US Map with square states

[Bork]

The attached file is a map of the US states using ½” squares to representative the 50 states (and DC); I saw this in a recent edition of The Economist and liked it. The first page is an uncolored version of the map.  On the second page is two maps showing a breakdown of the states by population and area to show how it could be used for comparisons with values by color.  I used a dataset but it probably would be easier to use it with imported data.  Again, I am user not a coder, so if you like the concept, feel free to use and modify as needed.

I used data graphics and had two issues. First, I wanted to break the states down into 5 percentiles. I could add a percentile, but could never delete the bottom one (the one with 51).

Second, I have the states in a container and when I added a legend, it automatically put both legends into the top map. When I broke the legend apart to put the correct legend in the bottom map, I noticed it moved the top container’s bottom line down also.  Don’t know if this because I tried to use one dataset to cover both maps.

[Visio Guy]

I'm on the phone here and can't view the Visio file, but I thought I'd reference something similar I made in 2015, also Economist-inspired:

http://www.visguy.com/2015/09/04/usa-states-map-with-equal-sized-states/

[Visio Guy]

Hi Bork,

The locked positions seem to cause issues with the containers. When I unlocked the states, they then moved with the container.

Regarding the legends, I'm not sure. I didn't have time to investigate further...

[Bork]

Yes, yours is the same one as mine.  Your version is better, so please feel free to delete mine.

Side question. Is there a place on the forum to discuss of how Visio is used outside of work (assuming there is an interest)? Two examples of what I mean:

1.  Home.  Being terrible with names, I use Visio to keep up with my neighbors’ names.  I imported a Google satellite picture of my neighborhood, placed a shape on top of their houses with the street number and then put their information into shape data (Name, Address, Tel #, children, etc.)  In addition to printing it out, I exported the information into a PDF file that keep on my Android phone.  Now there is no need to ask my wife what’s the guy’s name who lives in the red house on the corner.

2.  School.  I recently took a CNC class at the local community college and had to write a G Code. Normally your first one is simple like cutting a square into a piece of aluminum.  However, I like to challenge my teachers and they enjoy returning the favor, so I was tasked with producing a pentagon with ½” sides starting 2 inches in and ½ in up. This could have been a challenge to find the appropriate (X,Y) points, but I broke out Visio.  I used the Visio multigon shape where you input the length of a side you want and placed it at starting location.  At this point I had all my (X,Y) coordinates in the Shapesheet, to use for my G Code, but I used dimensioning shapes to show the teacher how I came up with the coordinates.  See atch file

I’d be interested in different ways people use Visio outside of work.