What Flowchart Software Do You Use for Procedures and other Documentation?

Anyone tried RFFlow?

RFFlow is freeware up to a point -- and even then you can bypass that point.

I'm not gonna plug this product at all. But I'm happy with it. Check it out.

www.rff.com

Works for me!

saxydan said:

RFFlow is freeware up to a point -- and even then you can bypass that point.

I'm not gonna plug this product at all. But I'm happy with it. Check it out.

www.rff.com

Click to expand...

I did check this out. I was very impressed by the ability to create custom "stencils" of symbols from the extensive library offered.

Building a flow chart was a dream (drag from the stencil and drop on the chart)

Labeling was very intuitive.

Best of all, a user working in a Microsoft document can just capture all or part of the chart and paste it directly into the document with no intervening steps.

I may not be typical, but it took me less than ten minutes from the time I downloaded and installed the program to create my own custom stencil, make a flow chart, paste it into a document and print it out.

For free, this is way better than the drawing tools that come with Word!

Wes Bucey said:

I did check this out. I was very impressed by the ability to create custom "stencils" of symbols from the extensive library offered.

Building a flow chart was a dream (drag from the stencil and drop on the chart)

Labeling was very intuitive.

Best of all, a user working in a Microsoft document can just capture all or part of the chart and paste it directly into the document with no intervening steps.

I may not be typical, but it took me less than ten minutes from the time I downloaded and installed the program to create my own custom stencil, make a flow chart, paste it into a document and print it out.

For free, this is way better than the drawing tools that come with Word!

Click to expand...

Wes,

As a somewhat experienced user of Visio, one of the negative aspects of that program that I have experienced is that if I copy and save a Visio chart in a MsWord, Excel, or Powerpoint file - only those with Vision or the Visio Reader can view the chart (unless I save the chart as an image file, then import the image file). Does RFFlow function similarly, or can any viewer of the Mickey-Soft file see the chart?

ddhartma said:

Wes,

As a somewhat experienced user of Visio, one of the negative aspects of that program that I have experienced is that if I copy and save a Visio chart in a MsWord, Excel, or Powerpoint file - only those with Vision or the Visio Reader can view the chart (unless I save the chart as an image file, then import the image file). Does RFFlow function similarly, or can any viewer of the Mickey-Soft file see the chart?

Click to expand...

I'll tell you what - when I get a break later today or tonight, I'll construct a nonsense chart and clip and paste it into a variety of Mickey-Soft files (doc, rtf, ppt, excel) and post them. Remember, there are free readers for PowerPoint - we've mentioned it here in the Cove before. The software also allows saving chart as gif (graphics interchange format) or jpeg (Joint Photographic Experts Group) formats.

Once I do that, we'll know for sure.
Warning - this will be a priority for me, but not HIGH priority - I may not do this until very late tonight.
Second warning - this will only be the second chart I've made with the software, so be gentle with criticism, especially about the "nonsense" part of the chart.

ddhartma said:

As a somewhat experienced user of Visio, one of the negative aspects of that program that I have experienced is that if I copy and save a Visio chart in a MsWord, Excel, or Powerpoint file - only those with Vision or the Visio Reader can view the chart (unless I save the chart as an image file, then import the image file). Does RFFlow function similarly, or can any viewer of the Mickey-Soft file see the chart?

Click to expand...

I'm using Viseo almost every day now and, I'm as usual disapointed with MS.
Viseo is a part of the MS business use suite and, I don't understand why MS products don't have the appropriate program dll file for reading Viseo visuals.
Viseo gives me all of the functions that I may need for communicating yet, It does tend to try and be all things to all users.
The reader program is needed by those who don't have the program but, wish to view visuals the way the user does, this seems to be the standard throughout software profiles. I'm guessing it would be the same for RFflow.
Wallace.

I also use Visio A LOT. I actually liked it better before it became assimilated into the "Microsoft Borg Collective". After the 'assimilation' I had to learn to get around the MS "improvements".

Most of its features are great (once you get used to them) but I do get irritated with the supposedly "intuitive" snapping to a grid - it is fussy and doesn't always let me put a box or line exactly where I want it.

I never use programs not designed for flowcharting to make flowcharts, like Excel or Word.

HOWEVER, contrary to someone's prior comment, you can copy and paste a Visio flowchart (or a portion of one) into Word and when you open a Word document with a Visio flowchart pasted into it you CAN open it and see the chart. Now, if you double-click inside the chart it will try to open and fail if you do not have Visio. But that should not be a problem for the casual reader.

As a test, open the following Word document:

I've just downloaded the rfflowcharter program. It's pretty good for a freebie.
I called the RFF folk and asked them about the program. The trial version is unlimited in its use, you can use it forever if you wish. If you want to send an rfflowchart to a recipient, they shall need the unlimited trial program installed to read a flowchart the way you have developed it. The trial version acts as a reader.
You can place the flowchart saved as a Bitmap into Word easily.
Wallace.

WALLACE said:

I've just downloaded the rfflowcharter program. It's pretty good for a freebie.
I called the RFF folk and asked them about the program. The trial version is unlimited in its use, you can use it forever if you wish. If you want to send an rfflowchart to a recipient, they shall need the unlimited trial program installed to read a flowchart the way you have developed it. The trial version acts as a reader.
You can place the flowchart saved as a Bitmap into Word easily.
Wallace.

Click to expand...

Let's agree on a distinction:
"Collaboration" with flowcharts means second or third party can not only read (see) the chart, but also manipulate it [with the same or similar software.]

"Distribution" of flowcharts means the intended user can read [see] the flowchart as if it had been hardprinted in a book or on a poster.

Wallace seems to imply collaboration:

WALLACE said:

If you want to send an rfflowchart to a recipient, they shall need the unlimited trial program installed to read a flowchart the way you have developed it. The trial version acts as a reader.

Click to expand...

Was Dave [ddhartma] looking for collaboration (like Wallace) or distribution (like Rob Nix)? Distribution would seem to be the method of choice for documents which need to be "controlled."

Depending on your control preferences or constraints, I believe both distinctions may apply.
Wallace.

Wes Bucey said:

Let's agree on a distinction:
"Collaboration" with flowcharts means second or third party can not only read (see) the chart, but also manipulate it [with the same or similar software.]

"Distribution" of flowcharts means the intended user can read [see] the flowchart as if it had been hardprinted in a book or on a poster.

Wallace seems to imply collaboration:
Was Dave [ddhartma] looking for collaboration (like Wallace) or distribution (like Rob Nix)? Distribution would seem to be the method of choice for documents which need to be "controlled."

Click to expand...

Wes,

I am looking for "distribution".

Thanks for defining the difference and asking.