RE: Need App Recommendation

["Combs, Richard" <richard -dot- combs -at- Polycom -dot- com>]

Michelle Despres wrote: 
 
> I have been asked to help with a project that requires making floor plans
> (office building) and seating charts.  The person previously assigned to
> this work used AutoCAD.  My company believes AutoCAD is overkill, and I
> have
> no experience with it.
> 
> My company is open to recommendations for new software, but I do not have
> experience in this area.  Do you have any recommendations?  I know it's a
> stretch for a technical communicator, but perhaps you have colleagues who
> do
> similar work.
> 
> I do use Visio.  Any thoughts about that?

Visio is perfect for this. I have Visio 2007, and it comes with an Office Layout template that includes just about all the shapes you can think of for an office floor plan, including small, medium, and large plants. 

I'm not sure what you mean by seating chart, but I bet one of the included templates / shape sets will work just fine -- maybe Organization Chart or the Basic or Block Diagram. It depends on how much and what kind of "smarts" you need in the "smart shapes" you use. 

There may be other templates you could use at Office Online. Start here: 

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/default.aspx 

HTH!

Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
------





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