ShapeSpecs Visio Add-in

ShapeSpecs is a Microsoft Visio add-in designed to enhance AV engineering workflows by attaching technical specifications and other documentation to AV device shapes in Visio diagrams.

Project Overview

This project implements a VSTO-based add-in for Microsoft Visio that allows users to:

• Attach text specifications to shapes
• Add images and documents as attachments
• Add notes and comments to shapes
• Import and export specifications
• Centralize critical shape information (device specs, AV notes, installation guidelines)

Workflow Diagrams

User Workflow

flowchart TD
    A[User selects AV device shape] --> B[ShapeSpecs panel updates]
    B --> C{User action?}
    C -->|View| D[Display specifications]
    C -->|Add specification| E[Open editor form]
    C -->|Add attachment| F[Select file]
    C -->|Add note| G[Open note editor]
    
    E --> H[Save specification]
    F --> I[Process and store attachment]
    G --> J[Save note]
    
    H --> K[Update panel]
    I --> K
    J --> K
    
    L[Select another shape] --> A
    M[Export specifications] --> N[Save to file]
    O[Import specifications] --> P[Load from file]
    P --> K

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Data Flow

sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant VisioShape
    participant SpecsPanel
    participant ShapeService
    participant StorageService
    participant FileSystem
    
    User->>VisioShape: Select shape
    VisioShape->>ShapeService: Selection event
    ShapeService->>VisioShape: Get shape ID
    ShapeService->>StorageService: Request metadata
    StorageService->>FileSystem: Read metadata file
    FileSystem->>StorageService: Return metadata
    StorageService->>ShapeService: Return shape metadata
    ShapeService->>SpecsPanel: Update with metadata
    SpecsPanel->>User: Display specifications
    
    User->>SpecsPanel: Add specification
    SpecsPanel->>ShapeService: Save specification
    ShapeService->>StorageService: Update metadata
    StorageService->>FileSystem: Write to storage
    FileSystem->>StorageService: Confirm write
    StorageService->>ShapeService: Confirm save
    ShapeService->>SpecsPanel: Update display
    SpecsPanel->>User: Show updated specs

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Repository Structure

The solution is organized into three main projects:

• ShapeSpecs.Core: Core business logic, models, and services
• ShapeSpecs.UI: User interface components and controls
• ShapeSpecs.Addin: VSTO add-in integration with Visio

Development Setup

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio 2019 or newer with:
  • .NET Desktop Development workload
  • Office/SharePoint Development workload
• Microsoft Visio 2016 or newer (32-bit or 64-bit)
• .NET Framework 4.7.2 or newer

Getting Started

1. Clone this repository
2. Open ShapeSpecs.sln in Visual Studio
3. Restore NuGet packages
4. Build the solution
5. Start debugging (F5) to launch Visio with the add-in loaded

Required NuGet Packages

The following NuGet packages should be added to the appropriate projects:

Install-Package Newtonsoft.Json -ProjectName ShapeSpecs.Core
Install-Package System.Drawing.Common -ProjectName ShapeSpecs.Core

Implementation Plan

The project is being implemented in four phases:

Phase 1: Core Foundation (Current)

• Basic dockable panel UI
• Shape selection handling
• Text specification storage and retrieval
• Initial ribbon integration

Phase 2: File Management (Next)

• External storage system
• File attachment capabilities
• Import/export functionality
• File preview capabilities

Phase 3: Advanced Features

• Rich text editing
• Multi-shape specification handling
• Template system
• Specification versioning

Phase 4: Finalization

• UI/UX refinement
• Performance optimization
• Error handling improvements
• Deployment package

Architecture Documentation

For detailed architecture information, see the following documents:

• ShapeSpecs_Architecture.md - Detailed architectural design
• ShapeSpecs_Implementation_Guide.md - Implementation strategy

Known Limitations

• The current implementation focuses on Phase 1 features
• Some UI components have placeholder implementations that will be completed in future phases
• The dockable panel is implemented but not fully integrated with Visio's docking system

Next Steps

To continue development:

1. Complete the remaining Phase 1 functionality:

   • Implement any missing UI components
   • Add more error handling
   • Create project files for each project

2. Begin implementing Phase 2 features:

   • Develop the file attachment system
   • Implement import/export functionality
   • Create file preview capabilities

3. Add unit tests to ensure stability

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.