File Locations

[Nikolay]

Thank you for the information.

Checked with Visio 2013.
For me as well Visio 2013 does not pick up (published !) metric stencil unless its filename has suffix "_M"
Note that this does not apply to the name you see in the user interface (i.e. in UI you can have anything, but the filename MUST end with "_M")

This appears to be different from all previous versions..

About the category icon - no idea either. A while ago have digged through the VisioSDK MSI file to figure out how it sets it's category icon, found nothing (it does not seem to set anything)
It looks like the category icons are just hard-coded in Visio.

[Roger Billsdon]

Hi Nikolai, Thank you it's great to have confirmation that it's not just me doing something silly. Let's hope Microsoft can provide a better solution soon.

The Visio 2013 SDK template categories only show the folder icon on my computer. Do you see something different or were you analysing a .msi file for an earlier version of the SDK? 

[Nikolay]

Nope. I have the very same thing with Visio 2013 (standard folder icon).. It was different with previous SDKs / Visio though.

[Thomas Winkel]

Hi,

I just want to ask if there is still no proper solution available for this problem?

We provide our (metric) shapes via SVN.
So they are located in a specific directory that is known to Visio via "File > Option > Advanced > File Locations".

This has never been a problem (Visio 2003 .. 2010).
Also Visio 2013 is working with the old stencil format (VSS).
But with the new format (VSSM) the stencils are not listed in the "More Shapes" menu.
As soon as I switch the measurement unit (Page Setup > Page Properties > Measurement units) from Millimeters to Inches it works (makes no sense for me because the stencils are metric).
Also the suffix _M works (after a Visio restart), but we do not like to rename the shapes.

Regards,
Thomas

[Eva]

Hi,

I have similar problem, but I can't get it work even with the old file format (.vss).
If I set the document's page properties to metric, my stencils are not listed in the 'More Shapes' menu, unless I change the file name to *_M.vss, or change the page properties to US units.
Have you changed some 'options' settings to get it work with the .vss files?

Regards,
Eva

[Thomas Winkel]

Hi Eva,

I checked it again and you're right, the Visio language makes the difference, not the stencil format.
German Visio: Stencils are listed
English Version: Stencils are hidden

Here is the same discussion in the Microsoft forum:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2013_release-visio/the-visibility-of-metric-stencils-in-more-shapes/b1e00b25-bb56-4118-b724-8a0624cd286e
Btw. is this your request, Eva?

Regards,
Thomas

[Eva]

Hi Thomas,

Thank you for your reply. Yes, this is my question over a year ago, when I first time noticed the problem. Then I decided to stay in Visio 2010
because there seemed not to be any other way than rename the stencils. But I can't avoid Visio 2013 for ever, so I have to find
some solution.

Does anyone know any good way to get own metric stencils visible without renaming them?

Regards,
Eva

[Yacine]

Silly question, but isn't renaming the stencils already an acceptable solution?
One will usually not use so many different new stencils.

[Nikolay]

Hmm..
Have just tested with German Visio (standard) - for me, it looks like it has the very same bug(?)

Stencils without "_M" at the end are simply not shown on metric drawings.

[Paul Herber]

It's never even been compulsory to add the _M or _U on files to determine whether they are metric or imperial. I have stencils that contain a mixture of metric and imperial shapes.

[wapperdude]

Sounds like a new,, well thought out feature.  Had to be deliberate!

[Thomas Winkel]

Hi,

@Yacine:
Renaming is not on option because:
* It looks ugly and confusing in the More Shapes menu
* Existing documents will not find their assigned stencils
* We have a few tens of users an cannot bother them more than necessary
* On principle: All stencils are already specified as metric while created with "New Stencil (Metric)"
* It is not necessary, we will skip Visio 2013 (not only for that reason)

@Nikolay:
Strange, I checked it with a colleague: He can see the stencils, I can not.
He has Visio 2013 Professional German 32bit (installed over Visio 2010)
I have Visio 2013 Professional English 32bit (installed on a clean Windows)

Btw. funny that the "Measurement Unit" can be a time like second, week, etc...

Regards,
Thomas

[Nikolay]

Renaming is not on option because:
* It looks ugly and confusing in the More Shapes menu
* Existing documents will not find their assigned stencils
* We have a few tens of users an cannot bother them more than necessary
* On principle: All stencils are already specified as metric while created with "New Stencil (Metric)"
* It is not necessary, we will skip Visio 2013 (not only for that reason)

Like most of life's problems, this one can be solved with bending (c) Bender 
I mean, at least points (1) and (2) can be solved by publishing stencils in setup: http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=6286

(1) - you can specify whatever name you want, independently from physical file name (also duplicate it for _U and _M), and add them to a specific category
(2) - you can specify list of the "alternate names" for the stencils, so that they are found by the drawings, even if the physical file name changes.

@Nikolay:
Strange, I checked it with a colleague: He can see the stencils, I can not.
He has Visio 2013 Professional German 32bit (installed over Visio 2010)
I have Visio 2013 Professional English 32bit (installed on a clean Windows)

Not sure why.. Maybe it depends also on OS language - I've checked with English OS.

[Paul Herber]

Like most of life's problems, this one can be solved with bending (c) Bender 

This, of course, is good news everybody!
[fan]

[Thomas Winkel]

Hi Bender

you have really impressive projects, thanks for sharing!

Points 1 & 2: Is this only possible with your installer or also with "in-house" Visio features?
We distribute our stencils / templates and other stuff via SVN:
http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=6220.msg25371#msg25371
There are updates nearly every day and with SVN the users are always up-to-date.
For the moment we would like to keep this proceeding.

Not sure why.. Maybe it depends also on OS language - I've checked with English OS.

We both have English Windows 7.