Our Verdict
The Omni Group , long known for its elegant Mac OS X software package , now offers two iPad - favorable versions of its screen background apps : OmniGraffle — for schematisation , flow charting , and wireframing , andOmniGraphSketcher — for plotting and visualizing datum . Both are priced as premium iPad apps ; OmniGraffle costs $ 50 , and OmniGraphSketcher costs $ 15 . I expend some prison term with each app to determine whether they ’re worth the Leontyne Price of admission price .
The first app I tried out was OmniGraffle . Like its screen background similitude , the app calculate to help you express your ideas visually . translate all of the diagram depth of the Mac software to the iPad requires rethink some central user interface element , and Omni did so quite cleverly .
When you first plunge OmniGraffle on the iPad , you should take time to go through the brief tutorial text file preloaded in the app . While many of the touchscreen interface elements in OmniGraffle will chop-chop ( if not immediately ) palpate intuitive , some of the design decisions are less obvious . The tutorial does a upright job of explicate those .
Taking Shape: You can create new shapes in OmniGraffle by hand or by choosing from built-in stencils across several categories.
The key adaptation you ’ll require to make to master OmniGraffle is understanding its different modes . By default , your document will be in a layout and object redaction manner . You solicit once on an object to take it , and then pink on the information release to bring up a palette that let you adjust things like fonts , colour , or fill . pat and hold on an object to move it ; tap and check on one of its hold to resize it . Tap , hold , and unloose to reveal a contextual menu to copy , spread , delete , group , or lock objects . All those gesture make good sense , and I was able to master them relatively quickly .
Taking Shape : you’re able to create Modern shapes in OmniGraffle by helping hand or by pick out from build - in stencil across several categories .
create aim can be slimly more complex . you may use many build - in stencils by dragging and dropping . But to draw your own shapes , you first demand to introduce the drawing off mode , which itself can toggle between a predefined shape style or a freehand mode . Even once you ’ve surmount the proficiency , it ’s still a bit ungainly : Once you tote up an object in draw way , you have to tap “ Done ” at the top of the screen before you’re able to re - enter the main editing mode , which never feels entirely obvious .
What’s My Line: Creating charts in OmniGraphSketcher is as simple as tracing the lines of data. Once you’ve done that, adjusting colors and thickness is a snap.
As I worked with more complicated layouts , I started searching for the “ institutionalize to back ” functionality I call for to arrange object when they overlap . In OmniGraffle for iPad , that functionality is there , but it ’s presented in a alone agency : You tap the layers button , and then edit to drag and rearrange the ordering of various objects . It works hunky-dory if you have just a few objects , but becomes uncontrollable tight .
I learned a few cutoff in OmniGraffle without even trying ; I take note that tapping with three fingers immediately paste whatever I ’d copied without needing to trigger the normal paste computer menu first . But a destiny of functionality hides behind several tap . Again , it ’s doable , but requires some forbearance and a learning curvature .
now and again , some edits — like adjusting font size of it , for example — take far longer than they should even after you ’ve navigated to the right menu ; for some reason the app claim a long time to process seemingly elementary changes . I also run across some occasional clash , particularly when editing while soar up - in . I trust ( and expect ) that a next update will plow these 1.0 microbe .
OmniGraffle wisely romp an Undo button , and it supports many , many levels of undo , which is swell . One very clever inclusion is the “ selection light ” chemical mechanism : When you tap and hold on the CRT screen , it lights up beneath your fingertip , and you’re able to then trace a pedigree around numerous objects , just like you ’d do with your mouse on the desktop .
Overall , create and editing diagram and wireframes with OmniGraffle for iPad feels fun and functional . Some tasks — like editing a diagram you already made with the desktop version for quick layout changes — really find faster with the iPad . Often , though , creating new documents on the iPad feels a bit slower . Still , the amount of functionality include in OmniGraffle is astounding .
OmniGraphSketcher ’s focusing is on creating beautiful chart and graphical record with minimum effort . And it most in spades reach that goal , although the app suffers from its own interface weaknesses .
The app ca n’t import any numeric data you have ; rather , when you make your graphs , you ’ll need to enter all the data channelize manually . Like OmniGraffle , OmniGraphSketcher offers a document - based tutorial that introduces you to the app ’s key feature .
What ’s My pipeline : Creating charts in OmniGraphSketcher is as simple as trace the lines of information . Once you ’ve done that , adjusting colors and heaviness is a snap .
With a simpler focus than OmniGraffle ’s , OmniGraphSketcher is easy to learn . you’re able to literally make a chart in minute : You repeat tap the act along the axes to set the minimums and uttermost , and the app fills in the ease . you may select to rap individual data points , or describe a short letter across them . OmniGraphSketcher mechanically smooth out your hand - drawn lines quite enjoyably .
Single - tapping on an object lets you solicit the information clit to make pinch . you could conform line heaviness , pattern , and colors . you could also hold in whether individual datum points are diagram along the course or not . you may add together label simply by double - tapping anywhere on the projection screen . In fact , there ’s a surprising amount of control for every element of your chart — with one famed exception . OmniGraphSketcher does n’t pop the question any lineal way to produce a legend for your graph ; instead , you ’ll involve to label each product line singly , or create your own legend using the in - app creature .
Adjusting other element of your graph is also impressively elementary . you could summate fill to various section , change the chart ’s type , contribute or remove data points , and , of line , mix and match all the choice to make something incredibly visually compelling — or awesome , depending on your skill level .
I move into two bug that mar my overall experience with the app slightly . On occasion , I found it difficult to enter text - entry fashion when make or redaction labels . I ’d tap , two-fold tap , water faucet and hold — it matt-up like aSkinner Box , since I was never quite trusted what I ’d done to last make the keyboard look . The other annoyance was that the information palette sometimes select to disappear on its own , even while I was in the middle of using it . The palette would once in a while vanish less than a full s after I ’d first tapped to open it .
Neither bug is a deal - breakers , though . If you need to create heart - popping chart promptly , and you do n’t have too much data to plot , OmniGraphSketcher works wonders , and it ’s mostly a delight to practice .
[ Lex Friedman blogs about the iPad and other okay Apple ware at his ironically namedLex , Brieflyblog . ]
