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How to replace a milestone with an image or shape of your choice

If you want to change the default diamond-shaped milestones in SummaryPro to something else, like a star, follow these steps using standard Visio functionality.

Chosen image to become a milestone

Step 1: Import Your Chosen Image

  • Import your image by either inserting a picture or using copy and paste.

  • Resize the image as needed.

Step 2: Access ShapeSheet

  • Right-click on the image and select "Show ShapeSheet." This will reveal the normally hidden configuration options in Visio.

Right mouse on the image and select ShapeSheet

  • If the ShapeSheet option isn't available, you'll need to enable the Developer menu on the ribbon. Right-click on a blank area of the menu ribbon, select "Customize Ribbon," and check the "Developer" option on the right.

Step 3: Configure a Connection Points

  • In the ShapeSheet, you can adjust various aspects of the selected item. For this customization, focus on the "Connection Points" table.

  • If the "Connection Points" table isn't visible, follow these steps:

    • Right-click on a blank area.
    • Choose "Insert Section."
    • Select "Connection Points" and click OK.

Actions to display the Connections Points table

  • Locate the "Connection Points" table and edit the settings as follows:

    • X: width*0.5
    • Y: Height*0.5
    • Type / C: 2

  • To make these changes, select the cell in the table and either double-click it or press F2. Make the adjustment, and then press Enter to save the change. Be careful not to add changes to the previous cell by not pressing Enter before moving to the next one.

Step 4: Attach the Image to the Milestone

  • Your image now has a connection point in the centre. Simply drag it over the milestone, and it will snap to the centre of the milestone shape. It will also move along with the milestone if you change the date.

Step 5: Hide the Milestone

  • To hide the milestone, create a new style in the SummaryPro Styles sheet called "hidden." Configure it with Foreground Pattern = 0 and Line Type = 0, and apply this style to your milestone.

  • Ensure that the milestone's display settings are set to "Style" for both fill and line and choose "do not change" when the milestone is complete.

Milestone settings in SummaryPro

Now, your hidden milestone will carry the attached image while remaining invisible in your project timeline.

The final result

 

Miles Goodchild

Miles Goodchild has been a Program and Programme Planner, PMO lead and Project Manger since 1998.  He enjoys using MS Office, especially Project, Excel and Visio to make life easier and simpler.  In the course of this he created SummaryPro.  In this blog he shares some of the tips and techniques he has learnt over the years in the hope that they will be useful to you.