Jaromir Miko As is the case with many office jobs, there are times when a mind map or diagram is the best help for you and your team. To create it, you can use either a canvas and a marker or a computer with the appropriate software. Such an option has the advantage that in case of errors you can quickly correct everything without having to delete or create something anew. And when such software is intuitive, what a new application Diagrams on Mac with Czech roots, an even better experience awaits you.
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As I already mentioned in the introduction, the application is characterized by an effort to offer users the most intuitive UI, thanks to which you will learn to use it really quickly. It works on the principle of grids to which individual elements are attached. As a result, such a graph will look more professional when exported if you print it in PDF format (in vector graphics) or as a high-quality PNG. When exporting to PNG, you can then choose whether you want to export your diagram with a transparent or white background.
What I really like about the user interface is the fact that the workspace grows or shrinks depending on the distance of the elements on the screen. So you are not at all limited to, for example, A4, so you do not need to adapt the chart to the desktop - it adapts to you. Simplicity also has its drawbacks, regarding options.
You can assign arrows to individual elements only from the four basic sides, unlike Diagrammix, so for example you cannot assign arrows from specific angles. So if you need to assign five or more elements, you already have to use hubs that work automatically. You can choose from several types of arrows and elements in basic colors - red, yellow, blue and green. You can then shape the elements, which also works quite intuitively, but sometimes I had problems with shaping the arrows, when the program made unnecessary detours, and when you have a dense network of arrows on the screen, you can have trouble getting to know them. But you can add labels to the arrows, which I like.
For elements, there is only the option to change the width depending on the number of characters and spaces inside. So if you ever want to make a design-tuned chart, it may not always work out. There is also an option to add additional lines using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Enter. Another friendly point of interest is the support for multiple windows, or tabs, and thus the possibility of creating multiple diagrams at the same time. However, the function seemed rather hidden to me, and if it weren't for my curiosity, I probably would have discovered it a little later. Finally, a big advantage is the autosave support, so once you save your diagram as a file, you don't have to manually save it for future edits, the program will do it for you.
Despite the initial maladies, I feel that the Czech developers have taken care of an interesting application for creating diagrams, which works as intuitively as you expect from Apple products. As a result, this will allow you to create quickly, without unnecessary settings, which you can deal with later. I also think it's good that the app will recognize if the arrow is assigned to something and if not, won't even let you create it. Perhaps, however, it should be taken into account that simplicity also brings smaller possibilities for visual adjustments.
- You can buy the Diagrams application for CZK 499/€21,99 in the Mac App Store
- The official website of Diagrams
