Microsoft Office Visio is a most useful and versatile diagramming application that has the ability to include information with every single item. Although Microsoft Office Visio is inexpensive, and widespread, there are, unbelievably, still some people who need to see and analyse Visio documents, but do not have the actual application available.
Microsoft have released a free viewer for Microsoft Office Visio files, and have included it with the installation of Microsoft Outlook 2007 and 2010. However, an updated version can also be downloaded from Microsoft, if you do not have it already. The current version is Microsoft Visio Viewer 2010 ( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=f9ed50b0-c7df-4fb8-89f8-db2932e624f7 ), which supports Visio 5, Visio 200, Visio 2002, Visio 2003, 2007 and 2010 files.
Microsoft Office Visio is a data diagramming system, and many Visio documents include information as well as graphics. This application is a wrapper application for the free Microsoft Visio Viewer and provides the user with the ability to
The web publishing features of Microsoft Office Visio 2007 and 2010 provide the ability to create integrated graphics and data by using XML (the data language of the web) combined with VML or SVG (two common graphic languages for the web), however the Visio files are not viewed in their native format, and consequently there is no ability to control the display of layers or view reviewers comments. Microsoft Visio Viewer 2010 does however provide the ability to not only see the information encapsulated with every item, but to search the information to find the elements that contain the desired information. Printing Visio documents or just copying information or graphics are still a problem in the web pages.
Microsoft Office Visio, in common with some other graphical applications, has the ability to assign items to different layers in the picture. Any layer can be switched on or off, or a color can be assigned to a layer. These capabilities can turn a static diagram into a more fluid environment. For example, the furniture and equipment layouts in an office layout, the annotations on a process flow diagram, or the pictures in an organisational chart, can be turned on or off, changing the appearance and use of the same drawing infinitely.
Microsoft Office Visio 2003 introduced reviewing and mark-up, providing the ability to pass Visio files around for comment. The published web pages do not display these reviewers comments at all.
Microsoft introduced the Microsoft Visio Viewer in 2002 and has updated it to provide support for Visio versions 5 through to 2007. The viewer does have layer control, reviewer's comments and custom properties (the special information stored with each graphical shape). It is free, and provides the ability to use Microsoft Office Visio files as a portable format that can be viewed by non-Visio users. Printing is tricky, because it depends on the host application, usually Microsoft Internet Explorer, and it is not possible to search the information in the same way that it is even with the published web pages.
Therefore, bVisual has written the visViewer application (now in its second edition) to add these features, and more. visViewer requires the Microsoft Visio Viewer to be installed first, and then it provides a simple and extended interface for the Visio documents. Not only is it useful for non-Visio users who need to use the Visio files more interactively, it can be a companion for Visio users who need to view Microsoft Office Visio files quickly, and copy some information or pictures simply.
Do not expect the full capabilities of Microsoft Office Visio from a viewer ... you will need to use Microsoft Office Visio for that..
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