[macrailsoft]

Hi all,

What's an efficient way to join lines e.g. in an UML class diagram to form a single line from multiple lines like in http://hdf.ncsa.uiuc.edu/RFC/ARCHIVE...pe_Old_UML.png ?

I've tried to put the one line where all other lines should meet below the common class all others are depending on and then snap the lines from the objects below the class to that line, but the results looked chaotic, with OmniGraffles layout engine using different points for each line to break them by 90 degrees (hope you know what I talk about ;-)), i.e. the lines were not vertically aligned as in the example given.

Is the fastest way to achieve such results to completely layout each line by hand? Or is there some simple option I have missed to just give the start and endpoint and still have neatly aligned arrows from multiple sources all joining in one target object?

thanks,
jan

[macrailsoft]

I see...

So I assume OmniGraffel isn't really suitable for drawing (real world) UML diagrams?


best regards,
Jan

[Joel]

Sure it is:



There's even a full set of UML stencils available -- Have you downloaded Graffle Pro and tried it yet?

[macrailsoft]

Looks promising!
Sure, I've checked out OmniGraffle 4.x, and I already knew the UML stencils from the 2.2 release that came bundled with my Mac. Nice to see they've been extended since then.

However, when I try to draw any UML the lines always look like the attached screenshot. I suppose it's something with the settings - with orthogonal lines there are always lots of edges and the lines don't really align.

Maybe straight lines would be better, but how do I draw a straight vertical or horizontal line? Pressing SHIFT while drawing the line keeps it neatly aligned, however when adding the point by clicking the line is no longer vertical or straight. Am I doing something wrong?

thanks,
jan

[magir]

I'm also annoyed by this behaviour. It would be nice, if the next release of OG would support these line types (e.g. one source and several destinations with one split point) or is there really a way to do that with the current release?

[JoeWass]

I've been having this problem too.

If I have multiple objects connected to the same point as another object with the same line style (as per the above example) it tries to draw the line multiple times, which sometimes results in it looking messy. Surly omnigrafflle can recognise that they're all doing the same thing and only draw it once? Especially if it's actually being drawn by the program from an outline so it knows exactly what's going on...