Cheaper or free alternative to Visio?

[BoredBloke]

At one place I was at I had to do a huge swim lanes diagram using Visio. The 'picture' at the end was printed on an a0 plotter and was 12 feet long. Nobody ever looked at it - unless it was to say 'what a waste of paper/ink' but I was shown how to fold it up and get it into an a4 envelope!

[cojak]

As the previous poster said Draw is an option.

So, is DIA: linky

If you want Visio cheap and a host of other goodies like W7, then there is Technet at £234 + VAT. Check it out: linky2

A common question asked about Technet is "do the licenses ever run out?".
The answer is no they don't

I use DIA, but I'm not sure about all the VB stuff you want to do with it.

You might just have to bit the bullet (or get the Action Pack).

[Platypus]

it's no surprise that the only ClientCo I've seen with it restricted its use to technical authors only.

I see quite a few Clients of my ClientCo using it and it can be a real disadvantage sometimes to not have it myself. ClientCo won't licence me a copy.

[Sysman]

I agree that's pretty rediculous.

If memory serves Visio started out as a piece of Freeware too

Or was it shareware? I'm sure I tried it, but didn't buy.

Agreed that £450 is taking the Mick, and it's no surprise that the only ClientCo I've seen with it restricted its use to technical authors only.

[LazyFan]

As the previous poster said Draw is an option.

So, is DIA: linky

If you want Visio cheap and a host of other goodies like W7, then there is Technet at £234 + VAT. Check it out: linky2

A common question asked about Technet is "do the licenses ever run out?".
The answer is no they don't

[RichardCranium]

I agree that's pretty rediculous.

If memory serves Visio started out as a piece of Freeware too

I recall using it before Micro$oft bought it. It hasn't changed much since then.

OpenOffice.org's Draw plus some flowcharting object add-ons will work in a similar way. That is, you can join shapes with lines and when you move an object, the lines move too. I know because I used it to do flowcharting documentation two or three years ago.

[TykeMerc]

Mr Wong down at the chippy will get you a copy for a fiver.

I do not and never have advocated software piracy. But come on, £450?

I agree that's pretty rediculous.

If memory serves Visio started out as a piece of Freeware too

[stek]

Anyone know if there is a cheaper or free alternative to Visio available? I need some kind of macro scripting capability built in also.

If my understanding is correct, the version of MS Visio I would need with VBscripting capability would be the Professional version, right? (at price £450+). Or does the standard version also allow scripting?

http://www.highhopes.com/L44040.JPG

[Churchill]

Mr Wong down at the chippy will get you a copy for a fiver.

I do not and never have advocated software piracy. But come on, £450?

[Badger]

Or if you've a child of school age:

http://www.software4students.co.uk/M...7-details.aspx

[Ardesco]

Or if you have a .ac.uk email address you can use:

http://www.microsoft.com/student/dis...k/default.aspx

[blacjac]

Comes with the Action Pack.....

[SuperZ]

Anyone know if there is a cheaper or free alternative to Visio available? I need some kind of macro scripting capability built in also.

If my understanding is correct, the version of MS Visio I would need with VBscripting capability would be the Professional version, right? (at price £450+). Or does the standard version also allow scripting?