Help creating a file type for vsdx (Visio) files

Hello,

I'm trying to create a file type for VSDX, but I'm getting the following messages when attempting to process the files:

Pre-scanning failed to identify the file type; the following messages were generated:

Pre-Scanning Error: Data at the root level is invalid. Line 1, position 1.

Pre-Scanning Error: ", hexadecimal value 0x03, is an invalid character. Line 1, position 3.

I'm attaching my attempt.

Thank you!

Nora

Visio Nora.zip

  • Hi Nora,

    This VSDX file format is a zip file just like docx or xlsx files.
    blogs.office.com/.../

    So using the xml parser won't work. You could unzip the file to get to the content, but it doesn't look like a trivial task finding the text you need to translate.

    I also found this tool but I have never used it, so I cannot guarantee it works. Also, it requires Visio be installed on the PC:
    www.translatortools.net/.../features_v3.11.html

  • Thank you Jesse! TransTools looks much more affordable than the Visio filters I've seen.
  • Hi Nora

    I don't know which Visio filters you refer to, but let me tell you about my personal experience.

    There are basically two commercially available filters for Visio:

    (1) The MS Visio filter from Tracom: available in the AppStore, it has the advantage to be fully integrated into Studio, which means that once you have installed the filter, you can open .VDX files as easily as any other file format supported by Studio. It is however tied to your Studio instance and version, meaning that you need to purchase an update when you update Studio.It is the most comfortable, but also the most expensive solution.

    (2) The Sysfilter for Visio for Polmann Services: it is now also available in the AppStore. This is a stand-alone app, not integrated into Studio. It generates either an .RTF or an .XML file from the Visio diagram, which you can then open and translate in Studio. Afterwards you can reimport this translated .RTF or .XML into Visio. This has the advantage that you can use it with several instances of Studio because the export from Visio is a separate process and it works with all versions of Studio and does not require an update when you move to a more recent version of Studio. This is my preferred solution and the one I use for translating Visio diagrams. It works flawlessly and gives excellent results.

    Recently, Stanislav Okhvat included also a converter for Visio in his awesome macro collection "Translator Tools". Sound interesting, but I did not find time yet to test it, so I cannot comment on it.

    Happy testing.
    Walter

  • Hi Walter,

    Thank you for the explanation and for sharing your personal experience, which is always very helpful. I had considered the Tracom filter, but it's just too expensive for me, as I only had a few one-page files to translate and I don't get enough Visio files to justify the cost.

    Following Jesse's advice, I downloaded the latest version of TransTools and with Stanislav's prompt and helpful guidance I was able to successfully process the files. TransTools has a 45-day full functioning trial, which I find very helpful, and I will definitely be buying a license at the end of the trial period.

    Happy Sunday!

    Nora