Gliffy
Gliffy is net-based graphical creation software. While targeted primarily towards business usage, Gliffy can be used in all sorts of different situations from student coursework to household projects.
The software is available in several forms. The online webapp is the primary method for use, but Gliffy also offers a plugin for Confluence and JIRA with a Jive app for use inside Jive software. Gliffy for Google Apps is also an option which makes for a complete cloud process.
The uses are extensive with a wide variety of predefined templates available to get started. Examples of use include floor plans, flowcharts, site maps, wireframes and a slew of others. The online interface starts with a blank document and users can start from scratch or reference one of the many categories to begin a new project.
New projects can be altered directly from the browser in fine detail. Items like text and shape are, of course, able to be modified to fit the need, but Gliffy goes well beyond just manipulating a template. Gliffy offers a full spectrum of color options for both background and text, text placement, size, 5 font types and alignment. Each project can have elements locked and there are a plethora of predefined shapes for referencing anything from a home page to flash element. Gliffy is so extensive that covering all its inner workings and offerings would take multiple reviews separated by type of module.
There are several ways of interconnecting information from connectors to shapes, interlocking or aligning, each with their own benefit based on the type of chart or diagram the user is creating. If the project is being created to reference other online material, Gliffy has the option to add hyperlinks. Along those same lines, Gliffy has incorporated sharing features for collaboration on a project and content publishing to the web. Gliffy strives to make the entire process a web based experience, including their help and support. The entire Gliffy user manual is published online without the need for a pdf or other download.
Gliffy is a paid service with two plans, Gliffy Standard ($4.95) and Gliffy Pro ($9.95). Gliffy Pro is accessible with a 30 day free trial which, at terms end, reverts to a Basic Free account that only allows for a maximum of 5 diagrams. The service is definitely worth checking out on a free trial and if your organization uses charts or diagrams regularly, then it’s worth the investment for the collaboration and online publishing.
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It’s awesome to see a few of these web apps pop up because I shall shortly be free of the Visio handcuffs that have constrained me for so long! Gliffy was the first I came across, but then I tried a couple of others and finally settled on Lucidchart because it imported all my Visio files (10 years worth!). This review of Gliffy vs. Lucidchart was pretty helpful to me in the decision. Both are nice apps but Lucidchart seemed a bit further ahead in development.