SmartDraw 2009 Makes Floor Plan Design Easier, Faster, and More Accurate as Part of Dynamic Software Upgrade

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) September 11, 2008

SmartDraw.com, maker of the world's most popular business graphics software, today announced the release of SmartDraw 2009, containing dramatically enhanced functionality and exclusive new features that help both professionals and homeowners create polished, professional plans to design homes, decks, landscapes, offices, kitchens & baths, and more in a matter of minutes.

"Everyone knows that a picture is worth a thousand words when trying to express design ideas and architectural plans," said Paul Stannard, SmartDraw.com CEO. "Because SmartDraw draws for them, building managers, contractors and even do-it-yourselfers can easily create an accurate and detailed landscape or interior plan. The only thing required is the users' imagination."

SmartDraw includes thousands of images and symbols for home design, including architectural elements such as windows, walls and doors; graphics for plumbing, cabinetry, and fixtures; and images for furniture, plants, and more. In addition, users can insert dozens of photo-realistic textures such as marble, granite, bamboo, oak, and tile. SmartDraw also includes photo-editing functionality so users can drop real pictures into their floor plans.

The innovations in SmartDraw 2009 empower anyone to create high-impact graphics with a very short learning curve. New features include:

• Better, Faster Floor Plans. Floor plans include smarter walls and easier manipulation of shapes, as well as easy snap-on windows and doors. New dimension lines and area measurements make creating accurate floor plans easier than ever.
• Faster, Easier Timelines for Project Management. New project management features include more control, increased automation and improved customization of Gantt charts and timelines. SmartDraw offers real project management without the complexity and learning curve of a product like Microsoft Project®.
• Seamless PowerPoint® Integration with Built-In Animation. Using animation to reveal information step-by-step with each click is a key feature for helping others fully comprehend what the designer is trying to convey. SmartDraw 2009 easily turns an unfocused, "busy" presentation into one that captures attention. With just one mouse click, SmartDraw transfers a graphic into a PowerPoint® slide with built-in animation. SmartDraw applies these animation cues automatically and preserves them when the graphic is moved into PowerPoint®. The result is a more compelling and memorable presentation that unveils parts of the floor plan one step at a time. SmartDraw is the only graphics program with this level of integration with PowerPoint®.
• Quicker Flowcharting. Flowcharts are drawn automatically, using simple commands. Users can even build one without taking their fingers off the keyboard. Lines are drawn automatically. Formatting is automatic: shapes are evenly spaced and perfectly aligned.
• Stunning New Presentation Effects. Stunning new effects such as 3D graphs and perspective view take presentations to the next level. Includes new themes for storyboarding presentations, as well as more synergy with PowerPoint®. Improved special effects add extra flair.
• Realistic Live Maps with Google. The new Live Map feature captures data from Google maps to incorporate roads, regions, counties, zip codes, countries and even satellite images from across the globe into illustrations. With SmartDraw 2009 users can now plot data centered on a location, showing sales by region for example, making for an incredibly professional effect when presenting area-related data.
• Sticky Notes. Add special explanatory notes to any shape with new "sticky notes" in SmartDraw. The note appears only when the cursor scrolls over the object so notes never clutter a diagram.

SmartDraw 2009 works seamlessly with Microsoft Office, allowing one-click export to MS PowerPoint®, Word® and Excel®, making it easy to share SmartDraw graphics with others in plans, reports, and presentations.

SmartDraw offers a variety of licensing options and programs, including educational pricing. A free trial is available at http://www.smartdraw.com and includes both online and telephone technical support.

About SmartDraw.com
SmartDraw.com is the creator of SmartDraw, the world's most popular business graphics software and the first program that empowers ordinary computer users to create presentation-quality business graphics in minutes. Each year more than three million people install and use SmartDraw and the company counts more than half of the members of the Fortune 500 as loyal customers.

Founded in 1994, SmartDraw.com is privately-held and based in San Diego, CA. In addition to SmartDraw 2009 for general business and home use, the company also offers SmartDraw Healthcare and SmartDraw Legal editions which include graphics and applications unique to their respective fields. For more information on the company or to download a free trial of SmartDraw, please visit http://www.smartdraw.com.

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