CCS Flowchart Software

JustDavid · Joined: 20 Dec 2021 Posts: 4

Does anyone use this? It seems to be pretty user-friendly, EXCEPT, I can't get the "Snap to Grid" to work. Someone experienced would be really helpful...

-David

"This isn't a signature line, I just typed it in"

temtronic · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 7:41 am

flowchart ???
man I haven't used them since the punchcard dayze !

JustDavid · Joined: 20 Dec 2021 Posts: 4

It's required for our requirements documents.

temtronic · Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 8:55 am

please post a link to it, I'd like to try it.

JustDavid · Joined: 20 Dec 2021 Posts: 4

In the CCS IDE, Document Tab, Flowchart button.

jeremiah · Joined: 20 Jul 2010 Posts: 1317

Can you go into detail about your problem. "I can't get the Snap to Grid to work" is very broad. Do you mean it doesn't snap at all? Just popping it open and drawing something and moving that around snaps fine on my computer. It would be helpful to know the exact issue you have.

I will say, from experience, that I usually give CCS support a phone call on things like this as they don't monitor this "user to user" forum very often. I've talked through with them on some issues I had with the documentation generator for example.

Ttelmah · Joined: 11 Mar 2010 Posts: 19221

I suspect he has an issue, which I 'noted', but didn't let worry me.
The displayed grid, is not the snap grid. For me, they align every few lines,
The 'displayed', grid, seems to be based on the ruler, not the 'snap grid'.
With the 'ruler units' set to cm, they align every couple of centimeters,
which works OK. It's only if you feel you 'must' align to the display grid,
that it is annoying. Turn off the grid display, and the snap works logically
and well.

JustDavid · Joined: 20 Dec 2021 Posts: 4

My big problem wasn't the grid alignment for the boxes, it was the connection lines, other than downward. If you pull a connection line off of the right and want to bring flow back to the top, it snaps but not to any grid I can identify.

I did some research and found that CCS paid a licensing fee to a company called TMS Software. They make packages that developers can include in their own software, like CCS and the FlowCharter. When I read through the release notes there are 2 references to fixing the grid snap. I'm guessing that CCS did a one-time purchase and hasn't renewed it in forever. Their licensing allows for perpetual inclusion of any version, up to the time your maintenance expires, in your IDE.

After I found that I was looking for any GNU flowchart software when I found that Libre Office includes a drawing tool that works well for flow charting. There are a couple of features that I think are missing and I'm going to request them. Specifically, the ability to increase the spread of a bunch of vertical boxes.

I doubt that CCS will update their flowchart software although, a single-seat license, that will allow them to include the newest version, is only €128. That's pretty cheap. But when I posted about it and heavy CCS users didn't know it was there, I don't know that they should worry about it. They sure aren't going to lose me as a customer and it appears there's not a lot of demand for the tool.

-David

Still not a real signature, it's just cool to have stuff after I have signed-off. :-)

dyeatman · Joined: 06 Sep 2003 Posts: 1912 Location: Norman, OK

That's interesting..I use the same TMS flowcharting package (along with
some others) in my Delphi applications. I just checked and located the update
they published to resolve the issue a while back but I never encountered the
snap to grid problem so didn't pick up on it. Now I have to go back and make
sure all my applications that use it are properly updated. Thanks for the info!
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Ttelmah · Joined: 11 Mar 2010 Posts: 19221

I must admit, this is definately one to point out to CCS, If they have paid
for the license, a bugfix version ought to be available to them.