Program for drawing simple diagrams

Daravon · 07-21-2009, 10:47 AM

I'm a materials researcher and I try to use open source tools like gnuplot etc as often as possible. I often need to draw simple line-art diagrams of things and I was wondering if there was a good program for doing this. I have used Microsoft Paint-type programs in the past but something that is optimized for drawing line-art diagrams and generates vector output would be better, that is, faster and higher quality. Ideas?

vonbiber · 07-21-2009, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daravon

I'm a materials researcher and I try to use open source tools like gnuplot etc as often as possible. I often need to draw simple line-art diagrams of things and I was wondering if there was a good program for doing this. I have used Microsoft Paint-type programs in the past but something that is optimized for drawing line-art diagrams and generates vector output would be better, that is, faster and higher quality. Ideas?

you might be interested in one of these

http://www.gle-graphics.org/
http://asymptote.sourceforge.net
http://math.holycross.edu/~ahwang/epix/ePiX.html

they all can output to postscript

i92guboj · 07-21-2009, 11:13 AM

Inkscape is for general purpose vector drawing, it could be used depending on the concrete purpose. Dia is specific for diagrams, you could check it as well. Also, koffice has a diagram tracer called kivio.

I am sure that there are many more around.