Need a tool: visual software sketchbook thingy
2004-08-16T14:29:00Z
I'm in Seattle temporarily, doing some work for a friend and while trying to land a client in NYC.
I realized I have a problem: I can't think online anymore.
What I mean is, I used to be able to work through ideas, jottings, and diagrams on a computer, using something as simple as MS Word (ok, MS Word is not the best example, but my point is I did this with no fancy E-R diagramming tools, not Visio, etc).
Anyway, I can't do it now. I keep needing to grab a pad of paper and scratch things out, drawing arrows and notations etc.
All fine and good, but I really need to be able to do this online so I can reference and pull in information, and then take whatever mess I've made and turn it into something else (a document, a presentation, a spreadsheet).
I'm not even sure what I'm looking for, something that combines Visio (a very light, and simple Visio please) with a database or way of tagging bits of info, with some elements of a spreadsheet and MS Project thrown in for good measure.
Any ideas? Send them as email or add comments please...
Mod: would help if I could spell
«NBC's Coverage Of The Olympic Games Sucks, world stunned. | Main | Back home»
Comments
Lisa added:
well.... I'd say Omnigraffle - but that only helps you when you have a mac with you.
…Monday, 16 August 2004 14:59 GMT 2004-08-16T14:59:54Z
kaolin fire added:
I've always loved paper for thinking.
do you have a tablet? else I think it still won't be nearly as natural to use the computer.
I've seen some experimental things that are sort of visio meets paint. sort of. makes me think it should exist somewhere. curious.
Arek Goetz ( http://dynamics.sfsu.edu/goetz ) showed of fin a dynamical systems course a little tool that would 'recognize' drawn circles (as you drew them) and turn them into circle objects, turn lines into line objects, that sort of thing. I don't know how advanced it may have gotten yet.
…Monday, 16 August 2004 15:40 GMT 2004-08-16T15:40:49Z
David Pitkin added:
Visual Mind http://www.visual-mind.com/ or Mind Manager http://www.mindjet.com/us/ sound like products you're looking for.
…Monday, 16 August 2004 22:00 GMT 2004-08-16T22:00:30Z
Steve R added:
It sounds like Curio might be what you are looking for. Check it out: http://www.zengobi.com/products/curio/index.html
…Wednesday, 18 August 2004 15:58 GMT 2004-08-18T15:58:33Z
me added:
Thanks to all for the comments...I'll look at the suggestions and write up something in a few days.
…Friday, 20 August 2004 1:49 GMT 2004-08-20T01:49:04Z
Eric Vitiello added:
You might try DENIM. it's mainly for laying out the structure of a website and quick prototyping of websites, but i frequently use it as a simple node/edge designer. Helps if you have a graphics tablet. It's in Java, and runs perfectly on a Mac, works fine on windows but it's ugly. http://guir.berkeley.edu/projects/denim/
…Tuesday, 24 August 2004 9:39 GMT 2004-08-24T09:39:26Z