Product Reviewed: Omnigraffle 4.1.1 (v.127) 2006      

 

 

Date of review: 11 June 2006

 

System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later

 

Cost:

Single computer: $149.95 US

Family Pack (up to 4 computers): $225.00 US

 

 

What Omnigraffle does

 

Omnigraffle is a graphics program. It can be used to produce things such as newsletters and CD covers like many other graphic software programs. However, Omnigraffle is specifically targeted toward those that need to create complex diagrams, such as workflow charts, process maps, and electronic circuitry charts.

 

Features:

 

Omnigraffle has a host of features, but those most useful for information architects in terms of enhancing productivity and professionalism are:

 

Creating Documents

 

•    Lines stay connected to objects when the objects are moved

•    Automatic Layout Inspector – choose to convert existing diagram to hierarchical layout (such as organisation chart) or cladistic layout (evolutionary tree)

•    Notes that can be attached to documents

•    An outline view which can be used to quickly create the outline, that is then readily transferred to a diagram format.

•    Ability to associate a different style for different levels of a hierarchy.

•    Ability to create and save custom bendy shapes using a Bezier tool.

 

Exporting, Importing and Displaying Documents

 

•    Ability to import and export to Visio XML – when you need to cross over to the ‘dark side’

•    Ability to copy and export as vector PICT files that can be exchanged from applications such as Word and Powerpoint.

•    Ability to export to PDF format.

•    A full screen presentation view – useful for meetings.

 

Using Omnigraffle

 

Omnigraffle is a feature rich product. The basic and most useful features for IAs will be covered. To demonstrate the product I have created a basic blueprint and page wireframe of the layout of an imaginary Library intranet site.

 

Omnigraffle screen - SV Library intranet blueprint

 

The canvas view allows for additional canvases to be created and the order of canvasses to be changed. Multiple canvasses or layers can be utilised to create different views of a diagram (eg. basic and complex) or create a background image that can be imported from a file. Using three icons on the toolbar just above the ruler, the layer can be removed or restored from view (the eye icon); selected as printable or not printable (printer icon), or locked to prevent accidental changes (padlock icon).

 

There are two other elements to the Omnigraffle screen - stencils and the inspector window.

Unfortunately no screen shots of the stencil window or inspector window can be made. On a Mac, when selecting the Grab utility to make a screen shot, these windows disappear!

 

In the screenshot above I have used a web flowchart stencil downloaded via Omnigraffle.

 

 

A selection of Omnigraffle objects

 

A great variety of lines, shapes and graphics can be selected from the stencil window and dragged onto a canvas. These objects can be resized by dragging the corners of the object - as shown by the ‘Site Map’ icon above. Shadows for the objects can be added, removed and manipulated. Depending on the shape or graphic, text can be added inside or below the object. The Bezier tool allows for free-form shapes to be created (pink shape). Text font, size and colour fill can be changed.

The screen here is shown with the grid displayed.

 

A selection of objects after styles copied from other objects

 

Once an object has been styled in terms of shape, colour fill, text format etc, these style elements can be individually or collectively applied to other objects using the Style inspector. This is done simply by dragging style parameter icons from the Inspector window onto the object. Here the rounded white square has been converted to the Bezier object shape; the colour fill of the Bezier object has been copied to the arrow, and the colour fill of the map has been copied to the filestack. The thought cloud has been converted to the Bezier object including colour fill.

 

SV Library intranet - search page wireframe

Here a label “Generated from Library System” has been added to a line and will stay with the line if the line is moved. The outline of the “Catalogue” box has been modified. Screen grids that appear when objects are dragged easily allow boxes to be aligned on the same line, such as the navigation labels at the top.

 

 

One of the best features of Omnigraffle is that when lines are connected to shapes, icons or other lines, they stay connected to that object. A variety of line styles are available, including straight lines, curved lines, and lines with arrowheads.

 

Creating lines

 

Here a curved line with arrowhead has been created.

The small red diamond indicates the starting point or source of the line, connected to ‘Search Page’.

The green circle indicates the destination point. The order of the line matters - it affects the hierarchy shown in the outline view, and comes into play when using the automatic layout options - apparently.

The blue diamonds show curve points on the line - these can be moved by clicking and dragging.

 

Magnets on shapes and lines

 

The pink circles indicate where magnets exist on shapes and lines. These are the points that a line will connect and lock to. Magnets can be added, moved or subtracted from some objects. Here two magnets have been removed from the blue hexagon, and the left- most magnet on ‘Book ILL has been moved. Note that the curve points on the curved arrow become magnets automatically.

 

One feature of Omnigraffle that promises a lot of time saving is the auto layout function. The Omni site claims that ‘Any messy diagram can be magically organized with just one click!’.

I’m afraid the magic did not work for me, and I suspect this function really does not work as described. Several choices have to be made from the layout inspector box before executing autolayout (so much for ‘one click’). These are hard to comprehend, and are not well explained in help. The pdf manual merely mentions the function. Each time I attempted to auto layout trying various options, the diagram ended up more messy than I started with. The best I could achieve was to arrange a column of second level objects in a hierarchy to be aligned. The column of objects still had to be manually positioned.

 

SV library site blueprint - messy

 

Arrows leading from the blue “Home Page” icon to second level icons in the hierarchy.

 

SV library site blueprint - second level objects selected and auto layout executed

 

The objects were selected as a group by selecting whilst holding down the Shift key. The option to create a hierarchy from the left for the selected objects only was selected from the layout inspector.

 

SV library site blueprint - manual realignment of column

 

By dragging the column of aligned icons to the right, some improvement is made.

 

 

Several file types from other graphic applications such as Visio are able to be opened and utilised in Omnigraffle. Importing image files is very easily done by dragging onto the canvas, or choosing ‘Place Image’ from the File menu.

Omnigraffle also easily allows the conversion of files to other file types, such as pdf, jpeg, or Photoshop file, by use of drop-box selection on the Export option on the File menu. Options to export only a certain region of a canvas or certain layer of a canvas are available.

 

 

Evaluation of Omnigraffle

 

The creation and linking of objects using Omnigraffle is relatively straightforward. As with other graphics applications, occasionally work with the mouse can be tricky, in terms of selecting the exact part of the object wanted, or clicking to achieve the desired action or selection.

 

Many tasks can be accessed from more than one place, such as both the inspector window and the tool palette. This in addition with the range of customisation of the software, provides flexibility to suit different working styles, but can sometimes be confusing.

 

The range of shapes, lines and icons available is very good. The ability to easily import and freely manipulate images is far easier than in applications such as Word or Publisher. Exporting of files to other file types is a breeze.

 

After quite a few hours playing with Omnigraffle however, I had not advanced far in working out how to use the layout inspector. Also, whilst creating and moving layers and canvasses was easy, understanding how they they could be fully utilised remained elusive.

The “Help” and the pdf manual did not elaborate or clearly explain these features. The manual is more of a tutorial, which while being very helpful for the basics of the software, was decidedly brief on the more sophisticated functions where clarification was really required.

 

I suspect there are also some glitches. According to the manual and “Help”, there is a “rubber stamp” tool that can be used to replicate objects. The tool is not on the tool palette by default, but supposedly can be added. I was unable to do this and the ‘Help’ was exceptionally vague on instructions.

 

An information architect will have to produce many diagrams during the course of a project. While most may not require the professional finish a program such as Omnigraffle can provide, there will be occasions when impressive graphics are needed for presentation to clients.

 

Omnigraffle can achieve productivity gains as well. Some of the features provided, including the lines locked to objects, and pasting of styles onto objects, will speed up the creation of a document. A good looking document may take some time to produce, but it can then be used as the basis for other documents.

 

Omnigraffle certainly is a good tool for making a great looking range of documents.

To fully realise it’s potential may involve a fair bit of time in working out how to exploit the more advanced capabilities, but the productivity gains would probably be worth it if you need professional looking graphics on a regular basis. A far more extensive manual and “help’ section should be provided to speed up this process.

 

 

Rating

 

Out of five:

Ease of Use: 2.5

Features: 4

Overall Rating: 3.5