As a solution architect or developer, you're likely no stranger to the importance of visualizing complex systems and architectures. Azure Visio stencils can be a game-changer in this regard, providing a library of pre-built shapes and symbols to help you create accurate and informative diagrams.
With Azure Visio stencils, you can quickly and easily create diagrams that showcase your architecture, making it easier to communicate with stakeholders and team members. This can save you hours of time and effort in the long run.
Azure Visio stencils are available for download from the Microsoft website, and they're updated regularly to reflect the latest Azure services and features. This means you can be confident that your diagrams are accurate and up-to-date.
By using Azure Visio stencils, you can create professional-looking diagrams that are both informative and easy to understand.
Visio Stencils Features
Visio stencils offer a range of features that make designing and creating diagrams a breeze.
You can easily import and export stencils in various formats, including .vsd, .vsdx, and .vssx.
Visio stencils are highly customizable, allowing you to add your own shapes and symbols to create unique diagrams.
The stencils library is vast and includes pre-made shapes for various industries, such as IT, business, and engineering.
With Visio stencils, you can create complex diagrams and flowcharts with ease, thanks to the intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
You can also use Visio stencils to create custom diagrams for presentations and reports, making it a valuable tool for business professionals.
Microsoft Integration and Power Platform
Microsoft Integration and Power Platform are a big part of what the Microsoft Integration, Azure, Power Platform, Office 365, and much more Stencils Pack has to offer.
This Visio package contains fully resizable Visio shapes that help you visually represent On-premise, Cloud or Hybrid Integration and Enterprise architectures scenarios, including BizTalk Server and API Management.
The package includes stencils for Microsoft Power Platform, which is a great tool for building business solutions. You can use these stencils to create diagrams and solutions that showcase your Power Platform projects.
The stencils pack also includes shapes for Office 365, SharePoint, and other related cloud and on-premises technologies. This means you can create comprehensive diagrams that cover your entire Microsoft ecosystem.
Some of the specific stencils you'll find in the pack include:
- MIS Power BI Stencils
- MIS PowerApps and Flows Stencils
- MIS Power Platform
Version History
Azure Visio Stencils have a rich history of updates and improvements. The first version of Visio was released in 1992.
The Visio team has consistently released new versions with significant features and improvements. One notable update was the release of Visio 2010, which introduced improved collaboration tools and enhanced diagramming capabilities.
Since then, Visio has continued to evolve with new features and tools. The 2013 version introduced new diagramming shapes and templates, while the 2016 version added support for real-time collaboration.
A Bit of History for This Project
I spent around 4 hours processing 300 plus icons manually, resulting in a functional stencil after at least 3,600 mouse clicks.
Initially, I was able to process each icon in around 45 seconds with a few key bind mappings and macros on a gaming mouse.
Microsoft updated a huge collection of Azure Service icons shortly after I finished processing the icons, making my version irrelevant.
I knew that Microsoft would continue to add new services to Azure and refresh current service icons, which would require me to process thousands of mouse clicks after each version update.
Version 4.0
Version 4.0 was a huge update that added 210 new icons to the collection, released on 09/02/2022.
This update included a lot of per-service configuration items to help with accurate designs using the particular service category stencils.
Some icons may appear as duplicates when looking at the full stencil due to this addition.
A special thank you goes out to @SvenAelterman for supplying several AKS icons.
New identity icons were added, including Azure Token, Azure Active Directory Verifiable Credential, and Azure Active Directory Privileged Identity Management.
Here's a list of the new identity icons added in Version 4.0:
- Azure Token
- Azure Active Directory Verifiable Credential
- Azure Active Directory Verifiable Credentials
- Admin Consent
- Azure Active Directory Privileged Identity Management
- Collection
The main goal of this release was to provide the new icons present in the Azure Portal, on the Power Platform, and new existing Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to import Azure Visio stencils?
To import Azure Visio stencils, navigate to the Shapes window and click More Shapes > My Shapes > Organize My Shapes. From there, you can access the folder where you saved your stencils and add them to your Shapes window.
How do I enable stencils in Visio?
To enable stencils in Visio, click More Shapes in the Shapes window and select a stencil from the available categories. This will add the stencil to the Shapes window for use in your diagram.
Sources
- https://github.com/David-Summers/Azure-Design
- https://mrpaulandrew.com/2022/08/19/visio-stencils-for-the-azure-solution-architect/
- https://build5nines.com/microsoft-azure-icon-set-download/
- https://blog.sandro-pereira.com/2023/06/14/microsoft-integration-and-azure-stencils-pack-for-visio-new-version-available-v8-0-0/
- https://blog.sandro-pereira.com/2018/01/19/microsoft-integration-azure-and-much-more-stencils-pack-v3-0-0-for-visio/
Featured Images: pexels.com