Announcements

SmartDraw 2009.5 Expands Interoperability with Microsoft Office Suite

Sean — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:22:22 GMT

SmartDraw 2009.5 is provided as a FREE upgrade to existing SmartDraw 2009 users and includes new features and sought-after business enhancements that allow users to work smarter with the Microsoft applications they use everyday.

New SmartDraw 2009.5 features and enhancements include:

Complete PowerPoint Slideshow Automation

SmartDraw 2009.5 allows users to plan, design, and then build a PowerPoint presentation in a faster, easier, and more intelligent way. With SmartDraw 2009.5, users create their entire presentation in SmartDraw's storyboard mode, using thousands of smart templates, images, and special effects. This allows them to see their entire presentation at-a-glance before exporting it into PowerPoint. A simple click will then produce their entire slideshow, where all images, animation and text are exported to PowerPoint. The end result is a cohesive, compelling and stunning presentation that is accomplished in far less time.

Lightning Fast Microsoft Project Interoperability

Business users can now plan and manage any sized project with ease. SmartDraw 2009.5 enables any user to take the tasks, sub-tasks, and dependencies from a smaller SmartDraw-created Gantt chart and export it directly into a larger MS Project chart. In addition, rather than being saddled with cumbersome MS Project charts that are difficult to manipulate, SmartDraw 2009.5 users can now import MS Project charts quickly and easily into SmartDraw 2009.5, manipulate them, export them, and share them with others using just a few clicks.

Integrating Excel Spreadsheets Has Never Been Easier

SmartDraw 2009.5 allows users to directly import and manipulate MS Excel spreadsheets inside of SmartDraw, which means charts and graphs can be created and changed without exiting the SmartDraw file. Further MS Excel integration features include the ability to show and hide tables, as well as group labels (such as months) in chart elements—perfect for quarterly reports.

Announcing SmartDraw 2009

Sean — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:06:13 GMT

SmartDraw 2009 Transforms Business Graphics With Built-In PowerPoint® Animation, 3D Effects, Faster Flowcharting Among its Powerful New Features

SmartDraw 2009 was released today! Read the 12 Great Reasons to Upgrade to SmartDraw 2009

Here are a few new key features:

• Seamless PowerPoint® Integration with Built-In Animation. Using animation to reveal information step-by-step with each click is a key feature for helping audiences fully comprehend what the presenter is trying to convey. With just one mouse click, SmartDraw transfers a graphic into a PowerPoint® slide with built-in animation. The result is a more compelling and memorable presentation.

• Faster, Easier Project Management. New project management features include more control, increased automation and improved customization of Gantt charts and timelines. SmartDraw offers real project management without the complexity and learning curve of a product like Microsoft Project®.

• Quicker Flowcharting. Flowcharts are drawn automatically, using simple commands. Users can even build one without taking their fingers off the keyboard. Lines are drawn automatically. Formatting is automatic: shapes are evenly spaced and perfectly aligned.

• Improved ImageCharts and ExpressCharts. With ImageCharts, use pictures and images to display information instead of boring lines, bars, and circles. Simply drag any image—even a photo—onto a chart, and watch the data come alive. Or, create real charts and graphs of every kind without making a spreadsheet first with improved ExpressCharts.

• Stunning New Presentation Effects. Stunning new effects such as 3D graphs and perspective view take presentations to the next level. Includes new themes for storyboarding presentations, as well as more synergy with PowerPoint®. Improved special effects add extra flair.

• Automatic Mind Maps and Org Charts. Like flowcharts, mind maps and org charts are also drawn for the user with simple commands. Trees can now expand or hide depending on desired output to show various levels of hierarchy.

• Realistic Live Maps with Google. The new Live Map feature captures data from Google maps to incorporate roads, regions, counties, zip codes, countries and even satellite images from across the globe into illustrations. With SmartDraw 2009 users can now plot area-related data.

• Automatically Map a Network. SmartDraw can now network according to lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP), resulting in a clear, comprehensive network diagram.

• Smart Website Mapping. Users can simply type in the website domain and SmartDraw automatically generates a “smart” website map, organizing the pages in an intelligent, understandable way.

• Better, Faster Floor Plans. Floor plans include smarter walls and easier manipulation of shapes, as well as easy snap-on windows and doors. New dimension lines and area measurements make creating accurate floor plans easier than ever.

• Sticky Notes. Add special explanatory notes to any shape with new “sticky notes” in SmartDraw. The note appears only when the cursor scrolls over the object so notes never clutter a diagram.

New SmartDraw MVP Program!

Sean — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:05:29 GMT

The SmartDraw MVP (Most Valuable Professional) Program is an exclusive program providing SmartDraw users the opportunity to become part of the SmartDraw MVP Community with access to many benefits including:

Opportunities to win free future upgrades, premium support and exclusive SmartDraw products
Ability to upload and share templates, ideas and strategies with some of the best SmartDraw users from around the world
Prerelease and Exclusive SmartDraw content
MVP support and help
MVP newsletter

The MVP program is designed to increase the overall usability of SmartDraw by helping the community of SmartDraw enthusiasts share and learn from each other. Best of all, it's free!

Registration for the SmartDraw MVP program is open to all SmartDraw customers.

Email me with any questions...Thank you!

Sean

Welcome to the SmartDraw Community Forums!

Sean — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 23:31:39 GMT

Welcome to the SmartDraw forums where you can share ideas and solutions with other SmartDraw users. SmartDraw personnel including Tech Support, Development, QA and Business Planning often visit these message boards unofficially to better understand our customer needs.

The forums are available for SmartDraw users and those interested in business graphics and how they can improve your performance...enjoy!!