Diagram Ring

Editors' ReviewDownload.com staffMay 10, 2012If your first idea is to diagram it (whatever it is), then Farshadoo's Diagram Ring may be for you. This versatile freeware helps you create and edit just about any kind of diagram you can think of: pie charts, flow charts, class diagrams, bar charts, ERDs, DRFs, and many more. Its predefined symbols and unique node-linking methods yield professional-quality diagrams that can be used anywhere a diagram is needed.Diagram Ring's main interface opened with the program's Startup screen, which let us create a new diagram or open an existing one. A unique, graphic-intensive design gives the program an up-to-date look and feel, but its controls and features are generally familiar or easy enough to figure out. To the left of the main view, Diagram Ring displays a variety of shapes, charts, and labels used to create basic diagrams, known as Documents. It also has 15 predefined styles we could access from the menu bar. We started by selecting a basic pie chart and dragging it into our new document to create a node. We entered a name and value for our new chart in its properties sheet, while an Overview and Functions display opened to the right of the main window. We simply had to click on any symbol or element to add it to our chart. Diagram Ring connects nodes with Edges, which can have multiple elements known as Edge parts, each connected by a straight line known as an Edge break. That may seem complicated, but it's actually quite easy and intuitive: Click a connection point and drag it to a node to connect them. The Style menu is especially helpful; using it we were able to lay down, label, and connect a variety of different shapes in different colors to create an attractive chart.Diagram Ring's extensive, fully indexed Help file explains everything about the program and how to use it. Despite all that it offers, it's a compact download. Diagram Ring is Open Source, Apache-based freeware that works with Windows XP, Vista, and 7. We recommend it to anyone who needs to create diagrams for any purpose.