Merging Shapes in OmniGraffle: Techniques and Tips

Mastering the art of merging shapes in OmniGraffle can significantly enhance your design workflow. This comprehensive guide will take you through various methods to combine and manipulate shapes, ensuring you can create intricate diagrams and graphics with ease.

How to Merge Shapes in OmniGraffle

Select the Shapes: Begin by clicking on the shapes you wish to merge. Holding down the Shift key allows you to select multiple shapes at once. Once selected, proceed to the menu bar.

Combine Shapes: Navigate to Arrange > Combine Shapes. This action merges your selected shapes into a single cohesive element, maintaining their individual properties.

Adjust the Merged Shape: After the merge, you have the option to refine the new shape's appearance, including fill color or stroke. Utilize these adjustments to fine-tune your design.

Additional Merging Techniques

Subtract Shapes: For creating complex shapes by removing parts of one shape from another, use the Subtract Shapes option within the Arrange menu. This method is perfect for creating cutouts or intricate designs.

Union and Intersect Shapes: OmniGraffle also offers options to Union Shapes and Intersect Shapes, providing additional layers of complexity for your designs. These features allow for a wide range of shape manipulations, enhancing your design flexibility.

Additional Method for Merging Shapes

A quick alternative to merging shapes involves the use of PDF exports. Select the elements you want to merge, right-click, and copy them as a PDF. Paste these PDF elements into Omnigraffle, placing the exact same shapes without any quality loss. This method retains the flexibility to edit individual shapes.

Additionally, double-clicking the PDF element opens a new OmniGraffle file containing the original shapes. Editing these shapes and saving the file updates the PDF element in the main file. This seamless integration is akin to SmartObjects in Photoshop, making it a powerful feature for designers.

OmniGraffle Pro's Set Operations

OmniGraffle Pro further enhances your design capabilities with its built-in support for set operations on shapes, including Union, Subtraction, and Intersection. These tools enable you to create complex shapes without relying on the path tool.

To combine shapes using these operations, select the shapes and go to Edit > Shapes > Union Shapes. This simple action allows you to merge shapes with precision and control.

By leveraging these powerful features, you can streamline your design process in OmniGraffle, ensuring that your diagrams and graphics are both visually appealing and functional.