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Diagrams.net

 I love diagrams.

I've had great fun creating a whole host of graphics in PowerPoint, Keynote and Google Slides (thanks to lots of folks out there who have given me tips on this including Luke Tayler, David Goodwin, Oliver Caviglioli and Jamie Tegerdine). You may also now be to keen to create some diagrams yourself if you have been reading David and Oliver's book, 'Organise Ideas'. 

These software packages work fine for most of my needs, but occasionally I need more functionality than these packages offer, particularly for diagrams involving lines (such as input-output type diagrams). 

This is where diagrams.net has been particularly useful.

The key reasons why you will love this software are:

- the arc 'line jumps' and rounded line style for creating tube map style diagrams 

- the super easy 'box to line' connection

- if you connect things, then move one of them, they stayed connected

- the graph paper style gridlines help you align like a pro

- the ever-expanding size of the page - need more space? Just drag your box and the page comes with you! 


How to get started

This software is web-based. It works great on a PC with browser, I've had no luck with iPad though as yet.

Access at www.diagrams.net. 


Create new
Name, select blank, create

Blank canvas appears!

I usually start with inserting a box from the General menu on the left


Box colour and outline can be changed on the right
Double click on the box to type. Text can be formatted on the right. 

Right click to copy and paste the box



Paste and change text in more boxes. Click on the edges of a box (glows green) to drag a line from one box to another (drag to green glow on the new box). Line can be formatted on the right. I like to increase thickness, make rounded and remove arrow ends. 

To create line jumps, select the 'arc' option in the right hand line menu before drawing a line. I haven't quite figured out every little detail with regards to how this works myself as yet, but this should get you started at least!

Enjoy!

I quite often place a final larger box (no fill, sometimes I make outline white too, it's just to indicate the boundary easily) around my finished diagram to make export nice and easy.

File, 'export as' ... whatever you like! I chose a PNG this time. Voila!






  

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