1. OpenOffice/LibreOffice Draw

OpenOffice Draw and LibreOffice Draw are two separate software but since their usage and functionality is very similar, I would mention them together. These are the closest and the biggest open source competitors of Microsoft Visio. Draw is an all purpose drawing, diagramming and charting tool. The feature that I love in Draw is the grouping feature. You can easily group different objects together and then do different actions on the group like moving the group, connecting with other groups etc. In addition to other formats (XML format is the default), you can also export your diagrams as SWF Flash files.

Download OpenOffice Draw

Download LibreOffice Draw

2. Dia

Dia is an open source software very similar to Microsoft Visio. When you start it for the first time, you will see that the user interface resembles with Visio a lot. The feature set of dia is also very similar to Visio. You can create UML diagrams, flowcharts, network processes and architectures, entity relationship diagrams etc. easily with Dia. The default file format for any file created with Dia is .dia but there are a lot of file formats that you can export your diagram including Microsoft Visio vdx format.

Download Dia

3. LucidChart

If you are looking for a web based alternative to Microsoft Visio, LucidChart is the perf5 Best Free Alternatives To Microsoft Visioect choice. It provides a drag and drop web interface to draw any kind of diagram. LucidChart gives you an option to build your diagrams in collaboration with your team. Multiple people will be able to work with the same diagram making it the perfect choice for small teams. One of the great features of LucidChart is that it can export or import Microsoft Visio vdx files very easily in your LucidChart account. One thing that is missing in LucidChart is the built in categorization of different shapes for different areas like networking, engineering etc. You don’t need to signup for an account on LucidChart. You just have to open the site and start drawing.5 Best Free Alternatives To Microsoft Visio

Visit LucidChart

4. Diagramly

Diagramly is another web based diagramming and mind mapping software. It has a very responsive and easy to use interface with the tools on the left hand column and the drawing on the right hand column. You don’t need to signup for an account to use Diagramly. You can just visit Diagramly and start working on your diagram or mind map. When finished, save the diagram in an XML file locally on your computer. If you need to edit the diagram again, just visit Diagramly again and open your locally saved file for further editing.

Visit Diagramly

5. Pencil Project

Pencil Project is an Open Source alternative to Mcirosoft Visio which is actively maintained by the development community. Their goal for Pencil Project is to make it a tool to make diagramming as easy as possible and usable for everyone from a newbie to an expert. It is very similar to other desktop based tool with a distinction that it can be installed as a Firefox extension so that you can easily create your diagrams while browsing the Internet.

Download Pencil Project

I hope you will find these free alternatives to Microsoft Visio very useful and I would like to have your thought on how much these free software have been able to replace Visio in your work?

Image credit: Big Stock Photo

Best Online Alternatives to PowerPoint

Prezi

Prezi is my favorite online presentation building tool. Prezi takes a different approach than the traditional presentation software, including Microsoft PowerPoint. In Prezi, instead of the slide by slide sequential presentation, we can build a complete presentation structure on a single canvas and then zoom in and out of the parts on which we are emphasizing. This helps the audience to see the bigger picture and the core concept of the presentation remains in mind. Here is a very interesting introduction to Prezi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxhqD0hNx4Q

There is also a Prezi Desktop version for Pro members which can create presentations offline.

SlideRocket

SlideRocket is just more than a presentation tool. In addition to presentation, SlideRocket can provide user engagement analytics. The unique feature of SlideRocket is that it can integrate content from sites like Flickr and Youtube. The plugins can also be installed expanding the features of SlideRocket. Here’s a video on introduction to SlideRocket:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nija_9mLTPE

Google Docs Presentation

Google has silently sneaked through what used to be Microsoft’s area of expertise – Office Suite. Now Google offers Google Docs which very much competes with Microsoft Office. Google Docs Presentation was added to Google Docs 4 years back and is an online alternative to Microsoft PowerPoint. The user interface of Google Docs is very much similar to PowerPoint but has less functions and is easier to use. If you need a traditional presentation builder which can build presentations online, Google Docs Presentation is the perfect choice for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_vsNV3po2k

Best Offline Alternatives to PowerPoint

While it is best for me to save everything on the cloud when I’m always online, there are certain times when you don’t get the Internet connection. In this situation, if you need to build a presentation on the go and you are looking for Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives, here are several free alternatives that you can consider.

OpenOffice – Impress

OpenOffice is an open source and free office suite which includes a presentation software called Impress. It provides almost all the tools that presenters generally need, including drawing, outline, slides, handouts etc. Although it has got a lot of features, it has an old user interface. If you are used to the older Microsoft Office interfaces then you will love to work with OpenOffice Impress.

LibreOffice – Impress

LibreOffice is an enhanced version of OpenOffice suite. LibreOffice also includes a presentation software called Impress. I prefer LibreOffice over OpenOffice because it gives me more features as well as I can create, edit and save my documents in more formats then in OpenOffice.

I hope this list of Microsoft PowerPoint alternatives have been useful for all the readers. Which presentation software do you use? If you are using multiple presentation software, which software do you use for what purpose?

1. Remove all instances of OpenOffice.

Open a terminal and type:

sudo apt-get autoremove openoffice.org-*

2. Install LibreOffice via PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install libreoffice

Note: The version listed in the PPA is still RC4, but it is exactly the same as the final version.

Those who are using Gnome can install the Gnome package for better backend integration

sudo apt-get install libreoffice-gnome

To enable PDF import capability:

sudo apt-get install libreoffice-pdfimport

To enable English spellcheck capability

sudo apt-get install language-support-en

Enjoy!

A Word About Go-oo

Particularly well informed readers may be wondering “What about Go-oo, the existing OpenOffice fork?” If that’s the case, you’ll be pleased to know that Go-oo’s enhancements will be built in to LibreOffice, as well as improvements from other forks.

Some of those enhancements include improved file format compatibility (such as MS Works and WordPerfect documents), better platform integration (especially on Linux), improved performance and a cleaner user interface.

Installation on Ubuntu/Debian

As a multiplatform application, LibreOffice will run on Windows, Mac or Linux. The download page does provide RPMs, but no packages for Debian/Ubuntu users. Fortunately there’s a PPA, so Ubuntu users can just open a terminal and enter:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install libreoffice

Alternately, you can also add its unofficial repository to your sources.list,

sudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the following to the end of the file. Save and close.

deb http://download.tuxfamily.org/gericom/libreoffice /

Launching

If LibreOffice does not provide menu icons, you can launch it manually with

#Tested on Ubuntu 10.10

/opt/libreoffice/program/soffice

Which will open the full suite.

If you’d like to launch a specific component, the executables are in the same location. For example,

/opt/libreoffice/program/swriter

would open directly into the word processor.

Changes

At first glance, there’s very little difference to be seen between LibreOffice (top) and OpenOffice (bottom).

That’s because many of the differences between the current versions of OpenOffice and LibreOffice are backend changes, such as those meant to improve performance and document support. That leaves very little to discuss about the differences from a user perspective, at least until the projects have diverged a bit more.

In fact, you may even see some old branding from OpenOffice still left behind in a few places, such as in a some of the graphics and icons.

Vendor Support

It may not be too surprising that Google has chosen to put its support behind The Document Foundation as opposed to Oracle, but Google’s not the only one. Novell, Red Hat, and Ubuntu’s Canonical have all shown support for LibreOffice, and Mark Shuttleworth has gone so far as to say that “Office productivity software is a critical component of the free software desktop, and the Ubuntu Project will be pleased to ship LibreOffice from The Document Foundation in future releases of Ubuntu.”

Conclusion

With many of the major Linux vendors behind them, it looks like LibreOffice will be the office suite of the future, at least on many non-Microsoft platforms. Oracle, while perhaps never a darling of the open source community, seems to be making more enemies than friends as of late. If they cannot build more good will toward one of their most prominent offerings, the days of OpenOffice as the free suite of choice may soon be at an end.

Busy Docs is a service that makes the move easier. Allowing you to edit documents locally and have the sync with your cloud storage will help ease your mind and still allow you to edit and house local copies.

Where to start

After you have downloaded Busy Docs and run the installer, you will be asked to select the Google or Google Apps account you would like to sync with. You must be logged into your Google account to have it show up here. Once you grant access, you are able to start syncing.

Initial sync

The initial sync can take a while if you have a tremendous number of documents to upload. I selected a folder with a small number of documents for this demonstration.

If you store all of your documents in your “My Documents” folder, you can simply select that folder to sync. It will go through your folder and catalog all of the documents.

Busy Docs is not a direct sync initially with Google Docs. Your documents will sync to the Busy Docs servers. If you have a document in your My documents folder and want revisions to be stored in your Google Docs space, you need to drag the file into the Google Docs section of the sidebar. From this point on, it should be in sync with the desktop version.

Search for docs

This is part of what makes Busy Docs so great. Being able to search for and easily find a document over both Google Docs, hard drive and your local network. The web application’s layout is really easy to use. Everything you will need is easily visible on all of the screens.

You have a search bar at the top center of the screen. All of your folders are accessible in the left sidebar.

Drag and Drop ease of use

All of your documents on Busy Docs can be moved by dragging and dropping it where you want it. If you want a document synced to your Google Docs, simply drag it to the Google Docs section of the sidebar. If you have a Google Doc you want to edit locally, drag it to one of the folders or sub-folders you are syncing from your network or hard drive.

Label Documents

Labeling your documents will help keep everything more organized and easier to find later on. When you drag a document from your desktop to Google Docs, it will automatically be labeled GD. If you choose to label your them differently, you will need to add a label manually.

How Busy Docs stacks up

The web interface is really easy to use compared to some other services. However, the syncing isn’t very fast. Even when you manually initiate a sync, it still takes a while.

I started a document in OpenOffice and saved it as a Word file (.doc). When I uploaded it and moved it over to Google Docs, it changed some of the formatting.

I think there are some bugs still, but works well for an individual. I would keep it on my radar, but currently it doesn’t seem ready for large-scale use.

What are some of your tips for syncing local documents with Google Docs?

Busy Docs

Getting Base

Base is part of the OpenOffice package, and packages for all platforms can be downloaded here. Linux users likely won’t need the manual download, as the full OpenOffice suite is typically available in the standard repositories of most distros. Ubuntu users, for example, could install with

sudo apt-get install openoffice.org-base

Creating Your Database

When you launch Base, you’ll be taken to a “wizard” which can guide you through the first few steps. While many such wizards often get in the way, the wizard for Base is well constructed and can make the initial steps much simpler than going alone, especially if you don’t have much familiarity with database software.

For the purposes of this guide, we’ll be using the wizard to create a database containing sample employee information, then building a form to manipulate that database.

On the next step, you may be asked to register your database with OpenOffice. This is not a requirement, it’s only relevant if you plan to integrate this database with other OO products.

Before proceeding, it’s recommended that you check the box for “Create Tables Using the Table Wizard“, especially if you’re new to database design.

Creating Tables

The previous step should have finished by saving your new database to a file. If you checked the box for the Table wizard, you should now be brought to a screen where you can begin laying out the information that your database will contain.

As stated earlier, we’re creating a sample database containing employee information for a fictional company. The radio buttons and dropdown menus on the wizard screen will allow you to choose from some pre-existing example fields. Here we’ve chosen a small subset of the possible employee-related fields offered by Base.

Database design is far too large a subject to cover here in detail, so we’ll just mention a few basics and leave some links at the bottom of this page for more detail. For starters, each table should represent only one idea – ie the Employee table should not contain shipping information. If you find yourself putting anything into a table that does not match with the title of that table (like Employee or Billing), it probably belongs in a different table.

Secondly, it’s important for tables to have a primary key. In short, this means that tables should generally have a column where each row in that column is unique on that table. That may sound confusing, but it typically just means that you need a column like EmployeeID, and each entry has a different, unique number. There’s (probably) no chance of two employees having the same ID number, so it makes a perfect primary key.

On the second page of the Table Design wizard, you specify what type of data will go into that field. A number like EmployeeID makes sense as an integer, and text fields like first and last name should be text (CHAR or VARCHAR). If you chose the fields from the dropdown menus in the wizard, these types should be automatically applied to the right fields.

If it’s essential that a record contain a certain field (in our example, and employee MUST have an ID number) make sure to set Entry Required to True for that field, as in the screenshot above. This can make sure that all new entries, regardless of who did it, must follow the rules of your database.

On the next page, you’ll be asked to set a primary key. As mentioned above, it’s generally a good idea to have one column in your table set as the primary key. Remember that for it to work as the primary key, each field in that column must be unique to that table. If you’re following the examples, you’d use EmployeeID as the key, since you can reliably assume that every user will have a different one.

Once you’ve named your table, you’re done setting up your database and tables. Before continuing, you have the option of remaining in the wizard to create your first form, which is what we’ll be doing for this guide.

Creating Forms

Any database can store information, but tools like Base and Access go a step further and allow you to create the interface for viewing and manipulating your data. If you’ve continued with the wizard, you are now at a place where you can build those forms.

A form in Base terms is somewhat like a web page – it’s a visual place to view, enter, and manage the information in your tables. Your form can be laid out however you choose and display only the information you select. This example builds a form from the ID, Name, and Title fields.

Most of the Form wizard options are not critical and can be safely ignored, however make sure to check the layout section and Step 6 in the wizard to decide if you want the form to be read-only.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to create a database, create and edit tables, and the basics of forms, you’re in a position to use Base as a foundation for some amazingly useful applications. Software like Base is in use by countless organizations, large and small, because it allows you to gain many of the benefits of a custom-written database application without having to actually custom write a database application. If you’ve had experiences with Base, or similar software, let us know in the comments.

• Faster startup times (a 46% increase)
• Better open and proprietary file format support
• Better Asian language support
• Numerous Calc (spreadsheet) improvements
• and many others.

The upcoming release of Ubuntu (10.04 “Lucid Lynx”) will include OpenOffice.org 3.2 by default, and the release is on April 29 — just around the corner.  But if you happen to be a little impatient or just want to give it a try, there are packages available directly from the OpenOffice.org website that work well with Ubuntu 9.10.

To install, just follow these steps:

1. Point your web browser to the OpenOffice.org download page

2. Scroll down to the table of release packages.

3. In the left column, select your language.

4. Run your mouse pointer across the page to the Linux 32-bit DEB or Linux 64-bit DEB, depending on the distribution you are running.

Note: If you are not sure, run “uname -a” from a terminal. If you are using 64-bit, it will say x86_64 at the end of the string before GNU/Linux.

5. Click “Download” and save the compressed file to a new folder (You can call it openoffice if you like).

6. Open a terminal window (such as gnome-terminal or konsole).

Note: At this point, it is a good idea to remove the existing OpenOffice installation with the following command:

sudo apt-get remove openoffice*

7. Change to the directory you just created:

cd ~/Downloads/openoffice

8.  Unpack the archive with the following command:

tar xzvf OOo_3.2.0_LinuxIntel_install_en-US_deb.tar.gz

9. Change to the newly created directly:

cd OOO320_m12_native_packed-1_en-US.9483/DEBS

10. Install all of the open office deb files:

sudo dpkg -i *.deb

11. Now add the desktop integration package:

sudo dpkg -i desktop-integration/openoffice.org3.2-debian-menus_3.2-9472_all.deb

Once you have OpenOffice.org installed, you should test it to make sure it works properly. It should have installed the necessary menu icons in the appropriate location, regardless of whether you use Gnome, KDE, or any other desktop. If you had your own shortcuts anywhere else, however, you may need to update them to reflect the installation location, which is: /opt/openoffice.org3.

There were a couple of features I was not able to get working, mainly KDE 4 integration (file picker and theme). The packages were designed to integrate with KDE 3. If that is a show-stopper for you, then it is best to wait for the official Ubuntu release.

When I first started it, I immediately noticed the speed boost and some of the most noticeable “Writer” features. Try creating various documents, saving, closing, and reopening to make sure it all works before you start creating critical documents. If it all checks out fine, you will have successfully installed OpenOffice.org 3.2 on Ubuntu 9.10.

Illustrations

To insert an image in OpenOffice Writer, simply click “Insert->Picture->From File“.  Then, select the image that you want, and click OK.

By default, the text will wrap around  your picture. If you do not want this or want a different type of wrapping, right click on the picture and choose the appropriate wrap method from the wrap menu.

The next thing to consider is anchoring. By default, your image will be anchored to the paragraph.  That means that if text is inserted or delete above or below your paragraph, that picture will stay with the paragraph as it moves, even to another page. If your image is page-specific, you should right click, move your arrow to “Anchor” and click “To Page”.  You can also do all of this from the Graphics toolbar, if you have it enabled.

One final point to note is that your printing company may have specific requirements for images. Many will require an image to be 300ppi (pixels per inch). It is beyond the scope of this article to teach you about photo management, but you can read more about this issue.

Styles and Formatting

For most books, you will want the same font and font size throughout the entire book. You will also want the same indentation, margins, and other formatting. To begin, do the following:

1. Click on the Styles and Formatting button in the toolbar.

2. Right click on “First line indent” and click “New“. (That will create a style with indentation already set).

3. Give your style a name.

4. Click the Indents & Spacing tab. You can change the amount of indentation and line spacing (most books are single-spaced).

5. Click the Alignment tab. Most books have justified alignment.

6. Click the Text Flow tab.  Because your book will be justified, you will want hyphenation at the end to make the words flow nicely. Orphan and Widow control will keep single lines from ending up by themselves.

7. Click the “Font” tab and select the font, typeface, and size that you prefer. You can also select your language here.

8. Click the “Drop Caps” tab. If you want to display drop caps at the beginning of a paragraph, you can set that here.

Once you have your style the way you want it, click OK.  You will now have a style that you can apply to any text in your document.  By default, each paragraph will start with the previous style that you were using. You can even tweak that setting in the Organizer tab.

Exporting

Most professional printers will not accept Open Document Text (.odt) format. While that might change in the future, for now you will have to rely on other formats.  While some printers allow you to export to Microsoft Word document format, you should avoid this if you can.  Chances are, your styles and formatting will be altered in the conversion. The safest bet is to export in PDF or PS format.

OpenOffice.org has built-in support for PDF exporting.  Just follow these easy steps:

1. Click “File”

2. Click “Export as PDF”

3. Keep it on “Lossless compression”. You should leave the other settings as they are unless you have been specifically told to change something.

4. Click “Export”.

5. Choose a file name and location and click OK.

If you need to export a PostScript (PS) file, use this method:

1. Click “File” and “Print”

2. Check the “Print to file” box.

3. Click “Print”

4. Choose the location and file name.

5. Click OK.

With the skills you have learned in this series, you now have a basic understanding of book layout using OpenOffice.org.  There are other typsetting features, such as frames, that you may want to consider.  There are also typesetting applications like Scribus for more layout-intensive projects (such as magazines).  Depending on what you want to accomplish, there are free software tools available for your needs.  In the end you will have quality work at an affordable cost.

Further reading:

Positioning graphics within the text

Using frames for page layout

There are a couple of things you should consider before proceeding:

1. If you are submitting your book to a publisher, they normally do not expect you to format the book or do any typesetting. That is their job. They just want the raw manuscript. In some cases, they may even insist that you use a particular generic font and not change default margins. Make sure you read their submission guidelines.

2. One of our readers mentioned that he usually formats his books after he finishes writing. This is undoubtedly the best method in most cases. What we created in Part 1 was a basic template that you can use without any further formatting needed before you start writing. Furthermore, if you are working for the publisher or are the publisher, the author might be someone else. In that case, you will take his or her text and prepare it.

Page Numbers

Basic page numbering is very easy in OpenOffice.org.  Just click Insert->Footer, and then click Insert->Fields->Page Number.  You can then left, center, or right align it. What that will give you is a page number at the bottom of every page (or at the top if you choose “Header” instead of footer).

In most non-fiction books, however, the page numbers are right aligned on the recto and left aligned on the verso. The result is that page numbers are always on the farthest ends of the pages away from the spine. The second problem to tackle is that page numbers normally start with the text, whereas the default numbering will start with your title page. This is where OpenOffice.org’s sophistication comes in handy. While it is easy to add page numbers, the available variations are extensive.

As I mentioned above, this particular part of layout is something that you must do after the book is completely finished, edited, reviewed, and ready for printing. Otherwise, you will most likely be wasting your time and will have to go back and make changes.

1. There are three page layout buttons at the bottom of your window. The first shows you one page at a time. The second shows you pages side-by-side, and the third specifically shows you mirrored pages like that of a book.  Click the third, and you should now have the title page by itself and then two pages mirrored throughout the rest of the document.

2. Count the pages preceding your first page of text. In my example, I have six.

3. Insert a header or footer. All of your page-number work will be performed there.

4. Go to your first page of text before proceeding so that you can see the results. Then,  click Insert->Fields->Other.

5. Under Type, select Page, leave it on Page numbers, and As Page Style.

6. This is the important part.  Under Offset enter the number of pages you just counted with a negative sign in front of it. In my example, I entered “-6″.

7. Click Insert. If your first page of text now has the number 1, you are good to go. If not, undo and recount until you are satisfied.

8. When you are satisfied, click Close.

9. Click on Format->Page.

10. Choose the Header or Footer tab, and un-check “Same content left/right“.

11. Click “OK” and scroll down to pages 2 and 3.

12. Highlight the number “3″ and right align it. Page 2 should still be left aligned.

Now all of your pages should alternate their page numbers properly. There is an alternative method of accomplishing this same task. You can read about both methods here.

Paragraph Styles

Another beautiful feature of OpenOffice.org is its extensive use of page and paragraph styles. You can even create styles for specific characters. Click on the “Styles and Formatting” button or simply press F11, and you will see a sidebar with all of the currently available paragraph styles. You can create a style and format it however you see fit. To begin with a style that is already created, right click on it and then click “New”. This will copy that style and allow you to build from it.

This is where you can control indentation, line spacing, alignment (which you will most like want to justify), text flow (books usually hyphenate at the end of lines), fonts, and much more. It is completely up to you or whoever is setting publication guidelines for you.

Give your style a name and select the “Next Style” drop-down menu. This allows you to identify which style the next paragraph will use. You could conceivably have two alternating styles or just the same style automatically applied whenever you start a new paragraph.

I have made a document with everything I have done available for download so that you can actually see and play with my changes. In Part 3, we will cover illustrations, more in-depth style techniques, and export formats.

There is a long list of reasons why you might need to prepare an OpenOffice.org document in book form, and once you have learned how to do it, you will have a useful skill that you or people you know may need in the future. You can use this method for both print publications and e-books.

1. Start OpenOffice.org Writer with a regular blank document template.

The first thing you will need to do is set the size of your book. In my personal experience, it helped me tremendously with writing to be able to see each page at a normal book size rather than the 8.5″x11″ college essay size.  Suddenly, writing one hundred or two hundred pages will not take so long or seem so daunting.

2. Click “Format” in the menu and then click “Page…”

3. Enter in your custom width and height.

The current format will be “Letter”.  Many non-fiction paperbacks will be 6″x9″, while fiction paperbacks are often smaller sizes, such as 5.25″x7.5″. If you are doing this purely for effect, then it is entirely up to you. If you have to meet certain printing press specifications, follow them precisely.

There are lead  pages that always proceed the actual text of a book. If you are preparing a book for printing, they will be crucial. Bookstores rely on that information for stocking, and libraries rely on it for cataloging.

4. Create a title page.

There is no particular format set in stone, but a title page should include at least the title of the book and statement of responsibility (author’s name). If available, it should also include the publisher and place of publication. This is the place to be creative. You can use whatever font style and size you want. Create a manual page break at the end of the title page.

5. Create the title page verso.

This is the page directly on the other side of the title page and usually contains more detailed publication information, including copyright, ISBN, and CIP (cataloging in publication) data.

6. Click “Format” and “Paragraph”.

Click on the “Alignment” tab, and change it to “Justified”. From this point on, you will want your text to be justified.

7. Insert another page break, and you can enter any number of optional pages such as a dedication.

This can include a half title page with just the title or title and author’s name on the second to last page before the text. The final page before the text will be blank, and the text should begin on the recto or right-hand side.

8. Insert a page break and begin your text.

Most books will begin with a chapter number, chapter name, or both.

In part 2, you will learn how to properly align page numbers and format paragraphs. You are now well on your way to preparing your book for publication. Writing a book can be a very rewarding experience, even if you have no intentions of publishing. With OpenOffice.org, free and open source software, you have all the tools you need to make it happen. Happy writing!