Using Visio 2013 for presenting on multi monitor systems

Started by Chris Adams, January 28, 2015, 06:37:44 AM

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Chris Adams

Hi all.

Has anyone written or would it even be possible to write some code so that on a dual head (multi monitor system) the first monitor shows the standard workspace for creating drawings (with tool bars/stencils etc).  The second monitor shows the paper output (presentation mode) as the drawing is being built?

I can't find a way of doing this in Visio normally and have been unable to find any tools on this internet, so I am now thinking about VBA.

My thinking is that when I am doing a presentation I can create drawings on the fly, the audience seeing the live output on a projector or meeting space (without seeing all the Visio tools) as I build up the drawing.

Note I can write VBA, but I am not brilliant at it (so any pointers would be much appreciated).

Thanks for your help.

Paul Herber

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

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

Nikolay

I think you could try "mirroring" programs.
They can take an area or window on one monitor, and display it full-screen on another (that's basically what "mirroring" is)

For example, I've seen functionality somewhat like to the one you are asking for in this program:
http://www.actualtools.com/multiplemonitors/features/multi_monitor_desktop_mirroring/

jik_ff

Sounds like you want the new functionality that they put into PowerPoint 2013, where you have a "presentation" screen and a "presenter" screen.  I don't think you can have the same visio file open and have changes show on the fly.

What kind of changes are you looking to visualize?  If you are talking re-drawing shapes, layout and such, I think you are out of luck.  But if you are looking at changing viusalized information, you can always have that data stored elsewhere (excel, SQL) and change that, then re-fresh your data.  I currently do this, but generally the layout of my floor plans does not change.

Id all depends on what you are trying to show.

Yacine

I would think you could export the drawing to an image - triggered either by a timer or by an action of yourselves.
There are several solutions for setting up a timer in Visio --> Google is your friend.
Now you will need a program to display that image on the second screen and update its display every time you export the drawing (triggered by the same code).
Window's picture manager has an update function, but no fullscreen mode. Here again you need to do some research work. --> Internet Browser displaying a png, Inkscape, Powerpoint, etc.
HTH,
Yacine
Yacine

Chris Adams

Nikolay, I will download your suggested app, it looks interesting.

Jik_ff yes very much looking for the same sort of idea as the PowerPoint presenter screen feature.  I do a lot of technical training which often means I have to create drawings on the fly of bespoke system architectures.  I was thinking rather than drawing on a whiteboard I might be able to use VISIO stencils/shapes to quickly produce on screen technical drawings (which would look better and be faster than my terrible whiteboard sketches).

Shame Visio doesn't have this feature.

Yacine, I will try your suggestion.

Thanks all for your fast responses.

Visio Guy

You can do a "pseudo" full screen, which is just Visio with almost no user-interface elements.

User "vojo" might even have code to do this on this site somewhere, but it might be from Visio 2007.

Then, you could create a form with VBA or a VB.NET/C# add-in that switches tools, shows/hides rulers and grids, flips the UI between normal and "fake full-screen", and does other nifty things (say, select all 1D shapes that are red, delete all shapes that have the word "no" on them, whatever). The form could run on the second screen.

So your form buttons would essentially need to re-produce any UI buttons that you need, which seems like a pain, but there is an Application.DoCmd call that makes this a one-liner in many instances.

I think "erasing" the Visio 2010/2013 UI is a matter of sending a "blank Ribbon XML" blob to the Application. Also a one liner. Can't remember how to get it back, but I'm pretty sure that stuff is somewhere on this forum as well.
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