OmniGraffle 7
Is it lucky number time for this leading graphics tool?
$99.99 (Standard), $199.99 (Pro) Developer The Omni Group, omnigroup.com Requirements OS X 10.11 or later OmniGraffle is primarily a tool for working on precision graphics – for prototyping, wireframes, charts, and diagrams. However, its toolset and functionality is such that it nudges into territory occupied by Illustrator and Sketch when, respectively, used for (fairly simple) illustrations and the kind of flat interface design that remains in vogue.
As such, OmniGraffle provides a selection of drawing and shape tools, inspectors to adjust the properties of selected objects, powerful layering functionality for arranging artwork, and the means to export everything to formats suitable for screen or print.
As objects are added to the canvas, smart and manual guides make lining things up a cinch, and magnets make connecting boxes in diagrams painless. Workflow can be further sped up by way of reusable components (“Stencils”), which include icons, device wireframes, basic shapes, colors, and home furnishing objects. In use, OmniGraffle has a friendliness that belies its underlying power. Rather than deluging you with palettes and options, the clean, straightforward interface feels like something almost anyone could get to grips with. This latest update has seen refinement in this area, and the new unified sidebar now houses tabs for canvas, guides, outline, and selection views. For newcomers, the features within should impress: for example, manual guides can be set very precisely, and the selection tool enables you to quickly get at related objects, filtering by canvas and object type. Neatly, guides can be toggled just by clicking on a ruler.
Another new feature is the infinite canvas. This is great for projects of initially unknown dimensions. Usefully, its infinite nature can be limited to specific directions. Working on a fixed-width web page mockup with content of unknown length? OmniGraffle has you covered. Using the sidebar, you can also easily get at objects on massive canvases, through commands to scroll or zoom to a selection. (This also alleviates an annoying quirk of the app: huge jumps between zoom settings.)
Be warned some of the best features are, frustratingly, reserved for the Pro version, most notably sharing layers across multiple canvases, and artboards – containers that act as export regions for objects on layers above. Still, the 14-day trial should help you pinpoint features you favor.
the bottom line. A strong update that improves OmniGraffle’s workflow, efficiency, and scope.