drawio

Write the Mermaid source to a .mmd file, then run the draw.io desktop CLI with -x -f xml to convert it into a native .drawio file. The CLI's Mermaid parser lays out the diagram automatically, so no manual positioning is needed.

Prefer Mermaid for standard types like flowcharts, sequence, class, and ER diagrams when the desktop CLI is installed, since it handles layout automatically. Use XML for custom styling, precise positioning, specific shape libraries like AWS or Azure, or when the CLI is not available.

Yes, the draw.io desktop CLI exports .drawio files to PNG, SVG, and PDF using the -x -f flags. Adding -e embeds the diagram XML in the exported file, so it stays editable when reopened in draw.io.

Without the desktop CLI, you can still author diagrams directly as mxGraphModel XML and deliver a .drawio file or a browser URL that opens at app.diagrams.net. Mermaid conversion, ELK layout, and image export all require the desktop app.

Direct .mmd to PNG export with the embed flag is broken in current draw.io Desktop because the embedded-XML step crashes. Convert the Mermaid to a .drawio file first, then export that file to PNG for a reliable result.

Pass --layout with a preset like verticalFlow, horizontalFlow, verticalTree, or organic to the CLI, and ELK will position the nodes automatically. You only need to define the graph structure of nodes and edges, not coordinates.