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Opening draw.io files and drawing flowcharts quickly

How to open and save .drawio files in Nodivo, build a flowchart in a few clicks with the edge arrows, and use automatic layout.

By Ahmet Samet Yüzlü

2 min read

Nodivo works with the draw.io format. A file created in draw.io or diagrams.net is opened, edited and saved back as a draw.io file. Diagrams are processed on this device; no file is sent to a server.

Opening an existing file

  1. Select a .drawio or .drawio.svg file with File › Open… (Ctrl/⌘ O). Both the compressed and the plain format are read.
  2. Groups, edge labels and arrowheads are preserved. In a file with several pages, each page can be browsed separately.
  3. After editing, save with File › Save (Ctrl/⌘ S). The saved file also opens in draw.io and diagrams.net.

Not all of draw.io's shape libraries are available in Nodivo. Unrecognised shapes are shown as rectangles; their original styles in the file are preserved. Visio (.vsdx) and Lucidchart files cannot be opened.

A flowchart in a few clicks

  1. Start with File › New diagram. From the Flowchart library in the Shapes panel, drag the Start / end shape onto the canvas or click it to add it.
  2. Select the shape. Arrows appear on its edges; clicking the lower arrow duplicates the shape in that direction and connects it.
  3. Double-click the new shape and type its text.
  4. For a decision step, add the Decision shape from the library. Dragging a shape's arrow into empty space creates a new shape; dropping it onto another shape connects the two. This is how the "yes" and "no" branches of a decision are built.
  5. Double-click a connector to type a label.

You can also draw with the keyboard: R selects the rectangle, O the ellipse, D the decision, C the connector and T the text tool.

Tidying up

A cluttered diagram is arranged in layers with Arrange › Auto layout (top to bottom) or (left to right); crossing connections are reduced. Several selected shapes are aligned with Align and distribute in the same menu.

Exporting

With File › Export (Ctrl/⌘ ⇧ E), the diagram is saved as PNG (1×, 2×, 3×), SVG or editable SVG. An editable SVG (.drawio.svg) opens as an image anywhere and can be edited again with draw.io. There are also the Selected items only and White background options.

Unsaved changes are kept as a draft on this device; when the page is closed and reopened, work continues where it left off.

Nodivo opens right away in the browser.