text right on top of each other?





Paul Herber

You are trying to show far, far, far too much information in one diagram. At the top level you should have just one named data flow between data sources/sinks and processes.

Electronic and Electrical engineering, business and software stencils for Visio -

https://www.paulherber.co.uk/

wapperdude

There is a lot of data being displayed  :o , but, there are somethings to try that ought to help.

1st, your central shape needs to be larger so that there can be greater spacing between the lines.  Everything seems to be converging on this shape.  This applies to any shape that has many line entries.
2nd, make your font size a little smaller.  This will reduce the overlay on parallel lines, and also provide some room to stagger the text. 
3rd, go to menu bar > File > Page Setup > Layout and Routing.  In the lower right hand corner, click the Spacing... button.  Change the connector to connector spacing.  This, with 1st suggestion, should help declutter your main routing area.
4th, back to the Layout and Routing menu, change the "overlap" to no lines.  In fact there are a variety of entries to muck around with associated with this point and point 3. 
5th, perhaps some of the shapes, i.e., those with only a couple of lines, can be smaller in size.  This frees up shape placement.

Overall, you need to make some choices between shape and font size, amount of information, and probably page size if you're not constrained to basic 8.5x11 or the metric equivalent.

HTH
Wapperdude
Visio 2019 Pro