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What is a shape?

In Visio, anything is a shape, really. A flowchart shape, a text box, a background, and even a line.

What is a 1-D shape?

A 1-D shape is a shape that, when selected, has a beginning point and an ending point.

What is a 2-D shape?

A 2-D shape is a shape that, when selected, does not have a beginning point or an ending point. Instead, a 2-D shape typically has eight handles.

What is a stencil?

Stencils appear on the left side of the diagram. If you can’t see them, click View > Task Panes > Shapes.

What is a template?

A template is one of the drawing type options you see when you start Visio. When you choose one, the stencils and shapes for that template will appear in the Shapes window, ready to work with.

See also

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