Paint brush

[swell]

Hi, is there an easy way to simply free form paint something? (in 2019 visio), like in Paintbrush and those tools, they have a paintbrush. 

I think the established way in visio is to like first draw some object (may it be free form) but then there are some arcane criteria's, which only if one follows accurately, then only insert color capability becomes enabled.

In my case, I am drawing free form a lot, so my figures are not perfect, so wondering if there is a paint tool to smudge in color in my drawings.

Thanks a lot everyone.

[Yacine]

Not sure if I understood well. You want to fill shapes freely drawn with a color.
Whilst setting a fill color is rather easy, you probably struggle with open geometry paths, that cannot be filled by default.


The trick is to set the field "NoFill" to false in the shapesheet of the shape.


In your daily work, you'will certainly not want to modify this field manually. Use a macro.

Code Select Expand

Option Explicit

Sub fillOpenShapes()
  Dim shp As Shape
 
  For Each shp In ActiveWindow.Selection
    shp.CellsSRC(visSectionFirstComponent, 0, 0).FormulaU = "FALSE"
  Next shp
End Sub


The code will work with hand drawn shapes. Shapes created by special operations like trim, union, etc. may have more than one geometry section and the code would need to consider them too.
(Section numbers above 10 (=visSectionFirstComponent) and leave the loop on error)


HTH,
Yacine

[wapperdude]

Visio is not a "drawing" app.  You will not find the sort of tools that those types of programs offer.  But that does not mean you cannot be "artistic".  There are numerous examples of artistic designs on this website.  Here's a good example: http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=6095.msg24787#msg24787

The tools at your disposal are basic and include various types of line tools, shape tools, and some freeform.  While painting with a brush is not one of the tools offered, you do have various fills available including gradient and transparency.  Plus, there's a layer tool.  These can by combined to create interesting fill / shading effects.  But no smudge, blur, etc tools.  Not even an eraser per se.  The recent Visio versions do have some interesting effects applied to lines that might qualify as blur or smudge.  Plus, some 3D effects and shadows.

[Nikolay]

Not quite sure if I understand the problem correctly either. What are you trying to achieve? Maybe you could share some screenshots for us?

There is a difference between "vector" drawing apps (like Visio, Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, etc), that draw using coordinates and shapes and "raster" drawing apps (Adobe Photoshop, Paintbrush, etc), that draw using a pixel grid.
The "flood fill" tool is mostly applicable to "raster" apps. In "vector" apps, to get a filled area, you mostly create a closed contour around it first, and then fill that contour. In Visio as well.

[swell]

frustrated, I have to sketch very quick (say a few seconds to a minute), rough drawings "within visio" in the simplest/prettiest manner.
1) say a flask with water in it.  I can freeform draw a flask in few secs, but I can't show water in it.
 
2) a simple triangle, filled with color, that should be very very very easy.  But that is a torture.  I think there are some tricks that as you free draw 3 lines (to create a simple closed triangle), you must draw it in 1 continuous swoop (and not leave the mouse cursor until the figure is carefully closed).  But even then, there are quirks, which I don't find any help on that. 

fyi: Nikolay:  I do find your post intriguing, the distinction b/w vector vs raster drawing - thanks for the insight. At least I learnt something, as such conceptual concepts are critical.  We humans are regressing in knowledge.  b/w I posted an image, tinypic url, it only shows when I go to edit my post, but disappears in the published post : )  Thanks guys/gals, appreciate if this coloring aspect, you can help de-mystify. 

I think key challenges are: understanding:
a) open vs closed drawing. (open being say flask, close being, say triangle).  How to fill each type.
b) closed drawing, previously used to work easy.  Articles/tutorials are too simplistic, do not talk about the vital steps, how to close the geometry. 

[wapperdude]

Couple things:
1. Closed shape is one where 2 points along the curve are identical.  Typically the start and end points.
2. Open shapes may have a fill pattern, but that is typically disabled.

The most efficient way, in my opinion, is both are handled in shapesheet.

To close a shape, assuming that the 2 points are close to each other.  In geometry section, last row, which ought to be end point, in the X cell type = and then click on the 1st row X cell.  Do same for the Y cells.  Viola.  Closed figure.  Now set the Geometry1.NoFill cell = 0 or false.  It will now fill.

To fill an open shape, just set the NoFill to 0.  But, beware.  Sometimes unexpected fill patterns occur.

To get your triangle, duplicate the flask, then draw a line across the duplicate at desired height.  Select both the flask and line and fragment.  Color your newly formed liquid shape.

[swell]

ok, I am trying to follow this: But on my visio 2019, when I draw a triangle > go to shapesheet.  It shows a 'Shape  Transform' table, and underneath that a "Geometry 1" table.  In there first row are some properties:
Geometry1.NoFill, Geometry1.NoLine, .NoShow, NoSnap, .NoQuickDrag
Underneath that are some positional columns (x, y) and rows (MoveTo, LineTo, LineTo ...)
Underneath that is a: 'Protection' values table
etc, etc. 
so on your help, I am getting lost, when you say:  in geometry section.  You said: last row ought to be 'end  point'.  I am not seeing any such thing ... (I try to play, toggle values on .NoFill to True or False, it makes no difference, even tried a regular color filled rectangle, and toggled its .NoFill, no matter what I change, it keeps the color filled). 

To close a shape, assuming that the 2 points are close to each other.  In geometry section, last row, which ought to be end point, in the X cell type = and then click on the 1st row X cell.  Do same for the Y cells.  Viola.  Closed figure.  Now set the Geometry1.NoFill cell = 0 or false.  It will now fill.

[Nikolay]

As of my understanding, user is not supposed to "draw" things in Visio, it's not for that, the use case is different - the user drags pre-created shapes from the stencils, and builds diagrams out of them. Visio is not a tool to create fancy icons or something like that. There are different instruments available for that sort of thing. Visio is a "business graphic" tool. I would recommend something like Adobe Illustrator to build icons and alike.  Even stuff like boxy-svg could be better at creating icons. You can export them later and import into Visio as shapes if you want. Also, nowadays, you can ask Chat GPT to draw a flask with water for you as SVG, lol.

[wapperdude]

My apologies.  I didn't ask about your level of experience with Visio.  Soooo...
1.  How long have you been using Visio?
2.  How would you rate your skill level:  newbie, beginner, occasional, daily...
3.  Have you edited the shapesheet before?

[swell]

objective: as I had stated: "I have to sketch very quick (say a few seconds to a minute), rough drawings "within visio" in the simplest/prettiest manner".
since 'time' is our enemy, simplicity is our friend, cartesian dualism or relativism is a regression of human intellect. 

10 yrs or so ago, I used visio as my daily sketchpad, being a programmer (C, Haskell), then owning my enterprise still using visio as a daily notestaking, and then selling it all away, and eschewing technology since then, this maddening chaos, human has put himself into.

Granted things have changed, so has shapesheets that I used, and admittedly I am rusty, so help me here if you can (and children, quit this spoiled child play, "visio is not for drawing", get your bearings back, remember who you are).   

[wapperdude]

Granted things have changed, so has shapesheets

Actually, not so much.  As Visio capability has expanded, so has the shapesheet as added features, which are located at the bottom of the shapesheet. 

Thank you for not answering any of my questions.  So, I still have no idea the level of help to offer.

But, I do have one more question:  as you're on V2019, as am I, what was your previous version?

and children, quit this spoiled child play, "visio is not for drawing",

Wow.  Why so rude?  Everyone here is a volunteer.  That certainly isn't going to evoke much support.  Stating that Visio is not a drawing program means it only has basic tools, was not focused on doing detailed artwork.  That doesn't mean it can't do some artwork, it means it is not tooled to do so nor is it efficient at doing it.  Yes.  You can quickly plop down cookie cutter shapes.  Yes, with more effort, add gradient fills.  No, you will not find paint brushes, spraypaints, and other exotic tools associated with drawing/illustration software.  The forum, indeed, has some quite exquisite drawings done.  But these were no trivial, couple minute efforts. There are also examples of quick, cute/clever artwork.  Even these took more than a few minutes.

It gets back to usage and skill level and dedication to putting those skills to work.  The basic techniques have not changed as Visio has evolved.

So, answers to previous questions....

[swell]

I actually answered each of your question, and then some more.  You want me to come to the ignoramus i.e. rating of "self" as a "non-self",  tick mark the appropriate checkboxes so that a "qualified" professional can offer the best, as if, a prescription for some ailing patient, or silly to be asking a question, one so fundamental, that it rendered all speechless. And all the while you are oblivious of the world burning around you, precisely due to mentality (my tool is better than yours) engulfing the very chair on which you sit and inflate that specialist ego.  Time is gold, children, don't waste it. 

What is Visio, it is my quick 'n dirty notes taker, little tiny notes taker.  It should be yours too.  You are better than this, human is better than this.  I am out.  It is obvious, you cannot help yourself, how can you help others.

[wapperdude]

Oh dear. Such utter desolation of the mischievous congruence to have such a prattlingly whisp suggestion of a specialist ego.  Nay.  The truth is veiled, that a truly grand, limitless ego stalks the shadows, awaiting dispatch, to engulf those disenchanted with Visio.  The pudding reveals the confluent convergence of thought and depiction, glowing like effervescent crystals on the world's stage.  Timeless. A stroke here.  Some splash of color there.  Alive and static, beckoning any who dare behold it.

It is the answer that begs the question.  Gilded like a golden dandelion.

[Yacine]

This was a quite long discussion, but I see that you have not replied to the very first answer - the one I posted almost one year ago.
I suppose that it was not clear enough?

[Nikolay]

Okay, I must confess that was a bit rude on my part as well. But IMHO you are just expecting too much from a tool that was not built for the task.

An AI assistant could probably be ideal for that task; a tool that would "understand the intent" and rectify the free forms to "look nice." Until then, I guess we just need to cope with what is available.

Sometimes it helps to share your drawing and then ask a question like "How do I...?"
That way, we can see the same thing you see, and the conversation can become more productive.