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Linking Mockups in trial?
I currently use "Visio" but I would like to give Balsamiq a go. I am already a fan of the "Sketchy Shapes" so I really like the way Balsamiq looks.
Q: I was unable to test linking mockups in either the "try it online" as well as the "desktop trial version"? The "linking" feature really is a must for me and I really would like to test it before committing, so is there a way to test the linking before buying at all?
Q: Does Balsamiq support masters/background at all?
Q: I currently have about 70 linked Visio sheets (+ 6 Mb .vsd file), is there a limit to the number of Mockups on Balsamiq? How easy is it to manage a large number of wireframes/mockups using Balsamiq?
Q: I was unable to test linking mockups in either the "try it online" as well as the "desktop trial version"? The "linking" feature really is a must for me and I really would like to test it before committing, so is there a way to test the linking before buying at all?
Q: Does Balsamiq support masters/background at all?
Q: I currently have about 70 linked Visio sheets (+ 6 Mb .vsd file), is there a limit to the number of Mockups on Balsamiq? How easy is it to manage a large number of wireframes/mockups using Balsamiq?
I’m frustrated
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Inappropriate?Hello Geert, thank you for your feedback.
I fear that Mockups as it stands today might not be ready for you.
There is no way to test the linking feature in the trial version at the moment. Masters and backgrounds are done through the image import feature at the moment: http://www.balsamiq.com/products/mock... but I am working on a better solution.
As for managing many sheets, that's not Mockups' sweet spot at the moment. I am working on adding the concept of "projects" to the app, which will certainly improve things. When that feature is in, I will change the trial to be able to let you work on a project, so that you'll be able to try linking as well.
So...maybe check back in a couple of months? Also, have you seen Axure RP? I hear good things about them and they seem to be a very powerful and professional tool (different price range than Mockups though).
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Inappropriate?Thanks Peldi, I will most certainly check back in a couple of months then!
I also have Axure RP (current customer wanted Visio) and it is a great tool too, but I liked the simplicity and sketchy look of Balsamiq. One of the other reasons I am looking at Balsamiq to replace Visio/Axure RP is its platform independence ... and Axure RP is also Windows only - VMWare Fusion does get me around this but it's not ideal.
Anyway, I like what you have created so far!
I’m thankful
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Inappropriate?Hi Geert,
you've added me to the contact list probably because I've mentioned in my praise that I was using Visio so I'd like to drop some more info because I can see many similarities there.
In my last project I was using plain Visio with GUUUI Visio Prototype Tools and we made around 30 mockuped screens of our application (it was a desktop application somehow similar to Outlook) and around 20 web page fragments. So it is my experience with Visio I've mentioned in my praise.
When I tried Balsamiq trial I was missing the linking feature too. But in desktop edition it works. Well, it put some ugly blue arrow icon over the sketchy button but it works.
As for working with many mockups, Giacomo is right (well, as an author of this app he should always be right than :-) ) - it is definitely not perfect. But as I remember from my Visio experience, it wasn't easy there either.
Firstly I was little surprised (disappointed) that Balsamiq is missing background feature. But then I've found that the workaround with background image is not so bad as it seems. Well, it was much easier with Visio but I think that the implementation in Balsamiq is something I can live with.
And there is one last thing that is really important for me and I can see that it is important for you too - the platform independence. I'm using Windows and Linux (Ubuntu) at the same time. It works as promised with only one problem that installation on 64-bit Ubuntu is not so simple (but it is a problem of Adobe Air not Balsamiq application).
But there a thing I a have to admit - I have *some* experience with Visio but I have almost *none* with Balsamiq. I've used it just for few presentations (2-3 mockups) so far and that's why my experience is really limited. I bought it because I just liked it and I thought that it might be handy when the times come.
Cheers,
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This answers the question
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Yes, I did indeed add you to my "contacts" to ask you a bit more info off-line, but then I couldn't figure out how to send you an message via Get Satisfaction (maybe I have missed something?) ... which leaves me a bit baffled why they are called "Contacts" if you can't contact your contacts?
Anyway, back to the subject, I am unable to use (install) Axure RP at the customer site when I don't have admin rights on their computers - which is the case at most customers. Axure RP's "windows only" version doesn't sit well with me either and it also seems to me that is is a bit overloaded with features.
I mainly use Visio because it is installed at almost all customers and with the sketchy Visio shapes (combined work of Niklas Wolkert/Henrik Olsen/Jonathan Abbett) Visio actually serves me reasonably well.
Why am I considering Balsamiq then? Well (besides the fact that Visio is a windows only tool too) it is a general drawing tool and doesn't seem to cope very well for mock-ups/wireframes for a decent size software application. Visio does crash fairly frequently and besides the regular save, I now also need to backup the visio file as a crash has even corrupted my entire file.
The whole 'web 2.0" has made it very complex to mock-up an apps UI to give the users a good idea of what the system will be able to provide them. The main reason I seem to end up with so many screens (as I mentioned I have 70+ now) is not necessarily because there are so many completely different screens, but because I want to show different states within the same screen. They are often just changes in one "pane" but to depict that I have to duplicate the screen and change only parts of it. I don't necessarily mind duplicating as long as the tool would make it easier to manage a large number of mock-ups (grouping or something?) and this is where Visio lets me down too. In my view ideally a screen mock-up tool should have a knowledge about a screen and panes within a screen ... without losing the balance of features and complexity though.
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