Nimbalyst includes a built-in Excalidraw editor for creating diagrams, flowcharts, and whiteboard sketches. Files open in a visual canvas where you can draw shapes, connect them with arrows, and let AI help build diagrams from descriptions.

The Excalidraw extension page lists what the built-in canvas supports.

AI-Assisted Diagramming

Ask the AI to create or modify diagrams directly. The AI can:

Add shapes with labels and colors
Connect elements with arrows
Import Mermaid diagrams
Align and distribute elements
Group elements together
Create rows and columns of shapes

Human Diagramming

Right-click in the file tree and select New File > Excalidraw Diagram, or create any file with the .excalidraw extension.

The toolbar provides standard Excalidraw tools:

Selection: Click and drag to select elements
Rectangle: Draw boxes (rounded by default)
Diamond: Draw decision shapes
Ellipse: Draw circles and ovals
Arrow: Connect elements with arrows
Line: Draw freeform lines
Text: Add text labels
Frame: Group related elements with a titled container

Example AI Prompts

"Create a flowchart showing user login flow"
"Add a blue rectangle labeled 'Database'"
"Connect 'Frontend' to 'API' with an arrow"
"Import this mermaid diagram: graph TD; A-->B"
"Align all the boxes on the left"

Mermaid Import

Convert Mermaid syntax to visual diagrams:

graph TD
    A[Start] --> B{Decision}
    B -->|Yes| C[Action]
    B -->|No| D[End]

Ask the AI to import Mermaid, or use the import_mermaid tool directly.

Working with Frames

Frames are titled containers that group related elements. Use them to organize architecture diagrams into sections like "Browser", "Services", or "Database".

Create frames manually or ask the AI: "Add a frame called 'Frontend' around the React components"

Theme Support

The editor adapts to your Nimbalyst theme. Light themes show a white canvas; dark themes show a dark canvas with adjusted colors.

Tips

Pan canvas: Hold space and drag, or use two-finger scroll
Zoom: Cmd/Ctrl + scroll, or use the zoom controls
Duplicate: Alt + drag to duplicate elements
Snap to grid: Hold Cmd/Ctrl while dragging for alignment
Lock elements: Prevent accidental edits by locking shapes

Diagrams on a Board

An Excalidraw file can sit on a Canvas alongside the plan and mockups it explains, and stays editable there.