Best tool to create a simple diagram?

nrickert · June 24, 2011, 7:43pm

I need to create a simple diagram - basically, a small binary tree with labels on the nodes. I would probably posting that as a graphic illustration for a forum or blog post (but not at these forums).

Looking at KDE menus, “gimp”, “mtPaint”, “LibreOffice draw” and “Inkscape” look as if they might be possibilities.

When it comes to drawing, I’m am all thumbs (hopelessly incompetent). So what do you folk suggest as an easy way to get the job done.

john_hudson · June 24, 2011, 8:43pm

xfig - if you can cope with the 1980s interface - will do it very easily and will export to many formats. If you want to develop it later, Inkscape will import .fig files directly. So you won’t lose your handiwork.

DenverD · June 24, 2011, 8:41pm

On 06/24/2011 08:06 PM, nrickert wrote:
>
> I need to create a simple diagram

Dia <http://projects.gnome.org/dia/> is like windows Viso, if you know
that…simple to make a “small binary tree with labels on the
nodes”…i would call it a decision diagriam…

it installs easily via YaST, from the standard repos…

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24 June: Sunrise 4:36 AM, Sunset 10:03 PM

martin_helm · June 24, 2011, 8:50pm

Personally I prefer tools where you don’t use the mouse for drawing
diagrams, so I add just to be complete graphviz
http://www.graphviz.org/
it uses a simple description language.
graphviz is available in the openSUSE repositories.

mortenb123 · June 24, 2011, 9:06pm

The gtk app dia

zypper install dia

I’ve been using dia for years, it is no visio, but it gets the job done.

Dia is great for scripting layout. like automated Database schemas

nrickert · June 24, 2011, 10:51pm

Thanks, everybody. That gives me some places to start.

I seem to have “dia” installed, though I’m not sure what package group brought it in. I have just installed xfig, and I may give that a try, too. And if I have problems, I can try another of the selections.

The HELP button for dia was no use. It said that KDE help was not available. And on the one system where I have gnome installed, dia does not show up. But the web documentation should be adequate.