Cross-Platform Drawing and Diagramming Tool Challenges Visio 2,700-Object Library and PowerPoint/Acrobat/HTML Export Eric Grevstad
Mon 7/28/03 -- Offering multiplatform PC/Mac compatibility at a price well below Microsoft Visio, Computer Systems Odessa's new ConceptDraw is the first Windows version of the small- to medium-sized business drawing, diagramming, and flow-charting package that premiered on the Mac in 1999.
ConceptDraw Professional ($249) can create flow charts, organizational charts, and technical illustrations for projects ranging from marketing and business consulting to IT infrastructure engineering, system integration, and Web site design. A library of over 2,700 pre-drawn objects makes it easy to articulate complex concepts such as electronic schematics or network diagrams, while completed files can be exported to AutoCAD, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, or HTML pages. "Smart object" search-and-replace substitutions preserve objects' formatting, text, and connections to other objects.
An optional Presenter package converts ConceptDraw diagrams into animated presentations or Macromedia Flash movies, while a $149 ConceptDraw Standard version subtracts some libraries and import/export options.
