10 steps to create diagrams faster than ever before
The Interface
My first 3 lines
Type the following text in the text editor:
Are the shapes displayed? Yes? Well done 🙂
Adding an actor
Modify the line “Step 1” to “@Marketing Step 1”. By doing it, you indicate that the marketing department is responsible for “Step 1”.
In the graphical canvas, a circle representing the actor will be positioned on the corresponding shape. The legend on the top left corner allows you to highlight a specific actor by clicking on its symbol.
More information: How to create cross-functional flowcharts?
Adding a decision shape
Add to your diagram a decision shape as indicated below:
We use the hashtag #decision to represent a decision.
You can also use a markup: Try to replace #decision by <>
Hashtags and markups are the keywords used by Textografo for generating shapes and connectors from a text.
After the decision shape, there are two options or paths – Yes or No – represented by connectors. You can add as many paths to a decision shape (or other shapes) just by indenting the lines after this shape (using the TAB key).
You can now add new shapes to each specific path by indenting (TAB key) the line after the corresponding connector as you can see here:
Note that connectors are indicated by arrows and standard shape by bullet points.
Important! You can indent lines by using the TAB key or desindent by using SHIFT + TAB
Add another diagram
To add another diagram, unindent using SHIFT + TAB until you are at the first level of the text editor and then type “#flowchart My second flowchart” as indicated below:
Add some shapes:
Note that you can switch from one flowchart to another one by clicking on the corresponding flowchart.
Zoom In / Out
At any time you can focus on a specific part of your diagram by using the ZOOM IN feature.
For instance, you can click on the bullet point which is just before the #decision:
You can now see only a part of your diagram. You can work from there as you did before.
In order to Zoom Out, you have to click on the navigation bar. You can click on “Repository” to see all your diagrams or on the name of your diagram – My First Flowchart – if you want to see only this one in the Text Editor.
Adding a label to a connector
After step 2, press ENTER to add a new line then TAB to indent it and type the label “Data” as below:
You just added a label to the connector between the “Step 2” and “Done!” shapes.
Note that it is indicated by an arrow as it is a connector. As previously told, to create a connector, you need to indent the line that comes immediately after a standard shape.
All about the explicit connector
After Step 1, create Step 3 and Step 4 as follow:
Imagine that you want to link Step 4 and Step 1…just use “#linkto Step 1″ (this is what we call an explicit connector) after Step 4 as below:
Note that you must use the exact name of the Shape on which you want to link the connector, here “Step 1”.
You can then add a label to your connector:
Note that you can replace the #linkto, by the markup ->
Adding more shapes
You can find the full list of hashtags and markup here that you can use in the text editor.
Export your diagram
Once you are happy with your diagram, export it by clicking on the following button in the top menu:
