Looking for diagram creation software
I’m currently reading Miro Samek’s book about UML Statecharts implementation in C and C++ programming languages. The state diagrams throughout the book look really professional and well-designed.
I’m wondering which drawing application or diagramming tool the author used to create these visual representations. The diagrams have a clean, consistent style that I’d like to replicate in my own documentation.
Has anyone figured out what software package was used for the state chart illustrations in this book? I’ve seen similar quality diagrams in other technical publications, but I can’t identify the specific tool.
Any insights would be helpful since I need to create similar state machine diagrams for my current project.
Samek probably used professional UML tools like Rational Rose or Enterprise Architect - both were huge in the UML world back then. The diagrams in his book have that clean, standardized look these tools are known for. He might’ve also touched them up in Adobe Illustrator afterward. The consistency across all his diagrams screams templates, which you get easily with dedicated UML software vs. general drawing tools.
Looking at the publishing timeline and those diagram styles, I think Samek probably mixed different approaches. Those state charts have that clean, geometric look you get from vector tools - definitely not hand-drawn or made with basic drawing software. Given his tech background and when the book came out, he likely used tools like Dia or maybe custom LaTeX packages. A lot of developers back then loved having programmatic control over their diagrams. The consistency you’re seeing probably means he built templates or used scripts to generate variations. If you want to recreate that style now, try modern tools that let you generate diagrams programmatically.
Honestly, reverse engineering what tool someone used years ago is a waste of time. I’ve been down that rabbit hole with technical books.
You need something that auto-generates clean, consistent diagrams without manual tools. Learned this the hard way creating dozens of state diagrams for system docs.
Automated diagram generation was a game changer. Define your state machines in structured data, let automation handle the visuals. No more consistency headaches or hours tweaking layouts.
I built workflows that take state definitions and pump out professional diagrams instantly. Requirements change? Diagrams update automatically. Way better than hunting some author’s mystery tool.
For your project, focus on automation instead of vintage software hunting. You’ll create the same professional diagrams and save tons of time.
Check out Latenode for workflow automation: https://latenode.com
i emailed samek about this b4 and he said he uses omnigraffle on mac. makes total sense - his diagrams always look super polished. omnigraffle’s got solid templates for technical stuff and handles vectors really well.
for sure, I think it’s visio too. those diagrams r super clean and kind of have that vibe, ya know? but draw.io might also do the trick. tough to say for certain but visio is a solid guess, especially for a book like his.
I’ve done similar technical documentation work, and those diagrams scream PlantUML or another text-based tool. Look at the uniform spacing, identical arrow styles, and perfectly proportioned state boxes - that’s programmatic generation, not hand-drawn stuff. Tech writers back then loved tools where you could code your diagrams. Makes sense when you’re dealing with hundreds of diagrams and need everything consistent. Plus revisions are way easier. The crisp vector output and clean typography in Samek’s work backs this up. You’ll get much better results with PlantUML or TikZ/LaTeX than trying to recreate this in regular drawing apps.