Using Word Drawing to Create Report Diagrams

Using Word Drawing to Create Report Diagrams

In the bottom of the Word screen is the Draw toolbar. You can quickly draw good diagrams using this toolbar. For example:

To draw a straight line, left click on the symbol.

Click on the document where you want to create the drawing. Then select Insert->Picture->New Drawing. A drawing canvas is inserted into your document. Add diagram elements one at a time by clicking on the element on the toolbar, moving the mouse to where you want to place the element, then draw it by holding down the left mouse button. If you want to change anything you have drawn, select it by clicking on it. Small circles appear. You can change the location of the element by moving the cursor onto it until it changes into a cross, then dragging it to the new location. You can change its length or orientation by dragging one of the small circles in the desired direction.

For example, if you have this document in electronic form you can click anywhere on it and the drawing canvas will appear around it. Then click on an element and you will see circles appear at its ends.

I constructed this diagram one piece at a time. You might want to make a single unit for purposes of copying it or moving it. You can do this by selecting (clicking on) one element. When an element is selected, small circles appear on its ends or at intervals around its sides. Then hold down Shift and in turn select all the elements that were assembled into the whole. When all have been selected, click on the word Draw at the left end of the drawing toolbar. Click on Group and all the elements will henceforth be considered as a single unit. If you want to make changes in the unit, you need to select it, click on Draw and then on Ungroup.

Note: Excel drawing has the same features, but is somewhat more flexible and precise than Word. (Note the difficulty I had in getting the motor circle centered with the motor terminal boxes.) The spreadsheet cell outlines also help you to keep lines horizontal and vertical. You can copy the Excel diagram and paste it into the Word document.