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-   -   Converting Visio stencils to OmniGraffle (http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=23260)

GregD-VisioCafe 2012-01-20 07:08 PM

Converting Visio stencils to OmniGraffle
 
Hi everyone, not sure if everyone knows what VisioCafe is, but basically we have something like 20000 Visio shapes for computer gear, and of course its free to download, and bla bla bla

Anyway, we would really like for all our stuff to be compatable with OmniGraffle. Our Stencil files will import, but to varying degrees, many of them just blow apart and look nasty.

I know this is because of the Enhanced Metafiles inside the shapes. I have searched the net looking for clues, and I have found references to this stuff in 2006, 2008 and one in 2010, all talking about adding more EMF support into OmniGraffle.

Now that OG vers 6 is somewhere on the horizon, is there any news that EMFs will import better?

Or if the import is not coming any time soon, is there any secret method to massage the shapes before import that will help keep them intact?

Cheers!
Greg

whpalmer4 2012-01-20 08:00 PM

How about providing an example of one that doesn't work well, instead of making us hunt for them?

GregD-VisioCafe 2012-01-21 03:45 PM

Hi, sure, that sounds like a good idea.
The following is one controller from the NetApp-FAS-Series set, plus a couple pieces from the HP-Networking-A_Series-small set

Here it is in Visio
[IMG]http://www.visiocafe.ca/In-Visio.PNG[/IMG]

and here it is in OG
[IMG]http://www.visiocafe.ca/In-OG.PNG[/IMG]

All of these were drawn using the exact same methods, but as you can see, some parts explode, and others don't. Even on one piece, the NetApp controller, some of the hexagon perf holes explode, and others look fine, but all of them are metafiled the same way

Greg

GregD-VisioCafe 2012-01-27 12:37 PM

I tried another method, of printing from Visio to an acrobat PDF document, and then opening the PDF in OmniGraffle, thinking that Acrobat would take care of any conversion/rendering, but no joy. The import from PDF was just as bad...

vNuboso 2012-03-21 07:37 PM

I don't know if anyone is listening to Mr. Visio Cafe here...but it is imperitive that stencils such as these work in OG. If they don't...well... I certainly won't be buying nor will I be directing any peers and colleagues towards purchasing either. I'm a consultant and the accurate use of stencils and depictions such as these controllers (and many more pieces of IT equipment) are vital to my job as well as the jobs of many others. Please devote time to resolving this and I'll be the first to line up and ditch my VMs and Citrix visio sessions...

GregD-VisioCafe 2012-03-22 01:15 PM

A couple of the biggest companies on our site have asked about this, because some of their employees are interested in having OmniGraffle on their desktops.
So far they have to stick to buying Visio only because of this issue.

DerekAsirvadem 2012-03-23 02:18 AM

Oh, Really ?
 
It is great to here that more and more big companies have Macs as desktops. Which desktops do they have Visio on then, that they are presently using ?

Cheers
Derek

GregD-VisioCafe 2012-03-23 08:30 AM

[QUOTE=DerekAsirvadem;108721]It is great to here that more and more big companies have Macs as desktops. Which desktops do they have Visio on then, that they are presently using ?

Cheers
Derek[/QUOTE]

I don't know the specifics of their desktops, but I think there is a shift in many big companies toward Macs, at least in certain jobs. Most have to either run some sort of emulator to keep using Visio, or some even have two desktops - one for general use, and one for Visio. Seems like a waste to me...

The lack of Enhanced Metafile import in OmniGraffle, helps Microsoft, and no one else.

LearninginCA 2012-03-23 09:23 AM

Did you see if the OG Extra's forum has interest?
 
This has been a frustration of mine (just purchased the full pro license because I am trying to my my MBA i7 work.

<http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=4326>

bogatyr 2012-05-16 06:25 AM

I am also having the same issue. I subscribe to NetZoom for Visio stencils and they have every piece of equipment imaginable - and anything they don't have, you can request and have it within days. However, the stencils import improperly like the ones demo'd above.

Is there work going on right now to improve the Visio stencil support? Right now I am using the trial as I am waiting on my vendor (Insight) to add in the part numbers for Omnigraffle to their system. However, I am not sure I can buy a product that doesn't support the vast library of Visio stencils out there properly.

My goal is to scrap the VMWare Fusion I have for running Visio but this is a key part of that goal - stencil support.

EDIT: Just to add - the 5.4 beta does offer MUCH better Visio stencil support. No weird lines or text in wrong places. Some things are still missing but no where near as bad as before.


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