jimla@tekig5.UUCP (James G. Larsen) (02/09/86)
Following is a summary of replies to my request for a block diagram editor: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Try the SDP (Tektronix) "SA Tools" package. It's designed specifically for data flow diagrams, but will suffice in creating a block diagram as well. It runs under on a VAX under UNIX, and requires a Tek graphics terminal (4XXX). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- MultiMate on the PC does very nice block diagrams with the PC Character Set (extended graphics). ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Have you tried Boxes & Arrows from Inner Loop Software. It is specificaly designed to do block diagrams using CAD like routines to join the lines connecting the boxes. When you move a box all the text associated with it moves and all lines connecting the box get redrawn automaticly. It is also a free form spread sheet in that any box can refer to any other and print out values based on calculations. It uses the line drawing character set (so no diagonal lines or circles) and it makes nice pictures on The Epson or HP laser printer or can put out a file in ASCII that you can include in a message or print out on a line printer. Inner Loop Software (213)822-2800 Dick Gillmann who has an office next to mine wrote and sells this program. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hope one of these mail paths works. Anyway, our company makes a block diagram editor for the IBM PC. We'd be glad to send you a free brochure or talk to you about it. Dick Gillmann Inner Loop Software 5456 McConnell Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90066 (213) 822-2800 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- AT&T claims to sell a UN*X based graphical editor called MAGIC-2 that runs on their Sys V machines. Work stations are either 5620 Bit mapped or a special vector device they sell. It was announced and demo'ed at NCGA in Dallas last year, also shown at SIGGRAPH. The vector device uses a 19" monitor and lightpen, runs DMA off a 3B2 and is very fast. Interestingly, they use it in their factories to drive TEK 41XX color displays, although the software package is primarily for 2D line drawing and multi-font text. Needless to say it is expensive and you will probably have no luck finding anyone in AT&T sales that knows anything about it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- In addition to the replies above, I located the following software packages at out local Egghead store: Diagram Master ($270) Gantt & hierarchy charts, shapes, lines, arrows, text, symbols IBM color board only Box, circle, oval, polygon, line, arc options Zoom PC Draw ($300) Schematics, block diagrams, data flow diagrams IBM color board only Templates Linked multiple pages No mouse support Gem Draw ($124) Rectangle, box, circle, polygon, line, arc, text IBM CGA & EGA, Hercules support In-a-Vision ($372) Templates 6X8 matrix of pages Zoom, scroll IBM CGA & EGA, Hercules support Ellipse, circle, square, rectangle, polygon, arc Line style/width Mouse support I have decided to use the Tektronix SA Tools package since it supports systems design using the data flow methodology.