Export Dialogs to Visio | AseptSoft Documentation

Export Dialogs to Microsoft Visio to generate visual, interactive dialog layouts. The export creates a Visio document where each dialog is rendered as a structured diagram using Visio shapes, allowing full customization of appearance and layout.

Access this export from the Upload button at the bottom of the Dialogs window.

:clipboard: Overview

In pharmaceutical process automation, operator dialogs are critical touchpoints — confirmation prompts before a CIP cycle, parameter entry screens for SIP hold times, or batch acknowledgment forms. Exporting these dialogs to Visio gives your validation and engineering teams a visual blueprint of every operator interaction, making it easy to review dialog layouts during design qualification (DQ) or factory acceptance testing (FAT).

:gear: How It Works

AseptSoft automatically creates a Visio document with all dialogs rendered using a document stencil. The stencil contains master shapes for each dialog element type:

Shape Master	Description
DialogMaster	The main dialog container
Dialog	Individual dialog instance
CheckBox	Checkbox control shape
RadioButton	Radio button control shape
TextBox	Text input field shape
Button	Action button shape

:bar_chart: GRAFCET / SFC Export

AseptSoft also supports exporting process control sequences as GRAFCET (Sequential Function Charts) to Visio. The GRAFCET export renders the complete process step sequence with all transitions, conditions, and actions.

Pharma example: A WFI (Water for Injection) distribution loop might have a GRAFCET sequence covering pre-heat, circulation, cooling, and sampling steps — all of which can be exported to Visio for visual review during validation.

GRAFCET Elements

The export uses specialized Visio shapes for SFC elements:

Element	Description
Phase	A standard step (rectangular box with step number and actions)
InitialPhase	The initial/starting step (double-bordered rectangle)
MultiForkCondition	Simultaneous divergence — multiple branches execute in parallel
AntiForkCondition	Simultaneous convergence — waits for all parallel branches
TeleportNode	Jump reference to a remote step (used for loops or distant connections)
EdgeLabel	Transition condition label on a connection

Connection Types

Connector	Purpose
Edge	Standard directed connection between steps
EdgeAfterLabel	Connection continuing after a transition label
EdgeToTeleport	Connection to a teleport jump node
EdgeEnterMultiFork	Connection entering a parallel divergence
EdgeLeaveMultiFork	Connection leaving a parallel divergence
EdgeEnterAntiFork	Connection entering a parallel convergence
EdgeLeaveAntiFork	Connection leaving a parallel convergence

Step Actions (Nested Inside Phase Shapes)

Each phase/step shape can contain nested action shapes:

Action Type	IEC Notation	Description
ContinuousAction	N	Executes continuously while the step is active
ContinuousActionWithCondition	C	Executes continuously while step is active AND condition is true
StoredActionOnActivation	S	Sets on step activation, remains after step deactivation
StoredActionOnDeactivation	R	Resets on step deactivation
ActionStoredOnEvent	P	Pulse action triggered by an event
Custom	—	User-defined custom action

Dangling Conditions

Steps can have dangling conditions — conditions displayed alongside the step rather than on a transition. These use a dedicated container (DanglingConditionsContainer) with lead lines connecting to the step, and display both the action and condition text.

:star2: Key Features

:paintbrush: Fully Customizable

The export uses a Visio document stencil provided by AseptSoft. You can:

Modify the stencil to change the default appearance of all dialog elements
Customize individual shapes after export
Apply your own visual themes and formatting

:arrows_counterclockwise: Responsive Layouts

Exported dialogs support responsive behavior in Visio:

Elements can be resized, rotated, and repositioned freely
Responsiveness options are customizable through Visio's shape data
Container shapes automatically adjust to content changes

:recycle: Cumulative Export

Like all AseptSoft exports, the Visio export is cumulative:

First export — creates the Visio document with all dialogs
You customize — reformat shapes, add annotations, adjust layout
Dialog changes — add, delete, reorder, or rename dialog items in AseptSoft
Re-export — AseptSoft updates the dialog content while preserving your visual customizations

:label: Visio User Cells

AseptSoft stores metadata in Visio user cells on each shape:

User Cell	Purpose
`AseptSoftGrafcetElement`	Identifies the element type
`AseptSoftGrafcetId`	Unique element identifier
`AseptSoftGrafcetDanglingCount`	Number of dangling conditions on a step

These cells enable AseptSoft to identify and update the correct shapes during cumulative re-exports.

:white_check_mark: Requirements

Microsoft Visio must be installed on the machine to use this export
AseptSoft will detect if Visio is not installed and disable the export button

:page_facing_up: Alternative: Excel Export

For a tabular representation of dialog definitions (without visual layout), see Export Dialogs to Excel.

Dialogs — the data type being exported
Export Dialogs to Excel — tabular alternative
Export / Import Module Data — parent page for all module data exchange features
Export / Import — cumulative export overview