Agents365-ai/drawio-skill
Generate draw.io diagrams from natural language descriptions
drawio-skill is a diagramming utility that converts natural language descriptions and technical artifacts into editable .drawio XML files and image exports. It utilizes the native draw.io desktop CLI to transform text, Mermaid syntax, SQL DDL, and infrastructure code (Terraform/K8s) into auto-laid-out visual architectures. The tool features specialized support for cloud provider icons, C4 model drill-downs, and an iterative self-correction loop to fix layout overlaps.
- Converts natural language, Mermaid, and SQL into native .drawio diagrams
- Visualizes codebase structures and IaC manifests using official cloud icons
- Automates multi-page C4 models with interactive click-through navigation
full readme from github
drawio-skill — From Text to Professional Diagrams
English · 中文 · 📖 Online Docs
A skill that turns natural-language descriptions into .drawio XML and exports them to PNG / SVG / PDF / JPG via the native draw.io desktop CLI. It can also turn an existing codebase (Python / JS-TS / Go / Rust), Terraform / Kubernetes / docker-compose infrastructure, or a SQL schema into an auto-laid-out diagram. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, OpenClaw, Codex, Autohand Code, Hermes, and any agent compatible with the Agent Skills format.
✨ Highlights
- 7 diagram type presets — ERD, UML Class, Sequence, C4, Architecture, ML/Deep Learning, Flowchart
- Mermaid → native .drawio (draw.io ≥ 30) — author 28 standard types as Mermaid text (mindmap, gantt, timeline, journey, pie, sankey, kanban…) and the CLI converts them into a laid-out, editable
.drawio— structure in, layout free - Visualize a codebase — extract and auto-lay-out the structure of a Python / JS-TS / Go / Rust project (import graphs) or a Python class hierarchy — Graphviz placement, transitive reduction, nested module containers
- IaC → architecture diagram — turn Terraform configs, Kubernetes manifests, or docker-compose files into an architecture diagram where every resource renders as its official AWS / Azure / GCP / K8s icon, edges derived from actual references (role ARNs, selectors, volume mounts)
- SQL DDL → ER diagram — parse
CREATE TABLEstatements into per-table nodes with PK/FK markers and crow's-foot foreign-key edges - Deterministic sequence diagrams — describe participants + messages as JSON; lifelines, auto-tracked activation bars, and arrows are computed, never hand-placed
- C4 model with drill-down — one command generates the multi-page System Context → Container → Component set with official C4 shapes; parent elements click through to their child page
- Search 10,000+ official shapes — resolve the exact AWS / Azure / GCP / Cisco / Kubernetes / UML / BPMN icon style instead of guessing (no more blank-box
shape=mxgraph.*typos) - AI / LLM brand logos — 321 logos (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Llama, Ollama, LangChain…) that draw.io has none of, plus 18 data-store brands (Redis, Postgres, Qdrant, Milvus…) for LLM/RAG architecture diagrams
- Self-check + auto-fix — reads its own PNG output and auto-fixes overlaps, clipped labels, stacked edges, and more (up to 2 rounds)
- Iterative feedback loop — up to 5 rounds of targeted refinement
- Style presets — capture your visual style from a
.drawiofile or image, reuse on demand - Clean layout — grid-aligned, spacing scales with diagram size, connectors routed clear of nodes
- Multi-agent, zero-config — runs from a single SKILL.md; no MCP server, no background daemon (the optional
npxinstaller needs Node, the skill itself does not)
🖼️ Examples
[!TIP] The hero image above was generated from this single prompt:
Create a microservices e-commerce architecture with Mobile/Web/Admin clients,
API Gateway (auth + rate limiting + routing), Auth/User/Order/Product/Payment
services, Kafka message queue, Notification service, and User DB / Order DB /
Product DB / Redis Cache / Stripe API
The skill is designed to route edges cleanly across different topologies, avoiding lines that cross through shapes:
![]() Star · 7 nodes Central message broker with 6 microservices radiating outward, no edge crossings on this example. |
![]() Layered · 10 nodes / 4 tiers E-commerce stack with horizontal and diagonal cross-connections routed via corridors. |
![]() Ring · 8 nodes CI/CD pipeline with a closed loop and 2 spur branches flowing along the perimeter. |
Full walkthrough in docs/USAGE.md.
🚀 Installation
1. Install the draw.io desktop CLI
| Platform | Command |
|---|---|
| macOS | brew install --cask drawio |
| Windows | Download installer |
| Linux | .deb/.rpm from releases; sudo apt install xvfb for headless |
Verify with drawio --version. Version ≥ 30 recommended — it unlocks Mermaid → .drawio conversion and the ELK --layout pass (both unavailable on ≤ 29). On WSL2 the CLI is the Windows desktop exe reached via /mnt/c — the skill detects this automatically (see troubleshooting). Full recipes in docs/INSTALL_CLI.md.
2. Install the skill
# Any agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, ...)
npx skills add Agents365-ai/365-skills -g
# Claude Code plugin marketplace
> /plugin marketplace add Agents365-ai/365-skills
> /plugin install drawio
# Manual install
git clone https://github.com/Agents365-ai/drawio-skill.git \
~/.claude/skills/drawio-skill
# Autohand Code global install
git clone https://github.com/Agents365-ai/drawio-skill.git \
~/.autohand/skills/drawio-skill
# Autohand Code project-level install
git clone https://github.com/Agents365-ai/drawio-skill.git \
.autohand/skills/drawio-skill
Autohand Code also supports autohand --skill-install for cataloged skills, with --project for workspace-level installs. Until this skill is listed there, use the direct clone path above.
Also indexed on SkillsMP and ClawHub.
Updating: /plugin update drawio (Claude Code), skills update drawio-skill (SkillsMP), clawhub update drawio-pro-skill (OpenClaw), or git pull for manual installs — see docs/INSTALL_SKILL.md#updates. Release history in CHANGELOG.md.
⚡ Quick Start
After installation, just describe what you want. For example, an ML model:
Draw a Transformer encoder-decoder for machine translation: 6-layer encoder
with self-attention, 6-layer decoder with cross-attention, input embeddings
(batch × 512 × 768), positional encoding, and a final output projection.
Annotate tensor shapes between layers and color-code by layer type.
The skill plans the layout, generates the .drawio XML, exports to your chosen format, self-checks the result, and lets you iterate.
🗺️ Visualize Code & Infrastructure
Beyond hand-authored diagrams, the skill turns existing code, infrastructure, and schemas into diagrams — no manual coordinates. Just ask:
"Visualize the module structure of this Python project" · "Draw the class hierarchy of
mypackage"
↑ Python's logging package as a class hierarchy — one command, modules auto-boxed, every inheritance edge resolved.
Under the hood it runs a bundled extractor → auto-layout → validate pipeline:
# Import graph — Python / JS-TS / Go / Rust
python3 scripts/pyimports.py myproject --group -o graph.json
python3 scripts/jsimports.py ./src --group -o graph.json
python3 scripts/goimports.py ./module --group -o graph.json
python3 scripts/rustimports.py ./crate --group -o graph.json
# Python class-inheritance hierarchy
python3 scripts/pyclasses.py mypackage --group -o graph.json
# Infrastructure as Code — official cloud icons resolved automatically
python3 scripts/tfimports.py ./infra -o graph.json # Terraform → AWS/Azure/GCP icons
python3 scripts/k8simports.py ./manifests -o graph.json # K8s YAML/JSON → kind icons
python3 scripts/composeimports.py compose.yml -o graph.json # services + named volumes
# Live infrastructure — draw what's ACTUALLY running / deployed
terraform show -json | python3 scripts/tfstate.py - -o graph.json # deployed cloud
docker inspect $(docker ps -q)| python3 scripts/dockerimports.py - -o graph.json # running containers
kubectl get all,ing,cm,secret,pvc -o json | python3 scripts/k8simports.py - -o graph.json # live cluster
# Data & interactions
python3 scripts/sqlerd.py schema.sql -o graph.json # SQL DDL → ER diagram
python3 scripts/openapiimports.py openapi.yaml -o graph.json # OpenAPI/Swagger → API diagram (by method)
python3 scripts/seqlayout.py seq.json -o sequence.drawio # sequence diagram, direct to .drawio
python3 scripts/c4.py c4.json -o c4.drawio # C4 model, multi-page + drill-down
# Diff two diagrams / snapshots → colour-coded "what changed"
python3 scripts/drawiodiff.py old.drawio new.drawio -o graph.json # +added -removed ~changed
# Architecture time-lapse → self-contained HTML player of how a codebase grew
python3 scripts/timelapse.py src --importer pyimports # → architecture-evolution.html
# Reverse: describe an existing .drawio as structured Markdown (README / PR summary)
python3 scripts/explain.py architecture.drawio -o architecture.md
# Diagram → PowerPoint deck (one page per slide; C4 model → presentation)
python3 scripts/drawio2pptx.py c4.drawio -o c4.pptx # needs: pip install python-pptx
# Interactive HTML viewer — pan/zoom/search/tabs + working drill-down links, one file
python3 scripts/drawiohtml.py c4.drawio -o c4.html
# Animated data-flow SVG — edges "flow" (marching ants); renders on GitHub
python3 scripts/svgflow.py architecture.drawio -o flow.svg
# Reverse: .drawio → Mermaid flowchart (diagrams-as-code GitHub renders)
python3 scripts/drawio2mermaid.py architecture.drawio --fenced -o arch.md
# Colour an existing .drawio by data → cost / latency / traffic heat map
python3 scripts/heatmap.py architecture.drawio -m latency.csv --size -o hot.drawio
# any extractor → auto-layout → editable .drawio
python3 scripts/autolayout.py graph.json -o diagram.drawio
| Piece | What it does |
|---|---|
| 12 extractors | import graphs for Python · JS/TS · Go · Rust, Python class inheritance, Terraform / Kubernetes / docker-compose resource graphs (official cloud icons), SQL DDL → ERD, OpenAPI / Swagger → API diagram (operations coloured by HTTP method + schemas), and live infra from terraform show -json / docker inspect / kubectl get -o json (draw what's actually deployed) |
| Diagram diff | drawiodiff.py compares two .drawio (or two live snapshots) into one colour-coded graph — added=green, removed=red, changed=orange — so you can see architecture / infra drift at a glance |
| Metric heat map | heatmap.py recolours an existing .drawio from a CSV/JSON of per-node values — cost / latency / traffic / error-rate shaded low→high on a gradient (optional size-by-value + legend), matched by cell id or label |
| Architecture time-lapse | timelapse.py re-runs an importer across a repo's git history and assembles a self-contained HTML player — watch modules & edges appear over time (▶ play / ‹ › step) |
| Diagram → Markdown | explain.py reverses a .drawio into a structured description — components by tier, relations, per-page for C4 — for dropping an architecture summary into a README or PR |
| Interactive viewer | drawiohtml.py publishes a .drawio as one self-contained HTML — page tabs, drag-pan, wheel-zoom, node search, and a C4 model's drill-down links keep working. Share the file; no draw.io, no server |
| Diagram → PowerPoint | drawio2pptx.py turns a multi-page diagram into a 16:9 deck (one page per slide, page name as title) — a C4 model becomes a ready-to-present slideshow |
| Animated data-flow | svgflow.py makes a diagram's edges flow (marching-ants animation along each arrow) — a self-contained looping SVG that renders on GitHub, in docs, or as a slide background |
| Diagram → Mermaid | drawio2mermaid.py converts a .drawio into a Mermaid flowchart (containers → subgraphs, edge labels kept) — paste it into Markdown as diagrams-as-code that GitHub renders natively |
| Sequence engine | seqlayout.py computes lifeline / activation-bar / arrow geometry from a message list — no Graphviz, no hand placement |
| Auto-layout | Graphviz places nodes and routes orthogonal edges around them — removes the manual-coordinate ceiling for large graphs. --tune tries both directions and keeps the more readable one |
| Transitive reduction | drops edges implied by a longer path, turning a dense hairball into a traceable graph (asyncio: 149 → 46 edges) |
| Nested containers | --group boxes modules by sub-package, nested for deep package trees |
| Deterministic validator | validate.py lints the .drawio (dangling edges, duplicate ids, overlaps) before the visual self-check |
Layout needs Graphviz (brew install graphviz / apt install graphviz) — optional; everything else works without it. Full format + flag reference in references/autolayout.md. Regenerate, validate (--strict gate) and render headlessly in CI: docs/CI.md.
🧩 Supported Diagram Types
| Category | Examples | Notable features |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | microservices, cloud (AWS/GCP/Azure), network topology, deployment | Tier-based swimlanes, hub-center strategy |
| C4 model | system context, containers, components | Multi-page .drawio, click-to-drill-down links |
| ML / Deep Learning | Transformer, CNN, LSTM, GRU | Tensor shape annotations, layer-type color coding |
| Flowcharts | business processes, workflows, decision trees, state machines | Semantic shapes (parallelogram I/O, diamond decisions) |
| UML | class diagrams, sequence diagrams | Inheritance / composition / aggregation arrows; lifelines + activation boxes |
| Data | ER diagrams, data flow diagrams (DFD) | Table containers, PK/FK notation |
| Mermaid-authored | mind maps, gantt, timeline, journey, pie, sankey, kanban + 20 more | Native CLI conversion (≥ v30) — structure only, layout free |
| Other | org charts, wireframes | — |
🔍 Shape Search
Need a real AWS / Azure / GCP / Cisco / Kubernetes / UML / BPMN icon? The skill searches 10,000+ official draw.io shapes for the exact style string — so vendor icons render correctly instead of falling back to a blank box from a guessed shape=mxgraph.* name.
"Add an AWS Lambda wired to an S3 bucket" · "Use the real Kubernetes pod icon"
python3 scripts/shapesearch.py "aws lambda" --limit 5
# → Lambda (77x93)
# outlineConnect=0;...;shape=mxgraph.aws3.lambda;fillColor=#F58534;...
↑ A serverless AWS architecture — every icon is the real official draw.io shape resolved by shapesearch.py, not a hand-guessed shape= string.
Covers AWS / Azure / GCP / Cisco / Kubernetes / UML / BPMN / ER / electrical / P&ID and the general shape sets. Hand-writable style cheatsheet + search usage in references/shapes.md.
🤖 AI / LLM Brand Logos
draw.io ships no modern AI/LLM logos, so an LLM-app diagram renders as generic boxes. aiicons.py resolves a brand name to a draw.io image style for any of 321 logos (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Llama, Cohere, DeepSeek, Qwen, Ollama, LangChain, HuggingFace…) from lobe-icons (MIT), plus 18 data-store brands (Redis, Postgres, MongoDB, Qdrant, Milvus, Supabase…) via simple-icons (CC0) for RAG stacks.
python3 scripts/aiicons.py "claude" --json # CDN-referenced (default)
python3 scripts/aiicons.py "openai" --embed # self-contained data URI
↑ A multi-provider LLM app — every brand logo resolved by aiicons.py. Icons are referenced from the unpkg CDN by default (network needed at render time); --embed inlines them for offline use. Logos are trademarks of their owners, used for identification only.
🎨 Style Presets
Capture a visual style once, reuse it everywhere. Five presets are built in — default, corporate, handdrawn, colorblind-safe (Okabe-Ito palette), dark — and you can teach the skill your own style from a .drawio file or a flat image:
Draw a microservices architecture using my "corporate" style
Learn my style from ~/diagrams/brand.drawio as "mybrand"
The skill extracts colors, shapes, fonts, and edge style, renders a preview, and only saves the preset after you approve. Full preset-management commands in docs/STYLE_PRESETS.md.
🔄 How it works
Behind the scenes: check dependencies → plan layout → generate .drawio XML → export draft PNG → self-check + auto-fix (up to 2 rounds) → show to user → 5-round feedback loop until approved → final export.
🆚 Comparison
vs Native Agent (no skill)
| Feature | Native agent | drawio-skill |
|---|---|---|
| Self-check after export | ❌ | ✅ reads PNG, auto-fixes 6 issue types |
| Iterative review loop | ❌ manual re-prompt | ✅ targeted edits, 5-round safety valve |
| Diagram type presets | ❌ | ✅ 7 presets (ERD, UML, Seq, C4, Arch, ML, Flow) |
| Mermaid → editable .drawio | ❌ | ✅ 28 types via native CLI conversion (≥ v30) |
| Visualize a codebase | ❌ | ✅ import graphs (Py/JS/Go/Rust) + class diagrams |
| IaC → architecture diagram | ❌ | ✅ Terraform / K8s / compose → official cloud icons |
| SQL DDL → ER diagram | ❌ | ✅ CREATE TABLE → PK/FK tables, crow's-foot edges |
| Sequence diagrams | ❌ hand-placed coordinates | ✅ deterministic geometry engine (seqlayout.py) |
| C4 model | ❌ | ✅ multi-page Context→Container→Component with click-to-drill-down |
| Auto-layout for large graphs | ❌ hand-places, overlaps | ✅ Graphviz placement, ortho routing, nested containers |
| Structural validation | ❌ | ✅ deterministic .drawio linter |
| Official shape search | ❌ guesses, blank boxes | ✅ exact style for 10k+ AWS/Azure/GCP/UML shapes |
| AI/LLM brand logos | ❌ none | ✅ 321 AI + 18 data-store logos via aiicons.py |
| Grid-aligned layout | ❌ | ✅ 10px snap, routing corridors |
| Color palette | random / inconsistent | ✅ 7-color semantic system |
| Style presets | ❌ | ✅ learn from .drawio file or image |
vs Other draw.io Skills & Tools
| Feature | drawio-skill | jgraph/drawio-mcp (official) |
bahayonghang/drawio-skills |
GBSOSS/ai-drawio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approach | Pure SKILL.md | SKILL.md / MCP / Project | YAML DSL + CLI (MCP optional) | Claude Code plugin |
| Dependencies | draw.io desktop only | draw.io desktop | draw.io desktop (MCP optional) | draw.io plugin + browser |
| Multi-agent | ✅ 6 platforms | ❌ Claude apps only | ✅ Claude / Gemini / Codex | ❌ Claude Code only |
| Self-check + auto-fix | ✅ 2-round (reads PNG) | ❌ | ✅ validation + strict mode | ❌ screenshot only |
| Iterative review | ✅ 5-round loop | ❌ generate once | ✅ 3 workflows | ❌ |
| Diagram presets | ✅ 7 types | ❌ | ✅ paper-mode classifier | ❌ |
| Mermaid authoring | ✅ 28 types (CLI ≥ 30) | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| ML/DL diagrams | ✅ tensor shapes, layer colors | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Color system | ✅ 7-color semantic | ❌ | ✅ 6 themes | ❌ |
| Official shape search | ✅ 10k+ shapes (local) | ✅ 10k+ shapes (MCP) | ❌ | ❌ |
| AI/LLM brand logos | ✅ 321 + 18 data-store | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Browser fallback | ✅ diagrams.net URL (viewer + editable) | ❌ inline preview only | ✅ via optional MCP | ✅ diagrams.net viewer (primary) |
| Zero-config | ✅ copy skills/drawio-skill/ |
✅ | ✅ desktop-only mode | ❌ needs plugin install |
Full comparison + key-advantages summary in docs/COMPARISON.md (with audit timestamp).
🎯 When to use (and when not to)
Good fit:
- Polished, precise diagrams — stakeholder decks, architecture, network topology, strict UML, ER diagrams
- Solid opaque fills, 10,000+ official shapes, branded icons (AWS / Azure / GCP / Cisco / Kubernetes + AI/LLM logos), swimlanes, and custom geometry
- Anything you'll export to PNG / SVG / PDF and keep editable
Reach for a sibling skill instead when you need:
- A casual, hand-drawn / whiteboard look → excalidraw-skill or tldraw-skill
- Diagrams-as-code that live in git and render in Markdown → mermaid-skill (general) or plantuml-skill (UML)
- Freeform infinite-canvas sketching / freehand strokes → tldraw-skill
🔗 Related Skills
Part of the Agents365-ai diagram-skill family — pick the right tool for the job:
| Skill | Style | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| excalidraw-skill | Hand-drawn / sketchy | Whiteboard mockups, informal diagrams |
| mermaid-skill | Text-based, auto-layout | README-embeddable, version-control friendly |
| plantuml-skill | UML-focused | Class / sequence diagrams in CI pipelines |
| tldraw-skill | Whiteboard collaboration | Casual sketches, FigJam-style boards |
❤️ Support
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👤 Author
Agents365-ai
- GitHub: https://github.com/Agents365-ai
- Bilibili: https://space.bilibili.com/441831884


