[Seems the mail server didn't like it after all -- "suspicious header" it said-- so if you want to see the result you'll have to run the 'groff' command yourself, as specified below] On 18-Sep-04 Chris Green wrote:

I've been looking for a simple program to draw plans and maybe flowcharts and other similar layout type things for ages (like years!). However I've never really found anything that fills the bill. Has anyone got any suggestions?

I'm currently playing with Qcad which is OKish but it's not as intuitive as I would like for the basic operations of drawing rectangles and moving them around. If I can't find anything better I may persevere with Qcad but it's really both more and less than what I actually want.

You may like to consider using the 'pic' feature of groff. With this you can draw practically anything, by including drawing commands in a text file. It may be more trouble to learn than you want to go to (the syntax can be tricky), but once you're used to it it's invaluable. However, once you see it written, and compared the commands with what is drawn, you should get the idea. Attached is a PS file (if the mail server will let it through). [Not attached this time ... ] This illustrates drawing a flow chart, and it didn't take me that long. If it doesn't come through, then enter the following into a text file called (say) "boilegg" and then execute the command groff -p -ms boilegg > boilegg.ps and you should have it. The following simply draws the diagram. You could embed the diagram in a document by composing the whole document as groff source, with the diagram commands encapsulated between ".PS" and ".PE" as below. But that's another story, if you don't already use groff for writing documents! ----- Text file "boilegg" begins ----- .LP .PS box at (0,0) "Water" "Tap" circle rad 0.1 at last box .w - (0.2,0) "3" box at (0,1) "Egg" "Box" circle rad 0.1 at last box .w - (0.2,0) "2" box at (0,2) "Salt" "Cellar" circle rad 0.1 at last box .w - (0.2,0) "1" box at (2,1) "Saucepan" line from 2nd last box .e to last box + (0,1) "One" "Teaspoon" line -> from last line .e to last box .n line -> from 3rd last box .e to last box .w "One" "Egg" line -> from 4th last box .e to last box .sw \ "Cover Egg" "With Water" aligned ellipse at last box .e + (1,-0.3) ht 0.3 wid 0.2 fill 0.2 box ht .2 at last box .s - (0,2.5) "Hotplate" circle rad 0.1 at last box .w - (0.2,0) "4" line -> from last box .n to 2nd last box .s \ "Bring Water to Boil and" "Simmer Egg for 4 Min " aligned box at 2nd last box .e + (1,1) "Table Spoon" circle rad 0.1 at last box .e + (0.2,0) "5" line -> from 3rd last box .e to last ellipse chop 0 chop 0.11 line -> from last box .sw to last line .c \ " Remove Boiled Egg" ljust " From Saucepan" ljust box at last ellipse -(0,0.7) "Eggcup" circle rad 0.1 at last box .e + (0.2,0) "6" line -> from last ellipse .s to last box .n ellipse at last box -(0,1) "\f[BI]Eat Egg\fP" box ht 0.2 at last box -(0,1.75) "Teaspoon" circle rad 0.1 at last box .e + (0.2,0) "7" line -> from last box .n to last ellipse .s line -> from 2nd last box .s to last ellipse .n .PE ----- Text file "boilegg" ends ----- Cheers, Ted. -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 [NB: New number!] Date: 18-Sep-04 Time: 17:51:41 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------- E-Mail: (Ted Harding) <Ted.Harding@nessie.mcc.ac.uk> Fax-to-email: +44 (0)870 094 0861 [NB: New number!] Date: 18-Sep-04 Time: 18:50:17 ------------------------------ XFMail ------------------------------