Diagrams Mean Nothing
Most technical blog articles have diagrams, charts, flowcharts, etc. And again, in most cases, these all don’t make any sense. I mean sense for readers. Such schemes and graphics notes are very helpful for writers to arrange their thoughts while creating an article.
For example this illustration: if you haven't read the text, you’ll never understand what all this is about. Actually, this mess could be described just by one sentence: “The data of single stripe was damaged on several disks at the same time”.
Good Words Worth Thousand Rects
If you have enough talent and time to write a simple and clear text, you won’t need a single piece of diagram then. If you don’t, try at least to use it better.
No one can neither read nor understand block diagrams. Every time someone uses it, he spends tons of words to make it clear. And at the end, you don’t remember what was in the beginning. One can easily omit block diagrams by describing a few critical points of the flow.
Use complex and abstract schemes when you are 100% sure your readers know the base and conventions. If so, then diagrams and charts become meaningful and you can use their strength at full capacity. Here we dive a bit into some of the key points to improve your diagrams.
First is a Second Dimension
Maybe Feynman Diagrams are most extensive and dense in the sense of represented information and knowledge.
Actually these diagrams describe four dimensions. By the horizontal axis here’s time and all of our 3D world is represented in the vertical axis. And it remains true in reverse directions, so it can be read back in time too (and it does). Hence Feynman Diagrams reveal a huge amount of information in a very elegant and ascetic manner. Each symbol, element, and shape has its particular meaning.
And last but not least is using of text. Text appears as much as it needs to mark key points. No legend, no coordinates, no terms. This is the first sign your diagram is on its way to being perfect.
Flowcharts use both directions as well. But in contrast with Feynman Diagrams, Flowcharts use inconsistent way: in some part time is on the horizontal axis, in some not.
Much easier is to read the outline itself instead of the chart representing it. So, don’t hesitate to just write down a list. The advantage of a list is that it has one dimension hence it would be much clearer (if it’s not too long).
Second is a Third Dimension
A flat image has its own z-depth. It could be emulated by shadows, focus-depth, blur, color palette, or using gradients.
Here we have an impression of a 3D picture, but it does not have any additional value. It’s just decoration. And as it normally happens with decoration, the graph has lost a lot of its readability. Never place text on a gradient. Of course, if you want, it could be read easily.
Third dimension helps us to layer information. Color is the most significant tool for this purpose. We can filter parts of the diagram by their colors in a few moments:
Note how fast you can find the endings of each chain colored in yellow. This schema may be a bit overcolored and colors are too saturated. Anyway, color layering works well.
We’ll discuss coloring in more detail in the next articles. Here are just a few points so far:
- Use the ConceptDraw DIAGRAM software and its powerful Flowcharts solution to design a Flowchart of any type without effort.
- Use colors from the palette.
- Using 3-4 colors maximally is recommended.
- Take into attention that as more colors, as less their saturation.
TEN RELATED HOW TO's:
Network infrastructure planning is a very important process in the network construction, and the share of time allocated to this within the scope of the entire project may reach 60-80%. A competent and thorough approach to planning contributes to the quick investment return, and also increases the reliability and flexibility of the final system, reducing the probability of additional costs related to the incorrect implementation.
Any planning begins with an analysis of the business requirements to the final system. Basic network parameters, which should be assessed are the scalability, accessibility, cost, speed and safety.
Speed and cost are often mistaken for the most important parameters, and the rest of the parameters aren't even remembered. This is not entirely correct. Initially, it is necessary to assess the business plans for the future, because sometimes it is more profitable to invest more money in the beginning. If the business is to develop, then, consequently, demands on
Picture: Cisco Routers. Cisco icons, shapes, stencils and symbols
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In ConceptDraw DIAGRAM you can produce ice hockey diagrams of any complexity for any presentaion needs, using a combination of tools. To adopt the sample below for presentation needs place positions and arrows onto different layers of your document and then make them visible one by one during a presentation.
Picture: Ice Hockey Diagram — Defensive Strategy — Neutral Zone Trap
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The answer how to create a bar chart can be found in ConceptDraw software. The simple tips guide you through the software to quickly learn how to create a bar chart.
Picture: How to Create a Bar Chart
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Talking about companies, that have influenced the entire industry, we should mention Cisco and it’s influence on network design. Nowadays, this equipment has became a kind of standard, and Cisco icons, shapes, stencils, symbols and design elements are easily recognized among others. You can use these icons to develop a network diagram of any complexity.
When dealing with creating a pack of network documentation, system administrator often have to depict a network containing a network equipment of such a well-known manufacturer as Cisco. As Cisco has developed its own production standard icons that are strongly recommended to use in Cisco network diagrams. The best way to draw Cisco Network diagram Cisco certified icons is using ConceptDraw solution for Cisco Network Diagrams. Using Cisco symbols library provided by this solution allows system administrator, or network architect to design a prototype of a new network or document an existing one.
Picture: Cisco Network Design. Cisco icons, shapes, stencils, symbols and design elements
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This figure shows the content of vector libraries, delivered with ConceptDraw solution for data flow diagram (DFD). There are three libraries composed from about 50 vector objects used to make data flow diagrams.
They include a complete set of objects utilized by Yourdon-Coad and Gane-Sarson notations - two primary notations that are apply for data flow diagramming. Also, one can discover additional "Data flow diagram (DFD)" library that provides a data flow diagram elements for designing level 1 and context-level data flow diagrams.
Picture: Data Flow Diagram Symbols. DFD Library
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ConceptDraw DIAGRAM extended with IDEF0 Diagrams solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park is a powerful diagramming and vector drawing IDEF0 software. All IDEF0 diagrams created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM are vector graphic documents and can be reviewed, modified and converted to MS Visio XML format. To obtain the IDEF0 Visio documents from ConceptDraw DIAGRAM documents use the wide export possibilities of ConceptDraw DIAGRAM.
Picture: IDEF0 Visio
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This sample was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM diagramming and vector drawing software using the UML State Mashine Diagram library of the Rapid UML Solution from the Software Development area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
This sample shows the work of the online store and can be used for the understanding of the online shopping processes, for projection and creating of the online store.
Picture: State Diagram Example — Online Store
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Picture: Baseball Field Sample
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To connect two or more network devices are used the network cables. There are more different types of the network cables: Coaxial cable, Optical fiber cable, Twisted Pair, Ethernet crossover cable, Power lines and others. They are used depending of the network topology, size, protocol.
This example was created in ConceptDraw DIAGRAM using the Computer and Networks solution from the Computer and Networks area of ConceptDraw Solution Park.
Picture: Network wiring cable. Computer and Network Examples
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ConceptDraw - Organigram software allows quickly create Organigrams and much more. ConceptDraw DIAGRAM is an ideal tool for Administrative staff to clearly demonstrate the company orgchart professional.
Picture: Organigrams with ConceptDraw DIAGRAM
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