5 posts tagged with "integrations"

Previously, the draw.io apps for Google Docs, Slides and Sheets allowed you to embed the diagrams directly into your documents. Unfortunately, Google has instituted new security permissions limitations that limit access to your files stored on Google Drive. This means that new installations of the draw.io apps for Docs, Slides or Sheets are unable to access the diagram data in those files.

If you have older, installed versions of these apps, you may be able to continue to embed and work with diagram file in your documents.

Important: We have not disabled the Google Store listings for these apps as that would immediately disable all existing installations. Currently, those older installed versions of these apps still work.

We recommend you convert your embedded diagrams to images in those documents.

The draw.io apps for Google Workspace and the draw.io Chrome app for Google Drive are unaffected - you can continue to store your .drawio diagram files in Google Drive and work with them in our free online editor.

Use draw.io diagrams in Google Docs, Slides and Sheets​

Export your draw.io diagrams to PNG image files and then import them into your Google Docs, Slides and Sheets - drag and drop the image file into your document.

1. Open your .drawio diagram file in the draw.io editor (either our online editor or draw.io Desktop)
2. In the draw.io menu, select File > Export As > PNG, then click Export to save your diagram as an image.
3. In your Google Document, Slide, or Sheet select Insert Image from the menu, or drag and drop your image into your document.

You can work with the image of your diagram in your Google document (Docs, Slides or Sheets) as you would any other image - you can move, resize, rotate, and style it as needed.

Reopen your diagram from a draw.io image file​

If you export your diagram from draw.io to a PNG image with Include a copy of my diagram enabled, you will be able to drop that image file onto the draw.io editor to load the diagram data embedded in that file and continue diagramming.

Note: You cannot reopen images from within Google documents as diagrams as Google strips the embedded diagram data.

Overlay or fill a cell in Google Sheets​

In Google Sheets, you can either import an image of your diagram into a cell or overlay the cells.

Mermaid is a text-based syntax that you can use to describe a diagram, and automatically lay it out neatly on the diagram canvas. Enter your Mermaid diagram description in draw.io via Arrange > Insert > Mermaid in the draw.io menu or + > Mermaid from the toolbar. draw.io has updated to Mermaid version 10.9.1 to support the new ELK automatic layout.

Text to diagram tools in draw.io​

There are several text-to-diagram tools built into draw.io:

• Mermaid diagrams
• SQL to entity shapes
• Specially formatted CSV data
• Basic text-to-diagram converter for trees and lists.

Example Gantt chart generated from Mermaid syntax

Some of these text-to-diagram features generate a diagram as an image on the drawing canvas, and some use draw.io shapes to automatically layout your diagram and let you continue adding draw.io shapes and connectors to it.

You can choose your preferred output when you generate a diagram from Mermaid syntax, although some diagram types - like the Gantt chart above - will only generate to an image.

Insert a Mermaid diagram in draw.io​

An example coffee machine debugging flow is described in Mermaid syntax below.

graph TD
   A(Coffee machine <br />not working) --> B{Machine has power?}
   B -->|No| H(Plug in and turn on)
   B -->|Yes| C{Out of beans or water?} -->|Yes| G(Refill beans and water)
   C -->|No| D{Filter warning?} -->|Yes| I(Replace or clean filter)
   D -->|No| F(Send for repair)

Add this Mermaid diagram to draw.io.

1. Select Arrange > Insert > Mermaid from the menu or + > Mermaid from the toolbar if you are using the Simple mode or the Sketch editor theme.
   
2. Enter the text description of your diagram using Mermaid syntax in the large text box.
3. From the drop-down list, select whether you want to insert the diagram with draw.io shapes (Diagram), or as a single image (Image), and click Insert.
   

Diagram (default): When you insert the Mermaid diagram using the draw.io shapes, you can connect additional shapes and connectors and style your diagram. To change the original Mermaid syntax, first delete the previously inserted shapes, and re-enter the Mermaid description of your diagram by repeating the steps above.

Image: To generate the Mermaid diagram as a single SVG image on the drawing canvas instead, select Image from the drop-down list before you Insert. If you hover over the SVG image, the Mermaid syntax is visible in the tooltip. Note that you can't edit or style the individual shapes or connectors in this SVG image version.

To change a Mermaid diagram added as an image, double click on the SVG on the drawing canvas and edit the Mermaid syntax to regenerate the image.

Please refer to the Mermaid documentation for the complete syntax and styling options.

New ELK layouts for large flowcharts​

The new ELK layout option, introduced in Mermaid version 9.4, can generate compacter versions of large and complex flowcharts.

Add the following renderer directive to the top your Mermaid diagram text description:

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"defaultRenderer": "elk"}} }%%

For example, to layout the example Mermaid graph shown above with the ELK renderer command, the insert Mermaid dialog looks as follows.

Click Insert, and the Mermaid diagram will be generated ad drawn with draw.io shapes.

While this example is small and simple, larger flows with complex decisions and many branches may be displayed better using this ELK renderer option.

Note: As this is an experimental feature from the Mermaid developers, it currently only supports the flowchart layout.

Large Mermaid flowchart with and without ELK

Below, one of the more complex draw.io flowchart templates has described in text using Mermaid syntax and inserted as an image. The more compact version on the left used the new ELK renderer directive, and the one on the right did not.

With the ELK renderer directive, the Mermaid code for this flowchart looks as follows.

%%{init: {"flowchart": {"defaultRenderer": "elk"}} }%%

graph TD
  A[\Replenish Value Add stock/] --->C
  B(Order product with Value Add) --->C
  C{Frequent process?} --->|Yes|D 
  C --->|No|F
  D{New template?} --->|Yes|E 
  D --->|No|G
  E(Create work order template) --->G
  F(Create work order) --->H
  G(Copy template to work order) --->I
  H(Add materials to work order processes) --->J
  I(Adjust material quantities) --->J
  J(Monitor work orders) --->K
  K{Material quantities in stock?} --->|No|L 
  K --->|Yes|M
  L(Procure materials) --->M
  M(Change status to In Progress) --->N
  N{External Vendor to perform step?} --->|Yes|O 
  N --->|No|P
  O(Add vendor costs) --->Q
  P[\Perform work order step/] --->R
  Q([Ship materials to Vendor]) --->S --->X
  R{Additional processing required?} --->|Yes|N 
  R--->|No|T
  S[\Perform work order step/] --->U
  T(Receive final stock) --->V
  U(Receive product from vendor) --->W
  V(Ship product on order) --->Y
  W{Partial quantity received?} --->|Yes|X 
  W --->|No|Z
  X[Create work order backorder] ---> J
  Y(Change status to complete) --->AA
  Z(Pay vendor invoice) --->R
  AA([Finish])

draw.io will be available as an integration in the web-based GitLab Wiki editor on 22 March with the GitLab 15.10 release and product kickoff. When you add your diagram to a GitLab Wiki page while editing the source of that page, it will be saved as an SVG image containing the diagram code, and displayed in the page content.

Like all files in GitLab, the image with its embedded diagram is versioned, so all changes are tracked.

Note: As this integration is still under development until release, small changes may be made.

Diagram in the GitLab Wiki editor​

Add a new diagram: Click on Insert or edit diagram in the toolbar in the Markdown editor.

A blank diagram will be opened in the Sketch whiteboard-style editor theme. Use the diagramming toolbar on the left to access templates and shape libraries.

Save your diagram: It will be added to the page in Markdown as a .drawio.svg file.

Edit an existing diagram: Make sure your cursor is in the diagram file entry in the Markdown code, and select Insert or edit diagram.

View a diagram in the page: Click on Preview to render the page containing the diagram.

Diagram with the GitLab rich text editor​

Edit a diagram: Select the diagram, and click on Edit diagram in the hover toolbar that appears above or below.

Add a new diagram: Make sure no other diagram is selected, then click on the + in the toolbar and select Create or edit diagram.

Save individual diagram files to GitLab​

You can also store your individual diagram files in GitLab. Select GitLab as the save file destination when you create a new diagram, or select Save as from the menu.

Alternatively go to our online editor to start diagramming now using GitLab to store your diagrams.

You'll need to authorise access to your GitLab repositories, if you haven't already done so.

Tip:i As draw.io uses secure direct client authorisation, your password is never shared.

Diagram in VSCode with GitLab​

1. Set up the GitLab Workflow extension for Visual Studio Code.
2. Install Henning Dieterichs' unofficial draw.io extension for Visual Studio Code

The draw.io extension for VSCode lets you view and edit the .drawio diagram files stored in your repositories.

See how this extension works in GitHub - it works in a similar way with GitLab inside VSCode.

Note: The extension only recognises files with the .drawio file extension.

This past year has seen a number of new features and big updates to draw.io, including the online editor, our Confluence and Jira apps, and other integrations for a variety of platforms.

Data security and privacy​

As a unique security-first diagramming app, we want to provide you with the best in data privacy and data security.

Building on the data governance and lockdown options we implemented last year, our draw.io branded app for Confluence Cloud and Jira Cloud was the first secure diagramming app to meet Atlassian's rigorous Cloud Fortified standard, making it your most secure choice for diagramming and visualization.

The draw.io App for Github is an alternative authorisation method you can use to limit draw.io's repository access to specific repositories, rather than all of the repositories in your account.

We researched a stricter implementation of our content security policy on the test se.diagrams.net domain. Take up of the domain has been very low, so we will port all the changes we can from that project and then close it down.

New and updated integrations​

Several new integrations were released, and existing ones were updated in the past year. New and updated features common across all integrations are described in the following section.

draw.io for Atlassian Confluence and Jira

With the draw.io apps for Confluence Cloud and Jira Cloud, you can embed diagrams that are stored in Confluence Cloud in your Jira Cloud issues. Keep all of your visual documentation for systems, processes and software in your Confluence Cloud knowledge base, and reference them in your project tasks in Jira.

The draw.io app is now free in small Confluence Cloud instances (up to 10 users). If you are taking advantage of Atlassian's offer of a free Confluence Cloud instance for your small team, you can now add the draw.io board macro and embed diagrams in Confluence pages without needing to purchase a license.

We've improved the draw.io app's performance within Atlassian host products, updated the authentication to use the new API, and refreshed the Kennedy editor theme. The Gliffy and Lucidchart conversion features received a number of updates and bugfixes throughout the year.

The new draw.io board macro in Atlassian Confluence uses the updated Sketch editor theme by default, providing teams with an easy-to-use digital whiteboard.

draw.io for Google Workspace, Drive and Classroom

Google Classroom continued to be used extensively by schools and training providers. The draw.io app for Google Drive lets you integrate diagrams into Google Classroom assessment tasks and discussions. Diagrams set in assessment tasks can be collaboratively edited, or act like a template with each student getting their own copy.

Tip: Install the Google Workspace apps for Docs, Sheets and Slides to embed diagrams in your Workspace documents.

draw.io for VSCode and GitHub

In combination with the third-party draw.io app for VSCode, and the github.dev web-based code editor, you can now edit diagrams stored in GitHub, without needing to change to another tab. You can even compare changes side-by-side on commit.

draw.io diagrams in Notion

You can use the draw.io for Notion extension for the Chrome, Opera and Edge web browsers to store your diagram files in your Notion pages. The diagram editor loads inline in your Notion page using the simple Sketch editor theme.

draw.io for Microsoft Teams

You can now collaborate in real time on diagrams stored in Microsoft One Drive or Sharepoint, directly from your team’s channel with the draw.io app for Microsoft Teams. Install the draw.io app in your Teams channel to add diagrams to conversations or to a Teams tab.

Diagram import and file conversion

The free draw.io Importer extension for the Google Chrome browser lets you convert all of your Lucidchart diagrams to draw.io in a couple of steps. This lets you continue editing all of your diagrams now that Lucidchart has limited Lucidchart EDU, their previously free education plan, to only three editable diagrams.

New features and updates in 2021​

The Sketch editor theme, and the right-click context menu received a comprehensive overhaul. The tools and menus were simplified and reorganised to make it feel much more like a whiteboard you can sketch freely on. You can expand or collapse most of the panels, and move them to another location around the drawing canvas.

The freehand drawing tool was updated along with the whiteboard like editor theme.

You can now search for templates and click on the magnifying glass in the top right of any template to see a larger preview. The draw.io template library was also expanded with more templates and template categories.

In addition to moving diagram elements to the front or the back of an overlapping stack, you can step shapes and connectors forwards and backwards in the z-order stack using the Bring Forward and Send Backward buttons on the Arrange tab in the format panel.

You can now use a diagram page as a background behind another diagram page. It will be printed along with the diagram, and is ideal for watermarking your diagrams, providing a common layout for mockups, or adding a template for diagram metadata on development documentation.

A waypoint shape is now available in the Misc shape library (part of the General collection). You can use the small waypoint shape to join connectors together, replacing overlapping connectors with the same target or source shape neatly and cleanly.

Tags have been brought into the draw.io editor as a core feature and the experimental tags plugin has been retired. Add one or more tags to shapes and connectors to group them without needing to place them on the same layer in your diagram.

Use the Tags dialog (View > Tags) to group, select, hide or display the tagged shapes.

Several shape libraries saw new or updated stencils, including AWS, C4, GCP, BPMN 2.0, electrical and swimlane shapes.

Many more features have been updated, expanded, and some simplified. Additional interface translations have been completed, and existing translations refreshed - thank you to all of our translators!

And of course, a mountain of bugs have been squashed.

See the changelog in our drawio GitHub repository for full details of all of the releases.

draw.io and our Atlassian integrations are the leading solution for web based sketching and diagramming functionality. The article describes the draw.io integrations for Confluence that we, draw.io Ltd., build, deliver and maintain alongside the online app.diagrams.net and the offline draw.io Desktop application.

Atlassian recently deprecated their Confluence Server range. As the software market evolves, accelerating the move to Cloud is the next natural step in Atlassian's strategy.

Users able to move to Cloud have seen an overall cost saving due to reduced maintenance and downtime, as well as benefiting from Atlassian's scalability and security record. There are various mechanisms in place to smooth the road to Cloud, including free Cloud licenses while you migrate away from Server.

At smaller tiers Confluence Cloud is the clear winner, at higher tiers the cost outlay is greater (excluding the benefits). You can see a comparison between Confluence Server and Confluence Cloud at various tiers below (pricing as per the July 2021 price list, annual renewal in USD):

For under 500 users, the cost is largely the same. But that isn't the whole picture, as you're likely to have apps installed, also.

Taking the top selling Confluence app, Gliffy, let's see how the price changes as you move to Cloud and compare it to draw.io on Cloud:

In fact, up to 4k users, you will save money on your Gliffy Server renewal by using draw.io on Confluence Cloud. With 10k users, you will pay 75% more for draw.io on Cloud compared to Gliffy on Server. However, if you have 10k users switching to Cloud and keep Gliffy, you pay over ten times (x10) the Server price.

There is a rich selection of apps in the Atlassian ecosystem and it's worth evaluating alternatives when migrating from Confluence Server to Cloud. Some apps, like draw.io with its one-click Gliffy mass importer, make it easy to switch whilst saving you money. Of course, you save that amount every year after you have switched.