Microsoft Visio is based on stencils . Stencils are palettes of shapes that can be used to create almost any diagram you need. Each palette is task-specific making it easier to locate the shape/s you require. You can open and work with multiple stencils and can even create your own.
When you find stencils online and download them, Visio stores them in the My Shapes folder. That’s where you can find them when you’re ready to use them in your diagrams.
After you download a stencil of shapes, copy it to your My Shapes folder. By default, your My Shapes folder is located inside your default Documents folder. Then, open the stencil in Visio by navigating to My Shapes. In the Shapes window, click More Shapes, point to My Shapes, and then click the stencil name.
What if I need more shapes than a particular Visio template provides?
If you need more shapes than a particular Visio template provides, you have a couple of options, depending on which version of Visio you’re using. If you use the subscription version of Visio, new stencils and templates are regularly being added and automatically to your app.
This means that Visio uses the My Shapes folder as the default when you use the Open Stencil dialog box or Save As dialog box to open or save custom stencils. If you delete the My Shapes folder, Visio creates another one the next time that Visio is started.
How do I download custom stencil shapes?
Shapes aren’t available to download individually – they must be part of a stencil. But you can copy any shape to a stencil in your My Shapes library of stencils. Right-click the shape, point to Add To My Shapes, and then click the stencil you want to add it to.
What is the default working folder for custom stencils?
Note: The default working folder for custom stencils is always the My Shapes folder. This means that Visio uses the My Shapes folder as the default when you use the Open Stencil dialog box or Save As dialog box to open or save custom stencils.
Where can I find Microsoft stencils for my design?
Under Online, (which is available when you’re connected to the internet), you’ll see shapes on the web by other companies, including Microsoft. To access those shapes, do the following: a. Click the stencil to see a preview.
These stencils contain more than 300 icons to help you create visual representations of Microsoft Office or Microsoft Office 365 deployments including Skype for Business, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Skype for Business Server, Microsoft Lync Server, and Microsoft Share, and point server.