Unexpected results following PDF file import
 

While I use Omnigraffle for almost all my simple drawing tasks there are times when I want to use another drawing package and import the results into OmniGraffle. The file "test.pdf" was created in LineForm and exported as a PDF. OmniGraffle opens the file and just displays a slight smudge instead of a complete shaded sphere.

Is there a bullet proof method or application that can be used to create graphic elements outside OmniGraffle for use in an OG diagram?

Simon

N.B. I had to zip the PDF to get it to attach.

generally its better to have a jpg or other raster image, vector images can be interpreted very differently by omnigraffle and may render differently to how the original package did. at least thats my understanding and experience of it.

Have you tried copying and pasting? Lineform is a native OS X app, so your graphics should copy to the clipboard as vector pdf and paste in the same format.

You may want to see if Lineform offers a "copy as" option in the "edit" menu like Omnigraffle so thoughtfully does. :)

Thank you for your comments. I have tried various Lineform to OG export/import and have concluded that it is best to import graphic elements as PNGs if special effects such as blur are to be preserved. I have an OG document that shows my results but it is to big to post.

Simon

I am not sure what the problems is. I opened a blank OG window and dragged and dropped the pdf into the window and it worked fine. Am I missing something?

wn

Warrenn,

Drag and drop will work because it pastes a bit image of the pdf into the OG document whereas loading a PDF should bring in a vector image that can be edited.

best wishes Simon

Well, I must have been doing something terribly wrong if that is the case. I have been using OG for a book I have been writing and use it in exactly this way: I generate pdfs from other programs (CAD, plotting and LaTeXit) and arrange (and resize) the dragged-and-dropped pdfs in OG. They are certainly NOT bitmapped (in OG) since they resize in the same way the original pdfs resize. The publishers like the results.

Warren N

Actually, I meant that the pdf generated from the composite OG document resizes in the same way as the original pdfs. So, if I greatly enlarge the resultant pdf, I do not see jaggies which I would see if the pdfs were simply bitmapped. Maybe they are bitmapped at very high resolution, which would mean that they cannot be edited. If that is the case, my apologies.

Warren N

I just looked at one of my pdfs generated with OG using LaTex text (from LaTeXit). I enlarged the pdf to the maximum extent and there were absolutely no jaggies, even when a single LaTex character took up the entire screen. I can't believe that these are bitmapped - that simply would not happen if they were.

Warren N

Warrenn,

I made my comment based on a reply from Omni to a similar post of a year ago (Importing a Shape) but admittedly about OG 4.

"Drag and drop simply places it as an image, which is pretty common." - Joel

They may have changed how OG5 processes drag and drop.

Simon

Perhaps the experts should weigh in on this discussion (Joel?).

I actually find OG to be a Godsend as a way to construct a drawing composed of pdfs taken from other apps and positioned/resized at will, with occasional connecting lines and arrows. The resulting quality is very good - actually "publication quality" from my experience.

Warren

Directly opening the PDF in OmniGraffle Professional (which I suspect Simon is doing) gives the same result as he's getting, and if further vector editing is required in Graffle that would be the route to take (even though it's not coming in nicely).

Placing the PDF as an image from the File Menu or Image Inspector works well on my end, the PDF displays crisply no matter the zoom factor or how it's resized, if that's all that's needed I'd recommend going that route.

Joel,
Yes I was opening the graphic as a vector PDF as I did not like the idea of not being able to edit the graphic element if it had been imported as a bitmap.

However, I have confirmed that the quality of imported bitmaps is extremely high with no "jaggies" even at high magnification and I have also rediscovered the linkback feature which allows the graphic to be edited in the original drawing application (Intaglio).

So it seems that I can have my cake and eat it :-)

Simon