One document, multiple page sizes using backgrounds in Visio 2003

[lanceosborne]

I'm creating wireframes in a Visio 2003 document where I'm using a common background for each page.

Pages in my document are letter size (11 x 8.5) with a horizontal orientation. When I add a new page and set the page size to tabloid (11 x 17) with a vertical orientation, the page height doubles, which is correct.

Unfortunately, the extra height is added to the TOP of the page, NOT to the bottom. Because of this, the backgrounds used on the new tabloid page are not placed properly. They begin at the middle of the page.

Changing the ruler zeros to the top left before adding the new page does not seem to help.

Is there a solution for this, other than having to create duplicate backgrounds to be used for the two different page sizes? Does Visio not support multiple page sizes in the same document?

[wapperdude]

I believe your only solution is to create two background pages.  The background pages are not scaled as a function of the foreground page, i.e., they are literal pages. 

Visio supports multiple page sizes in a single drawing, but, not in the sense that you mean -- stretching/shrinking the background to fit the foreground.  You probably could automate this with some VBA code, but, it probably just as easy to create two separate pages.

Wapperdude

[Lars-Erik]

Visio uses the bottom left of the page as origin, and there is, as fast as I know, no way to change that. So I'm with Wapperdude, go with two backgroundpages, or more as you see fit, just a backgroundpage for every papersize.

If you change papersize alot, or alot of people use you document, you can use VBA to change the backgroundpage for you, otherwise I wouldn't go there, macro security messages etc would be more trouble then there worth.

[aledlund]

John Marshall did a blog entry (unfortunately I can't find it now) that described how the virtual background pages work (backgr_u.vss). You might check out the stencil and see if you can modify it to what you need.
al

[kdjohannes]

Any update to your issue? Were you able to figure it out? I am trying to do something similar...don't know code well enough to try it myself. I am also saving my background and a single page as a template - I don't know if this adds to the issue or not.

[wapperdude]

All these years later, and I'm still of the opinion that multiple background pages are the most expedient solution. 

Wapperdude

[kdjohannes]

This is what I chose to do as well. Really, just make multiple pages or sheets instead of having the drawing go off the side.

[AndyW]

Handle the 'WindowTurnedToPage' event and set the page size of the background page to the current foreground page size.