A ubiquitous part of any presentation is the graph/chart, but they are often bland and go unnoticed.

Swiff Chart lets you create animated graphs and charts in Macromedia Flash format, ready for inserting into a PowerPoint presentation or posting onto a website.

Data can be imported from a standard text file, copied and pasted from a spreadsheet or simply entered by hand.

It is very simple to use, with everything split into stages, all accessed by a sequential menu bar. Start on the left and work your way though each menu, filling in details as you go.

The first step is to enter the data, after which point it is all to do with aesthetics. You can choose a graph/chart style from hundreds (or make your own); define the plot, axes, gridlines and the legend look and feel.

Animating graphs is via dropdown menus: select what type of animation to have for various elements, including the title, legend, axes, etc., and define when to start and stop each animation.