OmniGraffle 5 adds automatic layout options

The Omni Group today released OmniGraffle 5, an update to its diagramming and concept visualization software. OmniGraffle 5 boasts increased layout speed and new automatic layout options with the addition of the Graphviz layout engine. "Many of the standard OmniGraffle tools are more powerful, including the line tools which can now create Bézier curves, making drawing and connecting objects more flexible," the company said. The latest release also updates the toolbar for easy access to common text and object formatting options. OmniGraffle 5 is priced at $100, with upgrades from version 4 priced at $40. OmniGraffle 5 Professional is available for $200.

Members of OmniGraffle's online community who develop and share free stencils will find it easier to search, organize, and download stencils using the new local and online search capability in the stencil window. OmniGraffle 5 offers compatibility with Windows Vista, allowing users to import Microsoft Visio VSD files directly with continued support for import and export of Visio XML files as well as import of Visio stencils and templates.

Other new Professional edition features include subgraphs, which allow users to reduce sections of diagrams to a collapsed state for better management of complex documents. With the shared layers feature in OmniGraffle Professional 5, users can create common elements that are displayed across multiple canvases. The notes inspector now includes new fields for associating custom data values with objects in a diagram, and the data is available through both Applescript and the Spotlight search tool. OmniGraffle 5 also supports Mac OS X Leopard's new Quick Look preview feature, according to The Omni Group.

Filed under: software
Other story tags: Omni Group, OmniGraffle