Place Custom Template on Start Screen

[TheBori]

Visio 2016 opens to a start screen that shows lots and lots of canned templates. I have a custom template that I'm trying to have everyone in the office use.  I would very much like to have that template appear as a choice on the start screen. Otherwise I have to lead users down a merry path to open the template.  Invariably someone saves their drawing over the template...as a template.
Bonus points if you can get the existing templates OFF the start screen.
Thanks all.

[metuemre]

Good question. I hope it can be done.

In case it cannot be done here is what I do; If you save your template as a .vstm file and if a user double clicks on it then a copy of the template file opens with a file name of Drawing1 so your template file will be safe. You can also make it read-only with Right click-Properties.

[FlowerGirl]

Create a .bat script that copies the .vst template to their local drive and then opens it.


That what I did to keep this in control.

FlowerGirl.

[Paul Herber]

There are two ways to add a template to the start screen:
1. Create an installer (.msi) file. This is quite complicated but is the official correct way to do things.
or
2. menu File -> Options -> Advanced -> File Locations
and set the address filed for Templates. Put the template in this location. I tend to set this location to the My Shapes folder location.

[novski]

I was able to go with the second way over Options in Visio 2010 but since Visio 2013 it doesn't work on my side anymore...

[vojo]

I ended up having to create a template for 2013 since it doesn't remember user settings.
(things like mm vs inches, stencils to load, etc).

I placed in a "my_templates" directory and pointed 2013 to it.

After using a given template a couple times, its listed on the left side.

I pin it....so now everytime I start visio, that template is at the top left.
(vs the right side which is the recent templates used).

[TheBori]

Thanks Paul. #2 worked.  It also solves the "editing the template" issue.  It opens as a drawing "Drawing 1". 
The issue of editing the template came as a result of storing all our docs on SharePoint.  A single click opens the doc...a template doc.  It doesn't create a drawing from the doc.
I pointed the file location to the SharePoint directory and it's all good.  I can control the template, and the file opens a drawing.
Thanks all.

p.s. FlowerGirl...I was with you up until you said ".bat". 

[novski]

I ended up having to create a template for 2013 since it doesn't remember user settings.
(things like mm vs inches, stencils to load, etc).

I placed in a "my_templates" directory and pointed 2013 to it.

After using a given template a couple times, its listed on the left side.

I pin it....so now everytime I start visio, that template is at the top left.
(vs the right side which is the recent templates used).

thats so strange, because i do the exact same but it doesn't list the .vstx files on my side anymore since i got the 2013 update...

[metuemre]

Thanks to Nikolay, it is easy to make an .msi file on this site http://buildvisiosetup.azurewebsites.net
I tried for visio 2013 and my template showed up on start screen

[Nikolay]

Thanks! Glad you have put that to use

For a corporate environment with domain, there seem to be an easy administrative way described here:
http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=6053.0

It looks you can set that up with Visio Admin Templates and Group Policies (GPO) in your company.
And Visio will show templates you specify, on the start screen, under your company name.

Another possible point of interest - setting up SharePoint document library:
http://unmanagedvisio.com/configuring-sharepoint-library-to-store-visio-documents/