Sample Usage: Manual Chart Creation
Both PowerPoint and OrgPlus can be used to create an organisational chart from scratch. When creating a chart from scratch the user must add boxes and then type in all the necessary information (i.e. name and title). The OrgPlus solution for this task, however, takes fewer steps than the same task in PowerPoint. When comparing available functionality and ease of use, OrgPlus is more intuitive.
Installing OrgPlus replaces MS Orgchart in the Windows registry as the default application for chart creation within PowerPoint, so even if you are primarily creating charts for use within PowerPoint, OrgPlus will continue to work in the same way that MS Orgchart did, but with much enhanced functionality.
From Office XP forward, Microsoft licensed OrgPlus technology and provides charting functionality using the Office drawing tools. MS Orgchart files are automatically converted to Office XP format. The following narrative and example illustrate the primary differences between OrgPlus and PowerPoint.
PowerPoint: Step by Step
1. Select the menu item New from the File menu and then click on the Blank presentation link.
2. Now select the menu item Diagram from the Insert menu. The Diagram Galley window will be displayed. Select the Org Chart button (in the upper left) and click OK.
3. An organisation chart will be added to your presentation.
4. Now use the Onalysation Chart window to insert boxes into your org chart by selecting the box and then selecting Insert Shape | Subordinate. As we add boxes, PowerPoint will resize the boxes to fit in the bounding box.
5. PowerPoint does not support defining fields or formulas for boxes (such as name, title, and department). You have to click on each box and type the correct information separated by carriage returns. Use the mouse to click on the desired box and enter Name, Title, and Department for each box. The font will be small so you may want to increase the zoom factor.
6. One problem you may encounter is a name that is too big for a box. To solve this problem, use the Fit Text button (in the Onalysation Chart window). The text will be shrunk to fit in the box. The text, however, may become very small.
7. Next, resize or move the chart by clicking and dragging on the bounding box. All boxes will be scaled as you resize which may yield unwanted results. You can format or resize individual boxes as you would another object. You can also use the AutoFormat button on the Onalysation Chart window to apply templates to your chart. As you add more boxes, it will become more difficult to format and maintain your chart.
AutoFormat
8. Now you can use PowerPoint to add or delete background objects such as
chart title, background images, pictures, and borders.
OrgPlus: Step by Step
1. Select the File | New menu. The following window is displayed:
2. Select the Blank template and click OK. OrgPlus comes with many predefined templates to effortlessly create a professional looking chart . For the purposes of this comparison we will use the blank template.
3. Select the 'add subordinate' tool (
)
and then click on the chart box in the center of the screen to add a box.
Continue to add boxes until you have created your chart. Notice that OrgPlus
automatically reformats the chart as boxes are added.
4. Now let's add a department field to our boxes. Select the Data | Define Fields menu and then hit the Add button. Type 'Department'. Click Ok. You can add additional fields and also specify the type of a field as text, number, date, picture, or formula. OrgPlus will prompt you to ask whether the field should be added to all boxes. Click Ok. Unlike PowerPoint, OrgPlus allows you to choose which fields are displayed in any given box. In PowerPoint, if you need to display a field like department, you must display it in every box in the chart.
5. Click on the top box and start typing. Use the tab to move from field to field and box to box. You can use shift-tab to move to the previous field or box.
6. Now you can use OrgPlus to add background objects such as chart title, background images, pictures, and borders.
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