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Import Visio and export diagrams

Turn a Visio .vsdx file into a PlexiiDiagrams diagram, and save any diagram as a PNG, SVG, JPG or PDF to share or print.

All plansUpdated

PlexiiDiagrams can read Visio drawings (.vsdx files), so you can carry on with a diagram someone made elsewhere. Any diagram can be saved as a picture or a PDF to put in a document, an email or a slide, or to print.

Before you start

  • Importing and exporting are on every plan.
  • PlexiiDiagrams imports .vsdx files, and exports .png, .svg, .jpg and .pdf files.

Import a Visio file

  1. Open the Documents page. See The Documents page.
  2. In the row under the AI box, after the Or start blank choices, click Import Visio.
  3. In the Import Visio diagram window, choose the .vsdx file and open it.

A new diagram opens, named after the first page of the Visio drawing, or after the file when the page has no name. The file on your computer stays as it is.

What comes in

  • The shapes, where they sat on the page and at their size, with their text.
  • The connectors between shapes, as PlexiiDiagrams connectors with arrows, with any text on them as their labels.
  • Every page. The pages are placed one below another on the canvas, in order.

Shapes come in as the nearest PlexiiDiagrams shape: decisions as Decision, start and end shapes as Start / End, data and input or output shapes as Data, databases and stores as Store, circles as Circle, preparation shapes as Prep, and everything else as Process. Every shape comes in blue. The Visio drawing's colours, fonts, line styles and pictures are not brought in.

Export a diagram

  1. Open the diagram.
  2. Click Export in the toolbar and choose a format:
    • PNG image: a picture, for documents, slides and chat.
    • SVG (vector): a drawing that stays sharp at any size, for design tools and websites.
    • JPG image: a smaller picture file, for email.
    • PDF: a single page the size of the diagram, for sharing and printing.
  3. In the save window, choose where to save the file. The diagram's name is filled in as the file name.
  4. Click Save.

The toolbar shows Saved and where the file went for a few seconds.

The export holds the whole diagram, whatever part of it you are looking at, on a white background, trimmed to the shapes with a margin around them. Shapes, their names, connectors with their arrows, dashed lines and labels, and lanes are all included. A live widget from a desk appears as a box labelled live widget, because its contents change.

Common questions

Can I export a diagram back to Visio? No. Export it as an SVG to keep it as a scalable drawing, or as a PDF or picture to share.

The import says it found no pages or no shapes. The file may be empty, or hold only pictures or text. Check that it opens in the app that made it and has shapes on a page.

The import says it could not read the file. Check that the file is a .vsdx file. An older .vsd file needs saving as .vsdx first.

Where is Import Visio in Office? It is on the Documents page. See The Documents page.

Where did my exported file go? To the folder you chose in the save window. The toolbar briefly shows the full location.

How do I put a diagram in a document or deck? Export it as a PNG or SVG and insert the picture. In a deck, choose Image in the toolbar. See Text, shapes, images and tables on slides.

Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].