The user interface for OmniGraffle is quite professional, and it has been built to provide an experience that is straightforward and relatively self-explanatory. You can easily create wireframe structures, sketches, and SVG graphics that will be used in a website in the future. You can even use the software to design a layout for a project that might include one hundred or more servers. Syncing is easy with OmniPresence, which is the dedicated open-source syncing software associated with this app.
There is no denying the fact that diagrams and sketches convey more meaning than mere words, and OmniGraffle has all the tools you'll need to organize your communications in a visual sense. You can document any visual idea that you have at any moment, and you can share them with others in a snap. The software features many functions that are exclusive to this app, and it includes a number of gestures that are useful for a multitouch display.
In the newest version of the software, there have been several updates that make the software even more useable. The user interface has received an upgrade to improve flexibility, and the software features three Canvas Size Modes that include Infinite, Fixed, and Flexible. Thanks to the power of Javascript, the software can take advantage of cross-platform automation. The sidebar list now contains all the objects, layers, and canvases that you might use, and group visibility has been added for easier collaboration.
You can also lock the app at any time to prevent changes, and there are methods for assigning tools to various hot keys. If you upgrade to the professional version, it includes a number of other features, like shared layers, blending modes, shape combinations, fill effects, automation plugins, and shape tables. The free version of the software is a bit limited, but you can buy individual features via in-app purchase, like grids, layers, unit scaling, shape recognition, automatic layouts, smart guides, point editing, fullscreen split view, freehand sketch mode, stencil downloads, text wrap in shapes, document photo saving, page sharing, multipage document creation, diagram layouts, and many more valuable functions.
| Developer(s) | The Omni Group |
|---|---|
| Initial release | May 7, 2001; 18 years ago[1] |
| Stable release |
|
| Operating system | macOS, iOS |
| Type | Charting software |
| License | Proprietary |
| Website | www.omnigroup.com/products/omnigraffle/ |
OmniGraffle is a diagramming and digital illustration application for macOS and iOS[4] created by The Omni Group.
The current version, Edraw Max 9.3 was released on October 22, 2018 for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. Edraw Max gives users a Visio-like, professional quality omnigraffle for windows Within the Microsoft Office suite, whose star products have always been Word, Excel and, to a lesser extent, PowerPoint, we can also find a great tool to work with databases from our PC, as is the case of Access.
- 2Application resources and tools
- Introducing OmniGraffle 7. OmniGraffle is for creating precise, beautiful graphics: website wireframes, electrical systems, family trees and maps of software classes come to life in OmniGraffle 7. Everyone from professional artists and designers to casual data mappers and beginning diagrammers will find something new in OmniGraffle 7.
- Update: OmniFocus for the Web is now available, and is a great solution for working with your OmniFocus data on a Windows PC. While OmniFocus doesn’t offer any direct integration with the Windows platform, and we don’t have any plans to create a client for Windows, many of our Windows customers use our Omni Sync Server’s Mail Drop service to loop their PC into their OmniFocus workflow. By using Mail Drop, you can capture items into the OmniFocus Inbox from any device that supports email.
- Alternatives to OmniGraffle for Windows with any license draw.io. No login or registration are required and features include. Pencil Project. Pencil is a standalone app or Firefox extension that lets you create diagrams. Adobe Illustrator CC. Design quickly and confidently with Adobe.
Uses[edit]
OmniGraffle is used to create graphics and visuals. The application features several design tools, along with a drag-and-dropWYSIWYG interface and a notes function that to annotate and create specification documentation for prototypes and mockups.
While OmniGraffle can produce graphics and visuals, it is often used as a tool to create content maps, screen flows, and wire frames. Visuals are often referred to as 'graffles.'[5]
Although OmniGraffle is an industry tool, it lacks interactivity capabilities and is not easily used for team collaboration due to its limitations as a desktop and tablet application.[citation needed]
Application resources and tools[edit]
OmniGraffle design tools include canvases, templates, stencils, vector drawing, and grid guides. Other features include auto layout and document management.
Canvases[edit]
Canvases are spaces where users can create shapes. Attributes to creating a canvas include canvas name, sizing options, grid and dimension selections, and diagram layout. Users may create and also share canvases and layers, with automatic updates available. This gives users the option to create layers once, toggle layers to appear on desired canvases, and update automatically if changes occur.
Templates[edit]
Templates are OmniGraffle application resources. Template documents can be manipulated by users for their purposes. Some sample templates are preloaded and available for users. Users may also create, edit, and save templates for creating consistent graffles.[6]
Stencils[edit]
Stencils are OmniGraffle application resources. Stencils are clip art files that serve as elements, such as icons or buttons, for OmniGraffle documents. A wide variety of sample stencils are pre-loaded and available for immediate use. Users can also create, share, download, and preview stencils online as well through OmniGraffle's Stenciltown[7] or other stencil libraries, such as Graffletopia.[8]
Vector drawing[edit]
Because OmniGraffle visuals are vector-based, visuals are composed of mathematical representations of pixels. Rather than creating free-hand drawn work, users utilize vectors to create these visuals. To minimize user-end visual creation, vector drawing also allows for all graphic images to be recreated.[9]
Smart guides[edit]
Smart Guides is a tool that can be turned on or off. While moving objects around the canvas, Smart Guides provides users with highlighted grid lines to easily align objects on the canvas. It also provides additional ease for users with a dynamic snap-to-grid functionality for accurately snapping objects into alignment around the canvas.[10]
Extra features[edit]
Other design features in the latest versions of OmniGraffle include artistic fill and stroke styles, text and shape scalability, path-following text, shape combinations, diagram styling, auto layout features for treemapping, and documentation management.
Import and export[edit]
OmniGraffle supports filesharing and Visio support in its Pro distribution. All users can export their graffles to JPEG, BMP, EPS, GIF, HTML Images, SVG, Template, Stencil, PNG, OO3, TIFF, and PDF [5]. Additionally, OmniGraffle Pro users can import dot/graphviz, Visio, SVG, PDF, Photoshop[11] with layers, and Xcode.
Competition[edit]
In many respects, OmniGraffle is similar to Microsoft Visio. The Pro version of OmniGraffle can both import and export Visio files created using Visio's XML export function. However, Omnigraffle doesn't provide CAD integration like Visio, since it lacks some features such as DWG or DXF (AutoDesk file formats), import/export functions, among others. Also it is important to notice that layers cannot be shared among some versions of Visio and OmniGraffle.[5]
Diagrams such as concept maps or mind maps, flowcharts and wire frames can also be drawn with other applications: see Comparison of vector graphics editors.
References[edit]
- ^'Happy birthday, OmniGraffle!'. The Omni Group.
- ^'OmniGraffle Release Notes'. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- ^'OmniGraffle Release Notes'. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^'OmniGraffle 3.0 Brings the Power of Its macOS Counterpart to iOS'. MacStories. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
- ^ abc'OmniGraffle - diagramming and graphic design for Mac, iPhone, and iPad - The Omni Group'. omnigroup.com.
- ^'A Beginner's Guide to Wireframing in Omnigraffle'. Web Design Tuts+.
- ^'Stenciltown'. omnigroup.com.
- ^'Awesome OmniGraffle stencils - Graffletopia'. graffletopia.com.
- ^'OmniGraffle - diagramming and graphic design for Mac, iPhone, and iPad - The Omni Group'. omnigroup.com.
- ^'Be smart and use Smart Guides - Veerle's blog'. duoh.com.
- ^'OmniGraffle and Photoshop: One Great Taste and One Acceptable Taste that Taste Great Together'. omnigroup.com.
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