Document

Documents in ConceptDraw are used to store your diagrams, schemes and drawings on your computer. Documents can be of various size and format (A4, A3, Letter) and orientation (portrait, landscape). They can consist of one or more pages, and include links to other documents, files or Internet addresses. ConceptDraw offers many tools for working with documents.

Creating a New Document
Creating a Document Using a Template
Importing Files
Saving a Document
Exporting a Document
Printing a Document

Creating a New Document

To create a new ConceptDraw document you can do one of the following:

a) Choose New Document from the File menu,
b) Click the New Document button on the toolbar,
c) Or use the keyboard shortcut:

Ctrl + N

Cmd + N

A blank new document will open in a separate window.

Note:  By default, each new document is based on the template file Blank Drawing.cdt (located in the Libraries folder). You can choose another template file to base new documents upon - see the Document Templates section for further information.

Creating a Document Using a Template

You can create a new document based on an existing template.
A template file contains a document with all its settings (scale, grid, units of measure, etc.) and a list of libraries that may be useful for this type of document. When you create a new document using a template, a copy of the document in the template is created, and the libraries, listed in the template file, are opened.
Templates can also contain scripts, written in ConceptDraw Basic, and executed once you've opened the template. Such scripts can be used to generate documents automatically. For instance, a script can connect to a database or a spreadsheet, ask questions to the user and create a document based on this information. Using templates helps you to automate the tasks you do repeatedly for new documents - such as configuring document settings or opening necessary libraries. And scripts can automate even the process of creating the document itself.

Templates are especially helpful when documents need to include some common elements - such as a standard title or a company logo.

To create a document using a template:

1. Choose File / Template Gallery,
   or use the Open button on the toolbar to call the standard Open dialog. Set the file type to ConceptDraw Templates (.cdt) to show just template files.
2. Select the desired ConceptDraw template file.

Ctrl + Alt + N

Cmd + Opt + N

For further information on creating and using templates see the "Document Templates" section.

Importing Files

You can import files, created in other applications, and use them in your documents. ConceptDraw supports importing of the following file formats:

Raster formats

Vector, multimedia, text and other formats:

There are two methods for importing files:

a) Choose the desired item in the File / Import submenu.

b) Call the standard Open dialog from the File menu and select the desired type of file from the list.

Importing Pictures from Graphic Files
Importing Textual Data
Importing MS PowerPoint Files
Importing MS Visio Documents

Importing Pictures From Graphic Files

You can import pictures from files of various graphic formats (see the list above) and use them in ConceptDraw documents. That will help to add impact to your documents, make them look more professional and impressive.

To import a picture from a graphic file:

Choose Import / Graphic File... from the File menu.
The file open dialog will come up. Choose the required file and click OK (the Open dialog is described in the Dialogs - Modal Dialogs section).

A new document will be created, with the imported picture in the center of the drawing page.
You can do some editing over pictures - resize, rotate and flip, apply shadow and some other. See the Pictures section for details.

Note: You can select several graphic files at once in the Open dialog. In this case each picture will be placed in a separate ConceptDraw document.

Importing Textual Data

With ConceptDraw you can visualize textual data. The program reads data from a text file, and a diagram is generated based on the textual description.

The description must be in one of the two supported formats:

Flow Data Format - it's used to created documents, which consist of objects with precise coordinates and connected with connectors (for instance, flowchart diagrams);

Outline Format - used to generate tree diagrams where objects have hierarchical structure. You may first write an outline in a text editor, and then use ConceptDraw to automatically generate a visual diagram out of it.

To import textual data, choose Import / Text Data... from the File menu.

Importing MS PowerPoint Files

ConceptDraw allows you to import data from PowerPoint files.
ConceptDraw supports files, created in Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 (Windows) and PowerPoint X (Mac OS X).

To import a PowerPoint document into ConceptDraw:

Choose Import / Microsoft PowerPoint... from the File menu.
The file open dialog will come up. Choose the required file and click OK (the Open dialog is described in the Dialogs - Modal Dialogs section).

Objects in the PowerPoint file will be converted into ConceptDraw shapes. You can edit them as regular ConceptDraw shapes - resize, rotate, flip, change line and shadow style, text, etc.

Importing MS Visio Documents

Saving a Document

ConceptDraw V can save documents in the following formats:

- in the binary ConceptDraw 5.0 format (.CDD),
- in the textual XML for ConceptDraw format (.CDX),
- in the binary ConceptDraw 1.x format (.CDD).

XML for ConceptDraw format is an exact textual alternative to the binary ConceptDraw 5.0 format; these formats are fully equivalent to each other.
The ConceptDraw 1.x format is supported to preserve compatibility with earlier versions of ConceptDraw.

Note: When you save a document in the ConceptDraw 1.x format you may lose some data or functionality not supported in ConceptDraw 1.x (for instance, scripts).

By default, documents are saved in the format in which they were opened. The default format for new documents can be set in the Preferences dialog, tab Save. For a detailed description of this dialog, see Dialogs - Modal Dialogs - Preferences).

ConceptDraw also allows to:

- save documents as Templates (CDT),
- save an entire working environment as Workspace (CDW). It includes all open documents and libraries, with their positions on the screen). It helps to save the current state and quickly return to it later.

Saving Documents
Saving a Document as a Template
Saving Workspace Files

Saving Documents

To save an active document,
choose Save from the File menu, or click the Save  button on the toolbar.

Ctrl + S

Cmd + S

When you first time save the document, you can choose its name and location in the Save As dialog.
If you have saved this document already, the modified document will be saved under its existing name.

To save a modified document under some other name, choose the Save As command under the File menu. Specify the new name and location in the Save As dialog. The active document will get a new name and will be stored in the specified location.

Ctrl + Shift + S

Cmd + Shift + S

You may also create a copy of the active document:
Use the Save Copy As command from the File menu, and choose the name and location for the copy.

When you use the Save Copy As command, the name of the original document remains the same; it doesn't change as with the Save As command.

In the Mac OS X version you can return to the last saved state of the document by choosing Revert To Saved from the File menu.

Saving a Document as a Template

You can save an active document as a ConceptDraw template (.cdt), and use it to create similar documents.

Choose Save As Template from the File menu. The Save As dialog will come up. Specify a name for the template and save it. For more information about this dialog, see Dialogs - Modal Dialogs - Save,

Note: If you want the template to be compatible with older versions of ConceptDraw, you may save it as ConceptDraw 1.x Template. In this case some functionality, not supported in earlier versions, will be lost (for instance, scripts).

For more details about templates see the Document Templates section.

Saving Workspace Files

If you regularly work with the same set of documents and libraries, then you can save it as a workspace file. A workspace file contains the list of open documents, size and arrangement of windows and the list of open libraries.

To save the current state of the application in a workspace file, use the Save Workspace command from the File menu. The Save As dialog will come up. Specify the name and location for the workspace file and click Save.

All information about open documents and libraries together with their on-screen arrangement will be saved in the workspace file.

Ctrl + Alt + S

Cmd + Opt + S

See the Workspace Files section for more information.

Exporting a Document

To use ConceptDraw together with other programs, you can export ConceptDraw documents to various formats.

Very often it's needed to view or print a document on different computers and platforms. In this case you can export your document to the PDF format.

By publishing your documents on the Web you can easily share it with many people.

To make a presentation you may want to use MS PowerPoint.

To insert your drawing into other documents (for instance, Word or PageMaker), you need to transform it into a file of some graphic format. To exchange documents with MS Visio users support for Visio document format is needed.

ConceptDraw is well equipped for these tasks.

Exporting to PDF
Exporting to HTML
Exporting to PowerPoint format
Exporting to graphic formats
Exporting to XML for Visio

Exporting to PDF

ConceptDraw V can export your documents to Portable Document Format (PDF) which is widely used for exchanging and printing documents on various platforms and operating systems.

This format allows to preserve the correct look of your documents because the needed fonts are stored right in the PDF file. Also, in a PDF document you can search and copy text.

Hyperlinks, contained in the original document, remain working in the PDF file.

To export the active document to PDF:

Choose Export / PDF from the File menu.
The Save As dialog will come up, asking you for the name of the PDF file.

During the export, the fonts used in your ConceptDraw document, are embedded into the PDF file. All pages of the document are exported. Pictures and text are compressed to reduce the size of the PDF file.

Exporting to HTML

ConceptDraw is well integrated with the Internet. By exporting your document to HTML you can easily publish it on the Web.

To save your document as HTML files, use the Export / HTML from the File menu. Export parameters can be configured in the HTML Properties dialog.

For more details about exporting to HTML, read Exporting a Document to HTML Files in the Internet chapter.

Exporting to PowerPoint Format

ConceptDraw can export documents to the PowerPoint file format, and use your ConceptDraw drawings in PowerPoint presentations.

ConceptDraw creates files for Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 (Windows) and PowerPoint X (Macintosh).

To export the active document to PowerPoint, choose Export / Microsoft PowerPoint... from the File menu.
The Save As dialog will come up, asking you for the name of the file.

Having saved the file, you can open it in PowerPoint and continue working on it - add animation effects, sound, backgrounds, etc.

Exporting to Graphic Formats

You save separate ConceptDraw shapes or the entire document in various graphic formats.

You can export to the files of the following formats:

Raster formats:

Vector formats:

This will help you illustrate your text documents with nice-looking drawings, schemes and diagrams and use the drawings, created in ConceptDraw, in other applications.

Note:  If you need to export separate shapes rather than the entire drawing, select the needed shapes before exporting.

To export the active document to one of the supported graphic formats:

Choose Export / Graphic File... from the File menu. The Save As dialog will appear. Specify a name for the new graphic file and choose a format from the drop-down list. Then the picture properties dialog will come up, where you can set parameters for the resulting picture. For more information of available settings for graphic files see the section Dialogs - Modal Dialogs - Picture Properties

When exporting to the DXF format you can configure settings for the DXF file in the DXF Properties dialog. For more details refer to Dialogs - Modal Dialogs - DXF Properties

Printing a Document

ConceptDraw provides flexible printing options - you can set any size of the printed page, tile the document over several sheets, preview the results before printing.

Choosing Paper Size and Printer
Document Printing Parameters
Breaking Down the Document Into Printer Pages
Print Preview
Printing

Before printing, you should prepare the document and set up the some printer parameters.

Choosing Paper Size and Printer

To adjust the printer and print page settings, select Print Page Setup from the File menu.

Ctrl + Shift + P

Cmd + Shift + P

This will bring up the standard dialog, where you can choose the printer, specify paper size and page orientation, etc.

For more information about print settings and the Page Setup dialog see Dialogs - Modal Dialogs - Page Setup

Document Printing Parameters

The printing parameters of the active document can be specified in the Document Properties dialog (menu File / Document Properties).

On the Page tab you can set the size of a document page.
The Printing tab controls the following parameters:
- paper orientation,
- paper placement method (if the document page size is larger than one printer page),
- justification (where the drawing is positioned on the printed page if smaller than one page),
- printed page size:
   the document page may be printed in its actual size,
   or correspond to the current zoom level of the document,
   or be tiled over a necessary number of paper sheets.

More information about the Document Properties dialog and the Printing tab can be found in the section Dialogs - Modal Dialogs - Document Properties

Breaking Down the Document into Printer Pages

The drawing area size may often be larger or smaller, than one printer page.

Note, that the document page size and orientation are not always the same, as the printer page:

The document page size is set when the document is created. You can modify it in the Document Properties dialog (File menu) on the Page tab.
The printer page size can be chosen in the Page Setup dialog (choose Print Page Setup from the File menu).

That's why it's important to see how the drawing area will be broken down into printer pages. To do this, enable the Page Breaks option under the View menu. The drawing area will be divided up into page-sized rectangles, shown with thin gray lines. Non-printable areas will be marked in gray

If necessary, you can modify the document parameters ( menu File / Document Properties) and the print settings (menu File / Print Page Setup).

Print Preview

After all settings are done, you can view the representation of the printed document without printing it.
Choose Print Preview from the File menu, or click the Print Preview button on the toolbar.

Ctrl + Alt + P

Cmd + Opt + P

For more information about the Print Preview mode refer to the section Windows - Print Preview

Printing

Once the document and printer are properly configured, you can print it by using one of the following ways:

a) Click Print in the Print Preview window;
b) Click the Print button on the toolbar;
c) Choose the Print command from the File menu;
d) Use the keyboard shortcut:

Ctrl + P

Cmd + P

The Print dialog will come up with the default printer selected.
In this dialog you can specify the range of pages to print, the number of copies and some other settings.

More information about the Print dialog and available printing options you can find in the section Dialogs - Modal Dialogs - Print