ConceptDraw 7.3.1 — A Superior Diagram Based Communications Tool

Reviewed by Harry {doc} Babad       © 2008

CS Odessa, LLC http://www.conceptdraw.com/en/ For a demo of this product as a part of the CD Office Suite: http://www.conceptdraw.com/scripts/resources/dwndtrial_cdo.php Cost: $249 USD List ($109 Street download), $296 CND, £170 UK, €178 (Calculated) System Requirements: Mac OS X version 10.4.6 or higher, G3 processor (minimum), 128 MB of RAM (more is better) and 500 MB of hard drive space available. Universal Application Languages: English, French, German, and Spanish.

Users: Intermediate or motivated beginners   Strengths: Easy to use, excellent help training material, an effective multiple platform diagramming and communication tool.   Weaknesses: Price is too high to reach the otherwise wide array of Macintosh users that would benefit from its features. (See wishes section.)   Previous Reviews: Robert Pritchett, unbeknownst to me, reviewed this product version 7.0.3 in July of 2007 (mia Culpa) http://www.maccompanion.com/macc/archives/July2007/Software/ConceptDraw%207%20Professional.htm Copyright Notice: Product and company names and logos in this review may be registered trademarks of their respective companies.

The software was tested on a Reviews were carried out on my iMac 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM running Mac OS X Leopard version 10.5.6

 

Introduction and Publishers Description

 

When I first agreed to review this product, for some reason, I thought it was an upgrade of Odessa’s brainstorming - planning software called ConceptDraw MindMap which I enjoy using brainstorming ideas and relationships.  When I found it wasn’t, I went along for the ride anyway, since at time I recognized the oxymoron about a picture’s worth is true. This is amplified by my near total lack of graphics skill — no mater how great the software, translating the pictures in my to useable presentation or illustration at is my major creative nemesis.  Despite all that, my main concern with this product is an unusual one… I have no idea how to characterize, in just a few words, all the things it does, and does well.

It is a tool that can create, diagram, as needed and relate individual subsystems for:

• IT Related Diagrams
• Networking and Systems Layouts
• Software and database design
• Website Planning and Design
• Business Related Diagrams Including Organization Charts
• Relationship information using ULM and Venn Type Diagrams
• WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) Charts
• Project Status Charts
• Tools to visualize Monitoring project performance
• Top-level Home and landscaping designs
• An Event at Your Favorite Volunteer Organization or Church

Note that although the supplier seems to focus on IT and Business users, I found the product equally applicable to visualizing my consulting and volunteer efforts. It’s the visualizing that’s the tough part.

 

 

ConceptDraw PRO offers a wide choice of powerful and easy-to-use tools for quickly creating all kinds of charts and diagrams. Even if you've never used a drawing tool before, it's very easy to create high-quality professional graphic documents with ConceptDraw PRO. That's relatively simple, as you can see by browsing though the many adaptable samples provided by Odessa. Thanks to the program's intuitive interface, comprehensive drawing capabilities, and many pre-drawn library shapes (5,000 shapes). Templates will help you to quickly create most common documents.

 

Getting started is a no brainer; the program is pure Macintosh. The product comes with elaborate help files, a downloadable of web-viewable manual. Odessa has gone out of its way to support user forums as idea sharing and problem solving venues. Note that the 71 page well illustrated manual is a part of the 263 page ConceptDraw Office Manual, but don’t let that dissuade you. If you like you can even use Acrobat to delete the non-related software suite items to customize your manual just for this product.

 

It also supports support for MS Visio XML data interchange, database connectivity and a built-in scripting language whatever they are.

 

Using the Software

 

I am a paper and pencil type person so I never start projects ore diagrams on without a scratch pad. That said transferring my scribbles to a rough diagram on the computer and then making things nice was straightforward. Indeed the most difficult part of my tests was the choosing the type of diagram (template)  to use to best communicate my ideas to my audience. Heck, that’s not the developer’s problem.

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More Goodies — As expected from previous versions, the developer provides effective vector drawing tools, well-stocked libraries of drawing shapes, of symbols and other applicable clipart. I found the text tools easy to use and robust enough to meet my needs without having to revert back to MS Word to tune their format.

 

I did not need to import any additional symbols or ‘clip art’ so had not tested this capability. In this in stance the help files weren’t but I suspect that the act of creating a new library might provide a solution to that question.

 

Since the point of your efforts are to show relationships, easy to use ‘smart’ connectors enable that effort. Having started my diagramming efforts in MacDraw, I really appreciate that the software maintains “smart connections” between shapes so you don’t need to redraw your diagram if you move something around. ConceptDraw is not unique in this, but the implementation is so well integrated that moving elements of a diagram around becomes a no-brainer.

 

And of course the time comes when you must stand up and face your audience. Your efforts can be visualized in the product’s Presentation mode, or exported to PDF or PowerPoint as well as HTML for web viewing.

 

I fooled around with, but by no means finalized, charts including sales pitches on the articles, books and a bright idea I want to next write or hustle:

• The Effects of Low-Level Radiation and the Cost of Regulation of Power Systems and Medical Treatment
• Energy Security and Climate Change — Not Totally Incompatible
• A Business Model for a Print on Demand CD Music Site 

If Wishes Were Horses…

 

I have no need for all the otherwise rich features in ConceptDraw Office but a moderately priced (hint: educational discount) package that contains only ConceptDraw and its sister Mind Mapping software integrated together would be of great use. “A sort of MindMap-Draw (e.g., MapDraw or Draw-n-Map) Pro hybrid like Adobe’s Photoshop Elements or FileMaker’s Bento.

 

Conclusions

 

I agree with the publisher “ConceptDraw PRO is a powerful diagramming and drawing tool that enables users to effectively visualize and communicate information and processes. It provides a comprehensive and easy to access tool set to create professional graphics and diagrams.”

 

I found, as noted by the developer “With ConceptDraw Office ConceptDraw PRO provides you with the tools you need to generate reports documentation and presentations that entirely reflect project performance. It is a comprehensive tool used to create Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and track project status on an intelligent dashboard.” More importantly I can easily be used to diagram any other project, business, school or home, which you want to communicate to others.

 

My only reservation about the product is that it’s price is likely to preclude many potential users from giving this other wise excellent product a trial, despite being a free 30 day down load. However if you have access to an academic discount, the $109, electronic only copy, is a good deal. I certainly found the product, based only on casual tests, a better investment than the ‘Omni” software such as OMNIgraffle and OmniPlan in combination for concept illustration and diagramming. In addition such otherwise fine precuts such as EazyDraw do not provide the libraries and templates that make life easier when a rush call for an illustration descends up you.

 

Recommendation

 

I would ordinarily highly recommend buying this product, as my 4.5 macCs rating suggest but in these troubled economic times, I worry about the tradeoff between saving time with a great tool, or the heath of your wallet. If you can't buy it now, and find its features compelling, add it to your wish list.

 

PS

 

Version Strangeness — I’ve seen a ConceptDraw 7.6 mentioned on several Internet sites, but have not been able to track down that version. The Odessa sire does mention a version 8.0.3, which I’d love to checkout.