ASCII Diagrams

ASCII Diagrams let you create text-based diagrams using ASCII and Unicode characters. These diagrams can be exported as plain text, making them perfect for code comments, README files, terminal output, and documentation where images aren't practical.

Creating an ASCII Diagram

  1. Click the + button in the tab bar
  2. Select ASCII Diagram
  3. A new tab opens with a character grid canvas

The ASCII canvas works differently from the standard freeform canvas — you draw with characters on a fixed grid rather than placing vector shapes.

Drawing Tools

The ASCII toolbar provides tools for drawing common diagram elements:

  • Box — Draw rectangular boxes with corners and edges
  • Line — Draw horizontal and vertical lines
  • Arrow — Draw lines with arrowheads
  • Text — Type text directly onto the grid
  • Eraser — Remove characters from the grid

Character Sets

Diagrammix supports two character sets for ASCII diagrams:

ASCII

Uses standard ASCII characters available on any system:

+---+     +---+
|   |---->|   |
+---+     +---+

Unicode

Uses Unicode box-drawing characters for cleaner lines:

┌───┐     ┌───┐
│   │────>│   │
└───┘     └───┘

Exporting

Export your ASCII diagram as a plain text file:

  1. Go to File → Export as ASCII Text...
  2. Choose character set (ASCII or Unicode)
  3. Set maximum width
  4. Select a save location

The exported .txt file contains your diagram as pure text, ready to paste into code, documentation, or chat.

Use Cases

  • Code documentation — Add diagrams to source code comments
  • README files — Include architecture diagrams in Markdown docs
  • Chat and email — Share diagrams where images aren't supported
  • Terminal tools — Display diagrams in command-line applications
  • Plain text notes — Keep diagrams in simple text files

Tips

  1. Use Unicode for cleaner-looking diagrams when your target supports it
  2. Use ASCII for maximum compatibility (works everywhere)
  3. ASCII Diagrams are a PRO feature