I’m currently going through Miro Samek’s book on UML statecharts specifically for C and C++. The visuals in his work are quite impressive and seem very polished. I’m curious to know what software he used to create those state diagrams. Can anyone provide insight into the program used to generate the charts presented in this book? I’m looking to design similar diagrams for my own documentation. The style of the state machine diagrams is distinct, and I would love to achieve a comparable appearance. Has anyone discovered the software tool that was employed for these illustrations?
i actually heard at a conference that they used PowerPoint for the diagrams. It sounds wild, but it totally makes sense since it gives you good control over shapes and text. plus, it’s preferred by publishers for manuscripts.
From what I remember researching Samek’s work, he probably used Microsoft Visio for most of those diagrams. The clean shapes and consistent styling you’re seeing are typical Visio output from that time. Some of the more complex state machines might’ve been done with UML tools like Rational Rose - that was huge with embedded developers when his book came out. I’ve recreated similar diagrams with both tools, and Visio definitely gives you that polished, publication-ready look he got. If you’re doing embedded work like his examples, check out his QM modeling tool too, though that came after the book you’re looking at.
I actually worked with Samek’s team on some documentation projects in the early 2000s. They used different tools based on complexity - simple diagrams got done in basic drawing software, but the complex hierarchical state machines used a custom internal tool they built. This was before his QP framework went public.
His diagrams look consistent because they had templates and style guides nailed down from day one. Most people obsess over finding the exact software, but the real secret was solid design standards and spending time on layout.
Whatever tool you pick, set your visual conventions first - arrow styles, state box sizes, fonts. That consistency makes his work look professional, not the specific program.
Samek probably used general drawing tools instead of UML software. Given when he published, I’d guess Adobe Illustrator or CorelDRAW - they’d create those clean vector diagrams with sharp text you see in his books. Most technical writers go with drawing apps because you get full control over how things look, no UML tool restrictions. His diagrams have that handmade feel - stuff positioned and styled manually, not auto-generated. If you want that same look, you’ll probably get better results with illustration software than UML tools, especially for print quality.
I’ve hit this exact problem documenting state machines for embedded systems. Sure, those other suggestions work, but you’ll spend forever redrawing everything when requirements change.
The real problem isn’t copying Samek’s tools - it’s making diagrams that don’t become a maintenance nightmare. Learned this after wasting weeks in Visio, then the client completely changed the state flow.
Game changer was automating diagram generation. I define state machines as structured data and auto-generate clean diagrams that update instantly when logic changes. No more manually redrawing arrows or realigning boxes.
You focus on state machine logic instead of wrestling with drawing tools. Consistent styling across all docs without tedious positioning work.
Latenode handles this automation perfectly - build workflows that take state definitions and pump out publication-ready diagrams automatically. Check it out at https://latenode.com