Instaviz (diagram sketching, mindmapping, flowcharting, brainstorming)

Scrolling is almost impossible

By: CdrDave

Documentation suggests using two fingers to scroll the diagram. Installed the app, did the two-finger zoom, then scrolled once. Tried to scroll back, kept drawing lines and triangles and selecting nodes. Never again allowed me to scroll. Restarted the iPhone, thinking maybe memory might be constrained. Again, scrolls the first time you try, but nothing after that. Just lots of unwanted triangles, selected nodes and lines. Very disappointed for a $10.00 app.

Unbelievable app for creating/editing mindmaps

By: Fair Reviewer

I had tried another mindmap app for the iphone and just gave up, it was just too cumbersome to create/edit one - until this app came out. This app makes creating/editing mindmaps SUPER easy and intuitive. If you love mindmaps like I do, this is THE app to have.

Worth the money

By: Ftrotter

The app works as advertised. I bought it immediatley after the 3.0 is upgrade and it seems like the two finger scroll mechanism may have broken. The system is inuitive after 3 min looking at the two examples ( a great way to allow learning and trying at the same time) I hope some of this money will go back to fund graphviz and other open source. -ft

Almost there

By: gadgepolis

Other reviewers give a good idea of how this app works and works really well. Also, let me add it's really fun and easy; as you add more shapes and lines, it become easier to de-clutter your ideas/projects. So, what can propel this app to a 5 star review?

The BEST!!!!!!!

By: LandmanGeorge

Keep it coming--on your new Versions.

(sob) ten dollars (sob)

By: Memememamama11122312;)

Like that I can draw shapes. Like that I can control color and font. (sniff) WHERE IS THE RETURN BUTTON!? I can't enter in a second line to a shape? Why only one line! I like to enter more than only one word into shapes. The more I type the bigger the shape becomes. This is unbearable when one shape fills the entire screen and zooming out does not help cause than I can't read anything! I'm sticking with another better and cheaper app named Ithoughts Until an update... Ten dollars bye bye

My New Favorite Thing

By: NorthCoast Anne

This is a wonderful diagramming application! I love being able to use the touch screen to draw shapes and conectors, and then delete what doesn't work, with just a quick shake of the ipod. It's not immediately obvious, but it's easy to define a style for a shape - if you draw one elipse, then set the properties (font, line, background, colors and styles for each), then every elipse you add will have the same properties (for that chart only, it seems). Draw a square, set the properties, and all will follow, etc. So you don't have to go through full customization of every single item you add. The color selector is a creative inspiration, and allows you to make some really snazzy diagrams. I exported the diagrams via wi-fi to my free box.net account, and was really pleased by the quality of the PDF files, which I was able to put very quickly into a Keynote presentation. Once you play with this application for just a little while, you'll learn how this app "thinks" and find quick ways to put elements and connectors exactly where you want them. The only downside for me, as someone else mentioned, is that you can only have a single line of text in each box. Wouldn't it be great to have a return key, so we can have the text and an appropriately sized box? But as is, this app is still lots of fun to use, and gives you the ability to create beautiful diagrams. I know I'll find myself wanting to diagram everything!

Finally -- a REAL charting tool!!

By: dshorter

If I we lived in a patriarchal 14th-century Bedouin society I would offer the lead developer my daughter's hand in marriage.

Great App

By: Smitjd

A must have if you do a lot of flow charts, its very easy to use, you can even export or email your charts

Instaviz is great for mapping out system diagrams and processes while flying

By: crumpet75

I love graphviz, and was excited to find this great application for building graphs on my iphone. I am starting to use Instaviz for system diagrams and process diagrams when I don't have my computer available. I can then export the results out to a .dot file and continue to use it with graphviz on my computer and with graphviz, I can quickly create an SVG that I can import into Visio and presentations. The one thing I would like to see in Instaviz is the ability to define clusters of nodes. Since clusters are a part of graphviz, I am hopeful Pixelglow will add the ability to create clusters in their iphone interface.

Great program

By: Duften

Pros: easy to use, turns my crappy drawing into a great looking flowchart, intuitive Cons: will not upload or connect to box.net, no PDF export function

Good, but could improve

By: IpseResLoquitur

For sure a solid app. My major qualms are persiatant crashes on large graphs when I'm making lots of quick changes and (the biggest one) the lack of ability to change the flow. It gets to the point where I can't see even a quarter of the map on the screen and actually be able to read it because it is at least 10 (or more) times as wide as it is deep. Wonderful idea, and I still love it, but it needs a few tweaks before getting 5 stars.

Good App

By: TuscaniDream

I love the "draw the shape" feature. It does need some work though; arranging the charts, sizing the shapes similar in size, switching the direction of flow, and possibly mailing a PDF. Good so far though. I would like to see the app expand to get my $10 worth.

Nifty but overpriced as is.

By: Wethead

I like what this App has potential to become but it's pretty weak right now. It lacks all the editing features mentioned in the previous reviews (flow, text, and shape manipulation etc.) Also lacks support. Can someone please tell me how to export. In my opinion, it's a .99 cents App right now. I'll update my review as it hopefully improves.

Great implementation of GraphViz

By: tjh

I have been a long-time fan of GraphViz on Mac and Windows platforms; there's nothing like it for building diagrams (such as flowcharts, cause-effect) in a free-form manner without expending any effort to keep the layout readable. Instaviz applies this technique in a great little iPhone application. Pixelglow have built a ton of features in a simple sketching interface; the two "Help" graphs that come with the application explain these features.

great app, great support

By: eyetickle

great app for graphing and when i had a problem with latest version of itunes, 8.1, uploading graphs to their image viewer "instaviz" their support was patient and direct and resloved my issue in short time. thanks glenn!

Great for planning and drawing out plans

By: Ggree

This is a great tool with lots of potential. It's built in recognition helps in providing an easy and fast way of mapping out your ideas, assignments, and plans.

Showing great improvement

By: jchryss

This app is really great for brainstorming. It is now stable and I recommend it to anyone

Good Idea - Needs Work on Export Functionality

By: JoeGraph

Works as advertised. However, it is pricey at 10 bones and I can't get the export function to work through box.net. Why not just have an image export to email or the camera roll?

Excellent app!

By: ManFromTexas

I was hoping someone would come out with a flowchart type app and this is the one. Very stable, never crashed and easy to use. Does what it says it would.

fantastic app, but customization gets in the way of quick entry

By: mountainboy

as a designer, i've been using omnigraffle on a mac for years to quickly drop ideas, and work out user flow scenarios of websites. i've been looking for an app that lets me accomplish this task quickly, and on the go. this app feels natural to use with the touch interface, and it's responsive as i zoom and sketch out my charts.

Best Brainstorming/MindMapping for Iphone

By: JaySauce

I read nearly ALL the reviews before I buy an app, and jump ship soon if the app is dissapointing. I try to download at least two similar programs until I have chosen. I honestly, cannot justify looking at anything beyond this app.

Really really love this app

By: ryanchakajodda

This is a great app. The reviews don't do it justice. If you draw graphs or want to organize your thoughts this is a great way to do that. Love it.

Stunned!

By: froguts

Um, I used to use ibluesky for mindmapping and still love it, BUT this program is probably in the uppermost tier of design tools that EVERY on-the-go: programmer, IT, Engineer, Project Developer, etc.(HEY THIS MEANS YOU!) Should Have. If you own and use any outlining or mind-mapping software on your iphone you should seriously consider Instavis. I was actually amazed at the quality of pics I was able to screenshot and email, and it synced to my idisk quickly too. Wow! Wow! Wow! Who needs a computer anymore. Price? I would have paid double for this.

an amazing app

By: eRicht

I build geoprocessing models in ArcGIS at work. I just used Instaviz to lay out a complex analysis task (about 20 separate GIS operations) while waiting for my kids to finish their dinner. The application's unobtrusive interface is amazingly effective; I was up and running in minutes, building complex model diagrams far faster than I can build them in ArcGIS. It's actually faster to think out the analyses in Instaviz and recreate them as ArcGIS models than it is to think out and build the same models in ArcGIS. And I won't lose my train of thought while looking for the right GP tools in ArcGIS; I can whip up a graph diagram in Instaviz as fast as I can think thru a problem. Pure genius.

God's gift to graphing

By: Fhoxh

Best graphing application on the App Store. I'd rate it ten stars if I could.

Awesome

By: SpyderDriver

I love this app. I use this app to visualize database models. It helps when I have an idea on how I can get a new structure to work and I want to quickly diagram my model associations. I would like the ability to scroll but I have a feeling that will come. Great work.

A Huge Leap

By: superluminous

This application is only application is only getting poor reviews because it is not well documented. Almost all of the features that the other reviewers say aren't there (i.e. shape changing, exporting, deleting, etc.) are actually there. Initially the auto-arranging feature was a bid odd and I found myself wanting to rearange the diagram, but then I realized that the way the application organizing the chart is actually more logical and forces me to think my ideas through a little bit deeper.