Where do you guys find icons and logos for your shapes?

[shayneneal]

I am trying to start building a stencil filled with shapes and don't know where to find some logos and icons... even smaller parts like USB ports so I don't need to reinvent the whole wheel... I have attached a picture of some icons on a lenovo server shape but all the graphics are one piece... I can't ungroup them anymore.

[vojo]

3 options
1) google "visio shapes" and/or "visio stencil"
2) can copy paste png or jpeg into drawing and trace over the shape
    (main drawback to this is that curves can be tough....I developed some parametrically controlled curves for more control).
3) could start by developing some basic shapes and place  in a stencil ...drop as needed and place and group
    (you can use control handles or UI for parametric inputs)

In a lot of cases, getting close is good enough.  User's eye will be tricked into shape they are familiar with.

IMHO, if you are trying to build 3D or Isometric shapes, I would stay away from Visio tools (2013 3D is half backed)
Do your own 3D in visio...depending on desired shape flexibility, this can be tedious
- static 3D shape is pretty straight forward (a iso grid background shape can help a lot as reference points)
- dynamic 3D shape will involve shapesheet work and some complex cell formulas
   so its easier to have 20 static "polygons" of different dimensions than 1 dynamic shape you can adjust real time
- IMHO dynamic shapes based on VBA is even tougher (wrestle VBA as well as all the trig involved).

As always, curves, arcs, ovals can be tough to make dynamic for any isometric shape...lots of practice required

[Bork]

I too find it easiest to just to trace bitmaps in Visio.  Another option is to import the bitmap into Inkscape (freeware), vectorize it (trace bitmap command) and then bring it into Visio.  That is what I did with the attached file that a was USB jpg drawing I found on line.  However, as you can see by looking at the Shapesheet it makes a simple shape into a complex one.

[qw12]

for company logos, very often you can find files in SVG-files.
Most of the time they are possible to import without problems.
Compared to bitmaps, they can be scaled nicely

[Bork]

Lettering is another reason to supplement Visio with Inkscape when creating shapes.  Visio TrueType fonts are not vectors as I found out when I used Visio to design drawings to make plasma table cuttings; I had to do my lettering in Inkscape.  With Inkscape you can put letters on curved lines or circles, and when you bring the letters into Visio you can modify them individually with the pencil tool.

[wapperdude]

If you're looking for special text effects, check out this work developed by JuneTheSecond:  http://visguy.com/vgforum/index.php?topic=1006.msg4874#msg4874