Microsoft Fabric Visio Stencils

A comprehensive collection of Microsoft Visio stencils for creating professional Microsoft Fabric architecture diagrams and documentation.

Overview

This repository contains the Fabric.vssx stencil file with over 90 custom shapes and icons specifically designed for Microsoft Fabric services and components. These stencils enable architects, consultants, and IT professionals to create accurate, visually appealing diagrams that represent Microsoft Fabric environments.

What's Included

The Fabric.vssx stencil file contains shapes for all major Microsoft Fabric components organized by category:

Core Fabric Services

• Fabric Color - Main Fabric branding elements
• One Lake Color - Data lake visualization components
• Power BI Color - Business intelligence elements

Data Engineering & Processing

• Data Engineering Color - ETL/ELT process shapes
• Data Factory Color - Data pipeline components
• Pipeline Item - Data processing workflows
• Copy Job Item - Data movement operations
• Dataflow Item - Streaming data processes
• Dataflow Gen2 Item - Next-generation dataflows
• External Dataflow Item - External data connections

Analytics & Intelligence

• Data Science Color - Machine learning components
• Real Time Intelligence Color - Streaming analytics
• AI Skills Item - Artificial intelligence capabilities
• Experiments Item - ML experimentation tools
• Model Item - Trained models and algorithms

Data Storage & Management

• Data Warehouse Color - Enterprise data warehouse
• Data Warehouse Item - DWH components
• Lakehouse Item - Modern data architecture
• Databases Color - Database representations
• SQL Database Item - SQL Server components
• KQL Database Item - Kusto Query Language databases

Reporting & Visualization

• Dashboard Item - Interactive dashboards
• Report Item - Standard reports
• Paginated Report Item - Formatted reports
• Restricted Report Item - Secured reporting
• Scorecard Item - KPI scorecards
• Restricted Scorecard Item - Protected scorecards

Real-Time Analytics

• Real Time Dashboard Item - Live data visualization
• Event House Item - Event processing centers
• Event House Non-Item - Event infrastructure
• Event Schema Set Item - Event data structures
• Eventstream Item - Streaming event processing

Workspace & Organization

• Group Workspace Non-Item - Shared workspaces
• My Workspace Non-Item - Personal workspaces
• Environment Item - Development environments
• Folder Non-Item - Organizational structures
• Sample Non-Item - Template components

Security & Governance

• Sensitivity Label variants for all classification levels:
  • General Multi-Color
  • Non Business Multi-Color
  • Public Multi-Color
  • Confidential Multi-Color
  • Confidential Protected Multi-Color
  • Highly Confidential Multi-Color
  • Highly Confidential Protected Multi-Color
• Policy (Dark/Light Multi-Color)
• Restriction (Dark/Light Multi-Color)

Industry Solutions

• Industry Solutions Color - Vertical-specific components
• Healthcare Item - Healthcare industry solutions
• Retail Item - Retail industry components
• Sustainability Item - Environmental solutions

Additional Components

• Notebook Item - Jupyter/Spark notebooks
• Function Item & Function Set Item - Serverless functions
• Variables Item - Configuration variables
• Links Item - Connection elements
• Metric Sets Item - Performance metrics
• Apps Item - Application components

Installation

Prerequisites

• Microsoft Visio (2016 or later recommended)
• Windows operating system

Installation Steps

1. Download the Stencil File

   # Clone the repository
   git clone https://github.com/PatrickGallucci/fabric-stencils.git

2. Install in Visio

   • Open Microsoft Visio
   • Go to File > Open
   • Navigate to the downloaded Fabric.vssx file
   • The stencil will open in the Shapes pane

3. Alternative Installation

   • Copy Fabric.vssx to your Visio stencils folder:

     %USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Shapes\
     

   • Restart Visio to see the stencil in More Shapes > My Shapes

Usage

Getting Started

1. Create a New Diagram

   • Open Visio and create a new blank drawing
   • Recommended page size: 11" x 8.5" (Letter landscape)
   • Set drawing scale to 1" = 10' for consistency

2. Load the Fabric Stencil

   • In the Shapes pane, click More Shapes
   • Navigate to My Shapes and select Fabric.vssx

3. Building Your Diagram

   • Drag shapes from the stencil onto your drawing canvas
   • Use connectors to show data flow and relationships
   • Apply consistent formatting and labeling

Best Practices

Diagram Layout

• Left-to-right flow: Show data moving from sources to destinations
• Layered approach: Group related components visually
• Consistent spacing: Maintain uniform distances between elements

Color Coding

• Use the provided color-coded shapes to maintain Microsoft Fabric branding
• Stick to the official color scheme for professional appearance
• Apply transparency for layered or background elements

Labeling

• Use clear, descriptive names for all components
• Include capacity or size information where relevant
• Add legends for complex diagrams

Common Use Cases

Architecture Documentation

• Solution Architecture: High-level system design
• Technical Architecture: Detailed component relationships
• Data Flow Diagrams: Information movement patterns
• Infrastructure Diagrams: Physical and logical layouts

Project Planning

• Migration Planning: Current state vs. future state
• Implementation Roadmaps: Phased deployment strategies
• Capacity Planning: Resource allocation and scaling

Compliance & Governance

• Data Lineage: Track data from source to consumption
• Security Architecture: Access controls and data protection
• Audit Documentation: Compliance reporting diagrams

Examples

Basic Data Pipeline

[Data Source] → [Pipeline Item] → [Lakehouse Item] → [Power BI Report]

Real-Time Analytics Flow

[Eventstream Item] → [KQL Database Item] → [Real Time Dashboard Item]

Machine Learning Workflow

[Lakehouse Item] → [Experiments Item] → [Model Item] → [Apps Item]

Contributing

We welcome contributions to improve and expand the stencil collection!

How to Contribute

1. Fork this repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/new-shapes)
3. Make your changes to the stencil file
4. Test with Microsoft Visio
5. Submit a pull request with detailed description

Guidelines

• Follow Microsoft Fabric visual design standards
• Maintain consistent shape sizing and proportions
• Include both color and monochrome versions where applicable
• Update documentation for new shapes

Support

Troubleshooting

Stencil won't load in Visio

• Ensure you have Microsoft Visio 2016 or later
• Check that the .vssx file isn't corrupted
• Verify file permissions allow reading

Shapes appear incorrectly

• Update to the latest version of Visio
• Clear Visio cache: Delete %TEMP%\Visio* folders
• Restart Visio completely

Missing shapes or icons

• Re-download the latest stencil version
• Check if you're using the correct Visio template

Getting Help

• Issues: Report bugs or request features in the Issues tab
• Discussions: Ask questions in Discussions
• Email: Contact the maintainer for urgent matters

Version History

Current Version

• 90+ shapes covering all major Microsoft Fabric components
• Color-coded categories for easy identification
• Security and governance shapes included
• Industry solution templates

Acknowledgments

• Microsoft Fabric team for the excellent platform and design guidance
• Visio community for best practices and feedback
• Contributors who help improve and maintain these stencils

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Keywords: Microsoft Fabric, Visio Stencils, Architecture Diagrams, Data Platform, Analytics, Power BI, Data Engineering, Real-time Analytics, VSSX

Created by: Patrick Gallucci
Repository: https://github.com/PatrickGallucci/fabric-stencils