Visio ******
*****'* **** ************* ** drag-and-dropping ***-***** ******, ****** "stencils", **** ****** ***** page *******. ***** ******** a ****** ** ******** for ************ *** ********, including ******* ****** *******, card *******, *** *********.
***** *** *** ******** Ribbon **** ********* ***** in *** ****** ******** since **** ****. **** should ** ******* *** navigation ** *** *****, especially ***** *** ******** with *** ******** **********.

**** **** ***** *** two ****** ** ********* for *****. ** *** focusing ** ***** ************, because ***** ******** **** not ******* **********, ** Security *** ****** ***** Plans.
Manufacturer ********
**** ****** ************* ***** Visio ******* ****** ** their *******(**** ********,****** ********,******** ******** [**** ** longer *********])** ** **** ** create ****** ****** *****. This ********* *** ******** of ******** ******* ** Visio, **** ****** **********, Field ** **** (***), and **** ***** ***** specific ** ****** ****** models.
*** *******, **** ******** stencils ***** ***** *** drag *** ****:

** **** ******:

**** ***** *** ******'* coverage **** ** ** enabled/disabled ***** *** ** useful ** ***** ******* to ***** *******:

Not *** ************ ******** ***** *** ********
***** ****** *** ** change *** ******* **** color ** *** ***** to ******** ************* ******* different ****** ******/************ ***** on *** *******. ************'* stencils ** *** ******* this ***** ****** **** in *** ***, *** also ********* ****** *** camera ** ****. ** have **** **** ****** using ****** **** ****** with **** ** *** manufacturer's ********.
***** ******** **** ********* on ******* ************'* ********. One ******* ** **** is, **** **** ******** down **** ** *** camera, *** **** **** show *** **** ***** to, ** ***** *** camera **** ** ***** missed ********* ** *** installation ****** ** *** camera. **** *** ** very ********, *** ** often ************** ** ***** camera ****** *****.
Floorplan *************
******** ***** ***** (****, png, ***), *** *****, in ******** ** *** CAD ***** *** ** imported **** *****. **** gives ***********, ****** ** matter **** *** **** format ** *** ***** plan ** ********.
*** ******:

*** ******:

Other ****
***** **** ******** ******** stencils *** ******** ******* rack ********. **** *** be **** ******** ** both *** ****** *********** as **** ** ************* of ******** ******** **** determining ************ ** **** space **** *** ******* or ******** ** *******. Visio *** **** * primary **** *** **** purpose ** ** ***********.

Visio *********
***** *** ********* *** end ***** ** ******** integrators *** * *** reasons:
- ******* ******** ***** **** other ************
- ***** ** ****** ************
- ****** ** *** *** non-engineering *********** ** ******** without *** ********
- *** ******* ********* **** and ******* ******* ******** in ******** ** *******
- *** * ***** ** business ******** *** ***** outside ** ****** ****** drawings
***********
*******, ** *** ******* drawbacks ******** ** ************ specific *****:
- ****** *** ***** ** not ******* **** ******* (look-through-walls ******)
- ** ********* ***** ****** Editor (******* ****) *** markups ****** ***********
- **** ************ ******** ** not ******** ** *** effective *********
- ********* **** ** ******* to *** ** *** formats *** ******* **** non-Visio *****
- ******** ****** ******** ** a ********* *******
- ** *************** ****** ** Microsoft *** ************ ******** stencils
Versus ***** *****
***** **** ****** ************* provide **** ****** ****** tools (****, *****, *******), this ***** **** ******* use ********* ** *** end **** *** ******** integrator's ******* ** *** camera ***** (** ** 2012, *** *% ** our ****** ** ***********).
*** ******* ****** **** for ************* *** *** projects ** *******. **** its ************ ******* *** document *******, ******** ******** camera *****, *** ********** availability ** ********* *** Engineering *****. ******* *** offer **** *-* ******** of * **** ****, limitless ************* ** ****** and ******, ******* ******** detailed ********, * **** higher ******** **, *** has * **** **** complex ********* **** ** necessary *** **** ****** Layout *******.
** ******** **************** ****, ******* ** ** be * ********** ******* tool. **** *** *********** features **** ************* ******, revision *******, *** **-***** 360° ********, ***** ********** noted *** * **** valuable ******* **** ***** system ******. ******* *** use ** *** **** the ********* ** ** complex **** **** ****** and ******* ***** ********.
Versus **** ****** **********
*** **** ****** ********** includes ******* ******** *** found ** *****:
- ***** ******** ** *******:*** ********** ************ *,*** ****** ** cameras** ** **** *******. Visio ****** ******** *** available **** *** * handful ** *************.\
- ** ***** *************:************, *** ********** ** models ******* ******* ************** of ***** ** *****, not ****** ** ***** stencils.
- *** ************ *** *******: The ****** ********** ******** PPF ************ **** ** real **** (******* **** FOV) *** ** *******, along **** ******** *** sample ****** *** *******, night, ***** *** *****, and ********** ** *******.
- ********** ***** ********:***** *** ****** ****** image ******** *** **** camera, ******** **** ********* Calculator ********, *** ********* in *****.
- ******** ****** *******:********** ******** *** ** easily ******** ** ******** file *****, **** ** PDF, ******, **********, *** Word. ******* ******* ******* a ****** ******* ** Visio.
*******, *** ****** ********** lacks ******* *** ******** found ** *****:
- ** ***** *******:*** ****** ********** ******** only ************ *******, **** no ****** ** ******* access, *********, ** ***** symbols ********* ** *****.
- ** **** *******:*****'* ******* ** ****** rack ******* **** ***-**** stencils ** *** ********* in *** ****** **********.
- ** ******* ********:************, *** ****** ********** does *** ******* *****'* network *********** ********, ***** may ** ****** ** many **/** ************ ***********.
Visio **** **********
*********** ****** ****** ****** software **** **** ***** slightly ***** **** ******** to *****, **** *********** on ***** ******** ***** (Network *******, **** *******, Flow ******). ******* ** now ************ ****, **** a **** ******, ***** 3-D ****** *** ****** interface.
- ********* ***** ************ ****:$***.** *** - *******
- ******** ******* (******* ************ Only ** ** ****):$****/**** (** $***/*****)
- ****:$*** – *******, **** $100 ****** ***********
Comments (30)
Michael Miller
If you're looking at Visio or AutoCAD I would strongly recommend looking at D-Tools for your quoting software as the quote and design are married together. You can have your quote open on your left monitor and Visio open on your right monitor and drag parts from your quote onto Visio.
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Undisclosed Integrator #1
Great article and interesting to know. For ourselves, where our jobs can range from $10K to over $1million on single sites, and multi-million across a single customer's multiple sites, we've always used Visio and it has done well enough for what we need. When we get AutoCAD files, we just use the free converter to make them into PDFs which we import into Visio.
We're not against AutoCAD, we just haven't been able to find very easily people who are trained on it, and with Visio having met all our needs, there hasn't been the impetus to invest in training and buying the software.
Indeed, with that really high price (to us) for AutoCAD now, if we ever really did need AutoCAD work, it would probably be cheaper to outsource it to a temp contractor as needed.
I didn't know Axis Stencil shape allowed for blind spot areas. We'll have to check that out.
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Dennis Ruban
I know both AutoCAD and Visio and I prefer Visio. All the customers and co-workers always found Visio much friendly and prints are easy to read
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Undisclosed #2
With Visio you can link your Excel estimator along with Microsoft Access together and have a customized datasheet BOM with graphical criteria you create. Downside is you have to put time into building this library, however any object library software will require to build all your templates and blocks(remain unique). Riser charts and time pipes also are easily merged with Excel's charts and the use of Excel's powerful formulas allow you to be creative as you want to be. Access is good for importing all the manufacture price sheets, usually in excel including data such as Part#, Description and Cost and then accessible to Visio.
If you want to be effective with .dwg floorplans you will still need to us AutoCAD to clean up before importing into Visio, only import what you need or Visio can be a burden knocking down layers not needed in your floorplan. Again having adept knowledge of the entire MS Office suite is what can make Visio powerful. If the hard spec is AutoCAD, Revit, Navisworks or Solidworks then step up to the plate, software is not hard to learn it just requires time.
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Abdelhamid Metwally
An alternative software that can be used is JVSG. It overcomes many of the shortcomings of Visio for CCTV survey and also shows a 3D field of view. It should be noted that it is used only for CCTV, and cannot be used for network or rack diagrams. We are currently using it at our company.
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Serge Nadzialek
We also use JVSG from several years. In last update, IR and night vision are included.
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Undisclosed End User #3
Thanks for sharing. Very useful information. Of course, no one can beat powerful AutoCAD but for my use Visio would be enough. I can see two more plus points using Visio:
a. It shall save us license cost because we already have Microsoft agreement which includes Visio.
b. We shall be able to use collaborative tools like SharePoint and I am sure being Microsoft product, it shall be very easy to integrate and create workflows.
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Tony Casbolt
I have been using a product called System Surveyor. Very handy design tool and cloud based.
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Scott Napier
This might be a bit off topic, but it seemed relevant. Since moving from the contractor world to the Federal Gov't world, I have been dealing with the planning and design of a lot of construction and renovation products. There is a HUGE push in the architectural and construction space to get everything into REVIT. You can build a lot of detail in there also, and you can include price in an object, so once the design is complete you just print out ready made schedules with whatever level of detail you wish.
If I were to venture a guess,i would say that a lot of these firms will be 100% on REVIT and will refuse and other file type in the next 5-7 years.
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Brian Rhodes
This is pretty bold. Not saying you are wrong, but Revit is not the only CAD package being used for building design & architecture tasks. Are you using Revit for estimation take-offs and red-line drawings too?
You just described my family reunions! :)
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