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Diagrams

The Diagrams module lets you create visual architecture diagrams using an embedded DrawIO editor — fully integrated with your card inventory. You can drag cards onto the canvas, connect them with relations, and keep the diagram synchronized with your EA data.

Diagrams Gallery

The gallery shows all diagrams as thumbnail cards or in a list view (toggle via the view icon in the toolbar). Each diagram displays its name, type, and a visual preview of its contents.

Actions from the gallery:

  • Create — Click + New Diagram to create a diagram with a name and optional description
  • Open — Click any diagram to launch the editor
  • Edit details — Rename or update the description
  • Delete — Remove a diagram (with confirmation)

The Diagram Editor

Opening a diagram launches a full-screen DrawIO editor in a same-origin iframe. The standard DrawIO toolbar is available for shapes, connectors, text, formatting, and layout.

Inserting Cards

Use the Card Sidebar (toggle via the sidebar icon) to browse your inventory. You can:

  • Search for cards by name
  • Filter by card type
  • Drag a card onto the canvas — it appears as a styled shape with the card's name and type icon
  • Use the Card Picker Dialog for advanced search and multi-select

Creating Cards from the Diagram

If you draw a shape that doesn't correspond to an existing card, you can create one directly:

  1. Select the unlinked shape
  2. Click Create Card in the sync panel
  3. Fill in the type, name, and optional fields
  4. The shape is automatically linked to the new card

Creating Relations from Edges

When you draw a connector between two card shapes:

  1. Select the edge
  2. The Relation Picker dialog appears
  3. Choose the relation type (only valid types for the connected card types are shown)
  4. The relation is created in the inventory and the edge is stamped as synced

Card Synchronization

The Sync Panel keeps your diagram and inventory in sync:

  • Synced cards — Shapes linked to inventory cards show a green sync indicator
  • Unsynced shapes — Shapes not yet linked to cards are flagged for action
  • Expand/collapse groups — Navigate hierarchical card groups directly on the canvas

Linking Diagrams to Cards

Diagrams can be linked to any card from the card's Resources tab (see Card Details). This allows you to associate architecture diagrams with the components they describe — for example, linking a network topology diagram to an Application or a capability map to a Business Capability.

When a diagram is linked to an Initiative card, it also appears in the EA Delivery module alongside SoAW documents, providing a complete view of all architecture artifacts for that initiative.