Lines in iOS omnigraffle are baffling... defaults might be a part of my confusion

[chipbrock]

I’m trying hard to like the iOS version of OG. It’s kind of hard still… we’re living together, but not married yet.

If I want to draw a freehand line… say a freehand line with an arrow, of a particular color and thickness…it’s frustrating. Presumably I’ve not got things set up properly.

I want to draw a line, maybe grab it and place it, and then probably draw another line freehand. I want each object to have the same color and thickness. Every time.

I cannot figure out how to make it so that every time I go to the freehand tool (or any tool for that matter), I can count on the color being what I last chose and the thickness being what I last chose. If I were in Keynote, I’d define the characteristics of a shape or line.

Freehand objects are squirrelly once made (and repeatedly adjusted for color/thickness) - if I end my freehand object creation and then go to move it, it starts to expand and move all over the place. Placing it with my pencil or my finger is maddeningly almost impossible to do.

Surely in each instance, I’m doing something wrong or am not recognizing how to set defaults. Surely.

thanks
Ray

[ScoutsHonor]

No experience with the iOS version but…

Are you familiar with “Favorites?” You can set a type of object as a favorite and that usually makes it easier to get the same settings the next time (issue with not being able to edit a Favorite, can only delete and re-add if you change your mind).

In the Mac version, if I set my object properties before drawing anything, I usually get the same properties the next time I select that object. But it has to be before you draw, not after.

Curious if this helps…

[GraffleGuru]

@chipbrock

There are two issues in your post, I can answer one of them. Instructions for MacOS, but it should be the same for iOS.

One

I want to draw a line, maybe grab it and place it, and then probably draw another line freehand. I want each object to have the same color and thickness. Every time.

I cannot figure out how to make it so that every time I go to the freehand tool (or any tool for that matter), I can count on the color being what I last chose and the thickness being what I last chose. If I were in Keynote, I’d define the characteristics of a shape or line.

Before you draw a Shape with a Tool, you can set the defaults (eg. StrokeThickness; StrokeColour; etc) for that Tool.

• Pick the Tool
• go to the Inspector for that Tool
• set the Properties (eg. StrokeThickness; StrokeColour; etc)

Now that Tool is set up with the defaults that you want. So now “every time I go to the freehand tool (or any tool for that matter), I can count on the color; etc”.

Note the difference. If you select a Shape on the Canvas, that has already been drawn (eg. a Line), and you change a Property (e. StrokeThickness), it changes just that Shape, and not the defaults. The notion of “what I last drew” is false, the defaults are true.

Two

Freehand objects are squirrelly once made (and repeatedly adjusted for color/thickness) - if I end my freehand object creation and then go to move it, it starts to expand and move all over the place. Placing it with my pencil or my finger is maddeningly almost impossible to do.

Sorry, I can’t help you with that. On the face of it, it seems like a bug … but you might have some strange Property set. If it is, report it via the Support email. To get help here, make a QT video and post it.

Cheers

[GraffleGuru]

@ScoutsHonor

In the Mac version, if I set my object properties before drawing anything, I usually get the same properties the next time I select that object. But it has to be before you draw, not after.

That is correct. It is by design, not by accident. It is setting the default Properties for the Tool.

Cheers