One of the most common items that we need to draw are VLANs and Layer 3 segment and there is many ways to create a useful shape. In this post, I want to look at creating a simple, but useful shape that is a single element, and thus easy to use.
Draw a simple line
The first step is to draw a simple line from left to right using the drawing tools.
Now right click on the line, and select the Format, Line (as shown)
What we really want is for this shape to look contained, so it needs some ends. So click on the Line Ends, Begin :
and repeat the same thing, selecting the same design elements for both ends. I use a open square box to leave lots of white space on the page (which makes your drawing more pleasant) and to save ink when printing. Now make the Line Ends a bit larger.
And now your will have the following shape:
Wrap up
Because this shape is a single element, and not a collection of other elements, it is easier to use and will be more flexible in most diagrams. Your connectors will stick to it, and it will bond to the Visio grid in a consistent manner.
Other posts in the series
- Colour Blindness, Network Diagrams and Reliability
- Designer or Engineer, Artist or Painter
- Network Diagrams: Rotating Text on a Line
- Network Diagrams: Tips for Printing from Visio
- Network Diagrams:Zones on a diagram with Visio shape union
- Network Diagrams: Drawing complex VLAN Networks with IP Addressing
- Network Diagrams: Drawing Freehand Curves (and then fixing them)
- Network Diagrams:Aligning Shapes
- Network Diagrams:Locking the Background Shape
- Network Diagrams: Labelling an VLAN/IP Segment
- Network Diagrams: VLANs and IP Subnets (This post)
- Network Diagrams: Drawing the Background Shape
- On the Art of Network Diagrams and Presentation
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