In Gliffy only the document creator can share the drawing. Gliffy comes in fact with a publishing feature that allows presenters to share a read-only version (as an image file) of the document to prevent others from editing the document. However, creating a read-only version requires making the document public, which means anyone can view the drawing. On the flip side, publishing the document allows anyone with Internet access to view the drawing without registering as a Gliffy user, and the public finding your drawing without a link isn't easy.
Editing features come with the traditional copy, paste, delete and group/ungroup features. Copying and pasting an image from another application into Gliffy won't work and the usual drawing tools consist of text, ellipse, rectangle, connectors, lines, fill color and move forward/back.
You can change a selected object's size and position as well as rotate the object. For a professional look, add or modify drop shadows and gradient fills. Lock the aspect ratio to ensure the object's height/width ratio stays the same during resizing.
Collaborators can save a copy of the drawing as an image in JPG file format. Revision history keeps track of the changes each time someone saves the document. So you, as the document creator, can view and override any changes plus you can undo any work you don't like.
Gliffy drawings can be imported into other applications like Microsoft Visio and Adobe Illustrator. When exporting Gliffy diagrams in SVG (scalable vector graphics) format, any program supporting SVG can import the files for editing. But, don't expect the Gliffy-created document to show up exactly the same way in another application. The Gliffy drawing imported into Adobe Illustrator had objects spread out instead of together as in the original Gliffy drawing.
All shapes and symbols must come from Gliffy, so you can't import or open logos, pictures or other files into the application. Available types of symbols include flow charting, networking, user interfaces, floor plans and basic shapes.
Gliffy works with most browsers, but in this early version there's a bug with Safari or Flash that prevents keyboard input from working at times. Restarting the browser usually takes care of the problem.
You, as the Gliffy presenter control who can view and edit your documents, which are securely stored on Gliffy's servers.
Anyone who has an email address can be invited to collaborate and Gliffy automatically sends an email to collaborators, every time there is a new update to the work documents being shared.
Those who have used drawing programs will have no problem figuring out how to use Gliffy. While presentation software like PowerPoint comes with drawing tools, such tools aren't typically made to handle the kind of work that drawing-based applications like Gliffy can do. A presenter might find it easier to draw with Gliffy and then import Gliffy-created images into PowerPoint to complete the presentation.
Requirements:
Web browser
Email for collaborator invitation
Macromedia Flash Player 7 or better
Information and FAQ:
Gliffy Blog
Frequently asked questions
Examples:
See examples of diagrams created with Gliffy.
Pricing:
Free, ad-supported Gliffy has limited features.
A subscription version containing premium features is coming.
Features for free and available for premium haven't been announced yet.
Sign up for a free Gliffy account and immediately start using the application.
