An easy way to get a picture of your project due dates is to plot them on a calendar. In Visio, you can quickly create a monthly or yearly calendar with annotations, graphics, timelines, and other data to help keep your project on track.

This article describes how to:

• Set up a monthly calendar
• Add data to a monthly calendar
• Create a yearly calendar

For suggestions on improving the way your calendar looks, see Prepare Visio 2002 schedule diagrams for presentation.

By adding data to a monthly calendar, you can get an overview of the project's milestones and track your daily commitments.

Set up a monthly calendar

To set up a monthly calendar, just drag the Large month shape from the Calendar Shapes stencil and drop it onto the drawing page. If your schedule extends across several months, you can include the entire schedule in one Visio file by adding a new drawing page for each additional month you want.

To set up a monthly calendar

1. In Visio, on the File menu, point to New, point to Project Schedule, and then click Calendar.
2. From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag the Large month shape onto the drawing page.
3. In the Custom Properties dialog box, choose the month and the format options you want, and then click OK.

Note   You can change the month or the formatting options at any time by right-clicking the calendar, and then clicking Properties.

To set up a calendar for several months

1. In Visio, on the File menu, point to New, point to Project Schedule, and then click Calendar.
2. From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag the Large month shape onto the drawing page.
3. Choose the first month for your calendar and the format options you want, and then click OK.
4. On the Insert menu, click New Page.
5. On the Page Properties tab, type a name for the new page, and then click OK.
6. Drag another Large month shape onto the new drawing page, choose the month and other options you want, and then click OK.
7. Repeat Steps 4–6 for each month that your schedule includes.

Note   You can change the month or the formatting options at any time by right-clicking the calendar, and then clicking Properties.

Add data to a monthly calendar

After you have set up a monthly calendar, you can add data to indicate the milestones and events relevant to your project. The following table describes each data type and explains how to add it to your calendar.

If you want to	Example	Take this action
Indicate a milestone or special event.		From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag a Star label, Circle label, or Square label shape onto the appropriate day on the calendar. Type text describing the event or milestone.
Indicate an event that spans two or more days.		From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag a Timeline or Arrow shape onto the calendar. Line up the left edge of the shape with the left side of the day on which the time span begins. Drag the green selection handle on the center right edge of the shape until it spans the appropriate number of days. Double-click the shape, and then type text describing the event.
Add the previous or next month.		From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag a Small month shape onto an empty square on the calendar. Choose the month you want and the day on which you want weeks to begin, and then click OK.
Add descriptive text.		Click the day square on the calendar in which you want descriptive text to appear. Type the text. Click outside the square. Note   To revise the text, click the square and type the new text.
Highlight a special day.		From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag a Date frame or Small date frame shape onto a square on the calendar.
Indicate the phases of the moon.		From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag a Moon phases shape onto a square on the calendar. Right-click the shape, and then choose the moon phase you want. Note   It's easier to position the moon if you zoom in on the calendar before you drag the shape onto it. To zoom in, press CTRL+SHIFT, and then click the day you want.

Create a yearly calendar

If you want to see the current year (or a future or previous year) at a glance, create a yearly calendar. You can use the Visio drawing tools to highlight important dates.

While you can see the daily details best on a monthly calendar, you'll want to use a yearly calendar when you need the big picture.

To create a yearly calendar

1. In Visio, on the File menu, point to New, point to Project Schedule, and then click Calendar.
2. From the Calendar Shapes stencil, drag the Yearly calendar shape onto the drawing page.
3. Choose the year you want and the day on which you want weeks to begin, and then click OK.

Note  To learn how to brighten up your calendar with a color scheme, see Prepare Visio 2002 schedule diagrams for presentation.

To emphasize important dates on a yearly calendar

1. With the yearly calendar open, on the Standard toolbar, click the Rectangle tool .

2. If you don't see the Rectangle tool, on the View menu, point to Toolbars, and then click Standard.

3. Drag a rectangle around the date or dates that you want to emphasize.

   The date number disappears behind the rectangle.

4. On the Format toolbar, in the Fill Color palette , click No Fill.
5. On the Format toolbar, in the Line Color palette , choose a bright color so that the rectangle around the date stands out.