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OmniGraffle 3 Reference Manual for iOS

Object Inspectors

Use the Object inspectors to apply style properties to the objects—shapes, lines, images, and more—on the canvas.

The Inspector Bar, as shown on iPad, appears along the right edge of the screen.

Fill A square with a diagonal squiggle inside

Available when the Shape or Freehand tool is selected, or when an object is selected with the Selection tool. Use to add fill properties to an object, including its Fill Type and Color properties.

The Fill inspector in OmniGraffle Pro

Fill Type

Tap the top row in the Fill inspector to choose a Fill Type; the default is a Solid fill.

Blend Type this is a feature of OmniGraffle Pro

Apply a blend type to the selected object. Blends have a visual effect on objects or layers underneath.

Filter Type this is a feature of OmniGraffle Pro

Apply a filter type to the selected object. Filters have a visual effect on objects or layers underneath.

To learn more about the various Fill Types in OmniGraffle, see Fill Types for Objects and Canvases, earlier in this manual. See Choosing Colors for more detail on setting colors in OmniGraffle.

Stroke A square with a dotted outer stroke

Available when the Shape, Freehand, Line, or Artboard tool is selected, or when any object is selected with the Selection tool. Use to define the properties of an object’s stroke.

The Stroke inspector

Stroke Type

Choose a style for the object’s stroke.

Choose a Stroke Type to set how the stroke appears
  • No Stroke: The object has no visible stroke.
  • Single: A single stroke.
  • Double: A double stroke.
  • Freehand: A stroke that appears to be drawn by hand.

  • Plastic: A raised stroke with a highlight color. Tap the rotate counter-clockwise button or the rotate clockwise button to rotate the angle of the plastic stroke’s highlight. Optionally, double-tap the number and enter a different value.

    The Stroke inspector when styling a Plastic stroke

  • Inner: The stroke appears inside the bounds of the object.

  • Outer: The stroke appears outside the bounds of the object.

Stroke Color

Tap the Color Swatch to select or mix a color for the stroke. See Choosing Colors for more detail on setting colors in OmniGraffle.

Stroke Thickness

Tap the minus button or the plus button to make the stroke thinner or thicker, respectively.

Stroke Pattern

Tap to open a side pane for choosing a pattern for the stroke.

Choose between a solid stroke or any form of dashed stroke

Shape A circle overlapping the lower-right corner of a square

Available when the Shape or Artboard tool is selected. Use to choose a shape to place on the canvas.

The Shape inspector in OmniGraffle Pro

Shape Type

Tap the top row in the Shape inspector to set the Shape Type. This opens a side panel from which you can select one of the following shape types:

  • Common: Basic geometric shapes.
  • Adjustable: Shapes with adjustable points.
  • Uncommon: Shapes for use in diagrams or as image masks.
The shapes side pane

Corner Radius

Tap the minus button or the plus button to decrease or increase, respectively, the curvature of an object’s corner points.

Combine Shapes this is a feature of OmniGraffle Pro a square overlapped by a circle

Use shape combinations to create unique shapes from two or more shapes:

  • a square combined with a circle that is offset to the lower-right Unite Shapes: Combines the selected shapes to create a new, single shape.
  • a square with a circle overlapping; the intersected area has a darker border Intersect Shapes: Creates a new shape based on the overlapping areas of the selected shapes.
  • a square with a rounded chunk cut out of the lower-right corner Subtract Shapes: When two or more objects overlap, the top-most shape is cut out of the bottom-most shape.
  • a square with a circle overlapping Uncombine Shapes: Reverts any shape combination action, restoring the shapes to their original state.

Shadow a square with a drop shadow underneath

Available when the Shape, Freehand, or Line tool is selected, or when an object is selected with the Selection tool. Use to add a drop shadow to an object.

The Shadow inspector, showing the controls for adjusting the shadow offset and color

No Shadow two overlapping and offset squares

The selected object has no shadow.

Shadow Below Object two overlapping and offset squares with a shadow between them

Places a shadow beneath the selected object.

Shadow Below Layer two overlapping and offset squares with a shadow beneath the top square but underneath both squares

Places a shadow beneath the selected object. If other objects are positioned underneath and on the same layer, the shadow appears beneath objects lower on the stack.

Inner Shadow two overlapping and offset squares; the top square has a shadow inside the square along the top and left edges

Places a shadow inside the selected object.

Shadow Color

Tap the color swatch to alter the default shadow color. See Choosing Colors for more detail on setting colors in OmniGraffle.

Blur

Tap the minus button or the plus button to make the shadow less or more fuzzy, respectively.

Shadow Offset

Tap or tap and drag your finger with in the Shadow Offset box to adjust the position of the shadow in relation to the object. Optionally, double-tap on the x or y values and enter another number to adjust the shadow offset.

Image a blob with a tie

Available when an object is selected with the Selection tool. Use to place an image inside an object on the canvas. The first time you choose the Image inspector, you are asked to grant OmniGraffle permission to your photo library.

The Image inspector

Photos

Tapping the Image inspector with an object selected on the canvas opens the Photos side pane. Choose an image to place within the selected object.

Image Fill Style

Choose one of the following:

  • an image glyph, centered within a square Natural Size: Fill the shape with a full-sized image; use the Size controls to make the image smaller or larger.
  • an image glyph, stretched to fill the inside of a square Stretched: Stretch to fit the image within the bounds of the selected shape.
  • an image glyph, miniaturized and repeating on multiple rows within the bounds of a square Tiled: Tiles the image within the selected shape; use the Size controls to make the tiles smaller or larger.

Opacity Slider

Slide left or right to make the image more or less opaque, respectively.

Size

The Size options are available when Natural Size or Tiled is selected as the image fill type. Tap the minus button or the plus button to scale the image’s size within the object; double-tap the number and enter a specific percentage value.

Change Image

Tap to replace the image in the selected object with a different image from your Photos library.

Remove Image

Removes the image from within the object.

Font two italicized uppercase A characters

Available when the Shape, Text, or Artboard tool is selected, or when a shape or text object is selected with the Selection tool. Use to define the font properties of a shape’s text.

The Font inspector

Font Family

Choose from Recommended Fonts or All Fonts; tap the info button for additional style attributes.

Font Color

Tap to select a color. See Choosing Colors for more detail on setting colors in OmniGraffle.

Bold, Italic, Underline

Tap B to embolden the text; tap I to italicize the text; or tap U to underline the text.

Size

Tap the minus button or the plus button to make the text smaller or larger, respectively. Optionally, double-tap the point size to enter a specific value.

Convert Text to Shape this is a feature of OmniGraffle Pro

Converts the selected text object to shapes.

Text Position An uppercase T, positioned to the upper-left corner of a square

Available when the Shape, Text, or Artboard tool is selected, or when a shape or text object is selected with the Selection tool. Use to define text alignment, positioning, overflow, and wrapping properties.

The Text Position inspector

Text Position Indicator the text position indicator

The indicator changes according to the selections you make in the Text Position inspector.

Vertical Alignment

Choose how text aligns vertically; align to the Top, Middle, and Bottom of the object, respectively.

The vertical alignment controller

Horizontal Alignment

Choose how text aligns horizontally; align to the Left, Center, Right, or Justified within the object, respectively.

The horizontal alignment controller

Text Overflow

Choose how text flows within a shape; allow the text to overflow the shape, crop text within the bounds of the shape, or resize the shape to fit the text, respectively.

The text overflow controls

Horizontal

Tap the minus button or the plus button to decrease or increase, respectively, the amount of padding on the left and right sides of the text.

Vertical

Tap the minus button or the plus button to decrease or increase, respectively, the amount of padding on the top and bottom of the text.

Wrap to Shape

When turned Off, text does not wrap; when turned On, text wraps to the width of the shape.

Geometry a square bracketed by vertical and horizontal lines with arrows on their ends

Available when an object is selected with the Selection tool. Use to position and size, rotate, or define the scaling properties of a selected object.

The Geometry inspector

x Position

Tap the minus button or the plus button to move the object left or right on the canvas, respectively. Optionally, double-tap the x Position value and enter a different value.

y Position

Tap the minus button or the plus button to move the object up or down on the canvas, respectively. Optionally, double-tap the y Position value and enter a different value.

Width

Tap the minus button or the plus button to adjust the width of the selected object. Optionally, double-tap the width value and enter a specific value.

Height

Tap the minus button or the plus button to adjust the height of the selected object. Optionally, double-tap the height value and enter a specific value.

Rotation

Tap the counter-clockwise button or the clockwise button to rotate the selected object in 15° increments. Optionally, double-tap on the degree of rotation and enter a specific value.

Flip Horizontally two arrows on top of each other, one pointing to the right, one pointing to the left

Tap to flip the object horizontally.

Flip Vertically two arrows next to each other, one pointing upward, one pointing downward

Tap to flip the object vertically.

Maintain Aspect Ratio

When turned on, objects maintain their basic shape, but scale when resized.

Scale Contents

When turned on, an object’s contents (text, image, and fill patterns), along with the object’s stroke, scale when the object is resized.

Line four squares in the upper-left corner are grouped together to form a square; these are connected to a diamond in the lower-right corner with lines that have arrows on their ends

Available when the Line tool is selected, or when a line is selected with the Selection tool. Use to connect objects in a diagram with lines, or to draw lines on the canvas.

Line Type

The Line Type determines the properties of a line’s vertex points; choose from:

  • a diagonal line with an arrow on one end Straight: A straight line whose vertex points have no curvature.
  • a curved line that looks like a sideways ess Curved: A line whose vertex points are curved; Bézier control handles for adjusting the curve are not available when using the Point Editor Tool.
  • an angled line with a square handle at its midpoint Orthogonal: A line whose vertex points result in right angles.
  • a curved line with bezier handles on each end Bézier: A line whose vertex points are curved; Bézier control handles for adjusting the curve are available when using the Point Editor Tool.

Line Ends

Optionally, choose to add an ornament for the end point or start points of the line.

Radius

Designate, in points, the curvature for points on the line.

Alignment a vertical line on the left edge with three increasingly longer rectangles stacked on top of each other to the right

Available when one or more objects are selected with the Selection tool. Use to align objects with each other. You can also align objects to the canvas if the Canvas Size inspector is set to either Fixed Size or Flexible. Alignment is based on the first object selected; subsequent objects will align to the first object based on which button is tapped.

The Alignment inspector, when aligning objects to each other
The Alignment inspector, when aligning objects to the canvas

Align Objects with Other Objects

Select two or more objects and then tap one of the alignment buttons to align objects with each other.

object-to-object alignment buttons

Align Objects to the Canvas

When turned on, the grid of buttons changes to reveal how objects would align in relation to the canvas. Select one or more objects and then tap one of the alignment buttons to align an object in relation to the canvas.

object-to-canvas alignment buttons

Make Centered Row

Centers the selected objects as a row on the canvas. Objects are spaced apart according to the value shown at right. To change the distance between objects, tap the number, and then tap the minus button or the plus button to close or widen the gap between objects. Optionally, you can double-tap the number and enter a specific value. After changing the value, tap Lay Out Now.

Make Centered Column

Centers the selected objects as a column on the canvas. Objects are spaced apart according to the value shown at right. To change the distance between objects, tap the number, and then tap the minus button or the plus button to close or widen the gap between objects. Optionally, you can double-tap the number and enter a specific value. After changing the value, tap Lay Out Now.

Objects cannot be aligned to an Infinite Canvas.