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Diagram Generator

Free

Create professional SVG diagrams with ease.

by jimliu24.8k stars on jimliu/baoyu-skills
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Updated Jul 4, 2026
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Free · Opens the source repo

What Diagram Generator does

The Diagram Generator is a versatile tool designed for developers and designers who need to create high-quality SVG diagrams. It supports a wide range of diagram types, including architecture diagrams, flowcharts, sequence diagrams, structural diagrams, mind maps, timelines, and more. Each output is a standalone SVG file, ensuring that all styles and fonts are embedded, making it easy to share and integrate into other applications.

This skill is particularly useful for visualizing complex systems, processes, and relationships. Whether you need to illustrate a data flow, depict a decision-making process, or outline the components of a software architecture, the Diagram Generator provides the flexibility to create clear and professional visuals. The tool is triggered by various commands, such as requests to draw specific types of diagrams or when users upload content for visualization.

The generated diagrams are designed with a dark theme, which enhances readability and provides a modern aesthetic. The skill includes a comprehensive design system, featuring a semantic color palette and typography guidelines, ensuring that your diagrams not only convey information but also look visually appealing. The SVG structure is carefully organized to maintain the correct layering of elements, allowing for a polished final product.

Overall, the Diagram Generator is an essential tool for anyone who requires effective visual communication of technical concepts. Its ease of use and professional output make it a valuable addition to any developer or designer's toolkit.

When to use it

Use this tool when you need to create any type of technical or conceptual diagram quickly and professionally.

When not to use it

This skill may not be suitable for highly customized or artistic diagram designs that require extensive manual adjustments.

What you can build with it

Visualizing System Architecture

Use the Diagram Generator to create clear architecture diagrams that illustrate system components and their relationships.

Mapping Out Processes

Generate flowcharts to visualize decision-making processes and workflows, aiding in understanding and communication.

Creating Sequence Diagrams

Utilize the skill to depict interactions over time between different actors in your system, making complex interactions easier to grasp.

How to install Diagram Generator

View source

1. Install with the skills CLI

npx skills add jimliu/baoyu-skills/baoyu-diagram --agent claude-code

2. Or install it manually

Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.

Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs

Inside SKILL.md

Written by jimliu

Diagram Generator

Create professional SVG diagrams across multiple diagram types. All output is a single self-contained .svg file with embedded styles and fonts.

Supported Diagram Types

TypeWhen to UseKey Characteristics
ArchitectureSystem components & relationshipsGrouped boxes, connection arrows, region boundaries
FlowchartDecision logic, process stepsDiamond decisions, rounded step boxes, directional flow
SequenceTime-ordered interactions between actorsVertical lifelines, horizontal messages, activation bars
StructuralClass diagrams, ER diagrams, org chartsCompartmented boxes, typed relationships (inheritance, composition)
Mind MapBrainstorming, topic explorationCentral node, radiating branches, organic layout
TimelineChronological eventsHorizontal/vertical axis, event markers, period spans
IllustrativeConceptual explanations, comparisonsFree-form layout, icons, annotations, visual metaphors
State MachineState transitions, lifecycleRounded state nodes, labeled transitions, start/end markers
Data FlowData transformation pipelinesProcess bubbles, data stores, external entities

Design System

Color Palette

Semantic colors for component categories:

CategoryFill (rgba)StrokeUse For
Primaryrgba(8, 51, 68, 0.4)#22d3ee (cyan)Frontend, user-facing, inputs
Secondaryrgba(6, 78, 59, 0.4)#34d399 (emerald)Backend, services, processing
Tertiaryrgba(76, 29, 149, 0.4)#a78bfa (violet)Database, storage, persistence
Accentrgba(120, 53, 15, 0.3)#fbbf24 (amber)Cloud, infrastructure, regions
Alertrgba(136, 19, 55, 0.4)#fb7185 (rose)Security, errors, warnings
Connectorrgba(251, 146, 60, 0.3)#fb923c (orange)Buses, queues, middleware
Neutralrgba(30, 41, 59, 0.5)#94a3b8 (slate)External, generic, unknown
Highlightrgba(59, 130, 246, 0.3)#60a5fa (blue)Active state, focus, current step

For flowcharts and sequence diagrams, assign colors by role (actor, decision, process) rather than by technology.

Typography

Use embedded SVG @font-face or system monospace fallback:

<style>
  @import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=JetBrains+Mono:wght@400;500;600;700&amp;display=swap');
  text { font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', 'SF Mono', 'Cascadia Code', monospace; }
</style>

Font sizes by role:

  • Title: 16px, weight 700
  • Component name: 11-12px, weight 600
  • Sublabel / description: 9px, weight 400, color #94a3b8
  • Annotation / note: 8px, weight 400
  • Tiny label (on arrows): 7-8px

Core Visual Elements

Background: #0f172a (slate-900) with subtle grid:

<defs>
  <pattern id="grid" width="40" height="40" patternUnits="userSpaceOnUse">
    <path d="M 40 0 L 0 0 0 40" fill="none" stroke="#1e293b" stroke-width="0.5"/>
  </pattern>
</defs>
<rect width="100%" height="100%" fill="#0f172a"/>
<rect width="100%" height="100%" fill="url(#grid)"/>

Arrowhead marker (standard):

<marker id="arrow" markerWidth="10" markerHeight="7" refX="9" refY="3.5" orient="auto">
  <polygon points="0 0, 10 3.5, 0 7" fill="#64748b"/>
</marker>

Arrowhead marker (colored) — create per-color as needed:

<marker id="arrow-cyan" markerWidth="10" markerHeight="7" refX="9" refY="3.5" orient="auto">
  <polygon points="0 0, 10 3.5, 0 7" fill="#22d3ee"/>
</marker>

Open arrowhead (for async/return messages):

<marker id="arrow-open" markerWidth="10" markerHeight="7" refX="9" refY="3.5" orient="auto">
  <polyline points="0 0, 10 3.5, 0 7" fill="none" stroke="#64748b" stroke-width="1.5"/>
</marker>

SVG Structure & Layering

Draw elements in this order to get correct z-ordering (SVG paints back-to-front):

  1. Background fill + grid pattern
  2. Region/group boundaries (dashed outlines)
  3. Connection arrows and lines
  4. Opaque masking rects (same position as component boxes, fill="#0f172a")
  5. Component boxes (semi-transparent fill + stroke)
  6. Text labels
  7. Legend (bottom-right or bottom area, outside all boundaries)
  8. Title block (top-left)

The opaque masking rect trick is essential — semi-transparent component fills will show arrows underneath without it:

<!-- Mask layer: opaque background to hide arrows -->
<rect x="100" y="100" width="160" height="60" rx="6" fill="#0f172a"/>
<!-- Visual layer: styled component -->
<rect x="100" y="100" width="160" height="60" rx="6" fill="rgba(8,51,68,0.4)" stroke="#22d3ee" stroke-width="1.5"/>
<text x="180" y="125" fill="white" font-size="11" font-weight="600" text-anchor="middle">API Gateway</text>
<text x="180" y="141" fill="#94a3b8" font-size="9" text-anchor="middle">Kong / Nginx</text>

Spacing Rules

These prevent overlapping — follow them strictly:

  • Component box height: 50-70px (standard), 80-120px (large/complex)
  • Minimum gap between components: 40px vertical, 30px horizontal
  • Arrow label clearance: 10px from any box edge
  • Region boundary padding: 20px inside edges around contained components
  • Legend placement: At least 20px below the lowest diagram element
  • Title block: 20px from top-left, outside diagram content area
  • viewBox: Always extend to fit all content + 30px padding on all sides

Component Patterns

Standard box (service/process):

<rect x="X" y="Y" width="160" height="60" rx="6" fill="#0f172a"/>
<rect x="X" y="Y" width="160" height="60" rx="6" fill="FILL" stroke="STROKE" stroke-width="1.5"/>
<text x="CX" y="Y+24" fill="white" font-size="11" font-weight="600" text-anchor="middle">Name</text>
<text x="CX" y="Y+40" fill="#94a3b8" font-size="9" text-anchor="middle">description</text>

Decision diamond (flowchart):

<g transform="translate(CX, CY)">
  <polygon points="0,-35 50,0 0,35 -50,0" fill="#0f172a"/>
  <polygon points="0,-35 50,0 0,35 -50,0" fill="rgba(120,53,15,0.3)" stroke="#fbbf24" stroke-width="1.5"/>
  <text y="4" fill="white" font-size="10" font-weight="600" text-anchor="middle">Condition?</text>
</g>

Database cylinder:

<g transform="translate(X, Y)">
  <rect x="0" y="10" width="120" height="50" rx="2" fill="#0f172a"/>
  <ellipse cx="60" cy="10" rx="60" ry="12" fill="#0f172a"/>
  <ellipse cx="60" cy="60" rx="60" ry="12" fill="#0f172a"/>
  <rect x="0" y="10" width="120" height="50" fill="rgba(76,29,149,0.4)"/>
  <ellipse cx="60" cy="10" rx="60" ry="12" fill="rgba(76,29,149,0.4)" stroke="#a78bfa" stroke-width="1.5"/>
  <ellipse cx="60" cy="60" rx="60" ry="12" fill="rgba(76,29,149,0.4)" stroke="#a78bfa" stroke-width="1.5"/>
  <line x1="0" y1="10" x2="0" y2="60" stroke="#a78bfa" stroke-width="1.5"/>
  <line x1="120" y1="10" x2="120" y2="60" stroke="#a78bfa" stroke-width="1.5"/>
  <text x="60" y="40" fill="white" font-size="11" font-weight="600" text-anchor="middle">PostgreSQL</text>
</g>

Region boundary:

<rect x="X" y="Y" width="W" height="H" rx="12" fill="none" stroke="#fbbf24" stroke-width="1" stroke-dasharray="8,4"/>
<text x="X+12" y="Y+16" fill="#fbbf24" font-size="9" font-weight="600">AWS us-east-1</text>

Security group:

<rect x="X" y="Y" width="W" height="H" rx="8" fill="none" stroke="#fb7185" stroke-width="1" stroke-dasharray="4,4"/>
<text x="X+10" y="Y+14" fill="#fb7185" font-size="8" font-weight="500">VPC / Security Group</text>

Type-Specific Layout Guidance

Determine this SKILL.md file's directory path as {baseDir}. Read the reference file for the specific diagram type before starting layout. Reference files are located at {baseDir}/references/ and contain detailed layout algorithms and examples.

Architecture Diagrams

→ Read {baseDir}/references/architecture.md

Key points: left-to-right or top-to-bottom data flow. Group related services in region boundaries. Use buses/connectors between layers. Place databases at the bottom or right.

Flowcharts

→ Read {baseDir}/references/flowchart.md

Key points: top-to-bottom primary flow. Diamonds for decisions with Yes/No labels on exit arrows. Rounded rectangles for start/end. Use the Highlight color for the happy path.

Sequence Diagrams

→ Read {baseDir}/references/sequence.md

Key points: actors as boxes at top, vertical dashed lifelines, horizontal arrows for messages (solid=sync, dashed=return). Time flows downward. Activation bars show processing. Number messages if complex.

Structural Diagrams

→ Read {baseDir}/references/structural.md

Key points: compartmented boxes (name / attributes / methods for class diagrams). Relationship lines: solid with filled diamond=composition, solid with empty diamond=aggregation, dashed arrow=dependency, solid triangle=inheritance.

Mind Maps

Free-form radiating layout from a central concept. Use organic curves (<path> with cubic beziers) for branches. Vary branch colors using the palette. Larger font for central node, decreasing as you go outward.

Timelines

Horizontal or vertical axis line. Event markers as circles or diamonds on the axis. Description text offset to alternating sides to avoid overlap. Use color to categorize event types.

State Machines

Rounded-rect states with double-border for composite states. Filled circle for initial state, bullseye for final state. Curved arrows for self-transitions. Label all transitions with event [guard] / action format.

Output Rules

  1. Output a single .svg file — no external dependencies except the Google Fonts import
  2. Set viewBox to fit all content with 30px padding; do NOT set fixed width/height attributes (let the SVG scale responsively)
  3. Include xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" on the root <svg> element
  4. Put all <style>, <defs>, markers, and patterns at the top of the SVG
  5. Use text-anchor="middle" for centered labels; ensure text doesn't overflow boxes
  6. Chinese text support: When labels contain Chinese characters, use font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', 'Noto Sans SC', 'PingFang SC', sans-serif' and increase box widths — CJK characters are wider
  7. Save location: If the input is a file, save to {inputFileDir}/diagram/. Otherwise save to {projectDir}/diagram/{topic-slug}/. Create the directory if it doesn't exist

Script

Determine this SKILL.md file's directory path as {baseDir}. Script path: {baseDir}/scripts/main.ts.

Resolve ${BUN_X} runtime: if bun installed → bun; if npx available → npx -y bun; else suggest installing bun.

SVG → @2x PNG

After saving the SVG, convert it to a @2x PNG:

${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/main.ts <svg-path> [options]

Options:

  • -s, --scale <n> — Scale factor (default: 2)
  • -o, --output <path> — Custom output path (default: <input>@2x.png)
  • --json — JSON output

Process

  1. Identify the diagram type from the user's request
  2. Read the relevant reference file if one exists for that type
  3. Plan the layout: list all components, determine grouping and flow direction, calculate positions
  4. Write the SVG following the layering order above
  5. Verify spacing rules — no overlaps, legends outside boundaries, viewBox large enough
  6. Save the SVG file
  7. Run ${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/main.ts <svg-path> to generate @2x PNG
  8. Present both files to the user

Frequently asked questions about Diagram Generator

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