How to set Text Block Alignment to “Top” in Visio as Default

Question

Is there a way to set the default Text Block Alignment in Visio 2007 to top so that every shape I create will be set to Top instead of Middle.

Answer 1

This is another good application of the Visio Styles feature.

First, (enable the Drawing Explorer)[http://blogs.msdn.com/b/saveenr/archive/2011/06/03/finding-the-style-explorer-in-visio-2007-and-visio-2010.aspx].

One the Drawing Explorer is enabled, right-click on the Normal style and select Define Styles...

Then the Define Styles dialog will appear. In the Change section click the** Text** button.

The Text Dialog will appear. Select the Text Block tab and under** Alignment** select Top.

Click OK and then Apply.

Now any shape you draw will have by-default its text aligned at the top. For shapes that you Drop from a stencil, these dropped shapes will typically be set to a different style specific to their stencil. Just drop a shape, and repeat the above procedure for the default style used in the stencil.

ProTip: Create a custom toolbar and add the Style button to it, so that you can easily see what style is set on a selected shape.

Answer 2

You could select all the shapes after creating your document and run a macro similar to what is listed here:

http://www.visguy.com/2007/11/07/text-to-the-bottom-of-the-shape/