SimpleDiagrams Desktop Docs¶
You probably shouldn't be here. For real. SimpleD should have been easy enough to just open it up and go. If the interface had done its job you'd already be drawing and not messing around with help docs.
But here you are. Maybe you're stuck on one thing. Maybe you're the cautious type who likes to know what all the buttons do before touching any of them. Maybe you're a tech geek who wants to build your own shape libraries.
Well, you're all welcome. These pages will get you productive fast and then get out of the way.
In a hurry?
Go straight to the Quick start. It's the whole app in about five minutes, minus the parts you can figure out yourself.
What this guide covers¶
This is the guide for SimpleDiagrams 5 for macOS — the native Mac app. It's a one-time purchase, it runs entirely on your Mac, and it never phones home.
SimpleDiagrams Cloud, the web version, is a separate product with its own help. This guide won't help you there, and the two don't sync.
Where to start¶
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Make a real diagram in five minutes. Shapes, connectors, export, done.
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What all the panels are, where they live, and how to move them around.
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The 280 hand-drawn symbols that ship with the app, and how to place them.
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Lines that attach to shapes and stay attached when you move things.
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Every shortcut in the app, on one page.
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If you're coming from version 3 or 4, read this first.
Coming from SimpleDiagrams 4?¶
Version 5 is a complete rewrite as a native Mac app — the old one was built on Adobe AIR, which Apple and the world have moved on from. Almost everything you knew is still here, some of it is better, and a few things work differently.
Your old diagrams still open. See Opening older diagrams for exactly what converts and what doesn't.
Still stuck?¶
Email me directly: daniel@mcquilleninteractive.com. I'm a small shop, so you get a real person, usually within a day.