Cheaper or free alternative to Visio?

[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.

[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).

[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!