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Show HN: Gleek diagram maker – UML class, Sequence, ER diagrams, Flowcharts
- vladojsem 6y agoHello HN, my friends and I made Gleek.io - a diagram maker focused on speed - typing code is much faster than drag-and-drop - for developers, it is more natural to write than to draw - generate a diagram with connections The features of Gleek.io include: - 16 different shapes to use - Various connections based on the diagram type - Diagrams saved locally in a browser as well as on Gleek.io servers - Dashboard with the overview of your diagrams with the option to search - Free Templates (type /) and Syntax help to make it easier to start - Rotation of the diagram, SVG download of a diagram, diagram link sharing, fit to screen layout Create your first diagram in Gleek.io & write your feedback Example to try: Type "Shape1-->Shape2" for your first diagram
- 2rsf 6y agoWhy are you better than other existing tools in this niche?
- vladojsem 6y agothe difference is in the syntax, some other tools allow to create just one type of diagram, like sequence - we have wider options in terms of diagram types. typing should be faster and more natural for developers and software architects - so speed is a big advantage in comparison with drag-and-drop tools.
- ducharmdev 6y agoAlthough your UX looks a bit more appealing, this is what you are competing with: https://mermaid-js.github.io/mermaid-live-editor https://mermaid-js.github.io/mermaid-live-editor So when determining your price point, you need to provide a fairly substantial service on top of this to justify a monthly cost. Particularly when you're targeting developers and architects, who are more likely to use free open-source alternatives even if the UX is not as good.
- vladojsem 6y agofair point. we are going to rework pricing in the following weeks. there are many differences to the mermaid. i have mentioned them in the comments already / saving of the diagrams, unified syntax throughout various diagram types, diagram code autocomplete, templates, integrations with azure devops and confluence. what other paid feature would you wish for?
- beaconstudios 6y agoor https://graphviz.org/ https://graphviz.org/, which is very mature and also FOSS.
- vladojsem 6y agoi know graphviz. there are certainly many diagramming tools out there. what do you like about graphviz that gleek.io does not offer?
- nerdponx 6y agoThat's a backwards mentality. I already use Graphviz, why would I switch? You need to be asking yourself (and convincing everyone else) what Gleek offers that Graphviz does not offer. Also, in the USA, "gleeking" is a very specific kind of spitting, by projecting saliva from under the tongue. Not what I want to think about when making diagrams.
- vladojsem 6y ago
- Oras 6y agoMost comments addressed why it would be better than plantuml and mermaid. If you can add a feature to export the diagram as a GIF with animation to show the sequence, this would be a great feature IMHO. Why I see animation as a vital feature: - This would give clarity to both developers and product owners. - When there is a new feature in the system, it will be easier to add change and export. - Easily embed in README files. - To my knowledge, this feature is not available in any diagram software.
- vladojsem 6y agothank you much for your suggestion. it sounds interesting. we did not think of including a GIF animation before. we are going to talk about it during our next planning.
- Veuxdo 6y agoIlograph has interactive sequence diagrams that can walk you through the sequence, with notes: https://app.ilograph.com/demo.ilograph.Ilograph/Get%2520Diagram https://app.ilograph.com/demo.ilograph.Ilograph/Get%2520Diag... (click the 'Start Walkthrough' button on the right) Exporting it to a gif is an interesting idea. That could be a very big gif file though.
- vladojsem 6y agothanks, we will take a look at ilograph. did not hear about it yet.
- 3ace 6y agoReading the pricing detail for free tier at a glance is a little bit of confusing because of the icon and font color used on certain feature, I had to read the next tier to (probably) understand it further. Is the free tier limited to 4 diagrams? Is the free tier limited to 40 diagrams? Is the free tier permit the user to save the diagram on Gleek server? and so on...
- vladojsem 6y agoyes, we are re-working the pricing page, it is going to include also FAQ. to answer your questions: yes, the free tier is limited to 5 diagram files and 40 diagram objects. the free tier has diagrams saved in the local IndexDB database of the browser. paid tier has them saved on the servers.
- jayonsoftware 6y agoFirst of all I do not mind paying for it, end of the day I do not want to set up things (Server, Docker etc), I just played with it for 10 min. 1. For some reason "Syntax Error" kept popping up. 2. The UI need some work...look at Lucid Chart 3. Having an API will so we can call from other apps 4. Just PNG is not enough, may be add SVG I am happy to get on a 30 min zoom call and discuss all this as I tried to create some thing like this using DS3 last year. Feel free to ping me at @jayonsoftware Jay
- vladojsem 6y agothanks, jay. sure lets connect: @IoGleek it would be helpful to know more details about 1. and 2., we already have SVG implemented - more export options are available for paid users
- gegtik 6y agoTwo comments about "prior art": - This reminds me of plantuml and mermaid: how do you see yourself as different? Is it the reactive display of contents as you type? - Naming-wise: I'm curious - are you aware that in some places "Gleek" means to spit by directly squeezing your salivary glands?
- vladojsem 6y agoyes, the tool is partly based on the mermaid, we use our own syntax that we consider more simple + features build on top of it like diagram saving, git repository integration, exporting options, link sharing, support, etc. you are right. i am aware that name is somewhat controversial. in a way, you type quickly your diagram and gleek.io spits it out :-)
- gegtik 6y agoI Love the idea of these but I feel like we need much better pathing before medium-or-larger diagrams are presentable. Anything not trivial in nature ends up with fairly ugly and unintuitive layout that requires correction. Maybe a job for ML
- ta988 6y agoHow does that differ from mermaid, plantuml and the myriad of others? Do you protect your clients in any way for the risk of loosing diagrams if your company goes down the drain?
- vladojsem 6y agoi like plantuml. however, i think it has more complicated syntax. if i mistype something, i often get an error. gleek.io is partly based on mermaid, it has its own UI and extra features like saving diagrams on its servers, Git integration, link sharing, integration with Azure DevOps, integration with Confluence is on the way, etc. i don't see the company going down the drain, it is only one of our projects and not so expensive to maintain. the diagrams are saved on the servers and you can export them in different formats.
- vladojsem 6y agomermaid also has different syntax for each diagram type. gleek.io is unifying the syntax throughout different diagram types so that you don't have to learn the syntax from the beginning again.
- alexf95 6y agoLooks like a powerful Tool, are there any Tutorial videos showing how to use it effectively?
- clawoo 6y agoMaybe I am missing something, but I'm having difficulty figuring out what a proper diagram definition is supposed to look like. You could take inspiration from plantuml-editor (https://plantuml-editor.kkeisuke.com/# https://plantuml-editor.kkeisuke.com/#) and add a template/demo button that allows user to get a predefined diagram so they can experiment with it.
- vladojsem 6y agoyou can just type / for a template, or use these links for pre-defined diagrams: https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/basic https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/basic https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/sequence https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/sequence https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/erdiagram https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/erdiagram https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/class https://app.gleek.io/diagrams/class there is also syntax help link in the bottom-left corner your feedback is great, we should make it more clear on how to start
- kofejnik 6y agoThis looks nice, congrats! However, it makes zero sense to me as a 13 euro/mo service. It is just a single-purpose tool which I need occasionally, so I might be inclined to pay something like $10 for it, once. But monthly payment? Maybe if you're systems analyst at IBM and creating UML diagrams is literally your job.
- ewokone 6y agoSame here. Free tier with limitations of 40 elements? .. useless to me, next tier 13 dollar per month? Way to much for 2-3 layouts I want to produce spontaneously and irregularly. I would love a gitlab plugin which creates new layouts based on all module imports in a repository. to get an overview like a dependencies graph. For that I would pay instantly.
- vladojsem 6y agothanks for your comment. noted.
- vladojsem 6y agothank you. this is also valuable feedback! we are going to play with the pricing in the following weeks, and the most probably decrease the price.
- swalsh 6y agoI'm a really visual person, so I love making diagrams to explain my ideas. Unfortuantely I can't "think" while i'm typing. In fact, I can't really think while I'm in front of a computer. I usually draw everything out on a dry erase white board. This could solve my second problem, which is to take my drawings and convert them into something presentable and consumerable by other people. But this is not my ideal way to do it. Ideally, I could take a picture of the white board, and it would be auto generated.
- vladojsem 6y agothat is a great feedback, the tool is not for everyone. out of curiosity, are you a developer?
- marcind 6y agoA bit out of context for the broader discussion but your comment caught my eye. Try ShareTheBoard.com as a solution to your second problem. You can digitize your white board contents in real time (and save them at any moment). Let me know if you get a chance to use it. Thanks in advance.
- colordrops 6y agoWhere I grew up (Inland Empire in Southern California), gleek was slang for spitting droplets of water from under your tongue. I'd never be able to dissociate the name from this. Similar to people who associate Gimp with certain things. https://youtu.be/BV4ZeNvXfhk https://youtu.be/BV4ZeNvXfhk
- vladojsem 6y agothanks for the insight. i am using gimp software and never thought about it means something bad. i might reconsider and use different graphic product instead ;-)
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- mono-bob 6y agoMaybe It's just me, but I think the free tier description on the pricing page [1] is confusing. - (CHECK) Use the full set of Gleek diagramming features - (CROSS) Limited to 5 diagram files - (CROSS) Limited to 40 diagram object - (CROSS) Diagrams are stored on Gleek servers - (CROSS) Share links to diagrams using your favorite collaboration tool - (CROSS) Priority support on Slack There are checkmarks and crosses. The first item seems clear because it had a checkmark and is included in the free tier. But it seems to me that the next two items (limited to 5 diagram files and 40 diagram object) are also included, but they have a cross next to them. While the last two items also have a cross but are not included. Lastly, I think there is a small typo and the "40 diagram object" should be "40 diagram objects." Good luck! [1] https://www.gleek.io/pricing.html https://www.gleek.io/pricing.html Edit: fixed formatting
- goertzen 6y agoBarely related, but I feel like OP or commenters will know. What’s this, realtime live preview/hot reload of text to diagram called?