Text Resizing Behavior
A
common complaint from Visio users is that “my text is resizing
improperly!” This problem stems from the fact that some text is
informational and some text is graphical. Figure 6 illustrates the problem.
For the Stop Sign shape, S-T-O-P is part of the
graphic. The text below the Stop sign serves as a caption and is
informational—not part of the symbol. If the shape is resized, S-T-O-P
resizes too, but the caption does not.
All the text on the Process shape is informational.
You make the Process shape bigger when you need space for more text.
The text on most Visio shapes behaves this way.
In this example, S-T-O-P isn’t even editable text.
It is four shapes drawn to look like the letters, so they naturally
resize with the rest of the shape.
Creating Fixed, Graphical Text That Resizes with a Shape
If you have a fixed set of letters like S-T-O-P in
the Stop Sign shape, you can convert them to a graphical block that
stretches like a shape. Just follow these steps:
1. | On
a new, blank drawing, create a text block using the Text or Text Block
tool. Alternatively, draw a rectangle and format it with no line and no
fill.
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2. | Type the letters for your text.
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3. | Format the font, color, and style for your text.
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4. | Copy the shape to the Clipboard.
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5. | Right-click anywhere on the page and choose Paste Special.
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6. | In the dialog, choose As Picture (Enhanced Metafile) and click OK. A new shape appears with the text that you copied.
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7. | Verify that the text size grows with the shape by pulling on the resize handles.
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8. | Verify
that you can’t edit the text. Select the shape and type. The new shape
has its own text block, unrelated to the graphical characters.
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9. | Change
line, fill, and text formatting attributes for the shape. Notice that
the text maintains the same font, color, and fill. Only the outline and
background of the shape change. This is another limitation of this
technique.
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10. | Group the new shape with other shapes to create a new shape.
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11. | Resize the new group and verify that your text grows with the shape. |
