What the Diagram Explainer does
A whiteboard flowchart from a meeting, a UML diagram from a textbook, a wiring schematic your instructor drew fast and small: diagrams are often clearer to the person who made them than to everyone else reading them later. This tool takes a photo of a diagram and works through it piece by piece, naming the type of diagram, describing what each shape and arrow is doing, and explaining how the parts connect into a process or system. You can add a specific question in the details box, like asking about one branch of a flowchart, and the explanation focuses on that. One photo in, one written explanation out.
See a sample result
Input: An overhead photo of a hand-drawn sketch on white paper lying on a wood table, with a hand holding a pen over it, a ruler, a capped marker and two small color swatches nearby. One wireframe-style screen (text lines, an image placeholder, a close "x") has arrows to three more screens. The middle screen leads to two small diamonds, each pointing to a blank box. The lower screen branches to two circles marked Y and N, with dashed arrows to small boxes. No words are written on the page.
- Diagram Clarity45%
- Label Completeness20%
- Flow Complexity55%
Diagram type: A hand-drawn user flow (screen flow) for an app or website. The boxes are drawn as low-fidelity wireframes, with lines standing in for text and a crossed rectangle standing in for an image, so this is an early UX sketch rather than a formal flowchart.
Overall structure: One entry screen at the top left branches to three follow-up screens. Two of those branches then split again, one through decision diamonds and one through a yes/no choice.
Components:
- The entry screen: text lines, an image placeholder and an "x" in the corner, likely a dismissible landing view or modal.
- Three child screens, one of them with a half-circle graphic, possibly a chart or media header.
- Two diamonds after the middle screen, the usual flowchart symbol for a decision. Each leads to a blank rectangle, probably the screen shown for that outcome.
- Two circles marked Y and N after the lower screen, a shorthand for a yes/no answer, with dashed arrows. Dashed lines often mean an optional or not-yet-designed path.
Flow: The user starts on the entry screen, moves to one of three screens, and on two of them makes a choice that sends them to different next screens.
Note: Nothing on the sheet is labeled, so the purpose of each screen and the question behind each decision aren't visible. Describe them in the details box for a more specific walkthrough.
How it works
- 1
Photograph the whole diagram
Get every box, arrow and label in frame, shot straight-on if you can, since an angled shot makes small text and overlapping lines harder to read.
- 2
Add a specific question if you have one
Use the details box to point at a particular part, like 'what happens if the answer is no' or 'explain the loop in the middle', and the explanation prioritizes that.
- 3
The model reads structure and symbols
It identifies the diagram type (flowchart, UML, network, circuit, and so on), the shapes used, and the direction and meaning of connecting arrows.
- 4
You get a structured explanation
The result walks through the overall purpose, each component, and the flow or sequence between them, plus real-world context for the process being diagrammed.
Use cases
Studying from a textbook or lecture slide
Photograph a UML or systems diagram from course material and get a plain explanation of what it represents before an exam.
Making sense of a whiteboard from a meeting
Turn a hastily drawn flowchart photo into a written explanation you can share with people who weren't in the room.
Reviewing someone else's process design
Get a second read on a workflow or network diagram a colleague drew, to check it says what they intended.
Learning an unfamiliar diagram convention
If you don't recognize the shapes or symbols used, the explanation names the diagram type and what each symbol typically means.
Tips for better results
- Shoot straight-on and fill the frame with the diagram so small text and thin arrow lines don't get lost.
- If the diagram has no labels, add what you know in the details box; the explanation can only describe what's visible or what you tell it.
- For dense diagrams, ask about one section at a time in the details box instead of the whole thing at once.
- Good, even lighting matters more than photo quality for this tool, since glare on whiteboard marker or glossy paper is the main cause of misread lines.
Frequently asked questions
Can it read diagrams with no text labels?
It describes shapes, connections and likely structure even without labels, but it can't state facts the diagram doesn't show, so blank boxes stay described as blank.
Does it work on hand-drawn sketches, not just printed diagrams?
Yes, it reads both, though very messy or overlapping hand-drawn lines are harder to trace than a clean printed diagram.
Can I ask it to focus on just one part of the diagram?
Yes, use the details box to name the specific section, branch or symbol you want explained, and the result will prioritize that.
What kinds of diagrams does it recognize?
Flowcharts, UML diagrams, network diagrams, circuit schematics and other common technical drawing types, identified by their shapes and conventions.
Will it get the explanation completely right every time?
It's a visual read of the image, not a verified analysis, so double-check any explanation against your source material, especially for technical or exam use.
How many diagrams can I submit in one run?
One diagram per run: the tool analyzes one image at a time. For a multi-page diagram, run each page separately and note in the details box how they connect.
Plans start at $9 a month. See pricing