SketchIt

DIAGRAMS AND CHARTS

A description in, a finished render out.

Eight read-only tools for deterministic diagrams, charts, and presentation layouts - no server, no credential, no upstream call.

SketchIt is a Quilr-built MCP that turns a description of a process, structure or dataset into a rendered diagram or chart. It has no upstream service and no credential: it makes no API calls, no LLM calls and fetches no external assets. Every render is deterministic, so the same input always produces the same output.

Tools

The MCP provides 8 read-only tools. It never claims a diagram was created unless a render succeeded, and never guesses a title, icon or design the user has not asked for.

Capability	Examples
Diagram rendering	Flowcharts, architecture and hierarchy diagrams, mind maps, sequence diagrams, timelines, cycles, matrices, funnels, comparisons
Chart rendering	Bar, grouped bar, stacked bar, line, area, scatter, pie, donut, table
Presentation compositions	15 layouts (journey, chevron steps, priority hub, pyramid, problem vs. solution and more) inferred from the shape of the content
Design selection	An inline panel for style, composition, title, text alignment, font and icons before rendering
Visual variations	Several genuinely different layouts with rendered previews to pick from
Icon assignment	Icons from a bundled, offline Tabler gallery; only when asked
Themes and fonts	6 style packs (Professional, Editorial, Sketch Notes, Colorful Blocks, Minimal Contrast, Soft Pastel), plus 6 fonts selectable on their own
Export formats	SVG, PNG (including transparent background), Mermaid source and the diagram spec as JSON, returned together

A linear sequence renders as chevron steps, paired items as a two-column comparison, and related items around a theme as a hub:

Setup

There is nothing to prepare: no account, no API key and no OAuth consent.

1. Go to Settings > AI Gateway > MCP Gateway, click Library and find SketchIt.
2. Click Install. There is no credential prompt.
3. Make sure the tools are enabled in Tool visibility.

If SketchIt is not in your Library, contact Quilr.

Verify

Using SketchIt, render a flowchart for: draft a proposal, get manager approval,
send to the client.

Using SketchIt, walk me through how a new hire gets set up: complete paperwork,
provision laptop and accounts, grant system access, team introduction, first-week
check-in. Don't tell me what design to use - let SketchIt suggest a few.

The first should return a rendered image in the reply, not a text description. The second should offer more than one genuinely different layout.

Use it effectively

• Describe content and structure, not layout. SketchIt picks fitting designs from the shape of the content.
• Ask for the design panel when visual preferences matter.
• Request transparent_background: true for diagrams that sit on a slide or document.
• Ask for the diagram "as code" or "as data" to get the Mermaid source or JSON spec, both included with every render.
• If a diagram reports dropped items, ask for the plain flowchart layout or split the content.

Troubleshooting

Error	Likely cause	Fix
A diagram is described but no image appears	The agent summarized instead of showing the image	Ask it to show the rendered image.
INVALID_VISUAL_SPEC	The content could not be structured into a valid diagram	Simplify or re-describe the content; check the returned validation details.
COMPOSITION_CAPACITY_EXCEEDED	The composition cannot hold every item legibly	Use the plain flowchart layout or split the content.
ICON_ASSIGNMENT_INCOMPLETE	Not every item has an icon yet	Ask the agent to assign the rest and render again.
Design panel or picker does not appear inline	The client does not support inline MCP Apps UI	Ask for the same choices as plain text.
Icons look generic	No good match in the offline gallery	Ask for a specific Tabler icon by name, or the neutral fallback marker.

Compared with Excalidraw

Provider-native

Choose Excalidraw for a live canvas

Use Excalidraw when the team needs a shared, hand-drawn-style whiteboard that people and agents keep editing together over time.

• Editable canvas any client can open
• Element-level read and write control

Quilr-managed

Choose SketchIt for a zero-setup render

Use SketchIt when the job is a finished diagram or chart handed back in the reply, with nothing to self-host and nothing to authorize.

• No server, OAuth, or API key at all
• Deterministic SVG, PNG, Mermaid, and JSON output

Decision signalChoose Excalidraw when the diagram must stay a shared, editable artifact. Choose SketchIt when the goal is a fast, disposable, ready-to-use render.

Capability	Excalidraw	SketchIt
Zero setup - nothing to self-host or authorize	-	✅
Live, multi-agent editable canvas	✅	-
Deterministic - same input always renders the same	-	✅
Diagram generation from a text description	Partial - create_from_mermaid only	✅
Presentation-style layouts (hub, chevron, pyramid, and more)	-	✅ 15 layouts
Chart rendering (bar, line, pie, and more)	-	✅
Element-level read and write editing	✅	-
Export formats	PNG, SVG, .excalidraw	SVG, PNG, Mermaid, JSON

To set up Excalidraw instead, see Excalidraw.