VSSX to VSS Conversion?

gdreelin · June 15, 2014, 05:09:11 AM

Is there anyway to convert a VSSX stencil to a VSS one?

Thanks

Paul Herber · June 15, 2014, 09:37:51 AM

Right-click on the stencil header, select Save As, choose .vss as the file type.

gdreelin · June 15, 2014, 04:20:25 PM

Paul,

The issue is I got a stencil online of a system I need but it was done in 2013 Visio and I have 2007 version. So it will not read it at all. I was wondering if there was some conversion tool out there.

Paul Herber · June 15, 2014, 05:40:31 PM

The only software that will open it is Visio 2013. I'm sure someone will be along soon who will offer to do so ...
or ... there is another way if you are confident doing so. Rename the .vssx file to a .zip, then open it with Winzip. The internal stencil should be readable with Visio 2007.

gdreelin · June 15, 2014, 06:27:07 PM

Humm ok thanks maybe I can get a trial copy and load it.

Yacine · June 15, 2014, 06:42:50 PM

Wasn't there this 365 option, where you could rent an office product for little money?
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/microsoft-visio-pro-for-office-365-create-versatile-diagrams-FX103791920.aspx

wapperdude · June 15, 2014, 07:18:29 PM

Quote
... there is another way if you are confident doing so. Rename the .vssx file to a .zip, then open it with Winzip. The internal stencil should be readable with Visio 2007.

Paul...

I don't think that works...can't just rename a file to make it a zip. Anyway, I tried doing so to a vss file. Yep. Couldn't unzip it. Wouldn't open.

Moving along... options seem to be:
1. Download eval copy of V2010 or 13 (if available, I did not check)
2. Try the Office 365 thing
3. Upload the file, and see if a forum member can re-save
4. Check the vendor to see if the stencil is available in older Visio format. I would think so. There are a lot of older versions out there! Why preclude them and restrict customer base?

Wapperdude.

Paul Herber · June 15, 2014, 10:35:09 PM

Hi Wayne, doesn't work with vss files, but vssx files are zip containers.

Nikolay · June 15, 2014, 11:21:48 PM

Quote from: Paul Herber on June 15, 2014, 10:35:09 PM
Rename the .vssx file to a .zip, then open it with Winzip. The internal stencil should be readable with Visio 2007.

Hmm.. Paul, as far as I know, there are no .vss stencil files inside of the zip, but only plain text (xml) files..? Wasn't that the reason for switching from binary to open .vssx (text) format - to make it easier to create/process the internal data..? That is, most content (all shape-sheet data) is now available as plain text (xml) in the "document.xml" file (inside of the zip). Am I missing something?

As for the question - there is also a "Visio compatibility pack", it allows opening Visio 2013 files in previous versions of Visio:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39640

Not sure if it works with Visio 2007 though (with 2010, it does)

wapperdude · June 16, 2014, 12:13:15 AM

Thanks for the clarification Paul. My lack of newer Visio version seems to have bitten me again.

Wayne

Paul Herber · June 16, 2014, 01:47:33 PM

It's only as far as I know and reading things on the interweb thingy.

Visio Guy · June 17, 2014, 09:35:27 AM

Wayne, you can run the trial for awhile, load up a couple of emails and maybe go for three months.

Visio Guy · June 17, 2014, 09:39:44 AM

There is an add-in for Visio 2010 that will allow Visio 2010 to read the new 2013 file format. It doesn't appear to save out to the new format, though.

It comes with Visio 2010 Sp2 from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2687468/en-us

Or you can install "Compatibility Pack" from http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39640