"Quick" diagramming tools. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: paulca
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 04:23:52 pm
content: Let me explain the tool I am missing by explaining what I do have.I have EDA/Schematic tools. (KiCAD)I have dull block diagramming tools. (Dia)I have free form editors (Paint, 3DPaint)I have photo editing suites and full on "The Gimp".I need something that's a bit in-between all of that.Schematics - Wrong audience for the diagrams. I'd prefer more "pictorial" than "symbolic". Coloured Red and black wires, cartoon picture of a solar panel instead of symbol for one. Etc.Paint through Gimp, too involved, not "mutable" enough to develop diagrams iteratively.Dia... if dia was quick to import new picture symbols it might just work.If you have never heard of "Dia", go get, it's probably the easiest to "grid snap" layout diagramming tools I've used. I have draw 24 parallel ethernet connections with easy, unlike in Visio.Anyway, I thought I would ask for suggests for that kind of quick and dirty "pictorial" style, strawman schematic / systems diagram.There is an Arduino diagramming tool I keep seeing, but can't recall. Fiddlzer or something. I can never find it when I go looking.?The ability to import pictures and move them around as objects, rather than "paste" them down and... ideally with wire connection point snapping.The specific target output is the garage off grid solar system I'm developing. I have drawn schematics, but they just don't show any "non-functionals" and miss a whole tone of "functional" information to boot. I feel presenting the diagram as a block system's diagram showing the location of individual breakers sitting beside each other, or sitting sounding a bus bar for example ... and showing red and black wires, cartoon battery, cartoon solar panel.Any suggestions? I'm open to online as long as it's not "trial ware". Might even be open to spending money on it, if it's "Pint and a sarny" priced.

author: alm
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 04:34:19 pm
content: Two online tools with a free version I have used isdiagrams.netfor more technical diagrams andmiro.comfor it's better UI but somewhat less features for technical diagrams. For example common symbol libraries are now part of the more expensive plans. Miro has online storage, for better or worse, while diagrams.net will make you use your own (cloud) storage like local files or Google Drive.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 05:49:27 pm
content: diagrams.net was born as drawio (for those who don't like change for change sake)I use it too. It replaced a very convenient diagramming program when it went subscription.Another program is yEd (https://www.yworks.com/yed-live/). I did a few flowcharts with it until drawio got my attention and haven't been back.

author: sparkydog
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 05:57:10 pm
content: Have you tried Inkscape? It's a free (as in beerandspeech) vector graphics editor (for SVG specifically). It doesn't come with a stock "symbol library", but there are tons of free resources online, especially if you don't mind mixing vector and raster graphics. Compared to paint tools, drawing and changing lines is very easy.The main drawback is that it doesn't have much in the way of flowchart-like snapping built in. (However, you can snap to corners, some midpoints, and you could get closer to KiCAD-like snapping if you're careful with the design of your symbols. At that point, though, you're probably investing more effort than you want to spend unless this is something you're going to be using on an ongoing basis.)I've actually used Inkscape to mock up physical layouts for electronics projects, plus I use it extensively for other projects.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 03, 2023, 08:15:34 pm
content: I use yEd. They have a standalone version, no need to use the web stuff (eek.)https://www.yworks.com/products/yedWorks great and exports to most formats you can think of, including SVG and EPS.