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AI-Powered Diagram Generation

January 20, 2024Diagram Maker Team

AI-Powered Diagram Generation

Diagram Maker's AI assistant revolutionizes how you create diagrams. Instead of manually placing nodes and connections, simply describe what you want and let AI do the work.

How It Works

The AI assistant uses advanced language models (Claude Sonnet 4.5 or GPT-4) to understand your natural language descriptions and generate complete diagrams.

Setting Up AI Features

AI features are available in the PRO plan. To get started:

  1. Open Settings in Diagram Maker
  2. Go to the AI tab
  3. Choose your provider: Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI (GPT-4)
  4. Enter your API key
  5. Click Save

Note: You need your own API key from Anthropic or OpenAI. AI requests are sent directly from your device to the provider - we never see your data.

Creating Diagrams with AI

Voice Commands

Click the microphone button or press Cmd+K to start voice input:

"Create a user authentication flow with login, validation, and dashboard"

The AI will generate a complete diagram with:

  • Login page node
  • Validation process node
  • Dashboard node
  • Proper connections between them
  • Appropriate colors and styles

Text Input

Prefer typing? Use the AI chat sidebar:

Create a hierarchical organization chart with:
- CEO at the top
- 3 departments: Engineering, Sales, Marketing
- 2 teams under each department

Editing Existing Diagrams

AI can also modify your diagrams:

"Add a payment processing step between checkout and confirmation"

"Change all blue nodes to green"

"Rearrange this diagram using the dagre algorithm"

Supported Diagram Types

The AI excels at creating:

Workflows

  • User flows
  • Business processes
  • State machines
  • Decision trees

Hierarchies

  • Organization charts
  • File structures
  • Taxonomies
  • Class hierarchies

Mind Maps

  • Brainstorming
  • Concept mapping
  • Project planning
  • Learning notes

AI Providers Comparison

Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Anthropic) - Recommended

Pros:

  • Superior diagram understanding
  • Better at complex layouts
  • Automatic prompt caching (90% cost reduction)
  • 1-hour cache TTL

Pricing: ~$3 per 1M input tokens, ~$15 per 1M output tokens

GPT-4 (OpenAI)

Pros:

  • Fast response times
  • Good for simple diagrams
  • Wide availability

Pricing: ~$5 per 1M input tokens, ~$15 per 1M output tokens

Smart Caching

Diagram Maker implements intelligent caching to reduce AI costs:

  • System prompts are cached (diagram format, rules)
  • Diagram context is reused between requests
  • Cache lifetime: 1 hour
  • Savings: Up to 90% on repeated operations

This means your second and subsequent AI requests cost about 10% of the first request!

Tips for Better Results

Be Specific

❌ "Create a diagram" ✅ "Create a software deployment workflow with build, test, and deploy stages"

Use Structured Descriptions

Create a user registration flow:
1. User enters email and password
2. System validates input
3. If valid, create account
4. If invalid, show error
5. Send confirmation email

Iterate

Start simple, then refine:

  1. "Create a basic shopping cart flow"
  2. "Add payment processing"
  3. "Add error handling for failed payments"

Reference Existing Nodes

"Connect the Login node to the new Dashboard node"

Privacy and Cost

Your Data

  • AI requests go directly from your device to the provider
  • We never see your diagram content
  • Your API key is stored securely in your Mac's keychain

Cost Management

  • Monitor your API usage in the provider's dashboard
  • Set spending limits in your provider account
  • Use caching to reduce costs by 90%

Typical usage: $2-5 per month for active PRO users with moderate AI usage.

Voice Control Best Practices

  1. Speak clearly - Use natural, conversational language
  2. Be concise - Shorter commands work better
  3. Use keywords - "Create", "Add", "Connect", "Change"
  4. Review results - AI isn't perfect, always review

What's Next?

AI features are constantly improving. Coming soon:

  • AI-powered styling - Automatic color schemes
  • Layout suggestions - AI recommends best layouts
  • Smart templates - Industry-specific diagram templates
  • Collaborative AI - Team diagram generation

Troubleshooting

AI Not Responding

  1. Check your API key in Settings
  2. Verify your provider account has credits
  3. Check your internet connection

Unexpected Results

  1. Try rephrasing your command
  2. Break complex diagrams into steps
  3. Use the "Undo" command and try again

High Costs

  1. Enable caching in Settings (default: on)
  2. Use simpler language models for basic tasks
  3. Review your API usage dashboard

Ready to experience AI-powered diagramming? Start your 7-day PRO trial today!